Whether you have pets and need the extra help or just want to streamline your cleaning process, a robot vacuum is a great product to add to your home cleaning arsenal. These cordless machines run on their own, and most can even be put on a schedule and charge themselves, taking vacuuming almost entirely off your plate. There are a ton of options out there, and each comes with its own long list of features to sift through, so we narrowed down our favorites to help you find the best robot vacuum to fit for your needs.

Robot vacuums are an increasingly essential household item. Consistent cleaning is more important than ever, but the free time we have to keep up with it seems to have dwindled over the past few decades. Not to mention, if you have pets, kids, allergies, or a large or especially dust-prone home, it’s even more important to keep your space clean and your air purified. For these reasons, robot vacuums are smart purchases, but they may even be as ubiquitous as smart phones somewhere down the line, so it behooves those able to get one now to do so in order to get used to their unique functionality. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding the right robot vacuum for your needs, which is why research is so important — and why we did as much as we could for you. Here’s what to think about:

Robot vacuums have a whole suite of impressive features, but you might not need all of them. If you’re someone who has fully leaned into your smart home system, you’ll definitely want a vacuum that is compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant and WiFi enabled so you can control it from your phone.

On a more basic level, self-docking and self-charging models are highly recommended — they’ll automatically go back to their dock when their charge is running low and finish the job when ready. While many robot vacuums are labeled “smart,” some can still fall down stairs, bump into barriers, and create unforgivable messes. Take stock of your space and determine how smart a device you may need, especially if you have pets, multiple stories, and a variety of flooring types. Robot vacuums with smart mapping are different from those with just smart home compatibility. Lastly, robot mops are a newer addition to the robot cleaning family, and some high-end models can vacuum as well.

The robot vacuum model you choose will largely depend on the type of household you have. There are more options if you have a small space, but if you have a whole house to keep clean, you’ll want something heavy duty with a large self-dispensing dustbin and longer run time. Households with pets or people with allergies will benefit from a more powerful robot vacuum that has a HEPA filter and strong suction, leaving no allergens behind.

There’s no way around it: Robot vacuums are expensive. Be wary of models that cost below $150, as they’re definitely priced so low for a reason. Quality “budget” robot vacuums are in the $200-$250 range, which certainly isn’t cheap, so you’ll want to read on to find your best option before committing. Check sites like Amazon and Walmart for deals, and plan to buy around a major sale season (like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Memorial Day) to score discounts on robot vacuums that are the real deal.

We tested and researched a range of robot vacuum models to find the best, judging them on the following criteria:

For this category, we looked for one robot vacuum that did it all, from working on multiple surfaces to being app-controlled and smart home compatible, without costing a month’s rent. The Roomba 675, best overall robot vacuum winner for the second year in a row, has all the bells and whistles at a surprisingly low price. It’s got the patented iRobot dual-roller cleaning system all Roombas have, which makes the brand unparalleled when it comes to cleaning carpets and rolling over multiple surfaces. This model can be controlled via the iRobot app or your Alexa or Google Assistant smart home devices and automatically re-docks and recharges when its battery is low. Yep, you can handle the entire cleaning process without even touching your vacuum until its storage needs a refresh. It even has a full suite of sensors, making it reactive to furniture and barriers before it comes in contact with them. This robot vacuum is also lightweight and easy to clean out and get reset for the cleaning jobs ahead. For all these reasons, the Roomba 675 is exceptional for its price point, but even if you are willing to shell out extra dough, you need not look further unless smart mapping or extra debris storage is necessary for your home size and lifestyle.

Who It’s Best For: Those who need something to simplify their general floor-cleaning routine; those who want something hands free; those working with a tighter budget.

Good to Know: We’re not the only ones who love it — more than 40,000 Amazon reviewers also give it all the stars.

The eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S is actually owned and loved by a number of our editors. In our opinion, there couldn’t be a better option if you don’t want to spend over $200 or wait for sales. Remember when we said you get what you pay for? Well, what the eufy lacks in WiFi connectivity and smart home compatibility, it makes up for in reliable remote controllability, multiple surface capabilities, and schedule setting and cleaning modes. For those just starting out with robot vacuums, who don’t use smart home devices, or who live in an apartment with little space and sensitive neighbors, the eufy BoostIQ is for you. It’s no louder than a running microwave, is our slimmest option, and comes with a small charging dock. It also docks automatically when its battery is low, so you don’t have to come home to a dead vacuum when you’re ready to get it started. It’s got a large dustbin, super slim design, and triple filter system, making cleaning easy. Not only do we find this vacuum’s little back-and-forth movements and sensor-guided pivots adorable to watch, but we are also still genuinely impressed by how thorough and attentive it is when it cleans.

Who It’s Best For: Those working with a tighter budget; those who need something simple for area cleaning in addition to their regular vacuum; those who need something quiet.

