Best Robot Vacuum of 2026: Shark, Eufy | WIRED

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I've recently introduced a few friends to the power of a great robot vacuum. One of my friends calls hers a marriage saver, while the other was both thrilled and horrified by how many stains the vacuum's AI found on her floors. Personally, my robot vacuums keep me from wanting to set the litter box on fire, since my cat is on a mission to create his own navigational trail of litter through my home.

The best robot vacuums these days aren't just vacuuming your floors, nor are they blindly bumping around your house like they used to. These gadgets are mopping, scrubbing away stains, lifting themselves off of obstacles, and even reminding you to clean the dirtier areas in your home more frequently. A good robot vacuum can cost a pretty penny, but it doesn't have to, depending on what you're looking for. Curious what's the best model for you? I've been testing every new robot vacuum I can in my three-story home filled with three adults, a preschooler, and a cat who's on a mission to get litter all over the house.

Here are the best robot vacuum cleaners I've tried this year, and everything we really liked from recent years. Looking for more vacuum ideas? Don't miss our guides to the Best Dyson Vacuums, Best Cordless Vacuums, Best Vacuums for Pet Hair, Best Carpet Cleaners, and Best Vacuums.

Table of Contents

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- What's a Robot Vacuum?

- Can You Use Robot Vacuums on All Kinds of Floors?

- What Will Your Robot Vacuum Need?

- How Often to Maintain Your Robot Vacuum

- The Best Robot Vacuums of 2026

- Best Overall

- Best on a Budget

- Honorable Mentions

- How I Test Robot Vacuums

- Frequently Asked Questions

- Do You Still Need a Regular Vacuum If You Have a Robot Vacuum?

- Do You Need a Self-Emptying Dock?

What’s a Robot Vacuum?

A robot vacuum is an automated vacuum, usually shaped like a round disc, that moves around your house to vacuum (and mop, as many models these days include mopping) on your behalf. You might've heard some call these devices a "Roomba," which is the brand that made the concept popular, but today just about every cleaning brand—from high-end Dyson to affordable Bissell—makes some kind of robot vacuum. They come with either a charging station or a larger docking station that can self-empty.

Can You Use Robot Vacuums on All Kinds of Floors?

You can, especially since there are so many mopping models now to better clean hard flooring. You can use these devices on anything from hardwood to LVP and tile, though I wouldn't recommend leaving smaller rugs out for these autonomous gadgets to get stuck on. Large, set rugs are fine, but bathroom and kitchen mats or any thin, easily moved rugs should be cleared out of the way and put in the wash instead of vacuumed by your robot vac.

What Will Your Robot Vacuum Need?

There are a few things most robot vacuums will need to work properly:

- Space around the base station. Many robot vacuum manuals recommend at least a foot of clearance on three of the four sides of the vacuum's base station to ensure it has room to return home.

- A good Wi-Fi signal. If your robot vacuum connects to Wi-Fi, as many do these days for app control and software updates, it'll need a strong connection wherever it's placed. Most of them can only connect to the 2.4 GHz wireless band, so make sure you have that (and choose only that band when you're setting up if your Wi-Fi shows those bands separately). Confused? Check out our guide to setting up your smart home.

- Regular maintenance. It might be a robot, but it can't take care of itself. See below for my tips for basic robot vacuum maintenance, and make sure to read your vacuum's manual to know what your specific model requires.

How Often to Maintain Your Robot Vacuum

Taking good care of your robot vacuum will help it last. Here's the debris-removal process you should follow for each robot vacuum style.

- If it has a charger-only base: This means the debris is stored inside the vacuum. You'll likely want to empty it after each use. If your vacuum has a fill line you can watch, you can empty it when it reaches that line, but after each use is really best practice.

- If it has a self-emptying docking station: Each manufacturer will have different advice about when a self-emptying station needs to be emptied, but it's usually between 30 and 60 days, depending on design and use. If you run your vacuum daily and have a lot of debris, like pet hair, you might need to aim for 30 days or less.

- If it has water tanks: Dirty-water tanks should be cleaned after each mopping run of your vacuum. Clean water can stay filled in the station.

Make sure to review your robot vacuum's manual for any other steps the manufacturer recommends you take regularly to keep the vacuum running fo