How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without advanced features such as mapping, and don't mind emptying the dustbin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum will probably work for you. Choose a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.

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

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will stay up with the dust, pet hair and dander that accumulates on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on the frequency you have to clean your floors, saving you time and effort. The best model has powerful suction that will easily take on the most difficult messes and leave your home cleaner.

Choosing a robot vacuum that can also mop will allow you to get more space by using just one machine. This is especially beneficial in a larger home. You can find a model with a tank for water either built into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can take out after vacuuming. It'll need to be emptied and refilled and refilled, which is an additional task.

In a perfect world it would be ideal to clean your floors before you use your robot vacuum to prevent it from crashing into anything. In the majority of homes this isn't possible or desirable. Thankfully, most models let you use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot is able to be aware of and avoid. Some models have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas you don't want the robot to access, such as children' rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

This model is a good option for those looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells. It's quiet and can be used on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be programmed via the app to mop and vacuum at your own convenience. It has a good battery life, and can last for up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums generally require only minimal effort from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to navigate around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from floors, tile carpets, and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundary strips that allow them to stay inside a room. Higher-end models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and robot vacuum begin cleaning robot mop and vacuum. Certain models come with fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or becoming tangled in cords.

If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, you should look for models that can work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also choose Wi-Fi models that permit you to start a cleaning session anywhere using an app. Depending on how big your home is, you may want one with a long-lasting battery and a roomy dustbin that doesn't need to be emptied frequently.

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

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan while they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or falling over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's certainly one of the best buy robot vacuum ways to make sure 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 don't want your robot to venture into areas of your home you'd rather it stay away from (like your kids' toys or the mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their apps or a set of physical boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you do not want your robot to enter, so that it can focus its attention on areas that require the most attention.

Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different floorings based on the type of flooring they're cleaning, be it that's switching between hard and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. This feature was effective during our tests and helped improve 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 before using your robot vacuum, to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi connectivity and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow you to control them via voice commands or through your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and build maps of your home after each cleaning session, so they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future trips. There are also built-in obstacles avoidance, which stops them from bumping into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose or shoe laces, as well as hair from pets.

Most robots are equipped with a remote control that you can use to move them around your house. However, the majority of them can be controlled using an app for mobile devices that offers more options. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules, and create an agenda of your most-loved rooms. You can also manually guide the robot using directional the arrows.

Some models offer no-go zones, which are virtual barriers that you can configure in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and bowls). Certain apps let you draw a map of your house and provide detailed information on the floors. The app on our top choice Roborock S7+, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished as the ones from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire home without stopping to recharge or emptying their trash bins save time and effort. Some work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make an outline of the space to allow you to program them for certain areas or rooms and to avoid obstacles.

Most robot vacuums offer some level of object detection however, higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" the socks of a pair). socks). If you want to take your home maintenance even further opt for a robotic mop that has a tank of water that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up model, the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked into. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to clean edges and corners and work on furniture. For an affordable model that can work by itself and is reasonably priced take a look at the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the proper setup with the right setup, a robot vacuum will assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh on a regular basis without much work from you. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or ruin your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks will also empty their trash bins for you and clean their docking station.

The most effective robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or weeks at a time, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every week or every day. This helps you spend more time doing things you love and cuts down on the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

In our tests, Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also picked up larger particles like nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, but it's adequate for most families.

The best aspect of the j7 robot is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles such as shoes, power cords, socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy up before using your robot. However, messy rooms can cause your robot to become stuck and do poorly.