Buying guide for best robot vacuum for laminate floors
For many homeowners, laminate flooring is the perfect alternative to hardwood because it’s more durable and requires less maintenance. But these floors can still get scratched and nicked if you aren’t careful — and even your vacuum can inflict damage. Finding the best robot vacuum that’s gentle on vinyl plank flooring or laminate floors can seem challenging at first, but there are really just a couple of key details, such as the brush and wheel materials, that you have to look out for.
The BestReviews Testing Lab put more than a dozen robot vacuums to work in real-world conditions to find the best model for hardwood, laminate, carpet and vinyl plank flooring. We tested basic robot vacuum features to evaluate their overall performance, as well as how they work specifically for laminate floors. We also evaluated how well the robots picked up different types of debris on laminate flooring to assess their cleaning ability. To determine how well they transitioned between different surfaces, we tested them on carpeting as well.
Additionally, we considered how easy the robot vacuums were to operate, their navigation abilities and other features that allow for more customized cleaning. After thorough testing, we found the iRobot Roomba s9+ to be the best robot vacuum for laminate flooring.
New releases
On September 11, iRobot released two new models ahead of the holiday season. Here's a look at what we know so far.
iRobot Roomba Combo j9+
Battery life: 120 minutes | Dimensions: 13.7” L x 13.7” W x 3.4” H | Weight: 8.98 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts | Scheduling: Yes
As a combo vacuum/mop robot, the new Roomba Combo j9+ can get your laminate floors as clean as possible. It automatically detects flooring types, so it knows where your laminate flooring is. But its auto-retract mopping system lifts the mopping head on top of the robot on carpeting, so it doesn’t leave a wet mess in its wake and can vacuum and mop in the same cleaning job.
It also boasts a Smart Scrub feature that provides two times deeper scrubbing to remove stubborn dirt and grime on laminate and other hard surfaces. Additionally, it comes with the new j-series Clean Base that not only automatically empties the robot’s dustbin but also refills the water tank for up to a month.
iRobot Roomba j9+
Product specifications
Battery life: 120 minutes | Dimensions: 13.3” L x 13.3” W x 3.4” H | Weight: 7.5 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts | Scheduling: Yes
The new Roomba j9+ has the same rubber brushes as the Roomba j7+ to avoid scratching your laminate, but its improved suction power is 100 times stronger than the Roomba i-series robots, so it won’t miss any dirt or dust. It also features the updated iRobot 7.0 OS right out of the box, which means it can map your home seven times faster and analyzes past cleaning preferences and patterns to automatically adjust how it cleans. It even prioritizes the dirtiest rooms to keep your home as clean as possible. The j9+ boasts a longer battery life, too, so it can run for up to two hours on laminate and other hard surfaces.
BestReviews is currently testing this product; we will update our test picks when we're done.
Our top picks: Which robot vacuum is best for laminate floors?
iRobot Roomba s9+
Best overall
Product specifications
Battery life: 107 minutes | Dimensions: 12.25” L x 12.25" W x 3.5” H | Dustbin capacity (on robot): 0.5 L | Weight: 8.15 lb. | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts | Scheduling: Yes
The Roomba s9+ doesn’t just top our list as the best robot vacuum for laminate floors — it scored the highest in all testing categories. However, it offers several key features that make it perfect for laminate floors. First, it doesn’t have traditional bristle brushes that can scratch laminate. Instead, it uses rubber brushes that aren’t likely to damage the floors. It also provides excellent suction power, pulling in all types of debris, even on slick, smooth surfaces like laminate. During testing, the s9+ easily removed pet hair from laminate flooring in a single pass. It sufficiently cleaned hard debris like coarse kosher salt and kitty litter, so only a particle or two was left behind after its initial pass. With larger debris like cereal, though, it sometimes blew a piece or two out of its path and needed a second pass to remove the rest.
The s9+ has an advertised maximum battery life of 120 minutes, but during testing, it cleaned for 107 minutes on its automatic suction setting which increases or decreases the suction power based on floor type. The s9 features a convenient "Recharge and Resume" setting, meaning the vacuum returns to its base when its battery is low to charge and later pick up its cleaning where it left off. The s9+ also has a self-emptying base, so it can empty itself when its bin becomes full. Thanks to its camera-aided navigation, the vacuum maps your home and learns specific rooms, so you can use a app to instruct it to clean specific areas of your home. Our testing found it cleaned 240 square feet in just 37 minutes, which was faster than the competition.
