Our Experts Written by Ry Crist Macy Meyer Chris Wedel Brian Bennett Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement How we test What to consider Overall performance Consider how efficient the robot vacuum is at removing dirt and debris. Type of flooring you have Note the type of flooring you have as some robot vacuums perform better on hardwood floors while others are optimized for carpet. Pets or no pets? Some robot vacuums are more proficient at removing pet hair and some can even detect and avoid pet waste. Size and power Consider the size of your home and individual rooms before choosing a robot vacuum, and pick one with enough power to handle the area. Price Establish how much you have to spend on a robot vacuum since they're available in a wide range of prices. Table of Contents Robot vacuums have come a long way from its early days of mishaps such as picking up pet excrement. Today, robo-vacs are smarter than ever, incorporating AI-based object recognition that allows them to learn new objects over time. Recent developments showcased at CES 2025 have also made them more functional than ever before, with the addition of robotic arms that can move toys and debris and legs that let them scoot up small obstacles and even the ability to untangle themselves. Using our extensive hands-on lab testing, we have narrowed your robot vacuum choices for you. We evaluate mopping and carpet pick-up performance. We also test and score how each vacuum navigates and avoids obstacles such as dog poop, as well as score docking stations, sensors, battery life, reliability and value.Currently, we have a tie for the top spot: the Ecovacs Deebot T30SCombo and the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. Our Picks Best robot vacuum overall, tied Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo View details $900 at Amazon View details Best robot vacuum overall, tied iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus View details $359 at Best Buy View details Up to a month of hands-free cleaning - Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop View details $650 at SharkClean.com View details Best robot vacuum for pet hair and plush carpets iRobot Roomba S9 Plus View details $1,160 at Best Buy View details Best robot vacuum on a tight budget Eufy RoboVac 25C View details $149 at Walmart View details Best midrange robot vacuum Ultenic MC1 View details $600 at Ultenic View details Best poop-detecting robot vacuum iRobot Roomba J7 Plus View details $359 at Best Buy View details Best robot vacuum splurge Dreame X40 Ultra View details