What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums have apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or 'walls,' to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't wish to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map after its first run, storing your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that can pick up big items, such as toys and lamp cords, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brushes or end up on your floor. This is especially important if you have children or pets and may need to clean the robot regularly.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an excellent choice. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, dust and lint off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is another important consideration. If you have an apartment it is possible to select one that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire home in one go. Certain models also include a mopping function, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean on a regular basis will keep your 360 robot vacuum running efficiently for long time to be. Many of the robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries with time).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair, and dust. You can use them to scrub your floors several times per day. They do not have as much technology and are more prone to getting jammed or needing manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of sensors, cameras or lasers to help you navigate your home and prevent getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They also can avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs, and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they run low on power. Some of the more expensive models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to memorize your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you're not looking to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can still locate a model that does an excellent job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They also do a good job of handling larger objects such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even discarded toys. Some come with self-emptying bases, which is useful for those who don't want to empty the dustbin after every cleaning run.

Some robotic vacuums have clever features, which make the traditional stick vacuum look outdated. They include schedules, zone-targeting, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas where you do not want the robots to go.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former favorite, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from derailing by running into furniture or tangling cords. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance, which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects like lamp cords, shoes, socks, Vacuum Mop Robot and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tried, however it does a great job of avoiding obstacles and rarely is stuck or derails when working on my floor.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot, it didn't always do an excellent job of removing dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas, leading to a lot of dust in the filters and a less tidy home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums have an app that can help you customize cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view a map of your area of floor that the machine covers. This is a handy feature that some competitors lack altogether. This allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specified times and run it regularly. For instance, you could clean the living area every day or before dinner.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.

Find a model that has a large dust bin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without needing to empty it. There are also models that are self-emptying that take some of the burden of emptying the bob robot vacuum after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robot that does more than vacuum, consider a model with a mopping function. They are usually larger than robotic vacuums and include a water tank in the interior that holds multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before needing to be cleaned.

Robots that are more sophisticated can develop their own maps, and can remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to go back to the beginning when it encounters walls or furniture.

Our test subjects found that robots with this feature were very efficient. They could watch TV or complete other things while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or every room in your home while you're working.

App Control

It is best to select a robot that has a mobile application for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. You can also see the status of the vacuum as well as the state of its dust bin within the app. Some of the best robot vacuums can even be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially if you can easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. Another great feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to remove hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair legs than others. Others come with sensors that automatically clean brushes to avoid clogging.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that help them navigate around obstacles and learn your home. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundary strips to mark off areas that you don't wish it to go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with children who throw socks and toys all over the house. This allows your robot to gather these items, instead of scattering them.

We're seeing more robots equipped with mops which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. They have a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be filled more frequently than other kinds of robots, but they're perfect for homes with hard floors which aren't easy to clean using a vacuum.

These robots come with impressive technology, and cost a lot less than you would expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, while traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to vacuum mop robot (supplemental resources) a particular room at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.