The s9+’s smart maps also allow you to create Keep-Out Zones for areas where you don’t want the robot to clean. We added a Keep-Out Zone for a spot with pet bowls in our testing area, so the vacuum wouldn’t bump into them and spill water on the laminate floor. Overall, we give this robot vacuum a score of 5 out of 5 for its superior suction, advanced navigation and efficiency.
Read more: iRobot Roomba s9+
Shark IQ Self-Empty XL Robot
Best robot vacuum for the money
Product specifications
Battery life: 97 minutes | Dimensions: 12.9" L x 12.6" W x 3.5" H | Dustbin capacity (on robot): 0.16 L | Weight: 5.87 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant | Scheduling: Yes
The Shark IQ Self-Empty XL robot vacuum offers many of the same features as high-end robot vacuums but at a more affordable price. It can handle various types of debris on laminate and other flooring surfaces. We tested it in an area with three pets, and it picked up the hair without getting tangled, clogged or slowing down. We were particularly impressed with its performance on laminate, where it removed more than 98% of the debris in its path. The robot also weighs less than 6 pounds, so its lightweight design didn’t cause abrasions on the laminate.
During testing, the Shark IQ Robot cleaned for over 90 minutes before recharging. A self-emptying model, it empties its internal dustbin into a bag in its base that can hold up to 45 days’ worth of debris. It allows for scheduled cleaning to ensure your floors are cleaned regularly. We found this feature highly reliable, with the robot going out every day at the time we selected and cleaning the entire testing area. Additionally, we were pleased with how quick and easy the robot was to set up and get ready for cleaning, even for those new to robot vacuums. The entire process took us about 10 minutes.
Equipped with smart mapping, the Shark IQ maps an area to learn its rooms and boundaries. It also allows you to create no-go zones to keep the robot out of certain areas. Overall, based on its performance on laminate, easy setup and convenient cleaning features —like its bagless self-emptying base —we scored this robot a 4 out of 5.
iRobot Roomba j7+
Best robot vacuum for pet hair
Product specifications
Battery life: 97 minutes | Dimensions: 13.3” L x 13.3” W x 3.4” H | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 7.49 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri | Scheduling: Yes
Like the Roomba s9+, the Roomba j7+, has a rubber brush roll that prevents damage to laminate floors. However, the flexible brushes also discourage hair from tangling around it, so it’s perfect for cleaning a home with pets. We tested the j7+ in an area with two medium-to-large dogs, and it removed the entire clump of pet hair we placed in its path on laminate flooring in a single pass. It also easily handled kitty litter but needed a second pass to fully remove kosher salt and cereal because a couple of pieces blew out of its path. After testing, the j7+’s brushes didn’t have any hair tangled around them, either — and the few pieces we found were easily removed with our fingers.
The j7+ maps your home, learning and remembering the rooms for selective cleaning. However, it has one advantage over the s9+: It has an obstacle-avoidance feature with a front-facing camera, so you don’t have to worry about it getting tangled in cords or, if you have pets that sometimes go to the bathroom where they shouldn’t, accidentally spreading your pet’s poop over your laminate floors and carpeting. During testing, we placed a handbag, a shoe and a stuffed pet toy in its path, and the j7+ pivoted away from each without touching them. When we stepped in front of the robot, it also moved out of the way without touching our feet.
The j7+ was highly efficient, cleaning 320 square feet in our testing area in just 54 minutes. It cleaned for over 90 minutes on a single charge and comes with the Recharge and Resume feature, so it can easily take care of large homes without running out of power before the job is done. We give this robot a 4 out of 5 for its excellent performance with pet hair, tangle-free brush roll and pet-friendly obstacle-avoidance feature.
Read more: iRobot Roomba j7+
Eufy RoboVac X8
Best laminate floors and carpeting
Product specifications
Battery life: 190 minutes | Dimensions: 13.58" L x 13.58" W x 3.85" H | Dustbin capacity: 0.6 L | Weight: 7.72 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: No | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant | Scheduling: Yes
The Eufy RoboVac X8 is an excellent robot vacuum for a home with both laminate flooring and carpeting. Its twin-turbine technology provides double the suction power as models like the RoboVac G30 with single turbines, so it has excellent suction on all flooring surfaces. During testing, we saw the X8 handle all types of debris, including kitty litter and pet hair, on hard surfaces with ease. Hair sometimes got caught around its brushes, but it included a removal tool that made it easy to clean afterward. We were also impressed with its performance on medium-pile carpet, where the X8 removed all the visible debris without issue. It provided a noticeably deeper clean than the G30, which left behind pet hair and dander in our testing area. Overall, we found the X8 on par with full-size vacuums, though it struggled slightly in corners.
