The Best Robot Vacuums

A good robot vacuum does the majority of the work for you and nabs pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it adheres to furniture or get ground into carpets. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free cleaning experience.

A lot of models come with the ability to map, allowing them to create an interactive map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges or navigating around clusters if device cords.

What to Look For

Certain robots come with advanced features that allow users to control them with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping spot and zone cleaning, and object avoidance. These machines might also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Choose a model with a an extended brush that is able to sweep up large debris and one that is slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without having to change suction settings or brushes. This can decrease its cleaning efficiency and shorten its life span.

The most effective robot vacuums feature top-quality filters that catch fine particles to protect the interior of your house and an easy-to-access collection bin that you can empty it frequently. Some robot vacuums come with an extra side brush to remove pet hair or other debris in difficult to reach areas like under or behind furniture. They also have a door for the dustbin that is clear which allows you to keep an eye on the amount of dirt buildup so you can tell when it's time to empty the.

You can also use the app to set limits around furniture and rooms you don't want it entering. Some models are also able to detect the kind of flooring and alter their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.

There are also robots that will recharge and continue cleaning right where they left off if their batteries are running low. And some have a built-in camera that allows you to observe the path of your robot vacuum and view what it's collected.

Some robots can be operated by voice commands but not all. Be sure that the robot you select is compatible with your voice assistant of preference, and then test the way it responds to different commands during the buying process. Some robots even empty their trash bins or clean their docking stations, which can reduce the chore list. This feature is expensive and comes with a bigger container for collecting waste and a more rapid charging speeds.

Cleaning Performance

Robots aren't the same as for a broom or vacuum. However they can be extremely efficient and efficient in keeping your floors spotless. If you're looking to keep track of tracked-in dust or pet hair, crumbs and crumbs or get rid of larger debris like wood shavings and metal screws, most top-rated robotic cleaners are adept at picking up a variety of materials on the first attempt and doing so without damaging your furniture or floors.

They usually detect the type of floor they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush functions according to the type of floor you have. This allows them to clean it more thoroughly. This is particularly important if your home has different types of flooring. A lot of models have the option of setting up virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay clear of certain areas in your home. This can be helpful in preventing your kids or pets from getting into areas they shouldn't be in, and it helps to ensure that your entire home is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.

You should also think about the amount of autonomy you're comfortable giving your robot. Some models require you to be active and attentive, while others work on their own. They can alter cleaning modes and schedules via an app on mobile devices or by voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and understand your home's layout and allow you to create zones, and instruct the robot to clean certain areas in your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our testing, the iRobot j7+ was the top "set it and forget it" robot. It was better in mapping the virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles than any of the other robots we evaluated. It also has the ability to empty itself so that you do not have to manually do it. Additionally, the side brushes are used to sweep debris from corners and edges that a vacuum cannot reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors also permit it to go behind and under furniture to provide an even more thorough clean than most robots, and its advanced navigation system allows it to be more capable of cleaning the entire floor cleaning of your home on a single charge as compared to other devices we've tested. It's hard to beat even at its price.

Battery Life

A good robot vacuum can make keeping your floors clean feel less like a chore, and more like a luxury. The difference between a clean house and a dirty one can be made by removing dirt that has been tracked in, and crumbs, pet hair, and other messes. A basic robot can handle the majority of cleaning tasks. However those who prefer a more relaxed experience may want to look for a model which also doubles as a mop.

Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI offers excellent performance in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It can handle pet hair, dirt and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is awe-inspiring, allowing it to steer clear of objects and avoid getting stuck on them.

It comes with a huge dustbin and a long-lasting battery, so it can cover a lot of space in a single session. It also functions as smart vacuum, meaning it can make maps of your home and work with applications, such as those offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to allow you to control it using voice commands.

The app that comes with the robot lets you create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning, or suspend or resume sessions. It will alert you when its battery is running low and return to the docking station for recharging.

Another nice feature of this robot is that it can differentiate between hard floors and carpets and adjust its settings accordingly. This keeps the machine from getting caught up in one type of surface or good robot vacuum damaging furniture. But, it's not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or the seams between rooms, so you'll have to be cautious about picking up large items.

To keep robot vacuums in good working order, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning brushes of hair, and emptying the trash bin (and sometimes washing it) after each cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will provide specific recommendations for these and other maintenance procedures, which may vary depending on the particular model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums aren't inexpensive, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a stand-up one. They also need less maintenance than a traditional vacuum as they require that you empty (and sometimes rinse) their dust bin after each cleaning session and occasionally wiping down their sensors or cameras.

Many robot vacuums have clever features that help them be more effective in your home, like mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum on the layout of your room through an app so it doesn't run over the stairs or underneath the furniture, where there could be the possibility of a mess. Other robot vacuums can detect the type of flooring they are cleaning so they can alter their suction and brush capabilities to achieve the most effective results.

Some models feature objects avoidance. This uses sensors (or a camera) which can detect toys and other objects lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to avoid them instead of running into them. This is a great option if your children or pets are prone to leaving toys all over the home.

Another smart feature that could be of interest to you is voice control which allows you to operate your robot using your voice instead of using the on-board buttons. This can be helpful when you have children who aren't yet old enough to be able to use the controls, or if you are looking for a hands-free option.

The frequency at which you should use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and debris is typically on your floors. Most experts suggest using a robot vacuuming at least once per week to keep your floors looking their best and nabbing pet hair lint and surface dirt before it gets trapped or become difficult to get rid of.

If you're working with limited areas of floor space and don't want to use your robot for other tasks, a budget model like our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's affordable, easy to install and operate, good robot vacuum and does the job with little noise interference while you watch TV or work.