The Best Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum can do the majority of the cleaning for you. It will take pet hair, lint and dirt from surfaces and furniture before they become stuck. Many robot vacuums integrate with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free cleaning experience.

Many models have maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges or navigating around clusters if device cords.

What to Find

Certain robots come with advanced features, which allow users to control them with voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping, spot and zone cleaning, and the ability to avoid objects. These machines could also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Find a model that has a a wide brush that can clean up large pieces of debris and one that's slim enough to fit under furniture. Also, check if the vacuum is able to move across different floor types without the need to swap brushes or alter suction settings, which could make it less effective in cleaning and decrease its lifespan.

The best robot vacuums have high-quality filters that trap small particles to guard the interior of your house and a large, easy-to-access collection bin that allows you to empty it often. Some robot vacuums come with an extra side brush to remove pet hair or debris in hard-to reach places like under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, which means you can see the amount of dirt in the bin and when to empty it.

You can also make use of the app to establish the boundaries of furniture and rooms you don't want it to enter. Some models are also able to detect the type of flooring and alter their brush and vacuum settings to match.

There are robotics that recharge and continue cleaning the area they left when their battery is exhausted. Some robot vacuums have a camera built in which allows you to view the path that your robot has taken and what it has collected.

Some robots can be controlled via voice commands but not all. Make sure that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant of your preference, and then test the way it responds to different commands during the purchasing process. Some robots are able to automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations, making the chores you have to do a bit. This feature is costly as is a larger storage container and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots cannot replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they can offer a reliable and effective alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning floors. It doesn't matter if you have to keep track of dust, crumbs and best robot mop self cleaning pet hair or nab bigger debris like metal screws and wood shavings, most top-rated robotic cleaners are adept at picking up various materials in the first attempt and without causing any damage to your floor surfaces or furniture.

They usually detect the type of surface they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush features in order to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is particularly important when you have various flooring types throughout your home. Many models offer the option to set up virtual boundaries. This lets you instruct your robot to stay clear of certain areas of your home. This helps to keep your pets and children from getting in areas they shouldn't. It also ensures that your entire house is cleaned during each scheduled time.

You should also consider how much autonomy you're comfortable with giving your robot. Some models require your presence and attention while others work on their own and can change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile app or voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your home's layout and let you set up zones, and instruct the robot to clean certain areas in your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our testing the iRobot J7+ was the most efficient "set it and forget it" robot. It was a master in mapping, forming virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles better than all the other robots we tried. It can also empty itself so you don't need to manually do it. The side brushes help sweep debris off edges and corners that a vacuum cleaner with mopping might not reach.

Its slim design and infrared sensor allows it to clean under and behind furniture which allows it to do a better job than the majority of robots. And its advanced navigation system lets it to sweep the entire floor of your home with just one battery charge. It's hard to beat even at a reasonable price.

Battery Life

A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore, and more like an indulgence. The difference between a clean home and one that is dirty can be made by removing tracked-in dirt as well as crumbs, pet hair, and other particles. A basic robot is able to handle the majority of cleaning tasks. However those who prefer a more relaxed experience may want to look for a model which also serves as a mops.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one the top models for both, as it delivers excellent performance in both vacuuming and mop modes and is able to easily deal with dirt and pet hair, as well as debris and even cat litter. Its object avoidance function is amazing. It lets it steer away from objects and not get tangled on them.

It also comes with a long battery life and a large bin for dust which allows it to cover a large amount of space in just one session. It's also a smart cleaner which means it can track your home and can be used with apps like the ones offered by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the automatic vacuum and mop using voice commands.

The app that comes along with the robot allows you to set up schedules, designate specific rooms for cleaning, or suspend or resume sessions. It will even alert you to when its battery is running low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

The robot is also able to distinguish between hard floors and carpets and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This helps to prevent the machine from getting stuck on one type of surface and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it isn't yet able to recognize high pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so you will still need to be vigilant about picking up large objects.

All robot vacuums require a level of maintenance, for example removing hair from brushes and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the trash bin after each cleaning session and wiping down sensors or cameras between uses to keep them in top shape. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these steps as well as other steps, which may differ according to the model.

Cost

The best robot vacuums aren't inexpensive, but they're cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a full-size stand-up vac. They also need less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they require that you empty (and occasionally rinse) their bins of dust after each cleaning session and often cleaning their cameras or sensors.

Many robot vacuums have intelligent features that make them more efficient for your home, such as mapping technology, which allows you to instruct the vacuum on the layout of your room by using an app, so it knows not to run through the stairs or under the furniture, where there could be an issue. Other robot vacuums are able to detect the kind of floor they are cleaning so that they can adjust their suction and brush functions to ensure the best results.

Some models have object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even a camera) to detect objects and toys on the floor and instruct the robot to move around them rather than run into them. This is a great benefit if you have kids or pets who scatter toys around the home.

Voice control is another useful feature that you could find useful. It allows you to control your robot with your voice, instead of the buttons on the board. This is useful if your children aren't yet old enough to operate the robot, or is it just more practical for you.

The frequency at which you should use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and dust is typically on your floors. The majority of experts recommend using your robot vacuum at least every week to keep your floors spotless and to remove pet hair, lint, and dirt from the surface.

If you have the space for a space on your floor and do not plan to utilize the robot for any other purpose, then a budget model, like our top pick Eufy 11S is a great choice. It's simple to use, affordable, and does the job without making any noise while you work or watch TV.