The RoboVac X8 has an advertised cleaning time of 180 minutes, but its battery ran for 190 minutes during testing. That provides plenty of time for the robot to clean large homes because it’s also highly efficient. It mapped and vacuumed a 215-square-foot room with several pieces of furniture during testing in just 20 minutes. We were further impressed by how accurate the map was after that first run. It also allows you to add no-go zones to the map if there are areas you don’t want the robot to clean, and the user-friendly EufyHome app makes it very easy to access those types of customization features.
The RoboVac X8 was very easy to set up, too — it is fully assembled out of the box, so you only have to plug in the base, charge the robot and download the app. Overall, we score this vacuum a 4 out of 5 for its consistent suction on laminate and carpet, ease of use and accurate mapping.
iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
Best robot vacuum for hybrid cleaning
Product specifications
Battery life: 128 minutes | Dimensions: 13.3" L x 13.3” W x 3.4” H | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 7.35 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts | Scheduling: Yes
If you want a robot that doesn’t just vacuum your laminate floors but mops them, too, the Roomba Combo j7+, is ready for the job. Its advertised battery life is 90 minutes, but it cleaned for over two hours on a single charge during testing. Like the Roomba j7+, it boasts a front-facing camera that gives it advanced navigation capabilities and the ability to avoid obstacles in its path. While mapping, it not only identified specific rooms and dividers but discovered the flooring types as well, so it knew where to vacuum only and where to vacuum and mop. It successfully removed various types of debris, including pet hair, kosher salt, cereal and kitty litter, on both laminate and carpeting, though it sometimes needed a second pass to remove particles that it blew out of its path.
We tested the Combo j7+’s mopping ability on laminate flooring and found it worked extremely well. It cleaned up spilled iced tea in two passes without leaving any residue behind. It also removed a spot of sticky residue on laminate flooring in the kitchen after a routine cleaning run. Because the Combo j7+ doesn’t agitate with its mop head, you don’t have to worry about it scratching or damaging your laminate floors. However, you shouldn't expect it to clean large or extremely sticky messes. The mop head also retracts to the robot’s top when not in use, preventing carpeting and rugs from getting wet.
Additionally, we connected the Combo j7+ to Amazon Alexa, so we could use voice commands. It responded well to commands like “start vacuuming” and “clean the living room,” reacting within seconds. We scored this robot a 4.5 out of 5 for its versatility, convenience and top-notch navigation.
Read more: iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
iRobot Roomba i1+
Best entry-level robot vacuum
Product specifications
Battery life: 92 minutes | Dimensions: 13.5" L x 13.5” W x 3.6” H | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 7.44 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri | Scheduling: Yes
The Roomba i1+ offers some of the same features as high-end models like the Roomba s9+ and j7+, but its design and price are geared toward those on a budget. It is ideal for laminate flooring because it has rubber brushes, a fairly lightweight design and solid suction on hard surfaces. It easily removed pet hair from laminate in a single pass during testing. With hard particles like kosher salt, kitty litter and cereal, it captured nearly all of the pieces in its first pass but often needed a second go-over to grab the few remaining pieces.
The robot has an advertised battery life of 75 minutes, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover it cleaned for more than 90 minutes during testing. The i1+ doesn’t have smart mapping like the Roomba s9+, j7+ and Combo j7+ and instead cleans in neat rows. That slowed it down a bit during testing, so it needed 54 minutes to clean 255 square feet. However, it also has the Recharge and Resume feature that enables it to finish any cleaning task interrupted due to a low battery after recharging. Its self-emptying base also proved highly convenient because it returned to its base to empty itself each time its bin was full, so it could continue cleaning without our intervention. The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal also holds up to 60 days’ worth of debris and eliminates the need for emptying the bin after each use.
The i1+ offers other convenient features, like scheduled cleaning in the app, compatibility with voice commands through a home assistant like Amazon Alexa and dirt-detection technology that allows it to clean more carefully in areas with higher dirt concentration. With its affordable price tag, user-friendly operation and solid performance on laminate, we give this robot a 3.5 out of 5.
