The Best Robot Vacuums

A good robot vacuum does the bulk of the work for you and removes pet hair, lint, and surface dirt before it adheres to furniture or sink into carpets. Many also work with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience.

Many models include the ability to map, which allows them to create a map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and traversing cords that connect devices.

What to Do You Look For?

Certain robots come with advanced features, allowing you to control them using voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning, and object avoidance are just a few of the features. These machines might also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Choose a model with a an extended brush that can clean up large pieces of debris and one that is slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Also, check if the vacuum is able to move across different flooring types without the need to swap brushes or alter suction settings, which could reduce its cleaning effectiveness and shorten its life.

The best robot vacuums have high-quality filters that trap tiny particles to safeguard the inside of your home and a large, robot vacuum cleaner easy-to-access collection bin that lets you clear it frequently. Some robot vacuums come with an additional side brush to remove pet hair and debris from difficult-to-access places like under or behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, which means you can see how much dirt is in the bin and when you should empty it.

In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to run at times when you're likely be at home, you can also use the app to set the boundaries around your furniture and areas that you want it to avoid. Certain models can also detect the type of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to suit the floor.

There are robots that recharge and continue cleaning the area they left when their battery runs out. Some robot vacuums come with cameras which allows you to view the path taken by your robot vacuum cleaner (more helpful hints) and the data it has gathered.

Certain robots can be operated by voice commands however, not all. Make sure that the model you choose is compatible with the voice assistant of your preference, and then test the way it responds to different commands during the purchasing process. Some robots will even empty their dustbins or clean their docking stations which will help you reduce your chore list. This is a costly feature and comes with a bigger collection container and more rapid charging speeds.

Cleaning Performance

While robots cannot substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they provide an effective and efficient alternative to the daily chore of cleaning floors. If you're looking to keep track of dust as well as pet hair and crumbs or nab bigger debris like wood shavings and screws, most top-rated robotic cleaners are capable of picking up various materials in the first go-around and without causing any damage to your furniture or floors.

Most of the time, they'll detect the type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly so that they can more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important when your home is surrounded by different types of flooring. A lot of models have the option of setting virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay out of certain areas of your house. This can be helpful in keeping your pets or children from stepping into areas where they shouldn't, and it can help ensure that your entire home is cleaned up at the end of each scheduled session.

It is also important to consider the level of autonomy you're comfortable with giving your robot. Some models require your attention and presence while others operate on their own, with the ability to change the cleaning mode and schedule using a mobile application or voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Some models map and learn your home's layout and let you define zones and tell the robot to clean specific areas within your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the top robot to "set it and leave it". It was superior at mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and avoids obstacles than the other robots that we test. Additionally, it can completely empty itself so you don't need to do it manually. It also has side brushes that can help sweep debris out of corners and edges where a vacuum may not reach.

Its slim design and infrared sensor allow it to clean under and behind furniture which allows it to perform better than most robots. Furthermore, its advanced navigation system lets it to clean the entire floor of your home using just a single charge of battery. With its low cost you'll find it hard to beat in everyday use.

Battery Life

A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore, and more like an indulgence. The difference between a clean house and one that is dirty can be achieved by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked into the house, as well as crumbs, pet hair, and other messes. A basic robot can handle the majority of cleaning tasks. However those who prefer a more hands-off experience might want to look for a model that serves as an mop.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one of the top models for both, since it is extremely efficient in both vacuuming and mop modes and is able to easily deal with dirt and pet hair, as well as debris and even cat litter. Its object avoidance function is amazing. It lets it avoid objects and not get tangled on them.

It also has a long battery lifespan and a huge dust bin which allows it to cover a considerable amount of space in one session. It is also smart vacuum, which means that it can make maps of your home and work with apps, such as the ones offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you control it with voice commands.

The app that comes with the robot allows you to set up schedules, designate specific rooms for cleaning or suspend or resume sessions. It will even alert you to the moment its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

Another great feature of this robot is that it can distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly, which prevents the machine from being bogged down in one type of surface or accidently tearing up furniture. It is not able to detect seams or carpeting with high pile in rooms, therefore it is important to be cautious when picking up large objects.

All robot vacuums require a certain degree of maintenance, for example brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the bin of dust after each cleaning session. Also, wiping down sensors or cameras between uses to keep them in good condition. The manufacturer will provide specific guidelines for these and other steps to maintain which can differ based on the specific model.

Cost

The most effective robot vacuums might not be inexpensive, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a stand-up one. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they require that you empty and sometimes clean their dust bins after each cleaning session.

Many robot mop vacuum combo vacuums have intelligent features that help them be more efficient in your home. For instance, mapping technology allows you to inform the vacuum of where to go using an app, so it doesn't go through stairs, or under furniture, where there might be an unclean mess. Other robot vacuums can recognize the kind of floor they are cleaning so that they can adjust their suction and brush capabilities to get the best robot vacuum that mops results.

Some models come with object avoidance. This uses sensors (or cameras) that detect toys and other objects lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to avoid them instead of running into them. This can be a huge help if you have kids or pets who scatter toys around the house.

Voice control is another smart feature that you could consider useful. It lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of the buttons on board. This is helpful for children who aren't old enough to operate the robot, or when it's practical for you.

The frequency at which you should use your robot will depend on the amount of dirt and dust is normally found on your floors. The majority of experts recommend using a robotic vacuuming at least once per week to keep your floors looking their best and to remove pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it is able to get ground in or become more difficult to get rid of.

If you're limited with floor surfaces and don't plan to utilize your robot for other tasks, a budget model such as our top choice, the Eufy 11S, is a good choice. It's simple to use cost-effective, and can do the job without making any noise when you work or watching television.