How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features like mapping and you don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum could be the best choice for you. Find an option that has a clean base and is compatible with voice assistants.

It is the most effective robo-vacuum we have tested for cleaning up pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and carpets with low pile. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum cleaner can help you keep up with the dust, pet fur and dander that accumulates on your floor each day. It also can reduce the frequency you have to deep clean and saves your time and effort. The most effective model comes with powerful suction that can clean up most mess and leave your home sparkling clean.

Choosing a robot vacuum that is also able to mop can help you get more space with one machine, which is especially beneficial in a larger home. Choose one that has a water reservoir either built into its chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when the vacuuming is finished. It will need to be filled and empty in order to complete the chore.

In the ideal world, you'd clean your floors before you used your robot vacuum to keep it from hitting things. In the majority of homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Thankfully, most models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot is able to see and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which can be used to mark areas that you don't want it to enter, such as kids rooms or a stack of device cords in the corner.

This model is a good option if you're looking for an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It's quiet and is able to work on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be programmed using the app to mop and vacuum at your leisure. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Robot vacuums typically require very little from you. They use navigation tools like sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to navigate around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from floors, tile carpets, and hardwood. Many have boundary strips to aid in staying within the walls of a room while higher-end models can be set to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a scheduled time. Some models have fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

Find models that can be controlled from your couch via voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Also, look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and let you start a cleaning session from anywhere using an app. Depending on how big your house is, you may prefer one that has a long battery life and a large dust bin that doesn't require being emptied frequently.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to wash your floor. This is useful for regular mopping but won't be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, such as pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can pick hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that allows you to go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan as they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid crashing into furniture or falling over things like cords or chair legs. This feature is typically only available on higher-end models, but it's one of the best ways to ensure your robot has a complete understanding of the layout of your house and is aware of where to go when it's low on battery.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your home you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your children's toys or the mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their apps or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to go into in order to focus on the rooms that need the most attention.

Many robots also automatically switch floors based on the kind of floor they are cleaning. This can be achieved by changing from carpet to hard flooring or by paying attention to certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved helpful in our tests and enhanced the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It is important to secure any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums are WiFi-connected and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that enable you to control them using voice commands or via your smartphone. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems and can create an outline of the area 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 come with obstacle avoidance built in that prevents them from causing damage to furniture and getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot 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, make an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot around specific areas by using directions on the screen.

Some models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to prevent the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Some apps let you draw an image of your home and provide detailed information on the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that can help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire home without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some are compatible with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your home, allowing you to program them to clean certain rooms or areas and avoid obstacles.

Most Robot Vacuum Cleaner For Carpet vacs have some degree of detection of objects, but higher-end models such as the iRobot J7 have advanced features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will make your life easier (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider the use of a robot vacuum for dog hair mop and Robot vacuum cleaner for carpet an water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum most do an admirable job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up fine dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacuums are able to clean edges and corners and can even work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right setup, a robot vacuum can help you keep your home looking and looking and feeling cleaner every day without much work from you. You can schedule cleanings in the app and create no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't harm your plants or ruin your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.

The most effective robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, thereby making it easier to save time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every week or every day. This allows you to have more time to do the things you enjoy and decreases the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

In our tests the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of steel and even fluffy matter like hair from pets. It lacks the smart mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but it is still a great option for families with children.

The j7's best feature is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles like power cords and socks, shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't have to tidy up before using your robot. However, messy rooms could cause your robot to become stuck and perform poorly.