Robotic Vacuums comparison
Compare robotic vacuums — suction, mopping, lidar, AI navigation, self-empty/wash/dry base.
Pick two robotic vacuums probes
We’ll plot them side by side. Only robotic vacuums are suggested for a fair fight.
Best robotic vacuums right now
Popular robotic vacuums comparisons
Build your own →Brands in robotic vacuums
How to choose a robotic vacuum in 2026
Robotic vacuum Mars Scores weight cleaning performance, navigation, and station capability. The category split for 2026 is: bare-floor robots, vacuum + mop hybrids, and full self-empty/self-wash/self-dry ecosystems. Pick the tier first; spec differences inside each tier are smaller than between tiers.
Suction in Pa is now a flagship spec
Mid-range robots ship 5,000–8,000 Pa; flagships like the Roborock Saros Z70, S9 MaxV Ultra and Dreame X50 Ultra push 15,000–22,000 Pa. Above 10,000 Pa the gains on carpet become real.
Lidar vs camera navigation
has_lidar is the spec that turns "decent" navigation into "magic." Lidar robots map a 100 m² floor in two passes and avoid furniture legs in the dark. Camera-only robots stumble in low light. AI obstacle avoidance (has_ai_obstacle_avoidance) layers on top — it is what dodges socks, cables and pet accidents.
Mopping that actually mops
Spinning mop pads with downward pressure (Dreame X40 Ultra, Roborock S9 MaxV Ultra) clean dried-on stains; passive drag-cloth designs only damp-wipe. Self-wash + self-dry stations eliminate the dirty-pad smell that ruined first-gen hybrids.
Self-empty stations
has_self_empty extends maintenance intervals from weekly to roughly every 6–8 weeks. The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max and competing flagships now ship dock-everything stations that handle vacuum + water + mop wash.
Carpet and obstacle clearance
max_climb_height_mm decides whether the robot can cross thick rugs and door thresholds. 20 mm is the safe minimum for typical homes with rugs.
How vsMars scores robotic vacuums
Mars Score weights suction, navigation, and station automation. See methodology and our Mars Labs dust-pickup tests.