How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features like mapping and you don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum is likely to be the best choice for you. Look for a model with a clean base and works with voice assistants.

It excels at removing dirt, cat litter and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other vacuum we've tested. It also has the ability to map out and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or specific areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that build up on your floors on a daily basis. It can also cut down on the frequency you have to do a deeper clean and saves your time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which will tackle most messes with ease and leave your home clean.

A robot vacuum that can also mop can help you cover more ground using one machine, which is especially beneficial for homes with a large area. Look for one that has a water reservoir either built into its chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in when vacuuming is complete. You'll have to empty it and refill it, though it's an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

In ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from hitting things. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models allow you to use a smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot will detect and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to flag areas you don't want the robot to access, such as children rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum without all the bells and bells, this model from the networking company TP-Link is a great option. It's quiet and is able to work 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 long battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Robot vacuums generally need only minimal effort from you. They utilize navigational tools such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair, and food crumbs from hard floors, tiles and hardwood. Many have boundary strips that help them stay within the walls of a room while pricier models can be set to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a set time. Some models include fall detection technology that helps users avoid falling down the stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and best robot vacuum for Carpet and hardwood Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that permit you to begin a cleaning session anywhere using an app. You may prefer one with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can also be mopping. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is great for mopping, but not ideal for tough messes like pet poop and other wet spills. You can find hybrids with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose an auto-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's one of the best ways to make sure your robot has a full understanding of the layout of your house and is aware of where to go when it's low on battery.

The majority of robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done via an application or even physical boundary strips. This lets you block off zones that you don't want your robot to enter, so that it can concentrate its attention on areas and rooms that require the most attention.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different floors according to the type of surface they're cleaning, whether they're 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 carpet flooring with low pile. It is essential to put away any furniture or cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to enable you to control them using voice commands or through your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems that create maps of your home after each cleaning session, so that they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance, which stops them from hitting furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose shoes, laces for shoes and hair from pets.

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

Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that can be created in the app to prevent the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and dishes). Some apps allow you to create an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The app that we recommend as our top choice one, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished as the ones from iRobot and shark i robot vacuum.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that clean your entire house without stopping to recharge or to empty their dustbins 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 create an outline of the space for you to program them for specific rooms or areas and to avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can simplify your life (although one of our test robots did "eat" a few socks). If you're looking to push your home maintenance even further opt for a robotic mop that has a tank of water that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models that we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a stand-up vacuum, they were able to do a fantastic job cleaning hard floors and low pile carpets. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and tracked-in dirt. They can even tackle some scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums are able to clean corners and edges and work around furniture. For a basic model that functions on its own and is comparatively inexpensive take a look at the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do much work. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot won't trample your plants or your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks empty their trash bins for you and clean their docking station.

The best robot vacuums are programmable to keep your floors clean for weeks or months at a time, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every week or even every day. This lets you have more time to do the things you enjoy and decreases the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

During tests the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up heavier debris like nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, however it works well enough for the majority of families.

The j7's Best robot vacuum For carpet And hardwood feature is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords and socks, shoes as well as pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy up before you can run your robot, but cluttered rooms will mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform as well.