Making the call to buy a robot vacuum instead of a stick vacuum now isn't the risk that it was half a decade ago. Not when you have a grasp on the robot vacuum features to look for.
Back then, lazy suction power and even lazier attempts to return to the dock had many robot vacuum lemons collecting dust while their embittered owners reverted to vacuuming by hand. But in 2025, the best robot vacuum brands like iRobot, Roborock, Shark, and Eufy have robust lineups of robot vacuums that actually make life easier — not harder. And as more and more robot vacuums adapt to the changing expectations from consumers, features that were once considered premium are much easier to afford nowadays.
Despite the less intimidating cost spectrum, it's still possible to underpay or overpay for a robot vacuum. The question isn't whether or not a robot vacuum is worth it in your home at all — it's about which features are worth it in your home. So many brands offering affordable premium features can make it hard to know how to choose a robot vacuum that'll best suit you. I can yap about all of my learned tips on how to make your robot vacuum work better once you already have it. But for those still in the shopping phase, here's a straightforward buyer's guide on the most important factors to consider before buying a robot vacuum.
Do I need a self-emptying robot vacuum?
Self-emptying robot vacuums are definitely worth the convenience, regardless of how big your space is. If you're already trying to absolve yourself of vacuuming responsibilities, chances are that you also won't feel like dealing with the dust bin multiple times per week.
When cleaning is automated, your floors are probably going to be swept more often, anyway, filling up a robot vacuum's onboard dustbin faster. Larger homes and homes with pets will expedite dustbin fullness as well. A self-emptying robot vacuum will come in clutch here, which automatically empties its debris into the same dock it charges on. This leaves you off the hook from any dustbin maintenance for at least a month or two.
Automatic emptying docks do require more floor space than the toaster-sized docks of standalone models. But there are many compact self-emptying robot vacuums that would fit in a small space.
What is a smart mapping robot vacuum?
If there's one robot feature that you don't skip, make it this. Smart mapping is a type of navigational tech that enables a robot vacuum to scope out and remember a copy of your home's floor plan. The map drawn during the vacuum's initial mapping run will pop up in the corresponding smartphone app, where you tweak it by dragging and dropping borders, merging or splitting rooms, and adding labels. Then, the robot vacuum can clean specific rooms that need attention that day, or complete a whole-home clean.
Robot vacuums with smart mapping are usually far more agile when it comes to maneuvering around furniture. The bump-and-go approach that most early robot vacuums rely on just can't perceive a jungle of chair legs until it's too late. I'll die on the hill that smart mapping is the baseline brain power that any robot vacuum worth your money should have. If you think about it, actual cleaning skills don't even come into play if a robot vacuum can't successfully get itself to the spots that need to be cleaned.
Luckily, smart mapping isn't an expensive ask nowadays. A budget cap of $200 is more than enough to secure room-to-room mapping from reliable brands like Shark or Roborock.
Spot cleaning and virtual no-go zone
Most robot vacuums that can remember the different rooms in your home can also adhere to app-drawn barriers around smaller zones within those rooms, like around a pile of Lego bricks or your pet's water bowl. This capability is crucial if you purchase a robot vacuum that does mop but doesn't recognize the difference between tile and a bath mat (more on this in the mopping section below).
Small obstacle avoidance
This navigational prowess would mean you shouldn't have to set keep-out zones in the app at all. Robot vacuums with small obstacle avoidance can detect and avoid problem-causers like cords, laundry, and even pet waste — things that are bound to show up on the floor on one day or another. The freedom that comes with skipping the pre-tidying routine is far too convenient.
While the cameras used to perceive obstacles in front of them aren't exactly the kind that take pictures, some fancier robot vacuums legitimately have livestream cameras. These give you a floor-level view of whatever the vacuum sees as it's roving your home, making it a pretty comforting tool for pet parents when they're away. Some cameras are even accompanied by two-way microphones to talk to your pets or call another person who's at home.
What robot vacuum works best on hardwood floors?
Robot vacuums have a much easier time sweeping free-floating debris off hardwood or tile than carpet. However, crumbs and hair don't have anything to grab onto on hard floors like they do on carpet, so debris often gets blown into corners. If you're picky about the cleanliness of the outskirts of the room like I am, look for a robot vacuum with a dedicated extendable edge sweeping brush. These go further than the lousy side brush affixed to cheap robot vacuums — they actually reach out a few inches past the robot vacuum's circular shape to push debris out of 90-degree angles and edges, like along the kitchen counter. Roborock's FlexiArm, seen on the Saros 10 and Saros 10R vacuums, is my favorite example.
Can robot vacuums go from hardwood to carpet?
Yes, just about any modern robot vacuum can switch between floor types without a hiccup. However, if your home has a heavy rug situation (including those pesky fluffy bath rugs), look for a robot vacuum with large wheels that can hoist it over various thresholds and carpet piles.
If your home has a pretty even mix of hard floors and carpet or rugs, floor type sensors will make your life easier. With these, a botvac can tell the difference between hard floors and soft ones, adjusting its suction method (and sometimes even how high it's hovering over the floor) accordingly. This looks like suction that's automatically boosted when the robot vacuum encounters carpet or, lifting mopping pads when the vac approaches a rug.
Do I need a robot vacuum that mops?
It's definitely worth getting a robot vacuum and mop combo if your home has a lot of hard flooring. If you don't feel like doing your own vacuuming, you're probably even more severely depleted of the motivation to do your own mopping.
Mopping intensity varies greatly from vacuum to vacuum. While nearly any 2-in-1 model can probably reliably wipe up a fresh juice spill with its wet cloth, a mopping mechanism like sonic mopping (which vibrates) or dual pressurized mopping pads (which spin) exert the elbow grease needed to penetrate dried stains or shoe prints. Many flagship hybrid models released in 2023 or later can also mop with a cleaning solution rather than just plain water — if you're big on true barefoot-ready sanitation. You could even shop for a soap based on your floor type, like hardwood cleaning solution or pet-safe ingredients.
Self-cleaning mopping pads
When deciding on a robot vacuums that mop, you have two options: models that can go from vacuuming to mopping by themselves, or models that need you to be home to physically make the switch to mopping mode. Cheaper 2-in-1 robot vacuums require a person to attach a water tank or mopping pad to switch to mopping mode, while more advanced models permanently have their mopping gear onboard and are ready to start mopping whenever called upon.
The first approach is typically more affordable, but your robot vacuum won't be able to complete a full vacuum and mop session if you're not home to ditch the water tank. These docks also tend to get smelly if not tended to regularly enough, along with mildewy mopping pads if you don't toss them in the laundry often enough. This level of manual involvement is more annoying than it's worth to some people — a lot of folks on Reddit ask for vacuum-only robot vacuum recommendations to avoid dealing with it altogether.
You can get out of this by opting for a robot vacuum and mop that can wash and dry its own mopping pads. Their self-empty dock also houses two water tanks — one for rinsing and refilling clean water, and one to hold the dirty water — plus fans beneath the vacuum for drying. If you're worried about bacteria or mildew, look for a self-cleaning dock that dries with hot hair.
The ideal robot vacuum and mop combo for pet hair will have this feature to mitigate the amount of fur that builds up on a mopping pad.
Automated mop washing isn't what it was during its initial breakout in 2024. Now, you have plenty of opportunities to score a self-washing and -drying hybrid model for as low as $500, especially during a sale event.
What robot vacuums work well on carpet?
Vacuuming gets trickier on carpet, where debris clings to carpet like velcro after being stepped on all the time.
I'll get into suction power in a second, but the brushroll system can make or break a robot vacuum's carpet performance just as much as the power under the hood. The best robot vacuums for carpet wield dual spinning brushrolls. On some robot vacs, these brushrolls sit parallel and spin toward each other to pinch debris and yank it from the carpet fibers. If your one non-negotiable is a robot vacuum that works on pet hair, you might consider a setup where the brushrolls are arranged beside each other — it'll kind of look like one big brushroll, but with a break in the middle. That opening shoot prevents hair wrapping by pulling hair up into the dust bin instead of pooling it at the sides of the roll.
What is good suction power for a robot vacuum?
Most robot vacuum brands measure suction power in pascals (Pa). As of August 2025, the strongest robot vacuum you can buy hits 22,000 Pa, though a new Dreame robot vacuum is set to clock 30,000 Pa when it comes out in the fall. Such intense cyclonic oomph isn't necessary in all homes, though I would generally advise against settling for anything less than 5,500 Pa.
What is a good robot vacuum battery life?
A 90- to 100-minute battery life is sufficient for a robot vacuum to cover an apartment on one charge. This is also fine if most of your cleaning will be done on a room-by-room basis. Battery life of more than 150 minutes isn't hard to find and is ideal for square footage surpassing 2,000.
When battery is low, the robot vacuum will head back to its dock to juice up. Even the cheapest robot vacuums nowadays are self-charging and should automatically resume cleaning afterwards — meaning you won't have to pick them up and escort them back to the base.
