How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features such as mapping and aren't worried about emptying your bin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum is likely to be the best choice suitable for heavy Duty you. Select a model with a clean base that works with voice assistants.

It excels at picking up dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other vacuum we've tried. It can also plan out and create virtual no-go zones in rooms or certain areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It can also decrease the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you time and effort. The most effective models have powerful suction that can tackle most messes and leave your home sparkling clean.

Choosing a robot vacuum that is also able to mop will help you achieve more coverage by using just one machine. This can be particularly beneficial in a larger home. Find models that have water reservoirs either in the chassis or as a separate piece that you put in after the vacuuming is done. It'll need to be filled and empty, so it's an extra task to complete.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum to prevent it from crashing into anything. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models let you use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot will detect and avoid. Some have no-go zones which you can use to mark areas you don't want the robot to access, such as children rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a great option if you're looking for a basic robot cleaner that does not have all the bells. It's quiet, and it works on both hard floors and low-pile rugs. It can be scheduled using the app to mop or vacuum at your convenience. It's got a long battery life, which can last for up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.

2. Simple to operate

Robot vacuums generally require very little effort from you. They utilize instruments for navigation, such as sensors, lasers, and cameras to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair, and food crumbs from hard floors, tile and hardwood. A lot of them have boundary strips that help them stay within the walls of a room while higher-end models can be set to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a scheduled time. Some even have fall-detection technology that helps them avoid falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

Look for models that can be controlled from your couch via voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also select Wi-Fi models that allow you to begin cleaning from anywhere with an app. Depending on how large your house is, you may want a model with a long battery life and a roomy dustbin that doesn't have to be emptied frequently.

Some robot vacuums double as mops and use reservoirs of water to wash your floor. This is helpful for regular mopping but won't work for extra-tough messes, like pet poop, or other wet spills. You can choose hybrids with a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that lets you go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map as they clean. This allows them to avoid crashing into furniture and tripping on cords or chairs. This feature is usually only available on higher-end models, but it's one of the most effective ways to ensure that your robot has an accurate understanding of the layout of your house and can determine where to go when it runs out of battery.

If you don't want your robot to venture into areas of your home that you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either through their apps or a set of physical boundary strips. This lets you block off zones that you do not want your robot to explore, so that it can focus its attention on the areas and rooms that require the most cleaning.

Many robots can also automatically navigate to different floors depending on the surface they're cleaning, whether they're switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be helpful in our tests and improved the performance of the automatic vacuum and mop robot on hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It's nevertheless important to secure furniture and cords before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create a map of your space after each cleaning session, so they can "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future runs. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from bumping into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables shoes, laces for shoes and pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to steer them around your home. Most robots are controlled via a mobile application, which offers more features. You can typically create multiple cleaning schedules, create a list of favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot around specific areas by using directions on the screen.

Certain models have no-go zones These are virtual barriers that you can create in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and bowls). Other apps let you set up the map of your house and provide the robot with precise information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that can assist you in cleaning your home. However the interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacs that can clean throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their bins of dust make it easier for you to save time and effort. Some work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also build a map of your living space and allow you to program them to clean certain rooms or areas and heavy Duty avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some degree of detection of objects however, higher-end models like the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can make your life easier (although our test bot did once "eat" socks). socks). If you're trying to improve your home maintenance, you should consider an automated mop that comes with water containers that you can fill and empty.

While no of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a standup vacuum, they did a great job cleaning hard floors as well as low pile carpets. They excel at sweeping up fine dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They are also able to tackle scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can easily maneuver around furniture and do a great job of cleaning edges and corners as well. For a basic model that functions on its own and is relatively inexpensive, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home clean and tidy without you having to do many tasks. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and create no-go zones to ensure that your robot won't trample your plants or your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks will empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking stations.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the time-consuming task of manually mopping and sweeping your floors on a daily or Heavy Duty weekly basis. This lets you have more time to do the things you like and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

During testing the Q Revo was able grab fine particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up larger particles like nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, but it's sufficient for most families.

The j7's best feature is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as socks and shoes and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before running your robot, however clutter in your home can mean the robot may become stuck and not be able to do the job as well.