What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can assist you in keeping track of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums have apps that allow you to schedule cleaning times. You can also set virtual boundaries or "walls," to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop will create the map of your home with its first run. It then stores the area to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically empties and a self-cleaning, brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, choose one that can take in large objects, such as toys and lamp cords, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brush or strewn across your floor. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children and need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

It's recommended to choose a model with strong motors and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your home. If you live in an apartment you might want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models come with mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however, they must be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your machine functioning efficiently for many years. Many owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for a period of 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries in the process).

A basic robot is less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll do an excellent job of cleaning the surface of dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can use several times a week to keep your floor clean. The drawback is that they don't have as smart technology, and can be susceptible 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 getting stuck or falling down the staircase. Some models will return to their base or dock when their battery is depleted. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to remember your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you don't want spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you could find a model that does a great job of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like tiles and wood, as well as carpets with a low pile. They can also do a decent job of handling larger debris like metal screws or staples that have rust, or the remains of toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base which is helpful for those who don't want to empty your trash bin after every clean-up.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features that make the standard stick vacuum look outdated. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the ability to control them via 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 robots to enter.

Some robotic vacs such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from crashing into furniture or tangling with cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced shark ai robot vacuum obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots that I've tried, but it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or derails when I'm working on my floor.

The iRobot J7+ was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always succeed at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum certain areas, which led to lots of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums have an app that can help you to customize cleaning settings and schedules, as well as view the floor area that the machine covers. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific times and continue to run 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 or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.

Look for models with a large dustbin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without having to empty it. You can also find models that are self-emptying that take some of the burden of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robot that is more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into a model that can mop your floors. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums and come with a water tank inside that holds multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before needing to be cleaned.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home. They can even remember the layout from one cleaning to another and help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to return to where it was when it comes across furniture or walls.

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 cleaned. Some models use laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you're working.

App Control

It's best to choose one that comes with an app that is mobile for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose a cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the top robotic vacuums can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, especially if you can easily access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. Another excellent feature is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundary strips to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with children who scatter toys and socks all over the home. This helps your Robot Vacuum Mop Combo to gather the items instead of scattering.

We're seeing more robots equipped with mops which are useful for those who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. They have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more often than other types of robots, but they're great for homes with floors made of wood that aren't easily cleaned using a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology in these small robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you expect. In fact, you can get an affordable model for less than $200 that does a good job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, while navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. You can program the robot to sweep a room regularly and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.