Good to Know: It’s designed to work with hard floors up to medium-pile carpets and rugs, so if you’ve got high-pile or shag rugs, it may not be for you.

Cleaning up after pets, simply put, requires a vacuum. Incorporating a robot vac into your routine can free up a whole lot of the time you spend picking up pet hair, dander, litter, dirt, and other debris. But what about allergies caused by pets or otherwise? A robot vacuum’s constant movement stirs and captures more allergens than you may even realize are causing issues. Add allergen-enemy HEPA filtration and an attractive shell, and you’ve got our pick of the best robot vacuum for those with pets and/or allergies: the Roborock S7 vacuum and mop hybrid. “Rocky, as he has come to be known,” in AT contributor Shifrah’s household of four pets, “took a maiden voyage around the house and mapped out the rooms in our home. I love this feature because we can tell him to go to a certain place and either vacuum or mop or we can program him to do certain rooms at certain times. And when I say ‘tell him,’ I mean that literally. Rocky is smart home-connected, so we can direct him through our Google Home speakers.”

The Roborock S7 knows when it’s on hard floors versus carpets and seamlessly switches modes. “The mopping portion is easy to set up and maintain,” says Shifrah. This model mops at 3,000 spin cycles per minute while also using its powerful vacuum, lifting dry dust, dirt, and pet hair before it gets wet to avoid clumping or dragging it across the floor. “The floors aren’t left too wet, there’s no streaking, and, yes, it gets the floors noticeably clean,” says Shifrah.

Who It’s Best For: Those with multiple pets; those who need extra help mopping and vacuuming in a busy household; those who want a smart vacuum.

Good to Know: Warranties may be available if you shop directly through the Roborock website.

Whether it’s because of pets, kids, or just you living how you do, wet messes happen (she writes with one hand while the other holds iced tea). Imagine a world where your cat pushes your water off the table or your friend’s new puppy has an accident and, unless you choose to, you never have to know it happened. Bissell’s SpinWave combines the brand’s trustworthy dry vacuum capabilities with those of a powerful wet mop — an independent one at that. Of the multiple mop hybrid robot vacuums we tried, this one’s mop-cleaning power took center stage without sacrificing any of its dry vacuuming capabilities. App controlled and hands free, the SpinWave is designed to switch effortlessly from dry vacuum and wet mopping duties, avoiding carpets in the latter mode. Its power level and low water indicators, app tracking, and physical water level window allow you to easily keep up with the SpinWave’s progress and stay ahead of refills.

“I loved how I was able to have it running in the background while I was doing other things,” says our production editor, Tracey. “It works especially well when it has wide room to move around. To switch from dry mode to wet mode, all that’s required is to swap out the dry collection bin to the container with the cleaner. I moved a bunch of furniture out of the way and watched the mop move back and forth across the tile. It was easy to see that every section of the floor had been cleaned. There were a couple areas that needed a stronger cleaning, and I was able to use another function to have the mop go in circles over it until it disappeared. I hate mopping, and it’s so nice to outsource this!”

Who It’s Best For: Those with pets; those who want a powerful, smart-sensing robot mop.

Good to Know: Not only does it function well for families with pets, but every purchase goes to supporting the Bissell Pet Foundation and its mission to help house homeless cats and dogs.

This award is for the robot vacuum with conspiracy-theory-level independence. The one that knows what it’s doing, where it’s doing it, and when. The one that feeds, cleans, and all but puts on a tie itself. When you want your robot vacuum to do the most it possibly can for you — so much so that you forget to vacuum for two weeks — you want the Shark IQ Self-emptying robot vacuum. There are a few options out there that have automatic charge docking, self-emptying, and smart mapping capabilities, but we wanted the most trustworthy one at the best value. The Shark IQ docks itself to recharge when it needs it and picks up vacuuming right where it left off. It can be programmed to self-empty while it’s there, but it’ll also head home as needed to free space and get right back to it. It’s controllable, trackable, and direct-able within the app, so you can tell your Shark exactly what you want it to do. As far as its vacuum range, it has brushes on all of its edges, allowing it to capture hard-to-reach debris from angular corners more easily.

We love having this control, and that all we really have to do is find an accessible spot for the dock, plug it in, and hit the big button on the top of the vacuum. It starts learning and mapping the area right away as it cleans, and once it’s finished the job (it’ll keep going unless we tell it to stop or go home), it’ll self-empty and recharge. It’ll even clean its own brushes so not even long hair or pet hair can stop it.

Who It’s Best For: Those who are out for long periods of time and want to return to a clean home; those who want to regularly maintain their vacuum as little as possible.

Good to Know: The XL version of the Shark IQ allows you to turn forgetting to vacuum for two weeks into forgetting for two months.