The 4 best robot vacuums for apartments, condos, and other small spaces (2024)

PRIME DAY 2024 IS COMING: If price is the barrier keeping you from justifying a robot vacuum purchase for your small space, Prime Day is one of the best times of year to buy a robot vacuum for way less than usual. Amazon already has a pretty solid list of robot vacuum deals live weeks ahead of the event's kickoff on July 16, including one of the Roombas we're recommending below for 50% off.

The 10 minutes it takes to manually vacuum a 700-square-foot apartment probably isn't enough to send someone over the edge as far as chores are concerned. While the time-saving factor may be a moot point here, it doesn't completely diminish the appeal of using a robot vacuum in a crowded home.

It's actually totally plausible that spaces with less square footage get dirty faster because virtually every spot is a high-traffic spot. With that logic, a robot vacuum is absolutely worth it in a small space.

However, it is crucial to not automatically assume that less floor to cover means that the cheapest vacuum you can find will suffice. Cramped furniture arrangements and quick changes between floor types actually call for a vac on the more competent end navigation-wise, or you'll risk arriving home to a bot that got stuck in kitchen chair legs during the first five minutes of cleaning. Before getting into specific robovac recommendations, let's assess the features that would make this a smart purchase.

Do robot vacuums work in small apartments?

While some large, heavy-duty robot vacuums would probably be overkill in a tight space, there are several compact, quiet robot vacuums on the market that make a lot of sense in a small space.

One way to downsize the space a robot vac takes up is to forego the self-empty dock. While forgoing it automatic emptying o save yourself inches on the floor may not be ideal, it'll be a little less damning in a small space, as the vacuum isn't sucking up as much dirt on each cleaning run as it would in a big house. However, finding a super compact auto-empty dock nowadays isn't hard, and many robot vacuums offer the option to buy one separately later.

If your small apartment has hard floors, a robot vacuum and mop combo is a genius way to downsize chores supplies. This'll save you not only the time it takes to mop manually but also the breath it takes to curse your Swiffer for hogging your scarce closet space. Multiple floor types also make smart mapping and zone labeling a crucial feature, despite the fact that your home may not have many specific rooms to select on a map in the first place.

We've hands-on tested the top contenders in our own modest abodes. Read on for the best robot vacuums for apartments, studios, and other one-story homes: