What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums work with applications that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries, or 'walls,' to ensure that the vacuum stays away from areas that you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac and mop creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically emptys and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up big items such as lamp cords and toys as well as dust particles of fine size. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brushes or strewn across your floor. This is particularly crucial if your robot is going to be regularly cleaned by pets or children.

It's recommended to select a model that has strong motors and plenty of suction power. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, dust and lint from your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your house is another crucial factor to consider. If you live in a large house you might want to choose a model that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire house in one session. Some models have a mopping feature that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin and wiping down the sensors regularly will keep your machine running smoothly for the years to be. Many owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They will still perform a great job of cleaning surface dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can use every week to keep your floors tidy. The downside is they don't have as smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize cameras, sensors or lasers to navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They are also able to stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on power. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to remember your home's layout and spend less time bouncing off walls.

If you're not looking to spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you can still locate a model that is capable of removing pet hair dirt, dust, and dust from floors made of wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They can also handle bigger debris like nails that are rusty, metal screws or discarded toys. Some even come with self-emptying bases, which is useful for those who don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features that make the traditional stick vacuum look quaint. They include scheduling, zone-targeting and the ability for you to control them via an app or a voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want robots to access.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Others, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to identify and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks, and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots that I've tested, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or derails when I'm working on my floor.

While the irobot Roomba vacuum Mop's j7+ was a great obstacle avoidance tool, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in an abundance of dust in the filter, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best budget robot vacuum robots vacuums come with an app that allows you to alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that some competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain time intervals and run it on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

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

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, look for models with a large dust bin that can withstand many cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that self-empty, which takes some of the burden of emptying the robot after each vacuuming run.

If you want a robot capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into the possibility of a model that can mop floors. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums, and include a tank of water which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more advanced can make their own maps and remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to the beginning when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test subjects found that robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could watch TV or complete other tasks while the robot cleaned. Some of these models use laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your entire home, which means that you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or every room in your home while you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change how often the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode you should choose one that is compatible with a mobile app. Through the app, you can monitor the condition of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the top robotic vacuums can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep hygienic, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. Another excellent feature is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair leg splinters than others. Others have sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent clogging.

Some robot vacuums have navigation tools that help them discover your home and overcome obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to identify obstacles like stairs, furniture, and irobot roomba Vacuum mop cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark areas that you don't wish it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly beneficial for families with young children who scatter socks and toys all over the house. This allows your robot vacuum with docking station collect the items instead of scattering.

We're starting to see more robots with mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and need to clean them regularly. These robots come with an integrated water tank into the chassis or an additional piece that which you can change out when it's time to clean. These robots might need to be refilled frequently but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be cleaned with vacuums.

We've seen some impressive technology in these small robots and they're less expensive than you might expect. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that does a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also moving around the edges of light carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to vacuum specific rooms on a regular basis. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.