How to Find the best cheap robot vacuum Robot Vacuum

If you can live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and you don't mind emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or then, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Choose a model with a clean base and can work with voice assistants.

It is a pro at picking up dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other vacuum we've tested. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will help you keep track of the pet fur, dust and dander that collects on your floors every day. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you both time and effort. The most effective models have powerful suction that is able to tackle most messes and leave your home cleaner.

You can cover a larger area with a robot vacuum and mop, which is particularly useful if you have a large home. You can find a model with a water tank either integrated into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can remove after vacuuming. You'll need to empty and refill it, however it's an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In a perfect world you would clean your floors first before you use your robot vacuum, preventing it from crashing into anything. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Most robots allow you to make use of an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers the robot can see. Some models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't wish it to access. For example, a child's room or a pile cords in an area.

If you're looking to buy a basic robot vacuum without all the bells and whistles, this model made by the networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It's quiet and works well on both hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to vacuum or mop at any time. It has a long battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

In general, robot vacuums require very little input from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors and lasers to maneuver around obstacles and suck up dust, food crumbs and pet hair from floors, tile carpets, and hardwood. Many have boundary strips that help them stay within the walls of a room, while pricier models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a scheduled time. Some even have fall-detection technology that prevents falling down stairs or becoming tangled in electrical cords.

Look for models that allow you to control from your couch using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also search for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to start cleaning sessions from anywhere through an app. Depending on how big your house is, you might prefer one with a long-lasting battery and a large dust bin that doesn't have to be emptying frequently.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is ideal for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop or other wet spills. You can find hybrids with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose self-emptying models that let you use the device for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots employ advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over things like cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however it lets your robot get a complete understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go when the battery runs out.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your home that you'd rather it stay away from (like your kids' toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either with their app or a set of physical boundary strips. This lets you define areas that you don't want your robot enter, so that it can focus its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most attention.

Many robots can also automatically navigate to different flooring types according to the type of flooring they're cleaning, be it they're switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on specific areas of your home, like corners and baseboards. This feature was effective during our tests and helped improve the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. However, it's still important to tuck away loose cords and furniture before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that enable you to control them using voice commands or through your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and create a map of your space after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future trips. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from crashing into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose or shoe laces, as well as pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to steer them around your home. The majority of robots can be controlled by a mobile app that comes with more features. You can usually set up multiple cleaning schedules, build the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot to specific areas by using directional arrows that appear on the screen.

Some models provide no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can configure in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog bowls and beds). Some apps allow you to draw an outline of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app on our top pick Roborock S7+, the Roborock S7+, has a lot of useful options to help you clean your home, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire house without stopping for a recharge or to empty their dustbins save time and effort. Some robot vacuums work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and best cheap robot vacuum Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also draw maps of the area to allow you to program them for specific areas or rooms and to stay clear of obstacles.

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

While none of the models we tested can compete with the power of a stand-up vacuum, the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning hard floors and low-pile carpets. They excel at sweeping up food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked in. They can also tackle pet litter that is stray and metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to easily work their way around furniture, and they excel at cleaning corners and edges as well. For a basic model that functions by itself and is reasonably priced, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home clean and tidy without having to do lots of work. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and set up no-go areas so that the robot won't step on your plants or favorite chair. The majority of our top picks also automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The top robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or months at a time, thereby saving you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every single week or even every day. This lets you spend more time doing things you enjoy and reduces the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

During testing, Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed larger particles like nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy stuff like pet hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, but it's sufficient for the majority of families.

The j7's best eufy robot vacuum feature is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes and socks, and pet waste. This means you don't have to tidy the room prior to running your robot, although clutter in your home can mean your bot may get stuck and not be able to do as good a job.