What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will keep you on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a regular basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.

This mop and vac creates a home map after its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future use. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, look for one that can pick up large items, like lamp cords and toys, and also fine dirt. This will ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This feature is especially crucial if your robot is going to be regularly cleaned by children or pets.

It's recommended to select a model that has a powerful motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is a different factor to consider. If you have a huge home, you may prefer models with multiple cleaning zones that can cover your entire house in one go. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable however, they must be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is functioning efficiently for many years. Many of the robot vacuum owners we have spoken to have owned their machines for ten years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair, and lint. You can use them to scrub your floors several times per day. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best Robot vacuum robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when the battery is low. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The more expensive ones often come with mapping capabilities that permit them to learn the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're hitting walls.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a great job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tiles, wood, and low-pile rugs. They can also be capable of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some models even have an auto-emptying base which is helpful in the event that you don't wish to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features that make the traditional stick vacuum look old-fashioned. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas where you don't want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top robot vacuum choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to stop them from falling over furniture or cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to detect and avoid objects like shoes, lamp cords, socks and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles and never gets stuck or derailed while working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot, but it did not always do a great job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best inexpensive robot vacuum robot vacuums come with an app that lets you to customize cleaning settings and schedules, as well as view a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. This allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specified times and run it regularly. For example, it could be cleaning the living room each day or before dinner.

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

To have a hands-free experience, choose models with a large dust bin that can withstand several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. There are models that self-empty, which takes some of the burden of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, Best robot vacuum consider one that has a mopping function. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums and come with a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps, and can remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums, as it won't be spending time returning to the beginning of the room if it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our testers who used the robot that has this feature found it to be very efficient, and they could sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot cleaned. Some models use laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms while you are at work.

App Control

It is recommended to select a robot that has a mobile application if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and select the cleaning mode. In the app, you can check the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, particularly when you are able to access the filter and remove it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is a fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards to get rid of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the obstruction of brushes that may happen in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that help them discover your home and get around obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models sometimes utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want it to leave. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who leave socks and toys scattered around the house, because it allows your robot to grab these objects instead of scattering them.

We're seeing more robots equipped with mops which are useful for those who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. These robots have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece you swap in when they're ready to mop. These robots may need to be refilled frequently, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors that can't be cleaned with vacuum cleaners.

These robots are packed with impressive technology, and cost much less than you'd expect. You can find a decent one for under $200. It does a decent job cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and rugs. You can program the robot to clean rooms on a regular basis and it can be controlled remotely via the app or by pressing buttons on its side.