How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're able to live without smart capabilities like mapping, and aren't worried about emptying the dustbin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum is likely to work for you. Choose one that has a clean base and is compatible with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested for cleaning up pet hair from tiles, hardwood floors, and low-pile carpeting. It can also map and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum cleaner can assist you in keeping up with the dust, pet fur and dander that accumulates on your floor every day. It can also cut down on the frequency at which you have to clean your floors, saving you time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which will take on the majority of messes and leave your house cleaner.

Selecting a vacuum that is also able to mop can help you cover more ground using one machine, which could be especially helpful for homes with a large area. Look for one that has an water reservoir integrated into the chassis or as a separate item that you can swap out when the vacuuming is finished. You'll have to empty it and fill it up, however, so this is an additional task that will require a little extra work on your part.

In a perfect universe you would clean your floors before using your robot vacuum, preventing it from hitting anything. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Fortunately, best roomba vacuum and mop the majority of models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot is able to detect and avoid. Certain models have no-go zones, which you can flag areas that you don't want it to access. For instance an area for children's play or a pile cords in a corner.

This model is a great choice if you want a simple robot vacuum Cleaner with Mopping cleaner without all the bells. It is quiet, can be used on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed through the app to mop and vacuum at your convenience. It's got a long battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

In general, robot vacuums require very little input from you. They use navigation tools like sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to move through obstacles and collect food particles, dust and pet hair from floors, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many have boundary strips to allow them to stay within the walls of a room, while pricier models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a scheduled time. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

Find models that you can control from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also search for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that allow you to start cleaning sessions from anywhere via an app. Depending on how big your home is, you may prefer one with a long-lasting battery and a large dust bin that doesn't require being emptying frequently.

Certain robot vacuums are also mopping machines. They utilize water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is great for mopping, but not for difficult messes such as pet poop or other wet spills. You can select hybrids with an able mopping pad made of microfiber, or a self-emptying version that allows you to go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a precise map while they clean. This helps them avoid bumping into furniture and tripping on cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however, it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of your home's layout and knows where to move when the battery runs out.

Most robots let you create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physical boundary strips. This lets you create zones that you don't want your robot venture into, so it can concentrate its attention on rooms and spaces that need the most cleaning.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different floors based on the type of surface they're cleaning, whether they're switching between hard and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved effective in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. But, it's still essential to put away loose cords and furniture before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't become stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled via voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create a map of your space after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future trips. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from crashing into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and pet hair.

Most robots are equipped with a remote control that you can use to navigate them around your house. However, most can also be controlled with a mobile app, which gives you more features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules, and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually guide the robot using direction Arrows.

Certain models have no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can create in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and bowls). Other apps let you create a map of your home and provide the robot with detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features that can aid in cleaning the house. However the interface isn't as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire home without stopping to recharge or to empty their dustbins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also make a map of the space that allows you to program them for specific areas or rooms and to avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can simplify your life (although one of our test bots did "eat" a couple of 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 match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum they all do a great job at cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They excel at picking up fine dirt, food crumbs, and best robot vacuum for vinyl plank floors dirt that has been tracked into. They can also handle metal screws and nuts and stray cat litter. The best robot mop for hardwood floors robot vacs can easily work their way around furniture and excel at cleaning corners and edges as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home tidy and clean without doing lots of work. You can schedule cleanings through the app and create no-go zones so that your robot won't trample your plants or your favourite chair. Many of our top picks will empty their dustbins and clean their docking station.

The best robot vacuums are programmable to keep your floors clean for months or weeks at a stretch, making it easier to save time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every week or day. This lets you enjoy more time doing things you like and reduces the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.

In the course of testing the Q Revo was able to pick up fine particles like oatmeal and baking soda, heavier debris such as metal screws and nails, and fluffy stuff like pet hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, however it works well enough for most families.

The j7's best feature is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes and socks and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up after using your robot. However, cluttered rooms could cause your robot to become stuck and do an inadequate job.