What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or 'walls' to keep them out of areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart cleaning vacuum and mop creates a map of your home with its first run, memorizing your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with a self-cleaning brush roll and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up large objects like lamp cords and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will ensure they don't get snarled by the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

It's also a good idea to select a model that has an efficient motor and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you live in a large house it is possible to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean the entire house in one session. Certain models also include a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time, but they'll need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak to have owned their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot is less costly than a larger vacuum cleaner. They will still perform a great job of cleaning the surface of dirt as well as pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can send out several times a week to keep your floors free of dirt. However, they don't have as advanced technology, and could be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. They also can avoid obstacles like cords and furniture legs, and some models automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on energy. Some of the more expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing off walls.

You don't need to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile and low-pile rugs. They can also do a good job of removing larger debris such as metal screws or staples that have rust, Auto vacuum cleaner or the remains of toys. Some come with an automatic base that drains itself, which is a great feature when you don't need to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features that make the standard stick vacuum look quaint. They include schedules, zone-targeting, and the ability to control them via an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls' to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacs such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or tangling cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance that uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. It's more expensive than other bots I've tested however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home and rarely got stuck or derailment when I was cleaning my floors.

While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance robot, it didn't always do well in removing dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in an abundance of dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuums have an app that lets you to customize cleaning settings set schedules, and view an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is a very useful feature that many competitors don't have. This lets you create profiles that will automatically start the robot at specified times and run it continuously. For instance, you could clean the living area every morning or prior to dinner.

A good app can let you control your robot using voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, look for models with a large dust bin that can withstand several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. There are models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the work out of emptying the robot after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking for a machine capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at a model which can mop your floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums and include a tank of water that can hold multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more advanced can create their own maps and remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to go back to where it started when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers found that robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch television or perform other tasks while the robot cleaned. Some of these models use laser navigation and can make an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or every room in your home while you're at work.

App Control

It's best to choose one that comes with an app for mobile devices if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and choose a cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. The best robotic vacuums can be controlled using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, particularly if you can easily access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have an Auto vacuum cleaner-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the blockage of brushes that could occur in other robots.

Some robot vacuums have navigation tools to help them learn your home and overcome obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want to go. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with children who scatter toys and socks around the home. This helps your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

We're beginning to see more robots with mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. They come with a water tank built into the chassis, or a separate piece which you can change out when it's time to clean. These robots may require frequent refills but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors that can't be cleaned easily with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots and they're cheaper than you imagine. You can find a decent one for less than $200, and it does a decent cleaning job on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area carpets. You can program the robot to vacuum the room regularly, auto vacuum cleaner and it can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.