What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many robot vacuums work with apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or walls, to ensure that the vacuum is kept away from areas that you don't want cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your space for future use. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that can pick up large items, like lamps and toys as well as dust particles. This will ensure they don't get snarled in the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an ideal choice. This will help it to be more efficient in removing pet hair, dust and lint from carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your house is another important consideration. If you have an area that is large it is possible to pick models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean the entire house in a single session. Certain models also include mopping capabilities, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however, they must be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for the years to come. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the same model for a decade or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot is less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll still be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning surface dirt, pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floor tidy. The drawback is that they don't offer as much smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacuum mop self empty robot vacs use sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords, and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on energy. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to learn the design of your home and spend less time running into walls.

You don't need to spend lots of money on the most expensive Robotic hoovers vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like tiles, wood and low-pile rug. They can also handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or discarded toys. Some come with a self-emptying base that is handy if you don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

Many robotic vacuums also come with smart features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric such as zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robot to venture.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to stop them from falling over furniture or cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses a camera, processors and algorithms to stay clear of items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tried, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles and never is stuck or derails when working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a great job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum certain areas, which led to lots of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best rated robot vacuum and mop combo robot vacuums have an application that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and look at the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that many competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles that will automatically start the robot at specific times and continue to run continuously. For robotic Hoovers example, cleaning the living room each morning or prior to dinner.

A good app will allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, look for a model with a large dust bin that can accommodate several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. There are models that self-empty. This eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after every vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a robot that does more than vacuum, you should consider a model with mopping functions. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and include a tank of water that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, since it won't be spending time going back to the beginning of the room whenever it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test subjects who tested robots with this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient, and they could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or every room in the house while you're working.

App Control

If you want to customize the frequency at which the robot cleans your house and select a cleaning option, it's best to get one that has an app for mobile devices. In the app, you can also check the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially if you can easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair leg splinters than others. Others come with a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to avoid clogging.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools to help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who throw toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it helps your robot nab these objects instead of scattering them.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop attachments. This is beneficial for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. They have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in when they're ready to mop. These robots may require frequent refills, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be cleaned easily with a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology in these small robots and they're less expensive than you might imagine. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, while traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. You can schedule the robot to vacuum a room regularly and can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.