How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without advanced features such as mapping, robot mop and aren't worried about cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum is likely to work for you. Select a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.

It excels at removing dirt, pet hair and cat litter on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other robo vacuum we've tested. It can also plan out and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or certain areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will stay on top of the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It also can reduce the frequency you have to do a deeper clean, saving you time and effort. The best models have powerful suction that can take on the majority of messes and leave your home cleaner.

You can take care of more space with a robot vacuum and mop, which can be useful if you have a large house. There are models with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can take out after vacuuming. You'll need to empty and fill it up, however, so this is an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In a perfect world, you'd clear your floors before you used your robot mop vacuum to keep it from crashing into objects. In the majority of homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Thankfully, most models allow you to use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot will be aware of and avoid. Some have no-go zones which you can use to flag areas that you don't want it enter, such as kids' rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It is quiet, is able to work on hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to vacuum and mop at your convenience. It has a long battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Robot vacuums generally require very little effort from you. They make use of navigational tools such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to move and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs from hard floors, tile and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundaries strips that help them stay inside a room. Higher-end models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and begin cleaning. Some models even have fall detection technology that prevents falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

Look for models that allow you to control from your couch via voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also search for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that let you start cleaning sessions from anywhere through an app. Depending on how big your home is, you may prefer one that has a long battery life and a roomy dustbin that doesn't need to be regularly emptied.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops and use reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is great for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop and other spills. You can choose hybrids with an adjustable microfiber mopping pad, or a self-emptying version that allows you to go up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a precise map of your floorplan as they clean, making it easier for them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models however it lets your robot get a complete understanding of your home's layout and know where to go when the battery runs out.

If you don't want your robot to venture into areas of your house that you'd rather it stay away from (like your kids' toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer the possibility of creating virtual barriers, robot mop either with their app or physical boundary strips. This allows you to block off zones that you don't want your robot to explore, so that it can concentrate its attention on the areas that require the most cleaning.

Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different floorings according to the type of surface they're cleaning, whether they're switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on particular areas of your home, like corners and baseboards. In our tests, this was a useful feature that improved their scores on picking up hardwood and low-pile carpeting. It's important to tuck away any furniture or cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems and can create an outline of the area they clean after each cleaning session. This lets them "learn" how your home is laid out, and then plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacles avoidance built-in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture or getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote you can use to pilot them around your home. The majority of robots can be operated by mobile applications which has more options. You can create multiple cleaning schedules and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually guide the robot using directional the arrows.

Certain models have no-go zones These are virtual barriers you can set up within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog bowls and beds). Some apps let you draw an image of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app that we recommend as our top pick, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished and elegant as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire home without stopping for a recharge or emptying their trash bins save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also build an image of your home and allow you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms and beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some degree of detection of objects, but higher-end models like the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're trying to improve your home maintenance, consider a robot mop with a water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models that we tested could match the ability to pick up dirt of a stand-up vacuum they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They are excellent at sweeping up food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked into. They can even tackle some stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can remove dirt from edges and corners and can even work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum will help keep your home tidy and clean without doing lots of work. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favourite chair. A majority of our top picks empty their dustbins and clean their docking station.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the tedious chore of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This lets you spend more time doing things you enjoy and decreases the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

During tests, Q Revo was able grab fine particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy hair. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, but it works well enough for the majority of families.

The most appealing feature of the j7 is that it makes use of cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes socks and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before running your robot, but messy rooms can mean that your bot may get stuck and not do as well.