How to Find the best robot vacuum under 200 Robot Vacuum

If you don't require advanced features such as mapping and don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum could be the best choice for you. Select a model with clean and tidy base that is compatible with voice assistants.

It excels at picking up dirt, clumps of pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other robo vacuum we've tested. It can also map and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It can also cut down on the frequency at which you have to do a deeper clean, saving your time and effort. The best models have powerful suction that can tackle most messes with ease and leave your home clean.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum as well as a mop, which is especially beneficial if you live in a large home. There are models with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can take out after vacuuming. It'll need to be filled and empty, so it's an extra task.

In ideal world, you'd clear your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. But in most homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Most robots allow you to use an app that you can install on your phone to create virtual barriers the bob Robot Vacuum can see. Some models have no-go zones which you can use to flag areas you don't want the robot to enter, such as kids rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

This model is a good choice if you want a simple robot cleaner without all the bells. It's quiet and works well on both hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled using the app to mop or vacuum at any time. It comes with a battery life of around 180 minutes.

2. Simple to operate

Robot vacuums typically require very little effort from you. They make use of instruments for navigation, such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to move and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs off tiles, hard floors and hardwood. Many have boundary strips that allow them to stay within the walls of a room, while higher-end models can be set to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a set time. Some models even have fall detection technology that can help them avoid falling down the stairs or getting caught in electrical cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that allow you to start cleaning anywhere you want using an app. You may prefer an option with a long-lasting battery and an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your house.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to clean your floors. This is ideal for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop and other spills. You can select hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying option that lets you go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map while they clean. This helps them avoid crashing into furniture and getting caught on cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on the top models however it lets your robot be aware of the layout of your home and knows where to go when the battery is out.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done via an application or even physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't wish your robot to enter to allow it to concentrate on the rooms that need the most attention.

Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different floors based on the type of surface they're cleaning, whether that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. In our tests this was a helpful feature that helped improve their pick-up scores for both carpeting made of low-pile or hardwood. It's important to tuck away any furniture or cords that are loose before using your robot vacuum, to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Almost all robot vacuums have WiFi connectivity and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that allow you to control them via voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and build an outline of your space after each cleaning session to "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future trips. There are also built-in obstacles avoidance that stops them from crashing into furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables shoes, laces for shoes and hair from pets.

The majority of robots come with the ability to control them with a remote that you can use to navigate them around your home. However, most can also be controlled via an app on your mobile that offers more options. You can typically set up multiple cleaning schedules, make an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot around specific areas by using directional arrows that appear on the screen.

Some models provide no-go zones These are virtual barriers that you can set up within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and bowls). Some apps allow you to create a map of your house and provide more detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features to assist you in cleaning your home. However its interface isn't as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that clean your entire home without stopping to recharge or to empty their dustbins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also create an outline of the space for you to program them for certain areas or rooms and to stay clear of obstacles.

Most robot vacs have some degree of object detection, but higher-end models like the irobot mopping and vacuum j7 come with advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to push your home cleaning to the next level consider a robot mop with a tank of water that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up model, the majority of them do an excellent job at cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked into. They also can handle screws and nuts made of metal, as well as cats' litter. The best robot vacs can easily maneuver around furniture, and they excel at cleaning edges and corners as well. For a basic model that functions on its own and is reasonably priced look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right configuration and the right setup, a robotic vacuum can aid in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh regularly, without a lot of effort. You can schedule cleanings through the app and set up no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favorite chair. Many of our top picks will empty their trash bins for you and clean their docking stations.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors on a regular basis for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the tedious chore of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a daily or weekly basis. This allows you to have more time to do the things you like and reduces the amount of time that your floors require to be cleaned manually.

In our tests the Q Revo was able to grab tiny particles such as baking soda and oatmeal and heavier debris like metal screws and nails, and fluffy stuff such as hair from pets. It lacks the intelligent mapping and objects-avoiding features of our top picks, but it is still a great option for most families.

The best thing about the j7 is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as socks and shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy up before running your robot, however cluttered rooms will mean that the robot may become stuck and not do as good a job.