What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on a daily bases. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and define 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 remembers the space for mini robot Vacuum future cleaning jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot mop vacuum combo vacuum, look for one that is able to pick up large objects, such as toys and lamp cords, and also dust particles. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brush or end up on your floor. This is particularly important if your robot will be cleaned regularly by pets or children.

A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is an excellent option. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your home. If you have a large house it is possible to pick one that has multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean the entire house in one session. Some models also have a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak with have owned the same model for a period of 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do a great job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair, and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floors tidy. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the staircase. Some models will return to their base or dock when their batteries are low. They can also stay clear of obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to remember the layout of your home and spend less time bumping against walls.

You don't need to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a fantastic job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tiles, wood and low-pile rug. They can also be capable of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or abandoned toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base, which is useful in the event that you don't wish to empty the trash bin after every cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned with features like scheduling, zone targeting, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want robots to access.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology to keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance that uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects like shoes, lamp cords, socks and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped when I was working on my flooring.

The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always do a good job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas leading to a lot of dust in the filters, and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums have an app that lets you to customize cleaning settings and schedules, as well as view an outline of the flooring area that the machine covers. This is a useful feature, and one that many competitors don't have. It is easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain time intervals and run it on a regular basis, like cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

Find a model that has an enormous dust bin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are models that self-empty, which eliminates the need to empty the machine after every time you vacuum.

If you're looking for a robot that does more than vacuum, think about a model with mopping capabilities. They are usually larger than robotic vacuums and come with an internal water tank that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to having to be empty.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home. They can even remember the arrangement from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to the beginning when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our testers who used the robot that has this capability found it to be very efficient. They could sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models utilize laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your entire house, which means you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house while you're working.

App Control

It is recommended to select the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and select cleaning mode. You can also check the status of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin within the app. Some of the top robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot equipped with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter is easily removed and rinsed. A high-powered brush is another excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that aid them in navigating obstacles and Mini Robot Vacuum learn your home. High-end models have sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords, while cheaper models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas you don't want to go. Avoidance of objects is particularly useful for families with young kids who scatter toys and socks around the house. This can help your mini robot vacuum to collect the items instead of scattering.

More robots are equipped with mop heads. This is beneficial for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. These robots have water tanks built into the chassis, or an additional piece that you can swap in when you're ready to mop. These robots may need to be refilled frequently but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be cleaned easily with vacuums.

We've seen some amazing technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might expect. You can find a decent one under $200, which does a decent job cleaning on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and area rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean the room on a regular basis. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.