How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need advanced features like mapping and you aren't worried about emptying your bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic ilife robotic vacuum cleaner vacuum is likely to be the best choice for you. Select a model with clean and tidy base that is compatible with voice assistants.

It is a pro at picking up dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other vacuum we've tested. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that build up on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you time and effort. The best models have powerful suction that can tackle most messes with ease and leave your home cleaner.

You can take care of more space by using a robot vacuum and mop, which can be beneficial if you live in a large house. Find a model that has a water reservoir either integrated into the chassis or as a separate item that you can swap out when the vacuuming is finished. It will need to be emptied and refilled in order to complete the task to complete.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum, preventing it from running into anything. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Most models allow you to utilize an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers the robot can see. Some models have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas that you don't want the robot to be in, like kids' rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a good option for those looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells and Samsung robot vacuum cleaner whistles. It is quiet, works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to mop and vacuum at your own convenience. It's got a long battery life that can last up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors, lasers and cameras to maneuver around obstacles and remove dust, food crumbs and pet hair from hard flooring, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. A lot of models come with boundary strips to help them remain inside the room. The more expensive models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and begin cleaning. Some even come with fall detection technology that prevents tumbling down stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, you should look for models that can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also look for Samsung robot vacuum cleaner Wi-Fi-connected models that allow you to begin a cleaning session from anywhere via an app. You may prefer one with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as a large dustbin, depending on the size of your house.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing water reservoirs to clean your floor. This is helpful for regular mopping but won't work for tough messes like pet poop, or other spills that get wet. There are hybrids that come with a removable microfiber pad that can be used for mopping, or opt for an auto-emptying model that lets you go for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create an accurate map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid falling into furniture or falling over things like cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on the top models, but it lets your robot have a thorough understanding of your home's layout and know where to go when the battery runs out.

If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your house that you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner) Most robots provide some way to create virtual barriers, either via their apps or physical boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you don't want your robot explore, so that it can concentrate its attention on the areas that require the most cleaning.

Many robots can also automatically navigate to different floorings according to the type of flooring they're cleaning, be it that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, like corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be useful during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. But, it's still essential to put away furniture and cords before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't become stuck or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems, and create a map of the area they clean after each session. This lets them "learn" the way your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes for future cleaning sessions. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from crashing into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and hair from pets.

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

Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can set up within the app to block the consumer reports robot vacuum from entering specific areas (like toys for children or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Certain apps let you draw an image of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features that can aid in cleaning the house. However the interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire house without stopping to recharge or emptying their trash bins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create a map of your space that allows you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, but the iRobot J7 has advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life much easier (although one of our test robots did "eat" two socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, consider the use of a robot mop and an water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested can compete with the power of a stand-up vacuum, the majority of them do an excellent job at cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked into. They also can handle nuts and screws made of metal and cats' litter. The most effective Samsung Robot Vacuum Cleaner vacuums can clean corners and edges and can even work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum will help keep your home tidy and clean without you having to do lots of work. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favourite chair. The majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for weeks or even months at a time, thereby which saves you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every single week or even every day. This lets you enjoy more time doing things you like and reduces the time needed to clean your floors manually.

During testing, the Q Revo was able to pick up tiny particles such as oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of metal as well as fluffy things such as pet hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, but it works well enough for the majority of families.

The most impressive feature of the j7 is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes and socks as well as pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy up before using your robot. However, messy rooms may cause your bot to become stuck and perform a poor job.