No matter how large or small your apartment, cleaning steals precious hours of your weekend that could be better spent marathon-viewing Netflix or treating yourself to brunch — and doormats help but they can only do so much. When choosing the best robot vacuums for your apartment, you’ll want to decide what furniture you’d like the machine to be able to clean under, how often you’re willing to empty the dust bin and find a match for the flooring types in your home — whether it’s wall-to-wall carpet, hardwood, tile, or a mix.
Floor-cleaning robots have come a long way — most models use advanced laser mapping to track their progress. There are even models that can mop hard floor surfaces, self-empty their dust bin in a canister, and many allow you to clean (or skip) a specific room with voice control or a few taps in your phone.
What To Consider When Shopping For The Best Robot Vacuums For Apartments
To choose the best smart vacuum for your apartment, you’ll want to consider a few key features:
- Robot Height: To ensure the vacuum fits under your furniture, measure under a few key pieces like your coffee table. Another spot to measure is the bottom edges of the lower cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom, and any other hotspots for crumbs.
- Suction Power: Vacuum suction is most often measured in Pascals (Pa.) The higher the Pascals, the higher the suction power. If you have a lot of carpeting or rugs, look for higher suction power for a more thorough cleaning. The average vacuum has 2,000 Pa but several models double that.
- Dust Bin Capacity: Many robot vacuums now come with an automatic emptying feature that makes use of extra storage in their base, allowing you to wait weeks before you need to empty the dust bin. The average dust bin holds 500 milliliters — which means emptying about once a week — but canister models can hold up to seven times that amount.
- Battery Life: Most models clean efficiently and some even return to what they were cleaning after self-charging if they run low while on the job. A longer battery life would be helpful for larger apartments and those with carpeting, as the extra suction required on those surfaces uses up the battery faster, although auto-docking and charging make this less crucial.
Shop The Best Robot Vacuums For Apartments
In a hurry? Here are the top picks for the best robot vacuums for apartments:
- The Overall Best Multi-Surface Robot Vacuum: Tikom G8000 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo
- The Best Robot Vacuum For Hardwood Floors: Laresar Robot Vacuum and Mop
- The Best Budget Robot Vacuum: Lefant Robot Vacuum Cleaner M210
- A Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum That’s Great For Pet Hair: Shark AV2501S AI Robot Vacuum
- A Name-Brand Low-Profile Vacuum For A Great Price: Eufy RoboVac 11S MAX
- The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner For Multi-Level Apartments: Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner
These are the six best robot vacuums for apartments on Amazon. Take one more chore off your to-do list, while your new robot is whizzing around picking up dust, crumbs, and pet hair.
1. The Overall Best Multi-Surface Robot Vacuum
Pros:
- Lowest price with mop feature included
- Strongest suction on this list
- HEPA filtration
Cons:
- Reviewers say it can get stuck on cords and other small items
Thanks to its strong suction power, this is one of the best robot vacuums for carpet, but thanks to its mop function, it's also great for hard surfaces. If your apartment has a lot of carpeting, rugs, or any amount of deeper-pile carpeting, this Tikom robot vacuum and mop combo is a great choice. With more than double the suction of other models, this vacuum will do a more thorough job picking up dust, fur, and crumbs trapped in carpeting. It can be voice controlled with Alexa or Google Assistant and the included app allows you to choose between five cleaning modes (smart, edge, spot, random, and manual). It comes with a remote and boundary strips which can be laid down to tell the machine to avoid specific areas. This robot vacuum is under three inches tall, so it will fit under most furniture and cabinet edges as well. While the battery life is on the lower end, this model will return to its base when running low on battery.
Helpful Review: “This thing runs like a champ! Does a surprisingly thorough job of picking up everything in my kitchen, and the mop is such a nice bonus feature. It’s saved a ton of time. [...]”
Mop: Yes | Height: 2.99 inches | Suction Power: 4,500 Pa | Dust Bin Capacity: 500 milliliters | Battery Life: 150 minutes
2. The Best Robot Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Pros:
- Best battery length on this list
- Has dust bin canister and mopping features
- Stronger-than-average suction so will also work on carpet
Cons:
- Widest model on this list may not work in some tight spaces
The Laresar Robot Vacuum and Mop is the best robot vacuum for hardwood floors thanks to having the best battery length, a mop feature for hard floors, an extremely roomy dust bin in the base, and stronger-than-average suction power. This robot vacuum uses three-dimensional laser detection to create a map of your home and the app gives you full control from map editing to setting invisible no-go zones with a tap on your screen. The machine is smart enough to return itself to its base when it’s running low and return to the job after charging, but that shouldn’t happen often with its 250-minute battery — the longest in this list. Disposable bags in the base make emptying it a mess-free proposition. This is the widest model on the list at 13.8 inches, which might make it a better fit for more open spaces.
Helpful Review: “I was skeptical and just got this for my wife as a present for light cleaning between her cleaning more in depth, but I have fallen in love with it. Our house is so small and so full of obstacles, i was sure it couldn't do the job. However, it goes over, under, around, and through until it gets the job done. When it runs into an obstacle or maze of obstacles, it just keeps backing up and trying again at a different angle until it gets to the difficult to clean spot. We thought the house was clean, but got so much dirt the first two times, we had do dismantle it to get the dirt and lint and all out and had very little to get out the next few times days apart, it had cleaned the house so well.”
