How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without smart capabilities like mapping, and aren't worried about cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum is likely to work for you. Choose a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.

It excels at removing dirt, pet hair and cat litter on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. 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 dust, pet hair and dander that collects on your floors on a daily basis. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which will take on the majority of messes and leave your home clean.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum and mop, which is particularly beneficial if you live in a large house. You can find a model with a water tank either in the chassis itself or as an extra piece that you can take out after vacuuming. It will need to be empty and refill it, though it's an additional task that will require a little extra work on your part.

In a perfect world, you'd clear your floors before you used your robot vac to keep it from running into things. In the majority of homes, however this isn't possible or desirable. Most models allow you to use an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers the robot can detect. Some models have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas you don't want it to be in, like kids' rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a great option if you're looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells. It's quiet, works well on hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to vacuum or mop at your own convenience. It has a good battery life that can last for up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums generally need only minimal effort from you. They make use of sensors, lasers, and cameras to move around and collect pet hair, dust, and food crumbs from hard floors, tile and hardwood. Many models have boundary strips to help them stay inside a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and begin cleaning. Some even come with fall detection technology that can help them avoid falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, look for models that work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that allow users to start a cleaning session anywhere using an app. You might want to choose one with a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dust bin, depending on the size of your house.

Some robot vacuums double as mops and irobot vacuum mop combo use reservoirs of water to clean your floors. This is ideal for mopping, but not for difficult messes such as pet poop or other wet spills. There are hybrids that have a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or you can choose self-emptying models that let you go for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map as they clean. This allows them to avoid hitting furniture and getting caught on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is typically only available on more expensive models, but it's certainly one of the most effective ways to ensure that your robot has an accurate understanding of the layout of your house and is aware of where to go when it's low on battery.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physical boundary strips. This lets you create zones that you do not want your robot to enter, so that it can focus its attention on the areas that require the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically change floors based on the type of flooring they are cleaning. This can be accomplished by switching from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to particular areas of your home like corners and baseboards. In our tests, this was a useful feature that improved their scores on picking up hardwood and low-pile carpeting. But, it's still essential to secure furniture and cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get stuck or get into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with 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 space they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" how your home is laid out, and then plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from crashing into furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. Most robots can be controlled by a mobile app that comes with more features. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also guide the robot with direction arrows.

Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can create in the app to prevent the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for children or dog beds and dishes). Other apps allow you to create the map of your house and provide the robot with precise information about your floors. The app we ranked as our top choice Roborock S7+, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you tidy your home, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

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

Most robot vacuums offer some degree of detection of objects and object detection, but more expensive models like the irobot vacuum mop combo j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" the socks of a pair). socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider an automated mop that comes with an water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested can compete with the power of a stand-up vacuum they all do a great job of cleaning hard floors and low-pile carpets. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They can also tackle scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to effortlessly work through furniture, and they are great at cleaning edges and corners as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.

6. Convenient self emptying robot vacuum-Charging

With the right setup and the right setup, a robotic vacuum can help you keep your home looking and looking and feeling cleaner regularly, with minimal effort. You can schedule cleanings through the app and create no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't damage your plants or ruin your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks automatically empty their bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The most effective robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or months at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors each week or day. This allows you to spend more time doing things you love and reduces the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

In the course of testing, the Q Revo was able to pick up fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal and heavier debris like nails and screws made of metal, and fluffy stuff such as hair from pets. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, but it's adequate for the majority of families.

The best thing about the j7 is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes and socks as well as pet waste. This means you don't have to clean up before running your robot, however messy rooms can mean that your robot could get stuck and not perform the job as well.