What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a regular basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop makes the map of your home with its first run. It then saves the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum mop Combo Robot cleaner, pick one that is able to pick up large objects like lamp cords and toys as well as dust particles of fine size. This will ensure that they don't become entangled in the roller brush, and aren't left on your floors. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children, and you may have to clean the robot regularly.

It's recommended to select a model that has an efficient motor and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have a large house you might want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in one session. Some models also come with mopping functions that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however, they must be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine functioning efficiently for many years. Many robot vacuum owners we have spoken to have owned their machines for ten years or more (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll do an excellent job of cleaning surface dirt, pet fur and lint. You can use them to sweep your floors multiple times per day. The downside is they don't offer as much technological innovation, and may be prone to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. They are also able to avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords, and some models automatically return to their dock or base when they run low on energy. Some of the more expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to remember your home's layout and spend less time bouncing off walls.

If you don't want to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you could find one that does a great job of removing pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like wood and tile and carpets with low pile. They also be capable of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even the remains of toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base, Vacuum Mop Combo Robot which is useful for those who don't want to empty the dustbin after every clean-up.

Most robotic vacs also offer innovative features that make a ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned such as zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas where you do not want the robot to go.

Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former top robot vacuum choice Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling with cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles in my home. It was also very rarely stuck or derailment when I was working on my floors.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a good obstacle avoidance bot, it didn't always do an excellent job of removing dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas leading to a lot of dust in the filters and an unclean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robots vacuums include an application that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that many competitors don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain times and continue to run on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app can let you control your robot with voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

To have a hands-free experience, look for a model with a large dust bin that can accommodate many cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. You can find models that self-empty. This eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after every time you vacuum.

If you want a robot that is more than just vacuum, you'll want to consider a model that can mop floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more advanced can create their own maps, and can remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to go back to where it was when it encounters walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were extremely efficient. They could sit and watch TV or complete other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms when you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning option you should choose one that works with a mobile app. You can also see the state of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin within the app. Some of the top vacuums that are robotic can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially if you can easily access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. A powerful brush is another fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards to remove hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair legs than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to avoid obstruction.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools to assist them in navigating around obstacles and help you understand your home. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models often utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark off areas you don't want to enter. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it helps your robot nab the objects instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots equipped with mops which are great for people who have hard floors and need to regularly clean them. They have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're great for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned by vacuum.

We've seen some amazing technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might imagine. You can find a decent one for under $200. It can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum the room on a regular basis. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.