How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features such as mapping and don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum could be suitable for you. Choose one that is clean and is compatible with voice assistants.

It excels at picking up dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can help you keep up with the dust, pet fur and dander that accumulates on your floor each day. It can also reduce the frequency you have to deep clean, saving you time and effort. The most effective models feature powerful suction, which will take on the majority of messes and leave your home clean.

Selecting a vacuum that can also mop will allow you to cover more ground by using just one machine. This could be especially helpful in a larger home. There are models that has a water tank in the chassis itself or as an extra piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. You'll have to empty it and refill it, however it's an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In the ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors before you used your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will be aware of and avoid. Some have no-go zones which you can use to flag areas that you don't want it to access, such as children rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a great option if you're looking for an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It's quiet, works well on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to vacuum or mop at any time. It has a good battery life, which can last for up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Simple to operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They make use of navigational tools such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to move around and collect dust, pet hair and best robot vacuum under 200 food crumbs from hard floors, tiles and hardwood. Many models come with boundaries strips that help them remain inside the room. The more expensive models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and start cleaning. Some even have fall-detection technology that prevents falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

Find models that allow you to control from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also select Wi-Fi models that permit you to start a cleaning session anywhere using an app. Depending on how big your house is, you may want an item with a long-lasting battery and a spacious dust bin that doesn't have to be regularly emptied.

Certain robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is great for mopping, but not great for tough messes like pet poop and other wet spills. You can pick hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad, or a self-emptying version that allows you to go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots employ advanced mapping technology to create an accurate map of your floorplan while they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however it allows your robot to be aware of the layout of your home and know where to go when the battery runs out.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physically-based boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't want your robot to access, so that it can concentrate on rooms that need the most attention.

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 switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as baseboards and corners. In our tests, this was a useful feature that helped improve their scores on picking up carpeting made of low-pile or hardwood. But, it's still essential to tuck away loose cords and furniture before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums come with WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future trips. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from bumping into and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose or shoe laces, as well as hair from pets.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to control them around your home. However, the majority of them can be controlled with an app on your mobile that offers more options. It is possible to set up multiple cleaning schedules, make a list of favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to specific areas by using directional arrows on the screen.

Some models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can create within the app to block the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Other apps let you create the map of your house and provide the bobsweep robot vacuum with precise information about your floors. The app that we recommend as our top choice one, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you tidy your home, however its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire house without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your space that allows you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms and beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some level of object detection and object detection, but more expensive models like the iRobot j7 come with advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to take your home maintenance to the next level, look for a robotic mop with an water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models that 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 are excellent at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked in. They can even tackle some scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacs can easily work their way around furniture and excel at cleaning edges and corners 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 you having to do lots of work. You can schedule cleanings using the app, and designate no-go areas to ensure that your robot does not get in the way of your favorite chair or plants. The majority of our top picks automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.

The top robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, thereby which saves you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every single week or even every day. This lets you spend more time on things you enjoy and cuts down on the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

In the course of testing, the Q Revo was able to grab tiny particles such as oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of metal and even fluffy matter like hair of pets. It does not have the advanced mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks, but is still a great choice for most families.

The j7's best robot Vacuum under 200 feature is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as socks and shoes and pet waste. This means you don't have to tidy up before you can run your robot, but clutter in your home can mean your robot could get stuck and not be able to do as good a job.