The 4 Best Robot Vacuums For Laminate Floors

While laminate is generally pretty durable, dirt and rough debris can still scratch your floors when pushed around by a vacuum. To protect against this, the best robot vacuums for laminate floors will effectively suck up debris without using coarse bristles. They’ll also offer all of the additional features you’ll need for effortless, convenient cleaning.

What To Look For In A Robotic Vacuum For Laminate Floors

For laminate, you’ll want to choose one of the best robot vacuums for hard floors as opposed to carpeting. These don’t require as much suction (usually measured in pascal pressure units or Pa), but they’ll still effectively trap dirt and navigate your home without scuffing your floors. Brush rollers can scratch laminate — especially if they’re made with stiff bristles — so you’ll want a robotic vacuum that uses soft bristles, a rubber roller, or none at all.

Helpful features vary across different robotic vacuums, so it’s helpful to decide which ones are important to you. Some models have advanced navigation sensors, long runtimes (or battery life), a mop cleaning mode, or voice activation via Alexa or Google Home to make your cleaning routine much easier. You can even find robotic vacuums that empty themselves or automatically mop hard floors, letting you can skip those chores, too.

Shop The Best Scratch-Free Robotic Vacuums

In a hurry? Here are the top picks for robot vacuums that won’t scratch up your laminate flooring.

1. The Overall Best Robot Vacuum For Laminate: iRobot Roomba i3 EVO
2. The Best Budget Pick: ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner
3. The Best Self-Emptying Robotic Vacuum: Shark IQ Robot Vacuum With Self-Emptying Base
4. The Best Robot Vacuum & Mop In 1: roborock S7 Robot Vacuum and Mop

1. The Overall Best Robot Vacuum For Laminate

Pros:

• Rubber roller brushes won’t scratch floors
• Smart sensors learn the layout of your home and detect dirt

Cons:

• Some reviewers didn’t love the software

The iRobot Roomba i3 EVO is a great robotic vacuum for laminate floors as well as other surfaces. While its suction isn’t disclosed in Pa, it has a three-stage cleaning system and 10 times the suction of earlier models to effectively pick up dirt and debris. It also learns the layout of your home and creates a map for smart navigation and room-by-room cleaning which can be controlled with its app, Alexa, or Google Home. The dual rubber brushes flex to prevent scratching floors and they don’t get tangled with long hair. (If you’re willing to spend a bit more, there is an upgraded self-emptying version.)

One reviewer wrote: “This Roomba is a game changer. It cleans in the corners and under the furniture. We have ours run on Sunday downstairs and then charge it to run upstairs. With a dog and two kids, I’m amazed at how much it collects and how clean the floors feel. We have a combination of laminate and carpeting. There are no issues clearing thresholds and even throw rugs. It’s seriously a quality-of-life purchase.”

Runtime: 75 minutes | Brush roller: Dual multi-surface rubber brushes | Suction: N/A | Available colors: Gray

2. The Best Budget Pick

Pros:

• Less than $150
• Roller-free design won’t scratch floors or get tangled
• Comes with a remote to set modes and schedules

Cons:

• Doesn’t work well on rugs
• No smartphone access

It doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles, but the ILIFE V3s Pro also doesn’t have a brush roller, which makes it one of the only cheaper alternatives that likely won’t scratch up your floors. According to reviewers, it still offers plenty of bang for your buck thanks to its four cleaning modes, infrared obstacle/dropping sensors, included remote control, long battery life, and low-profile design that fits underneath furniture. It’s also a favorite in households with pets because there is no brush roller that will get stopped up with hair and fur. This model will also self-dock to charge itself.

One reviewer wrote: “I didn't expect much at this price, but I'm really surprised at how well this thing cleans! We have laminate floors through the entire house, and a dog that sheds. [...] Our house is about 1350 square feet, and it did the whole place on one charge.”

Runtime: 90 minutes | Brush roller: none | Suction: 1,000 Pa | Available colors: White

3. The Best Self-Emptying Robotic Vacuum

Pros:

• Comes with a self-emptying base that holds 45 days’ worth of debris
• Self-cleans its roller
• Roller fins that prevent wrapping and scratching

Cons:

• Reviewers reported it gets trapped occasionally

Robotic vacuums are already pretty autonomous, but the Shark IQ robot vacuum empties up to 45 days' worth of collected debris into its included base and deep-cleans its own roller. In fact, it’s the roller that makes it especially well-suited for laminate floors: Because it’s outfitted with tiny fins, it prevents hair from wrapping and the bristles from making direct contact. This robot uses methodical row-by-row mapping to clean your space using its advanced sensors. Use the app, Alexa, or Google Assistant to start cleaning, make schedules, or target specific rooms.

One reviewer wrote: “Our main floor is just under 2,000 square feet and is laminate flooring / faux hardwood with area rugs and door mats in all the usual places. [...] To say the least, we were SHOCKED [after this robot did its first cleaning]. Our floors looked cleaner than when we manually ran our vacuum.”

Runtime: 60 minutes | Brush roller: Bristles with fins | Suction: N/A | Available colors: Black

4. The Best Robot Vacuum & Mop In 1

Pros:

• Mops and vacuums with a rubber brush
• Self-adjusts suction depending on the floor type
• Offers impressive suction, battery life, and settings

Cons:

• The most expensive option on this list

If you’re willing to spend a little more, the roborock S7 tackles both vacuuming and mopping in one set-it-and-forget-it machine. It uses sonic technology to detect whether it’s on carpeting or hard floors; if it’s the former, it boosts suction power and lifts the mop. If it’s the latter, it uses its water tank and 3,000 scrub rotations per minute to remove stains and dried-on dirt. Its special rubber brush and floor-drying features make it especially great for laminate. Extra features like LiDAR navigation, no-mop zones, voice and app control, and a lengthy 180-minute runtime explain why it won 17 Best of CES awards in 2021.

One reviewer wrote: “This thing does everything the Roomba does but better. Also, it mops. What? Ya, it mops and it does a good job! Most of my first floor is laminate and I just set this thing to go and it vacuums and mops. I love this thing.”

Runtime: 180 minutes | Brush roller: Multi-directional floating rubber brush | Suction: 2,500 Pa | Available colors: White, black