Mop: Yes | Height: 3.8 inches | Suction Power: 3,500 Pa | Dust Bin Capacity: 3,500 milliliters | Battery Life: 250 minutes
3. The Best Budget Robot Vacuum
Pros:
- Lowest priced model on this list
- Narrowest model on the list
- Doubles suction on carpet
- Brushless to prevent hair/fur wrapping
Cons:
- Reviewers say it can have issues finding its charger
It might be less than $100, but this robot vacuum cleaner doesn’t skimp on helpful features. The body of the vacuum was the narrowest in this list at just 11 inches across, making it easier for it to nimbly clean smaller and more cluttered spaces. The brushless rollers won’t tangle with longer hair and it doubles suction over carpeting. This model has six cleaning modes including random, manual, edge, zigzag, spot, and scheduled. The app allows you to schedule cleaning times, send the machine back to its charger, see where it is in your home, and check the current run time. At just 56 dB, it’s quiet too, which the manufacturer explains is below the volume of a normal conversation. The dust bin is an average size at 500 milliliters but it features a handy one-click emptying mechanism to minimize mess.
Helpful Review: “I bought this to replace another robotic vacuum that fell down the stairs. I have two dogs and use it every day and it does a good job cleaning up their hair and keeping my hardwoods dust-free. It's not the most fancy model out there but it gets the job done and I recommend it if you want a simple, effective vacuum.”
Mop: No | Height: 2.99 inches | Suction Power: 2,200 Pa | Dust Bin Capacity: 500 milliliters | Battery Life: 120 minutes
4. A Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum That’s Great For Pet Hair
Pros:
- Popular on Amazon with over 2,400 5-star reviews
- Canister holds 60 days’ worth of debris
- HEPA filtration for allergens and pet dander
Cons:
- Relatively tall and may not fit under all furniture
A robot that can vacuum fur and dander for you is a dream come true for those with fur babies. The Shark AV2501S AI cleans in a matrix pattern with HEPA filtration, trapping 99.97% of allergens down to 0.3 microns. Don’t worry about the fur filling it up quickly either; the canister in the base of this model can hold up to 60 days’ worth of dust, crumbs, and fur. The Shark app allows you to specify which rooms to avoid during the day (great for WFH) and you can tell it to avoid bedrooms for quiet nighttime cleaning. Using the app or Alexa or Google Assistant, you can set the machine to clean on-demand, on a schedule, or ask it to deep clean in ultra-cleaning mode. You will want to measure the bottoms of your kitchen cabinets and coffee table for this Amazon-beloved model; it’s on the tall side at 4.5 inches.
Helpful Review: “Ok so I clean homes for a living and the last thing I want to do is come home and sweep 2200 soft of my home that's all hard wood floors due to a hairy German Shepard. I set the time so that it's done before I come home. The suction is amazing, the pattern it cleans in doesn't miss an inch. [...] You can program it to skip rooms, add rooms, only parts of rooms. [...] Tucks away when not in use.”
Mop: No | Height: 4.5 inches | Suction Power: Not available | Dust Bin Capacity: 60 days’ worth of debris | Battery Life: 120 minutes
5. A Name-Brand Low-Profile Vacuum For A Great Price
Pros:
- Well-priced name-brand vacuum
- Thin and fits under most furniture
- Doubles suction on carpeting
- Largest-capacity dust bin without a canister base
Cons:
- No app connectivity (does have a remote)
- Shortest battery life on this list
The best low-profile robot vacuum, the Eufy RoboVac 11S MAX, is a mere 2.85 inches tall, which should fit under even the lowest-hanging kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Eufy is a brand owned by Anker and it’s a well-priced option that increases suction twofold when it detects carpeting. It’s not the fanciest model on the market — it’s one of the few that lacks app connectivity, but it does come with a handy remote for choosing between auto-, edge-, spot-, and quick-cleaning modes. It runs quietly at 55 dB, which is similar to the noise level a fridge produces, but it doesn’t use laser mapping, so prepare for it to bounce gently off furniture and walls.
Helpful Review: “Buy this! For $150 you could not ask for more. I have 2 large, shedding dogs and swiffering our hardwood floors daily was a necessity. We still try to swiffer everyday but if we miss a day or two, Eufy has us covered. He’s the only one I can rely on to do his chores everyday. We run it at 12:00 every night and every morning he is back on his charger filled with dirt and hair that we missed with the swiffer. He even fits under the couch which has been amazing. He’s also very quiet so the sound does not bother us at night. I’ve tried it during the day time and it is not bothersome while watching tv either. [...]”
Mop: No | Height: 2.85 inches | Suction Power: 2,000 Pa | Dust Bin Capacity: 600 milliliters | Battery Life: 100 minutes
6. The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner For Multi-Level Apartments
Pros:
- Twin turbines for strong suction power
- Memorizes multi-floor layouts
Cons:
- Lowest dust bin capacity on this list
This Eufy robot floor cleaner has twin turbines, doubling the suction power to 4,000 Pa. Its laser navigation allows you to select no-go zones within the app and the machine can also be controlled via Alexa and Google Assistant. The vacuum is capable of memorizing multiple floor layouts, which is handy when you have an apartment with multiple floors but don’t want to purchase two vacuums. This model does have a slightly lower-than-average dust-bin capacity, but it makes up for that with a longer-than-average running time of 180 minutes. Spill something or notice a room is especially dirty? You can alert it to an area that needs spot cleaning using the app.
Helpful Review: “[...] I’m very impressed by the accuracy of the mapping and cleaning patterns. I wasn’t sure I was gonna be this impressed and was preparing to still have some spot areas to address manually after the vacuuming process….however, it got EVERYTHING!! I was shocked to see the amount of dust this thing collected even on the second run in my house, which I thought was clean! I’m extremely happy with this purchase and hoping for a nice long life for this vacuum.”
Mop: Yes | Height: 3.85 inches | | Suction Power: 4,000 Pa | Dust Bin Capacity: 400 milliliters | Battery Life: 180 minutes
