How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're willing to live without advanced features such as mapping, and don't mind emptying the dustbin every 60 days or then, a basic robot vacuum is likely to work for you. Select a model with clean and tidy base that is compatible with voice assistants.

It is a pro at picking up dirt, pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other vacuum we've tried. It also has the ability to map out and best Rated robot vacuum create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save your time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which will tackle most messes with ease and leave your house cleaner.

Choosing a robot vacuum that also mop will allow you to achieve more coverage using one machine, which is especially beneficial in larger homes. Choose one that has an water reservoir built into its chassis or as a separate item that you put in after the vacuuming is done. You'll need to empty and refill it, though it's an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors first before you use your robot vacuum to prevent it from crashing into anything. But in most homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Thankfully, many models allow you to use a smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will detect and avoid. Some models have no-go zones, which you can flag areas you don't wish it to be allowed to enter. For example an area for children's play or a pile cords in an area.

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum without all the bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It's quiet, it is able to work on 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 that can last for up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to maneuver around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from hard flooring, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many models come with boundary strips that allow them to remain in a room. Higher-end models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and start cleaning. Some models even have fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, search for models that work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that permit you to start cleaning anywhere you want using an app. Depending on the size of your house is, you may want one with a long battery life and a large dust bin that doesn't need to be regularly emptied.

Some robot vacuums can also be mops. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is ideal for mopping, best rated robot vacuum but not great for difficult messes such as pet poop and other wet spills. You can pick hybrids with a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that lets you go for up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map while they clean. This allows them to avoid hitting furniture or tripping over cords or chairs. This feature is only available on higher-end models, but it allows your robot to have a thorough understanding of the layout of your home and know where to move when the battery runs out.

The majority of robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done via an app or physically-based boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you don't want your robot venture into, so it can concentrate its attention on the areas and rooms that require the most cleaning.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different flooring types according to the type of floor they're cleaning, whether that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be useful in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum on hardwood flooring and low-pile floor vacuum robot carpeting. 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 run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that allow you to control them via voice commands or via your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems that create an outline of your space after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and design more efficient routes for future trips. Some come with obstacles avoidance built-in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture or getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote you can use to pilot them around your home. However, many can be controlled via an app for mobile devices that offers more options. You can usually set multiple cleaning schedules, create the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot to specific areas by using directional arrows on the screen.

Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers you can create in the app to stop the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dishes and dog beds). Certain apps let you draw a map of your house and provide detailed information about the floors. The app that we recommend as our top choice Roborock S7+, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you tidy your home, but its interface isn't as polished as the ones from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

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

The majority of robot vacuums come with some degree of object detection however, higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to take your home maintenance to the next level, look for a robotic mop that has an water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models we tested could beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and food crumbs, tracked-in dirt and pet hair. They also can handle nuts and screws made of metal and cats' litter. The most effective robot vacuums are able to easily maneuver through furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning corners and edges as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can keep your home clean and tidy without having to do many tasks. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and create no-go zones so that your bissell robot vacuum doesn't harm your plants or your favourite chair. Many of our top picks automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the arduous task of manually mopping and sweeping your floors on a daily or weekly basis. This helps you spend more time on things you love and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

In our tests during testing, Q Revo was able grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up larger particles like metal screws and nails and fluffy things like pet hair. It does not have the advanced mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but is still a good choice for families with children.

The best rated Robot vacuum thing about the j7 is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as socks and shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, however cluttered rooms will mean that the robot may become stuck and not do as well.