What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your space for future jobs. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, look for one that is able to pick up large objects, such as lamp cords and toys, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that the items don't get stuck in the roller brushes or end up on your floor. This is especially important if you have children or pets and need to clean the robot regularly.

A model with a powerful engine and lots of suction is also an excellent choice. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, dust and lint from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have a huge home, you might want to opt for models with multiple cleaning zones that can cover your entire house in one session. Certain models also include mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable however, they must be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for long time to come. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the same machine for a decade or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries in the process).

A basic robot is less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning the surface of dirt as well as pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can use every week to keep your floors tidy. They don't have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the staircase. They also can avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs, and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of energy. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities, which allow them to learn your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing off walls.

You don't have to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like tile, wood and low-pile rugs. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws or staples that have rust, or abandoned toys. Some even come with a self-emptying base that is handy in the event that you don't wish to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features, smart Vacuum making the traditional stick automated vacuum cleaner look outdated. They include scheduling, zone-targeting and the ability for smart vacuum you to control them via an app or voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robots to go.

Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former favorite, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from derailing by running into furniture or tangling cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots that I've tested, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles and never is stuck or derails while working on my floor.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot however, it wasn't always doing well in removing dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in dust accumulating in the filters, and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

The best mop vacuum robot vacuums have an app that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and see the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that many competitors do not have. This lets you create profiles which will automatically start the robot at certain times and continue to run regularly. For instance, you could clean the living room every morning or prior to dinner.

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

Choose models with a large dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without needing empty it. You can find models that self-empty, eliminating the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a robot that can do more than vacuum, think about one that has mopping functions. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums, and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before needing to emptied.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to return to where it was when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test participants who utilized the robot that has this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could watch TV or do other chores while the robot was cleaning. Certain models utilize laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you are at work.

App Control

It is recommended to select the vacuum that comes with a mobile application for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose cleaning mode. Within the app, you can also check the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuums are controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Certain robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the clogging of brushes that can occur in other machines.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to discover your home and get around obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark off areas that you don't wish it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly useful for families with young kids who scatter toys and socks all over the home. This can help your robot to collect the items instead of scattering.

More robots are coming with mop attachments. This is useful for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. These robots come with a water tank built into the chassis or an extra piece you can put in when it's time to mop. These robots might need to be refilled frequently, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be easily cleaned by vacuums.

These robots come with impressive technology, and cost much less than you would expect. 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 rug. You can program the robot to vacuum the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.