Best robot vacuums 2022: our favorite five robot vacuum cleaners for the home

Having one of the best robot vacuums will mean that having a clean home free of debris, dirt, and dust, with minimum effort, is possible. It's the answer to all your housecleaning nightmares, and equally an answer to cleaning the home if you're stretched for time.

Small robotic machines are designed to vacuum our homes so we don't have to. Some can be scheduled to clean our rooms when we're at work, while others can be guided to vacuum a mess in the kitchen through a command on Alexa or Google Assistant. Year after year, the techy features of these robots improve, getting us closer and closer to having our very own Jetsons-like, Rosey the Robot.

iRobot arguably has the most impressive robot vacuums on the market, so it’s no surprise that we chose the iRobot Roomba j7+ for our top pick. This smart robot vacuum can identify things like cords and pet waste, and more importantly, avoid them while it cleans. With a Dirt Detect feature, the vacuum uses more power and time to clean dirtier spots in the home. When the robot needs a recharge or its dust bin is full, it zooms to the charging station where it empties itself and charges up.

The biggest drawback is that the iRobot isn’t very clear on the vacuum's suction power. They advertise “10x” – whatever that means. However, you’ll be happy to know that it has Alexa and Google capabilities which allows you to command it to spot clean certain areas in your house that need immediate attention. Through the app, users will get a map of their home, be able to do targeted cleaning, and can even use geolocation services to schedule the robot to clean when at work.

Whether you want a robot vacuum to clean up after pets, kids, or just to maintain a spotless home throughout the week, the iRobot Roomba j7+ won’t disappoint.

2. ILIFE V9e Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Best robot vacuum for pet hair: it's got a long runtime with impressive suction

Specifications

Run time: 110 minutesSuction power: 4000PaDimensions: 12.2 x 11.81 x 4.41 inchesDust bin capacity: 0.7L

Reasons to buy

+Great runtime+Alexa capabilities+3000-4000Pa suction power+Control cleanings through an improved app

Reasons to avoid

-Mapping has some kinks-Doesn’t include a self-empty station

We love our pets, but we hate how their fur gets everywhere in our house. ILIFE V9e Robot Vacuum Cleaner is the best solution for pet lovers because it boasts 110 minutes of runtime and a 3000-4000Pa suction capability. Comparably, most robot vacuums only have a suction power of 1500-3000Pa. For Auto, Max, and Edge mode, the robot has a max 3000Pa suction setting; on Spot mode, it can go up to 4000Pa.

You’ll notice this robot lacks a roller brush and only has a mouthpiece that sucks up debris. This can be nice because it means less maintenance, like removing hair that’s been wrapped around the brush. Two dual-edge brushes pull pet hair, dust, and debris through a three-stage filtration system that has a high-performance filter and a HEPA filter to capture tiny particles. The anti-collision system prevents the robot from running into items.

There is an app for the ILIFE V9e which can be connected to Alexa so you can give voice commands, but that’s the most notable tech feature of this robot. While ILIFE has an app that has significantly improved over the years, the mapping system still might not satisfy you. The other thing to note is that this robot doesn’t have a self-emptying station so you’ll have to empty the dust bin on your own.

3. Bissell Cleanview Connect Robotic Vacuum

Best affordable robot vacuum: it does a lot, for very little money

Specifications

Run time: 100 minutesSuction power: 1500PaDimensions: 19.75 x 15.25 x 5 inchesDust bin capacity: 0.4L

Reasons to buy

+Affordable+Two dual edge brushes+Great customer reviews+Start, stop, and schedule cleaning through app

Reasons to avoid

-Lacks a vac station-No home mapping-Lower suction power

Some robot vacuums cost over $1,000 but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a quality robot vacuum in your price range. The Bissell Cleanview Connect Robotic Vacuum makes cleaning your home affordable. It offers two dual edge brushes and a rotating brush roll that pulls in dirt and debris with the assistance of 1400Pa suction power for up to 100 minutes. Like many others on this list, the suction power increases when the robot vacuums carpets.

Since the Bissell comes without a vac station, you’ll have to empty the 0.4L dust cup when it's full. Schedule, stop, and start the Bissell Cleanview Connect or adjust the suction power to your liking in the app. While the robot doesn’t offer many high-tech options and may not go in straight lines as it cleans, for the price, it does a great job and receives decent reviews.

4. Samsung Jet Bot AI Robot Vacuum with Object Recognition

Best premium robot vacuum: it's one you can watch through an app on your phone, too

Specifications

Run time: 90 minutesSuction : 30 wattsDimensions: 12 X 4 3/4 X 12 5/8 inchesDust bin capacity: Not advertised

Reasons to buy

+Self-cleaning brush +Five-layer HEPA system+3D LiDAR sensors recognize objects+Live video stream cleaning to your phone +Connect to Alexa, Google, and Bixby

Reasons to avoid

-Expensive-Low run time-Suction power is hard to compare to others

There are a few high-end robot vacuums on the market like the LG Cordzero R9 and iRobot Roomba S9 Plus, and while we almost went with the iRobot Roomba S9, the consumer reviews were just too poor to ignore. The Samsung JetBot AI Robot Vacuum with Object Recognition is, therefore, the best premium choice.

