What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on a daily basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop will create an outline of your home using its first run. It then saves the area for future cleaning jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, look for one that can take in big items, such as lamps and toys as well as dust particles. This will help ensure they don't become entangled in the roller brush, and aren't left on your floors. This is especially crucial if your robot is going to be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

It's recommended to choose a model with strong motors and lots of suction power. This will allow it to be more efficient in removing dust, pet hair and lint from carpets as well as hardwood floors.

Another important consideration is the size of your home. If you have a huge house, you may prefer models with multiple cleaning zones that can cover your entire house in one session. Some models come with mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly, emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is functioning efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for a decade or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries in the process).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair, and dust. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floors tidy. However, they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best samsung robot vacuum Cleaner vacuums use cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when their batteries are low. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture cords and legs. The more expensive ones often feature mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.

You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a fantastic job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like tiles, wood, and low-pile rugs. They also do a decent job of handling larger objects such as metal screws or staples that have rust, or discarded toys. Some come with an auto-emptying base which is helpful if you don't want to empty the trash bin after every clean-up.

Many robotic vacuums also come with innovative features that make a ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned with features like schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't wish the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, roborock s7 robot vacuum S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over cords or samsung robot vacuum cleaner furniture. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance, which uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, however it does a great job of avoiding obstacles and rarely is stuck or tripped while working on my floor.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a great obstacle avoidance bot but it wasn't always able to do an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was prone to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in dust accumulation in the filters, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an app that lets you customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view an image of the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a great feature that other models do not have. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at certain times and keep it running on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning your living room prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app can also let you control your robot with voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.

Find the model with a large dustbin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can find models that self-empty, which eliminates the need to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you want a robot that is more than just vacuum, you'll want to consider one that can mop your floors. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums, and have a water tank in the interior that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and other debris prior to having to be empty.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your house and can even remember the arrangement from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums, as it won't be spending time going back to the beginning of the room if it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers found that robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch TV or complete other things while the robot cleaned. Certain models utilize laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms while you are at work.

App Control

If you want to customize how often the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode you should choose one that works with a mobile app. Through the app, you can check the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuums can be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and then remove it to wash it. A high-powered brush is a excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the obstruction of brushes that may occur in other machines.

Some robot vacuums have navigation tools that help them understand your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundaries to mark areas you don't want to see it go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with children who scatter socks and toys all over the home. This allows your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

We're starting to see more robots with mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. They come with a water tank built into the chassis or a separate piece which you can change out when you're ready to mop. They may need to be filled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're ideal for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned by vacuum.

We've seen some amazing technology in these small robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might imagine. You can find a quality one for under $200. It does a decent job cleaning on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and area carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum the room at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.