How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and you don't mind emptying the dustbin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum is likely to work for you. Look for Lefant robot Vacuum one that has a clean base and works with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested at getting rid of dirt and pet hair from tile floors, hardwood floors and carpets with low pile. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will stay clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on the frequency you have to clean your floors which will save your time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which will take on the majority of messes and leave your home clean.

Selecting a vacuum that also mop can help you get more space with one machine, which could be especially helpful for homes with a large area. There are models with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can remove after vacuuming. It will need to be empty and refill it, however, so this is an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In a perfect universe, you would clear your floors before you use your robot vacuum to prevent it from running into anything. In the majority of homes, this is not possible or desirable. Most robots allow you to utilize an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot can detect. Some have no-go zones which you can use to mark areas that you don't want it to be in, like kids rooms or a stack of cords for your device in the corner.

If you're looking to buy a basic robot vacuum with no bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a great option. It is quiet, works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to vacuum and mop at your leisure. It's got a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Robot vacuums generally need very little from you. They make use of instruments for navigation, such as sensors, lasers, and cameras to move and collect pet hair, dust and food crumbs off hard floors, tile and hardwood. Many models have boundary strips to help them remain in a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and start cleaning. Certain models come with fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, look for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that let you start cleaning from any location using an app. Depending on how big your house is, you may want an item with a long-lasting battery and a spacious dust bin that doesn't have to be emptied frequently.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, using reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is great for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop and other wet spills. You can select hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad, or a self-emptying version that lets you go for up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots utilize advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan while they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or tripping over things like cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on top-of-the-line models however it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of your home's layout and to know where it should go when the battery runs out.

If you do not want your robot vacuum for carpet to go into areas of your home that you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner) Most robots provide the possibility of creating virtual barriers, lefant robot Vacuum either with their app or physical boundary strips. This lets you define areas that you don't want your robot explore, so that it can focus its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most cleaning.

Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different floors according to the type of surface they're cleaning, whether that's switching between hard flooring and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. In our tests, this was a useful feature that improved their performance in picking up carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. It is essential to put away any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums connect to smart home systems, and generate a map of the area they clean after each session. This lets them "learn" how your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes for future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacle avoidance features built in, which prevents them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to control them around your home. Most robots are controlled via a mobile application that comes with more features. You can typically set multiple cleaning schedules, create the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot to certain areas by using directional arrows that appear on the screen.

Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers that you can set up within the app to block the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and dishes). Other apps let you set up the map of your house and give the lefant robot vacuum detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features that can assist you in cleaning your home. However, its interface isn't quite as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacs that can clean throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins can save you time and energy. Some work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make an outline of the space to allow you to program them for certain rooms or areas and to avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot J7 has advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life easier (although one of our test bots did "eat" a few socks). If you're trying to improve your home's maintenance, consider a robot mop with water containers that you can fill and empty.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a standup vacuum, they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors and low pile carpets. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They can also tackle pet litter that is stray and metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can effortlessly work through furniture, and they are great at cleaning corners and edges as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right configuration and the right setup, a robotic vacuum can assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh every day without much work from you. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and set up no-go areas to ensure that your robot does not step on your favorite chair or plants. The majority of our top picks will empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.

The most effective 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 sweeping or mopping your floors each week or every day. This allows you to take more time doing the things you enjoy, and decreases the time needed to clean your floors manually.

During testing, the Q Revo was able to grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal as well as heavier debris such metal screws and nails as well as fluffy things like hair of pets. It lacks the smart mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks but is still a good choice for families with children.

The best thing about the j7 is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. This means you don't have to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, however messy rooms can mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform as good a job.