Read more: iRobot Roomba i1+
iRobot Roomba i8+
Best robot vacuum for multiple floors
Product specifications
Battery life: 89 minutes | Dimensions: 13.3" L x 13.3” W x 3.6” H | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 7.44 lb | Mapping: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Voice commands: Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri | Scheduling: Yes
The Roomba i8+ is another advanced Roomba model ideal for laminate flooring. It has a rubber brush roll and is relatively lightweight, so it isn’t likely to scratch or damage your floors. Its suction on hard surfaces is strong, too. During testing, it removed pet hair, kosher salt and kitty litter in a single pass. However, It struggled a bit with cereal, blowing several pieces out of its path and needing a second pass to remove them.
Like the Roomba s9+ and j7+, the i8+ has smart-mapping capabilities, so it can learn and remember specific rooms in your home for targeted cleaning. We sent it out on a mapping run during testing, and it accurately mapped 210 square feet in just 12 minutes. The i8+ can store up to 10 smart maps, too, so you can create one for each floor in a multilevel home to ensure it cleans efficiently throughout the space. Our testing showed the i8+ did maximize its cleaning time, vacuuming 250 square feet in just 27 minutes. It has an advertised battery life of 90 minutes and ran for 89 minutes during testing on a single charge. But even if it runs out of power in the middle of a job, that’s no problem thanks to its Recharge and Resume feature, which allows it to recharge and pick up again right where it left off.
We also love the convenience of the i8+’s self-emptying base, which holds up to two months’ worth of dirt and debris. The robot was very easy to use via the iRobot Home app, too, so we could schedule cleaning sessions and create Keep-Out Zones in our smart maps where we didn’t want the robot to clean. We give this robot a score of 4 out of 5 for its performance on hard flooring, advanced navigation and excellent efficiency.
How we test
To find the best robot vacuum for laminate floors, we started with the basics. We tested the robots to see how long they cleaned before needing to recharge and then how much time it took them to fully recharge from the drained battery. We also noted how many minutes each model cleaned for before its dustbin was full and how far their range was from their base. Finally, we observed how long the vacuums needed to clean an entire room, as well as the square footage of the space.
We wanted to better understand the robots’ performance on multiple surfaces and with different types of debris, so we set up specific tests to evaluate their suction power. We placed various debris, including kosher salt, sugar, pet hair, sewing thread, coffee grounds, cereal and kitty litter, on both laminate flooring and carpeting to evaluate how each model handled the mess. In particular, we observed how many passes the robots needed to fully remove the debris.
We also sent the vacuums out on routine cleaning runs around our testing areas just as a homeowner would to see how they performed in those conditions. We considered how much noise each robot made and how easy it was to empty and clean them. Additionally, we tested the apps for Wi-Fi-connected models to determine how user-friendly they were and how they enhanced the robots’ performance. We also considered how accurately models with mapping capabilities captured a floor plan and how the map aided navigation and cleaning efficiency.
Considerations when buying a robot vacuum for laminate floors
Do robot vacuums scratch laminate floors?
A robot vacuum is unlikely to scratch laminate floors if you purchase the right model. Traditional bristle brushes found on some robots are often stiff and can scratch laminate and other types of flooring. However, if you opt for a robot vacuum with rubber brushes like the Roomba s9+ or Roomba j7+, there is little risk of your floor getting scratched. You can also find some robot vacuums with no brushes at all that may work well for laminate flooring.
If you opt for a robot with bristle brushes, choose a model with nylon bristles like the Eufy RoboVac X8 or Shark IQ Self-Empty XL Robot. Nylon is softer than plastic and flexes slightly, so it is unlikely to scratch laminate floors.
In addition to a model’s brushes, pay attention to a robot’s wheels. Models with wheels made of rubber or that have rubber treads, like the Roomba s9+ and Eufy RoboVac X8, are much less likely to scratch laminate and other flooring surfaces than hard plastic wheels. You should also clean your robot’s wheels after each cleaning session to ensure no debris is trapped in the treads that might scratch your floors.
Laminate floors vs. hardwood floors
If your home has both laminate and hardwood floors, finding the right robot vacuum takes a little more care. Laminate floors are generally more durable and scratch-resistant than hardwood, so a robot vacuum with nylon bristle brushes may not scratch it. However, that same vacuum may scratch the softer hardwood floors.
