How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features like mapping, and don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably the best choice for you. Choose an option with a clean base and works with voice assistants.

It is the best floor vacuum robot vacuum we have tested in picking up dirt and pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and carpeting with low pile. It also has the ability to map out and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or certain areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will assist you in keeping up with the pet fur, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors every day. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning robot mop and vacuum, saving your time and effort. the best robot vacuum and mop combo most effective models have powerful suction that can clean up most mess and leave your home clean.

A robot vacuum that also mop will help you get more space using one machine, which can be particularly beneficial for homes with a large area. You can find a model with a water tank either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. It will have to be emptied and filled in order to complete the task.

In the ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors before you used your robot vacuum to keep it from hitting things. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Thankfully, many models allow you to use a smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot is able to detect and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to flag areas that you don't want it to enter, such as kids' rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

This model is a good option for those looking for an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It is quiet, can be used on hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to vacuum and mop at your own convenience. It has a long battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to Operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to maneuver around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. A lot of them have boundary strips that aid in staying within the walls of a room, while pricier models can be programmed to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a set time. Some even come with fall detection technology that prevents falling down stairs or becoming caught in electrical cords.

Look for models that can be controlled from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also choose Wi-Fi models that permit you to start a cleaning session anywhere using an app. Depending on how large your house is, you may prefer one with a long battery life and a large dust bin that doesn't have to be emptying frequently.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to clean your floors. This is great for mopping, but not for difficult messes such as pet poop and other wet spills. You can pick hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying option that allows you to stay for up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots utilize advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which robot vacuums are the best makes it easier for them to avoid falling into furniture or tripping over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is typically only available on more expensive models, but it's one of the best robot vacuum mop ways to make sure your robot has a complete understanding of the layout of your home and can determine where to go when it runs out of battery.

If you don't want your robot to venture into areas of your home that you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either with their app or a set of physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to enter, so that it can concentrate on the rooms that require the most attention.

Many robots also automatically change floors depending on the type of flooring they are cleaning. This can be accomplished by changing from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to particular areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests it was a great feature that improved their scores on picking up carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. It is important to secure any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum, to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums come with WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and build maps of your home after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and devise 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 or shoe laces, as well as pet hair.

The majority of robots come with the ability to control them with a remote that you can use to move them around your house. However, most can also be controlled using a mobile app, which gives you more features. You can typically set multiple cleaning schedules, create the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot around specific areas by using directional arrows that appear on the screen.

Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that you can create in the app to stop the robot from entering specific areas (like kid's toys or dishes and dog beds). Some apps allow you to create an outline of your home and provide detailed information on the floors. The app on 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 the ones from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacuums that can sweep a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins make it easier for you to save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make an image of your living space, allowing you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.

Most robot vacs have some degree of detection of objects, but higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will make your life easier (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to push your home cleaning to the next level, look for a robotic mop that comes with a 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 with low pile and hard floors. They are great in sweeping up dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They can also tackle pet litter that is stray and metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacs can easily maneuver through furniture, and they excel at cleaning edges and corners as well. For an affordable model that can work by itself and is comparatively inexpensive take a look at the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home clean and tidy without doing lots of work. You can schedule cleanings through the app, and designate no-go areas to ensure that your robot does not walk on your plants or favorite chair. A majority of our top picks empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking stations.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for months or weeks at a stretch, saving you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors each week or day. This lets you spend more time on things you enjoy and cuts down on the amount of time that your floors require to be cleaned manually.

During testing, Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up heavier particles such as nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy hair. It lacks the smart mapping and objects-avoiding features of our top picks, but it is still a great choice for families with children.

The most appealing aspect of the j7 robot is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles such as shoes, power cords, socks, and pet waste. This means you don't have to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, however messy rooms can mean that your robot could get stuck and not do as well.