What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on regular basis. Many work with apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or 'walls' to keep them away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map after its first run, storing your home's layout for future tasks. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up big items, such as lamp cords and toys, and also dust particles. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush or strewn across your floor. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children and need to clean the robot regularly.

It's also a good idea to select a model that has a powerful motor and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you have a huge house, you may want to opt for a model with multiple cleaning zones that can clean the entire house in one session. Some models also come with mopping functions that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly, emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have owned the same machine for a decade or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job at keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can send out often throughout the week to keep your floor tidy. The downside is they don't have as smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. 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 are running low on power. The more expensive ones often have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.

If you don't want spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you can still find one that does an excellent job of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and carpets with low pile. They can also handle bigger debris like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some models come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is great if you do not want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features that make the standard stick vacuum look outdated. These include schedules, zone-targeting, and the ability to control them through an app or a voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't wish the robot to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or tangling with cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots that I've tried, but it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never gets stuck or derailed while working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a great job at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my carpets. It also tends to over-vacuum some areas, resulting in a lot of extra dust in the filter and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the top robot vacuums include an app that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and look at a map of the area covered by the machine. This is an excellent feature that many competitors don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific time intervals and run it on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app will allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

Look for a model that has an enormous dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without needing to empty it. There are models that self-empty, eliminating the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you want a homekit robot vacuum capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at a model that can mop floors. These are usually bigger than the robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank in the interior that can hold many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris prior to having to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can make their own maps and keep track of the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum as it will not have to go back to the beginning when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test subjects who tested a robot with this feature found it to be extremely efficient, mops and could sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or throughout the house when you're at work.

App Control

It is best to select the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and select the cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also monitor the condition of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, especially if you can easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Certain robots are better in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the obstruction of brushes that may happen in other robots.

Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools that aid them in navigating obstacles and learn your home. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models may utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to leave. Object avoidance is especially important for families with children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it helps your robot nab the items instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots that have mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to regularly clean them. These robots have a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate piece can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're ideal for homes with hard floors which aren't easy to clean by vacuum.

These robots come with some amazing technology, and cost much less than you would expect. In fact, you can find an affordable model for less than $200 that does a good job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to vacuum specific rooms at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.