What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them out of areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop creates a map of your home's layout with its first run. It then saves the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and a self-cleaning, brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that can clean up large objects like lamp cords and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush or strewn across your floor. This is especially important if you have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.

A model with an efficient engine and shark robot vacuum self empty plenty of suction is also an ideal choice. This will help it to be more effective in removing pet hair, dust and lint off carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you live in a large house, you may want to pick a model that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean the entire house in a single session. Some models also come with a mopping function, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums last a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your machine running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have had the same model for a period of 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job at removing surface dirt, pet hair and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can distribute every week to keep your floors free of dirt. However, they don't come with as smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. They are also able to avoid obstacles like cords and furniture legs and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on energy. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you can still find a model that is capable of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like tile and wood as well as carpets with low pile. They also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws or staples that have rust, or abandoned toys. Some even come with self-emptying bases that is handy for those who don't want to empty the dustbin after every cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer innovative features that make a standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric with features like zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want robots to access.

Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling with cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tested, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles in my home and rarely got derailed or trapped when I was working on my floors.

The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always succeed at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum specific areas, resulting in dust accumulating in the filters, and a less tidy house.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuums come with an app that can help you set up cleaning modes, set schedules and see a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is an excellent feature that a few competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles that will automatically start the robot at certain times, and keep it running regularly. For instance, you could clean the living room each morning or prior to dinner.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models are compatible with 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.

Look for a model that has a large dust bin. This allows you to complete numerous cleaning sessions without having to empty it. There are also models that are self-emptying that take some of the burden of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking for a robot that can do more than simply vacuum, you'll need to consider the possibility of a model which can mop your floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums and come with a water tank that can hold multiple cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.

Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps and keep track of the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, since it won't have to go back to the beginning when it encounters walls or furniture.

Our testers found that robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch television or perform other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire house, which means 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 for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and select cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the state of its dust bin in the app. Some of the best robot vacuums can even be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a goovi robot vacuum equipped with an washable filter and self-emptying bin, particularly if the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools to help them learn your home and get around obstacles. High-end models have sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models sometimes use boundary strips that you put on the floor shark robot vacuum self empty to mark off areas you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is particularly beneficial for families with young kids who scatter toys and socks around the home. This helps your Shark robot Vacuum self empty to collect these items instead of scattering.

We're beginning to see more robots equipped with mops which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and require to clean them regularly. These robots come with a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They might need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're great for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned using a vacuum.

These robots come with some impressive technology, and cost significantly less than you would expect. You can find a quality one for less than $200, and it does a decent job cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and rug. The robot can be programmed to clean the room on a regular basis. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.