5 Top Robot Vacuum Projects That Work For Any Budget

Top Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos

Robots aren't so good at removing particles such as metal screws or pasta pieces. They are however great at brushing away pet hair, dust, and crumbs. The best models are equipped with intelligent navigation technology that helps them avoid cords, toys and other household obstacles.

1. Roomba iRobot i3+ from iRobot EVO

The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO is a fantastic robot vacuum that has a variety of smart features that make it easier to maintain than many competing models. The automatic bin emptying feature is among the best smart vacuum features we've ever encountered in a robotic vacuum. It's great on carpets as well as hard floors. The app guides you through the entire process. It's also simple to use and set up. Another impressive feature is the ability to go back to where it began in our tests. It did this for 77 minutes on one cleaning, before running out of battery.

In contrast to other robovacs we tested, the i3+ EVO features self-emptying bins that dump debris into an external dirt compartment on the base of its charging when it's filled. This makes it easier to maintain the unit and keeps the i3+ EVO from overfilling, but it still requires manually emptied after every cleaning session. The i3+ EVO's built-in dust bin holds 2.4L of waste and is enough to get it through four or five cleaning sessions before needing to replace it.

Like the i7model, this model also uses the latest floor sensors to create maps and navigate neat rows. The i3+ EVO can only keep one map, whereas the i7 is able to store multiple. The i7 is also able to use its map to create no-go zones and virtual barriers, but the i3+ EVO is not able to do this.

While the i3+ EVO is superior at picking up debris on surfaces than the other robovacs that we tested however, it's not the most effective for cleaning edges and corners. It is also less gentle on furniture, despite being remarkably silent. It was a bit rough on furniture, as it forced chairs away. It also made some collisions against the sides of the test bed.

2. Black & Decker Pro Q5

The Q5 Pro is an excellent option, whether you're expanding your robot vacuum cleaner quiet vacuum collection or are just beginning to get started. It packs serious power, smart robot vacuums navigation and easy automation into a sleek and stylish design for a reasonable price. It's the most efficient pound-for pound model available today and is even better than Roborock's higher-priced models in many ways.

This robot is excellent in cleaning floors that are dirty, and its avoidance tech assists it in staying away from furniture legs or other obstacles. It also performs well on carpets and gets an excellent score in our navigation tests. It's only downside is that it's noisier than other models and doesn't perform better in our user-satisfaction and predicted reliability assessments.

The Q5 Pro comes with a large dust container of 770ml, meaning that you won't have to empty it as often as other 2-in-1 robots. Its 240-minute runtime is also very generous compared to others we've tested. When the battery is low, it will automatically return to its dock where it recharges and then resumes cleaning where it was when it stopped. You can manage the Q5 Pro using the app or voice commands with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

This is among the first robots we've seen to incorporate 3D mapping. That, combined with some other advancements, allows it to do exceptionally well in our mopping and vacuuming tests. It allows you to schedule cleaning times, set no-go zones, and view the status of the battery, among other things. The app is simple to use, even though it doesn't support Apple HomeKit which is slated to be added by 2025. Apple updated its footnote on its website in early November to reflect the fact that this feature has been delayed until 2025. HomeKit is not compatible with other robots, however Siri Shortcuts are.

3. TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus

If you want a robot vacuum cleaner that is able to mop and is affordable, the TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus is the right choice. It is stylish in design and a lot of impressive features for its price. You can control it using the buttons on the device through the app or even by using voice commands. The device has long battery life, and the vacuum container can be auto-emptied.

The TP-Link RV30 Plus does a excellent job of cleaning up messes of all kinds and is suitable for light mopping on hard floors. It comes with a sweeping brush replacement and mopping cloth, as well being an HEPA-filter. It can be connected to smart robot hubs such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow voice control. The TP-Link RV30 Plus can be quickly set up and connect to a variety of floor surfaces with the automatic mode. This ensures that the optimal results are achieved in each room and type of floor.

You can select from three cleaning modes to suit your needs. The vacuuming mode is a thorough cleaning of the room. It makes use of the smart sensor to detect edges, stairs, furniture and other obstacles. The mopping mode can be utilized to automatically clean the floor or to get rid of stubborn stains and liquid spills. You can combine the two functions to achieve a thorough and deep cleaning.

The TP-Link RV30 Plus comes with an impressive suction and 3 settings for dry mopping, and is able to quickly remove dust pet hairs, crumbs and other debris from any flooring kind. The device can even clean carpets without damaging them thanks to the special mop.

In its first mapping run, TP-Link RV30 Plus scans your home and stores it with its dual navigation system, which consists of LiDAR and Gyro. You can edit the map in the app and combine or split rooms based on your preference. You can also create virtual walls and no-go zones to prevent the RV30 Plus from entering areas you don't want it be in.

4. Eufy iMop

The Eufy iMop robot vacuum and mop is one of best auto vacuum (my explanation) fully-featured robots for hard flooring. It has a high-tech mapping system that maps your home even across multiple floors. The base station is well-designed, and automates cleaning to a great extent. It also offers amazing navigation and obstacle avoidance.

This model uses an internal dToF LiDAR sensor to create a map of your home, resulting in efficient cleaning routes. The iMop was rated highly for its navigation and coverage. It also did a great job of avoiding obstacles such as furniture. It also has the ability to find its way back to the base station which is a nice feature in case it is unable to recharge its battery during a cleaning session.

It also comes with a spot cleaning mode that allows you to clean or mop the specific part of your floor. And it can be manually programmed to follow a predetermined route, which is helpful for narrow hallways or stairs. It did a decent job of cleaning carpets during our carpet cleaning evaluation however it had a difficult time with higher pile carpets and rug. It is able to raise the mop pad automatically whenever it comes in contact with carpet. This is a fantastic feature for those who want to avoid having to mop their carpets.

The iMop features an onboard dust bin as well as an water tank that empties and refills at the end of each cleaning session. The dust bin can hold up to 2.5 Liters and only has to be cleaned every two cleaning cycles. The water tank can handle more than a dozen mopping sessions before it runs out. The iMop requires less maintenance and cleaning than the typical robot vacuum, which could be a big selling point for busy families.

The smartphone app of iMop is user-friendly and comes with a variety of options for setting up. It offers multiple suction settings, mopping settings and scheduling. It lets you create virtual walls, no-go zones and other limitations to ensure that your robot doesn't wander into areas that aren't safe for it. The app also provides access to the iMop status and errors messages.