How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features like mapping, and do not mind cleaning your trash bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum could be the best choice for you. Choose a model with a clean base that works with voice assistants.

It is the most effective robo-vacuum we have tested at cleaning up pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and carpeting with low pile. It can also map out and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can help you keep up with the dust, pet fur and dander that accumulates on your floor every day. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you both time and effort. The most effective model comes with powerful suction that is able to clean up most mess and leave your home cleaner.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum as well as a mop, which can be beneficial if you live in a large home. There are models with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. It will need to be filled and empty in order to complete the task.

In a perfect world it would be ideal to clean your floors before using your robot vacuum, preventing it from hitting anything. But in most homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Thankfully, most models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot can see and avoid. Some models include no-go areas that you can mark areas that you don't want it to be allowed to enter. For instance, a child's room or a pile cords in a 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 good choice. It's quiet and works well on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at any time. It has a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums generally need only minimal effort from you. They use navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to move around obstacles and suck up dust, food crumbs and pet hair from hard floors, tiles carpets, and hardwood. A lot of them 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 begin cleaning at a predetermined time. Some models have fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, you should look for models that can work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also look for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that allow you to begin cleaning from any location using an app. You may want to select one with a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dust bin, depending on the size of your house.

Certain robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is helpful for normal mopping, but it won't be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, such as pet poop or other wet spills. You can choose hybrids with a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying option that allows you to stay for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map as they clean. This helps them avoid bumping into furniture and getting caught on cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models however, it lets your robot have a thorough understanding of your home's layout and know where to move when the battery runs out.

The majority of robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done through an app or physically-based boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't wish your robot to go into, so that it can concentrate on the areas that require the most attention.

A lot of robots can also automatically change floors depending on the kind of floor they are cleaning. This can be accomplished by switching from carpet to hard flooring or by paying attention to certain areas of your home like corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be useful in our tests and improved the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and low-pile floor carpeting. It's nevertheless important to tuck away loose cords and furniture before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.

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 are connected to smart home systems, and generate a map of the space they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" how your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacles avoidance built-in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture or getting stuck on things such as loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots are equipped with an remote control that can be used to guide them around your house. However, many can be controlled with a mobile app that comes with additional features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules, and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also guide the robot using the directional arrows.

Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that you can create within the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like kid's toys or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Some apps let you draw a map of your house and provide more detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features to help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins save you time and effort. Some are compatible with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your home, allowing you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms and avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, but the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can simplify your life (although one of our test robots did "eat" a few socks). If you're seeking to improve your home's maintenance, think about a robot mop with a water container that you can fill and empty.

While none of the models we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a standup vacuum, they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors as well as carpets with low pile. They excel in sweeping up dust and food crumbs, tracked-in dirt and pet hair. They can even tackle some stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and can even work around furniture. For an affordable model that can work by itself and is relatively inexpensive look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do much work. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and create no-go zones so that your robot doesn't walk on your plants or favorite chair. Many of our top picks also automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.

The most effective robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for months or weeks at a time, thereby which saves you the time and effort of manually mopping or robot mop sweeping your floors every week or even every day. This allows you to spend more time doing things you enjoy, and decreases the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.

In the course of testing, the Q Revo was able to capture small particles such as oatmeal and baking soda and heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, but it's adequate for the majority of families.

The best feature of the j7 is that it utilizes camera and processor-powered sensors to identify and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before using your robot. However, rooms that are cluttered may cause your bot to get stuck and do poorly.