What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop makes a map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then remembers the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up large objects, such as lamps and toys as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush or end up on your floor. This is especially important if you have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is an ideal choice. This will enable it to be more effective in eliminating dust, pet hair, and lint off carpets and hardwood floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your home. If you live in an apartment it is possible to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire home in one go. Some models come with a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your machine working efficiently for many years. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same machine for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic Lefant M1 Robot Vacuum: Lidar Navigation - 4000Pa Suction – Top Choice for Spotless Floors is much less costly than a larger vacuum cleaner. They will still perform a great job of cleaning surface dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. You can use them to scrub your floors multiple times per day. The downside is they don't have as technological innovation, and may be prone to getting stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacuums use cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and prevent getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Certain models are able to return to their base or eufy G40 Hybrid: The Ultimate Robot Vacuum dock when their battery is depleted. They also can avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The most expensive models usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to memorize the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're running into walls.

There is no need to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like tile, wood and low-pile rug. They can also do a good job of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some come with an automatic base that drains itself, which is ideal for those who don't want to empty it after each cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have clever features, which make the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them through an app or voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas you do not want the robots to go.

Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy G40 Hybrid: The Ultimate Robot Vacuum 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or tangling cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects like shoe cords, lamp cords socks and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles in my home and rarely got derailed or trapped when I was working on my floors.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a good obstacle avoidance tool, it didn't always do well in removing dirt and crumbs off my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum some areas, which led to a lot of extra dust in the filter, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robots vacuums have an application that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and look at the area covered by the machine. This is an extremely useful feature that many competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start the robot at specified times and run it continuously. For instance, you could clean the living room every morning or prior to dinner.

A good app can let you control your robot with 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 with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.

Find models with a large dustbin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without having to empty it. You can find models that self-empty. This eliminates the need to empty the robot after every time you vacuum.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that is more than a vacuum, think about one that has mopping capabilities. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank inside that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris prior to needing to be emptied.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to where it was when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants who utilized a robot with this feature discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could easily watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can make an exact map of your home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

It is recommended to select one that comes with an app for mobile devices if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and choose cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also check the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot equipped with an washable filter and self-emptying bin, particularly if the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. A high-powered brush is another fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Some have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to prevent obstruction.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that help them navigate around obstacles and to learn about your home. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as furniture, stairs, and cords. Less expensive models might use boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who have socks and toys scattered around the house, as it assists your robot in capturing the items instead of scattering them.

We're beginning to see more robots that have mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate component that you can swap in when ready to mop. They may need to be refilled frequently however, they are perfect for homes with hard floors that aren't cleaned with a vacuum.

These robots are loaded with some amazing technology, and cost a lot less than you'd expect. In fact, you can get a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also moving around the edges of light carpets or area rug. You can schedule the robot to vacuum a room every day and can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.