How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need advanced features like mapping and you do not mind cleaning your trash bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably the best choice for you. Choose an option that is clean and is compatible with voice assistants.

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

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you both time and effort. The best model has powerful suction that will easily take on the most difficult messes and leave your home clean.

You can take care of more space with a robot vacuum and mop, which can be beneficial if you live in an extensive home. Look for one that has a water reservoir either in the chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when the vacuuming is finished. It'll need to be emptied and filled in order to complete the task to complete.

In ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from running into things. In the majority of homes it's not feasible or desirable. The majority of models let you make use of an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will observe. Some have no-go zones which you can use to mark areas that you don't want it to enter, such as kids' rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

If you're looking for a simple robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It's quiet, it works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed through the app to vacuum and mop at your leisure. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums generally require very little from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors, lasers and cameras to maneuver around obstacles and suck up food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tile carpets, and hardwood. Many have boundary strips that help them stay within the walls of a room, while higher-end models can be programmed to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a predetermined time. Some models even have fall detection technology that can help them avoid tumbling down stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

Find models that you can control 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 anywhere you want using an app. You may prefer an option with a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dust bin, depending on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is helpful for everyday mopping, but will not work for extra-tough messes, like pet poop, or other spills that are wet. You can select hybrids that have an able mopping pad made of microfiber or a self-emptying option that allows you to stay up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a precise map as they clean. This allows them to avoid hitting furniture and getting caught on cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models, mops but it allows your robot to be aware of your home's layout and knows where to move when the battery runs out.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your house that you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your kids' toys or the mess of device cords in the corner) Most robots provide some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their app or a set of physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't wish your robot to enter in order to concentrate on the rooms that need the most attention.

A lot of robots can also automatically change floors depending on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be done by switching from carpet to hard flooring or by paying attention to particular areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be effective during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. However, it's still important to tuck away furniture and cords before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Almost all robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow you to control them using voice commands or through your smartphone. Many deebot robot vacuum cleaner vacuums are connected to smart home systems and create a map of the area they clean after each cleaning session. This allows them to "learn" how your home is laid out, and then plan more efficient routes in future cleaning sessions. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance, which stops them from hitting furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or shoe laces, as well as hair from pets.

The majority of robots come with an remote control that you can use to navigate them around your home. The majority of robots can be controlled via a mobile application, which offers more features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules, and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also guide the robot with directional Arrows.

Some models offer no-go zones, which are virtual barriers that you can set up in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog bowls and beds). Certain apps let you create an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features that will aid in cleaning the house. However its interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacuums that can sweep all over your home without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins save you time and effort. Some of them work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also build a map of your home that allows you to program them to clean specific rooms or areas and avoid obstacles.

Most robot vacs have some degree of detection of objects, but higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will make your life easier (although our test bot did "eat" the socks of a pair). socks). If you're looking to take your home maintenance to the next level opt for a robotic mop with a water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

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

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can keep your home clean and tidy without doing much work. You can schedule cleanings through the app, and designate no-go areas so that the robot won't step on your plants or favorite chair. The majority of our top picks will empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.

The top black friday robot vacuum deals vacuums are programmable to keep your floors clean for months or weeks at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every week or even every day. This allows you to enjoy more time doing things you enjoy, and decreases the time needed to clean your floors manually.

During testing, the Q Revo was able to grab tiny particles such as oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of steel as well as fluffy things like hair of pets. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, but it's sufficient for most families.

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