What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can assist you in keeping track of pet hair, lint and dust on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.

This mop and vac creates a map of your home with its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future use. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When picking a buy robot vacuum vacuum, look for one that is able to pick up large objects, such as toys and lamp cords, and also dust particles. This will ensure that they do not get caught in the roller brush or left on your floor. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be cleaned regularly by children or pets.

A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an excellent choice. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your carpets and good robot vacuum hardwood floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your space. If you have an apartment, you may want to choose models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire home in a single session. Some models have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for the years to come. Many of the owners of robot vacuums who we talk to have been using their machines for 10 years or good robot vacuum longer (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job at keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair, and dust. You can use them to clean your floors several times per day. The downside is they don't come with as technological innovation, and may be prone to getting stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and some models automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on energy. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities that allow them to remember your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as tile, wood, and low-pile rugs. They can also take care of larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is ideal if you do not want to empty it every cleaning session.

The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient, including schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over cords or furniture. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles within my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped when I was cleaning my flooring.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot however, it wasn't always doing an excellent job of removing dirt and crumbs off my carpets. It also tended to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in lots of dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings set schedules, and view an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is an excellent feature that a few competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specified times and continue to run on a regular basis, like cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app will also let you 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 a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.

For a truly hands-free experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can hold numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. You can also find models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robotic that is more than a vacuum, you should consider a model with a mopping function. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums, and have a water tank inside which can store many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your home and can even remember the layout from one cleaning to another, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, since it won't have to go back to the beginning when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our testers who used the robot that has this feature found it to be very efficient, and could comfortably watch TV or complete other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation and can create an exact map of your home, which means that you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or every room in the house while you're working.

App Control

It is best robot vacuum for hard floors to select the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. You can also check the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin in the app. Some of the best robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially when you are able to access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to remove dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair legs than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to avoid clogging.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that help them navigate around obstacles and help you understand your home. High-end models use sensors and cameras to detect obstacles such as stairs, furniture and cords. Cheaper models may utilize boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish it to go. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who throw socks and toys scattered across the house, as it allows your robot to grab those objects instead of scattering them.

We're beginning to see more robots with mops, which are great for people who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. They have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more often than other kinds of robots, however they're perfect for homes with floors made of wood that can't be easily cleaned with a vacuum.

These robots are packed with some impressive technology, and they are priced much less than you would expect. You can find a decent one for under $200. It can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area rug. You can program the robot to sweep the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.