What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a daily basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes an outline of your home using its initial run. It then saves the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.
Object Detection
When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, select one that is able to pick up large items like toys and lamp cords as well as dust particles that are fine. This will help ensure they don't become entangled by the roller brush and aren't left behind on your floors. This is especially crucial if your robot is going to be regularly cleaned by children or pets.
A model with a powerful engine and lots of suction is a good option. This will allow it to be more efficient in removing dust, pet hair and lint from carpets as well as hardwood flooring.
The size of your home is a different factor to consider. If you have an area that is large you might want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire home in a single session. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.
Robot vacuums are long-lasting, but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping down the sensors regularly will ensure that your robot is running efficiently for years to come. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak to have been using their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries as time went by).
A basic robot will cost less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do a great job at keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair, and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floors tidy. However, they don't have as smart technology, and can be prone to becoming stuck or require human intervention.
Object Avoidance
The top robot vacuums make use of cameras, sensors or lasers to help you navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Certain models are able to return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the arrangement of your home, and spend less time running into walls.
If you don't want spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you could find one that does a great job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and crumbs from hard floors like tiles and wood, as well as carpets with a low pile. They can also do a decent job of handling larger debris like metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some models even have self-emptying bases which is helpful for those who don't want to empty your trash bin after every cleaning session.
Some robotic vacuums have smart features, making the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. They include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them through an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls' to block off areas you don't want the robot to go.
Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former Top Robot Vacuum pick, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses a camera, processors and algorithms to stay clear of items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tried, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles in my home and rarely got derailed or trapped when I was working on my flooring.
The iRobot J7+ was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always succeed at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in dust accumulation in the filters and a less tidy home.
Smart Mapping
The best robot vacuums come with an app that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and look at a map of the floor area covered by the machine. This is an extremely useful feature that other models do not have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain times and keep it running on regularly, for example, cleaning the living area prior to dinner or every other day.
A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Certain models can be controlled by Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.
To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, opt for an option with a big dust bin that can hold many cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. You can also find models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the work out of emptying the machine after each cleaning run.
If you're looking for a robot that can do more than vacuum, think about one that has mopping capabilities. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and have a water tank inside that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be emptied.
The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home. They can even remember the layout from one cleaning to the next, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, since it won't be spending time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes into contact with walls or furniture.
Our testers found that robots that had this feature were extremely efficient. They could sit and watch TV or do other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation and can make an exact map of your home, meaning you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or every room in your home while you're working.
App Control
It is recommended to select one that comes with a mobile application in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose a cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also examine the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuums can even be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
It is easy to maintain a robot that has an washable filter and self-emptying container, especially when the filter is easily removed and rinsed. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to remove hair and dirt. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair leg splinters than others. Some have an automatic cleaning system that cleans brushes to avoid clogging.
Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to understand your home and get around obstacles. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark off areas where you don't want it to enter. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with children who scatter toys and socks all over the house. This helps your robot to gather the items instead of scattering.
Robots are increasingly equipped with mop heads. This is great for those with hard floors who require to mop regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require refilling frequently, but are ideal for homes with hard floors and can't be cleaned with vacuums.
These robots are packed with some amazing technology, and they cost significantly less than you would expect. You can find a decent one under $200, which does a decent cleaning job on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum a particular room on a regular schedule. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.