In the past few years, no other gadget—headphones, electric bicycle, literally anything at all—has improved as dramatically as the humble robot vacuum. The hardware and software have improved beyond all imagining. There are self-emptying bins, multilevel mapping, and all sorts of bells and whistles, like air fresheners! And prices on the entry-level models have dropped significantly, to the point where robot vacuums are now an accessible, convenient household tool instead of a statement of bougie affluence or a potential cat car.
And yes, we know that robot vacuums aren't perfect. But it's a device that goes into the darkest, murkiest corners of our houses on a regular basis. Let's retain a little grace for the little robot that does what we don't ever want to do. If you're worried you're at risk of becoming the next Roomba “pooptastrophe,” here are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your new sidekick. Have trouble making up your mind? Don't forget to check out our guide to the Best Robot Vacuums.
Updated March 2023: We added more information to each of our tips and updated the robot vacuum models.
The hardest part of writing a robot vacuum roundup is deciding which vacuum is the best one. All of us have different houses, lifestyles, and desires. A single person or a couple in a 2-bedroom apartment without kids and with hardwood floors would probably be fine with a barebones model. A family of five living in a two-floored single family home with multiple floor surfaces, with small children and several pets, would probably need a much higher-end model (and all the help they can get).
For over a year now, the Roborock Q5+ (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has been the most reliable model in my four-person, 1200-square-foot house with carpets, hardwood floors, a dog, and about 6 million Legos. I've found Roborock's mapping capabilities to be capable; it very rarely gets stuck and requires the least maintenance of every robot vacuum I've tried. If you'd like the option to mop your hardwood floors, simpler is better. While the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ has a very nifty robot arm, I'm currently testing Ecovacs' Deebot T9+, which lets you switch out the mop pad with every use (and skip the handwashing with reusable pads).
However, the robot that you want might not be the one your friends want. I know another parent who prefers a simple bounce robot vacuum because she only runs it for 20 minutes after dinner in the kitchen. Have clear expectations of what you want your robot vacuum to do, with one important caveat below.
Robot vacuums use a number of different sensors to navigate around your home. For example, some of the more advanced models use lidar, or self-generated lasers, to navigate; others use stereoscopic cameras. These are usually combined with simple bumper sensors to tell them when they've run into something, and infrared cliff sensors that let them know when they're about to fall off a step.