The Ultimate Robot Vacuum Tier List: Ranking the Top 30 Models

After extensively testing over 30 of the most popular robot vacuums on the market, we categorized each model into one of six tiers based on its overall cleaning performance, navigation and mapping capabilities, and value.

From top-tier robots that excel in nearly every category to budget ‘bots that leave something to be desired, this comprehensive tier list reveals the best of the best and the weakest of the weak when it comes to automated vacuum cleaners.

Tier Explanation

Before diving into the rankings, here’s a quick overview of what each tier represents:

S Tier – The cream of the crop. S Tier robots offer stellar cleaning abilities, precise navigation and mapping, smart home integration, and great value.

A Tier – Excellent overall performance but lacking in one or two areas compared to S Tier. Still a great option for most users.

B Tier – Capable robots that get the job done but have a few more noticeable weaknesses. Best for budget-conscious shoppers.

C Tier – Decent in some regards but significant shortcomings make them hard to recommend over higher tiers.

D Tier – Disappointing performers that struggled in our tests. Only consider if very cheap.

E Tier – The worst of the worst. Major flaws make them a poor choice even at a low price point.

Now let’s get to the rankings and see which robots cleaned up in our testing and which fell flat!

S Tier Robot Vacuums

The best balanced robots across the board, these vacuums absolutely earn their top-tier ranking:

Roborock Q5

• Excellent pickup of all debris types
• Precise navigation and complete coverage
• Affordable self-emptying model
• No major weaknesses

Roborock S7 MaxV

• Deep cleans carpets extremely well
• Avoid obstacles and maps multi-level homes
• Automatic mop cleaning/water refilling dock
• As future-proof as robots get today

Roborock Q7 Max

• Great vacuuming and mopping abilities
• Large water tank with app flow control
• Affordable self-emptying and mop cleaning

A Tier Robot Vacuums

While not quite flawless, these robots still offer great performance for the price:

Roborock E4

• Excels at debris pickup
• Good navigation for a non-mapping robot
• Extremely affordable
• No keep out zone mapping

Roborock S7

• Fantastic navigation with sophisticated zoning
• Advanced vibrating mopping system
• Struggles slightly with carpet deep cleaning

Roborock Q7

• Identical to Q5 but with basic mopping
• Small water reservoir limits mopping abilities
• Higher price than Q5

Roborock E5

• Identical to E4 but with more suction
• Slightly better at carpet deep cleaning
• Typically costs more than the E4

Wyze WVCR200S

• Stellar debris pickup
• Precise navigation for the price
• No auto-empty dock compatibility
• Below average battery life

B Tier Robot Vacuums

While still decent options, these robots fell short in a few more noticeable ways:

iRobot Roomba S9

• Wide brushroll for whole room cleaning
• Doesn’t get tangled with pet hair
• Inconsistent navigation lowers efficiency
• Very expensive for performance

iRobot Roomba i7

• Good hair pickup and floor coverage
• Mapping with keep out zones
• Camera navigation inferior to lidar bots

iRobot Roomba j7

• Excellent obstacle avoidance abilities
• Otherwise very similar to i7 with same pros/cons

Eufy 11S / 11S Max / 15C Max

• Excellent pickup for the price
• Small size cleans under furniture
• No mapping capabilities
• Inefficient random pathway navigation

iRobot Roomba 694

• Impressive pickup and navigation without mapping
• Larger than Eufy models
• Struggles with short hair tufts

iRobot Roomba Combo j7

• Identical to Roomba j7 but with mopping
• High price diminishes value of mopping addition

C Tier Robot Vacuums

While reasonably capable robots, these models came up short in important cleaning tests:

Dreame D9 Pro

• Affordable lidar navigation
• Struggled picking up short hair
• Inefficient coverage in large spaces

Dreame Z10 Pro

• Budget self-emptying model
• Poor obstacle avoidance
• Below average mopping

Ecovacs N8 Pro

• Affordable self-emptying
• Subpar obstacle avoidance
• Struggles with large debris on floors

Ecovacs X1 Omni

• Smart self-emptying/mop-cleaning dock
• Mediocre large debris pickup
• Erratic navigation at times

Eufy X8 Hybrid

• Good navigation for the price
• Severe hair tangles
• Irregular movement hurts mopping

D Tier Robot Vacuums

With multiple deficiencies in key cleaning tests, we cannot recommend these robots:

ILIFE A4s Pro

• Very affordable
• Severely lacking navigation abilities

ILIFE V3s Pro

• Unique nozzle pickup great for hair
• Terrible on carpets and edges

Neato D7

• Excellent carpet cleaning
• Poor edges and corner pickup
• Repeated error messages

Neato D8

• Very similar to D7 with same issues
• Couldn’t complete some tests due to errors

E Tier Robot Vacuums

These robots faced catastrophic failures in our testing:

Shark IQ

• Affordable self-emptying model
• Could not generate a single map
• Terrible edge cleaning performance

Bissell SpinWave

• Specialized for mopping
• Horrendous navigation and pickup

So there you have it – our tier rankings of the top robot vacuums on the market today based on hands-on performance evaluations. Let us know if you disagree with any placements! We’re always updating as new models are released.