The JetBot AI looks less like a robot vacuum and more like the bottom part of an upright vacuum (so square bottom and round top). This might be a drawback as it could prevent the robot from fitting under low furniture. With 3D LiDAR sensors, the vacuum can recognize and identify objects like tables and cords, and according to reviewers, create accurate maps of your home. This feature also helps the robot to avoid bumping into objects and falling down the stairs.

Through the app, you can tell the robot where to clean or not clean, instruct it to start, pause, or stop, and manage your cleaning history. Most impressively, the JetBot AI can send a live video stream while it cleans your home to the SmartThings App and can be connected to Alexa, Google, and Bixby.

Like the iRobot vacuums, Samsung doesn’t make it easy to figure out the suction power of the JetBot AI. Where most people use the Pa measurement, Samsung uses watts. This robot vacuum has a 30-watt suction power. In one article, we found that anything over 20 watts is an above average suction power, though we can't confirm this.

The rotating brush is equipped with self-cleaning extractors that grind up hairs that tangle around the brush. With a five-layer HEPA filter system, 99.9% of dust particles are trapped and emptied into a 2.5L no-touch station. The biggest drawback of the JetBotAI is that it has a maximum 90-minute run time, so it's likely the robot will need to recharge at least once when cleaning a large home.

5. Yeedi Vac Station

Best robot vacuum + mop combo: a good choice for the hard floors in your home

Specifications

Run time: 200 minutesSuction: 3000PaDimensions: 18 x 16.4 x 16 inchesDust bin/Vac station/Water tank: 450mL/2.5L/240mL

Reasons to buy

+Decent price+Voice assistant+High suction power capability+Mops and vacuums at the same time+Recognizes different flooring types+Impressive 200-minute run-time

Reasons to avoid

-Mapping software has kinks-Doesn't clean in straight lines

Robot vacuums are no longer limited to just vacuuming; many mop as they vacuum. Our favorite among them all is the Yeedi Vac Station. Sporting a three-hour run time, this vacuum/mop robot is small enough to clean under counters, beds, couches, and other furniture with a single dual-edge brush. When the water tank is full and the mop pad is on, the vacuum can recognize and avoid carpet and rugs.

The Yeedi is equipped with a hands-free dust bin and an informative voice assistant that tells you when the battery is low, the dust bin needs to be emptied, the water tank needs to be refilled, or the vacuum is stuck on a piece of furniture.

You can also connect the Yeedi to an app where you can see cleaning reports and a mapped version of your home. There are a few kinks in the mapping software that make it difficult to read the map or direct the Yeedi to a certain part of the house. Other vacuum + mop robots seem to have the same problem. Despite this, the Yeedi is still an astounding vacuum + mop robot and will keep your home clean on a more consistent basis.

What to consider when buying the best robot vacuum

1. What kind of floors do you have?

All robot vacuums are designed to clean hard floors, but if you have carpet, you should definitely invest in a robot vacuum that has 3000Pa suction power. It'll allow the vacuum to suck up dirt, debris, and hair that gets stuck in those pesky carpet fibers.

2. How big is your home?

If you have a large home, you may want to look for a robot vacuum that has a max run time that's over 120 minutes.

3. Do you have stairs and lots of cords?

Some robot vacuums are not equipped to recognize stairs, cords, or furniture which can cause a number of problems. If you don't want to pick up cords or section off the stairs every time you use your robot vacuum, find one with sensors that are designed to recognize these items. Such sensors may come with a higher price tag, but it's definitely worth it.

4. Do you own pets?

Pet owners will definitely want a robot vacuum with suction power over 3000Pa. You could also look for robot vacuum features like self-cleaning brushes (so you don't have to clean pet hair from the brush each time you use the vacuum), those that avoid pet waste, and low-noise robot vacs.

5. How tall is the robot vacuum?

Make sure the robot vacuum is short enough to fit under your cabinets, couches, beds, and other low furniture.

6. How important are tech features to you?

The tech surrounding robot vacuums becomes more impressive every year. Some can live stream the cleaning directly to your phone or connect with Alexa and Google Assistant. Be sure to check the reviews of the robot vacuum to make sure that these tech features work properly. In our experience, mapping software for robot vacuums isn't yet as impressive as they're advertised.

7. How much maintenance are you willing to do?

Like with any appliance, some robot vacuums need more maintenance than others. We are a fan of robot vacuums with dust bin stations that hold up to 30 days of dust and dirt, self-cleaning brushes (or vacs without brushes!), and washable filters. All of these features make for much easier maintenance.