Suction power is also a consideration. While hard flooring like hardwood and laminate generally requires less suction to clean than carpeting, you still need a robot vacuum with solid power to pull in larger debris from smooth, slick surfaces like hardwood and laminate. Robot vacuums often blow the pieces away from their path on hard flooring, so they must return for another pass to fully remove it.
During testing, we found this seemed to be a bigger issue on laminate flooring than hardwood. However, if the robot vacuum had very strong suction power, such as the Roomba s9+, we didn’t notice as much cereal, kitty litter and other large debris moving out of its path.
Features
Chances are your home doesn’t contain only laminate flooring, so you want a robot vacuum that can handle multiple surfaces. Some models can automatically adjust based on the flooring they’re cleaning, so they’ll use more suction on carpeting or greater contact between the brush roll and the floor to sweep up debris on laminate. For example, Roomba models like the s9+, j7+, j7+ Combo, i1+ and i8+ feature multisurface rubber brushes that flex to stay in contact with whatever surface they’re on to ensure the most effective cleaning.
Some robot vacuums, like the Roomba Combo j7+, also have a mopping feature, which can help get laminate floors even cleaner. These models vacuum and mop hard surfaces simultaneously to maximize your cleaning time. However, it’s essential to use a laminate-safe cleaning solution in a hybrid robot vacuum to ensure your floors aren’t damaged.
Robots with smart mapping like the Roomba s9+ and Eufy RoboVac X8 may also allow you to create no-go zones where the vacuum will not clean. This feature comes in handy if there are areas of your home with obstacles you don’t want to remove every time you vacuum, such as the spot where you keep your pet’s bowls or under your desk where there are many cords.
Mapping robots usually allow you to clean specific rooms rather than the entire floor, too. If your carpeted areas require daily vacuuming but you don’t want to clean your laminate floors that often, you can send the robot out to clean just the carpeted living room or bedroom and keep it out of the kitchen where you have laminate floors.
Battery life
Robot vacuum batteries typically run for 60 to 120 minutes on a single charge. However, the shortest battery life for premium robots is usually 90 minutes. If you have a larger home, you’ll want a long-lasting battery to ensure your robot can clean your home without dying in the middle of a job.
Because most robot vacuums use less suction power on laminate than on carpeting, batteries usually last longer when cleaning laminate. The Eufy RoboVac X8 has the longest battery life of the models we tested, cleaning for 190 minutes on a single charge when we tested it on carpet and hard surfaces, but it may last even longer when cleaning just laminate flooring.
Robot vacuum price
Robot vacuums for laminate flooring typically range from $100 to $1,000, but the price affects how powerful they are, how effectively they navigate and how advanced their other features are.
Inexpensive ($100 to $400)
If you want an entry-level robot vacuum for your laminate floors, you’ll usually spend between $100 and $400. These models have moderate suction power and limited navigation abilities. Some robots in this price range aren’t Wi-Fi connected, either. However, despite the price, you can still find some models with special features.
The Shark IQ Self-Empty XL Robot is an excellent option in this price range because it is lightweight enough at under 6 pounds to avoid damage to laminate floors and offers convenient features like a self-emptying base and no-go zones that more expensive robots usually have.
Midrange ($400 to $800)
For a more powerful robot vacuum that can handle heavier debris, offers advanced mapping and special features like a self-emptying base, selective room cleaning and no-go zones, expect to spend between $400 and $800.
At this price point, we love the Roomba j7+ for laminate floors. It offers 10 times the power as the Roomba 600 series, features a rubber brush roll that won’t scratch your floors or get tangled with pet hair and offers obstacle-avoidance technology to prevent it from getting stuck around the house.
High-end ($800 and up)
If you want the most powerful robot vacuum that can replace your standard vacuum on laminate floors and beyond, plus offers advanced navigation, a self-emptying base, selective cleaning and additional features like mopping, you’ll typically pay $800 or more.
We highly recommend the Roomba s9+ for laminate flooring because it has rubber brushes that won’t damage your floors, smart mapping to learn your home’s layout down to specific rooms and 40 times the suction power as Roomba 600-series robots. We also love the Roomba Combo j7+, which does everything the Roomba j7+ does but can also effectively mop your laminate floors to save you even more time.
