How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're able to live without advanced features such as mapping, and you don't mind emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum is likely to work for you. Look for a model that has a clean base and works with voice assistants.

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

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep on top of the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It also can reduce the frequency at which you have to clean your floors and saves you time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction that can clean up most mess with ease and leave your home cleaner.

You can take care of more space by using a robot vacuum and mop, which is especially useful if you have a large house. You can find a model that has a water tank built into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can remove after vacuuming. It will need to be emptied and filled, so it's an extra task.

In a perfect universe you would clean your floors first before using your robot vacuum to prevent it from crashing into anything. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will be aware of and avoid. Certain models have no-go zones, which you can flag areas you don't want the bobsweep robot vacuum to enter. For example an area for children's play or a pile of cords in an area.

This model is a good option if you're looking for an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells. It's quiet and works well on both hard floors and low-pile rugs. It can be scheduled via the app to vacuum or mop at your own convenience. It has a long battery life of around 180 minutes.

2. Simple to operate

Robot vacuums generally require only minimal effort from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to maneuver through obstacles and collect dust, food crumbs and pet hair from floors, tiles carpets, hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. A lot of models come with boundary strips that allow them to remain in a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and begin cleaning. Some models have fall detection technology that helps users avoid falling down the stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, you should look for models that integrate voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that permit users to start cleaning anywhere you want using an app. You may prefer a model that has an extremely long-lasting battery as well as a large dustbin, depending on the size of your house.

Certain robot vacuums are also mopping machines. They utilize water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is great for mopping, but not ideal for tough messes like pet poop or other wet spills. You can select hybrids that have an adjustable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that allows you to go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map while they clean. This helps them avoid crashing into furniture and tripping on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's certainly one of the best ways to make sure your robot has a full understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go next when it's running out of battery.

The majority of robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done through an application or even physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't wish your robot to go into, so that it can concentrate on the rooms that need the most attention.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different flooring types depending on the flooring they're cleaning, be it they're switching between hard and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature was effective in our tests and enhanced the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. However, it's still important to secure furniture and cords before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get caught or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums come with WiFi capabilities and can be controlled via voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems, and can create a map of the area they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" the way your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes in future cleaning sessions. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from hitting and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or shoe laces, as well as pet hair.

Most robots are equipped with an remote control that you can use to navigate them around your house. The majority of robots can be controlled via a mobile application which has more options. You can set up a variety of cleaning schedules and make an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually direct the robot with directional Arrows.

Some models provide no-go zones These are virtual barriers that you can configure in the app to block the consumer reports Robot Vacuum from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and bowls). Other apps allow you to set up the map of your house and provide the robot with precise information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that will aid in cleaning the house. However the interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins make it easier for you to save time and effort. Some work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also draw an outline of the space to allow you to program them for certain rooms or areas and to stay clear of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums detect objects, but the iRobot J7 has advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can simplify your life (although one of our test robots did "eat" two socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, think about the use of a robot mop and a water container that you can fill and Consumer reports robot vacuum empty.

While none of the models we tested beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up model, the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel at picking up fine dirt, food crumbs, and tracked-in dirt. They can also tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can easily maneuver around furniture and excel at cleaning edges and corners as well. For a basic model that works on its own and is comparatively inexpensive look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can keep your home clean and tidy without doing many tasks. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't damage your plants or ruin your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking stations.

The most effective robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or months at a stretch, saving you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every single week or even every day. This lets you enjoy more time doing things you enjoy, and decreases the time it takes to clean your floors manually.

In the course of testing the Q Revo was able to pick up fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of metal, and fluffy stuff like hair of pets. It does not have the smart mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but is still a great choice for most families.

The best thing about the j7 is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, however clutter in your home can mean the robot may become stuck and not be able to do as good a job.