How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without advanced features such as mapping, and you don't mind cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Find an option that is clean and works with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested at cleaning up pet hair on hardwood floors, tile, and carpets with low pile. It can also plan out and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on how often you need to clean your floors and saves your time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which will tackle most messes with ease and leave your house cleaner.

Choosing a robot vacuum that is also able to mop can help you get more space with one machine, which is especially beneficial in a larger home. Find a model that has water reservoirs either in the chassis or as a separate item that you can swap out when vacuuming is complete. You'll have to empty it and refill it, however it's an additional task that requires some extra effort on your part.

In ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors before you used your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, most models let you use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot can detect and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to flag areas that you don't want the robot to enter, such as kids rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a great option for those looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells and whistles. It is quiet, can be used on hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to vacuum and mop at your leisure. It's got a long battery life of around 180 minutes.

2. Simple to operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They use navigation tools like sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to maneuver around obstacles and suck up food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tiles, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many models come with boundaries strips that help them remain inside the room. The more expensive models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and start cleaning. Some models have fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

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

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing water reservoirs to clean your floors. This is helpful for everyday mopping, but will not work for extra-tough messes, such as pet poop or other spills that get wet. There are hybrids that come with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or opt for an auto-emptying model that lets you go for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a precise map while they clean. This helps them avoid bumping into furniture and getting caught on cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however, it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of your home's layout and to know where it should move when the battery runs out.

The majority of robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done through an app or physical boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you don't want your robot to explore, so that it can focus its attention on the areas that require the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically change floors depending on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be achieved by switching from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to particular areas of your home like corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be helpful in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum Robot mop on both hardwood flooring and low-pile floor Vacuum Robot Mop carpeting. But, it's still essential to tuck away furniture and cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't become stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that enable users to control them with voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems that create maps of your home after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future trips. Some have obstacle avoidance built in to prevent them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. However, the majority of them can be controlled using an app for mobile devices that comes with additional options. You can usually set up multiple cleaning schedules, make an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to certain areas by using directional arrows on the screen.

Some models provide no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can create in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and bowls). Some apps let you draw an outline of your home and provide detailed information on the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that will assist you in cleaning your home. However the interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacuums that can sweep all over your home without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins save you time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create a map of the space to allow you to program them to specific areas or rooms, and to avoid obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some level of object detection and object detection, but more expensive models like the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will make your life easier (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're seeking to improve your home's maintenance, think about an automated mop that comes with water containers that can be filled and then empty.

While no of the models we tested could match the ability to pick up dirt of a stand-up vacuum, they did a great job of cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked into. They can also handle metal screws and nuts as well as the stray cat litter. The most effective robot vacuums are able to clean edges and corners and work on furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right configuration with the right setup, a robot vacuum will aid in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh on a regular basis without a lot of effort. You can schedule cleanings through the app and create no-go zones so that your robot won't trample your plants or ruin your favorite chair. Many of our top picks automatically empty their bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for Vacuum Robot Mop weeks or months at a time, thereby saving you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors each week or even every day. This lets you spend more time doing things you like and reduces the time it takes to clean your floors manually.

In our tests the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal, heavier debris such as nails and screws made of steel, and fluffy stuff like hair from pets. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, however it's sufficient for the majority of families.

The best thing about the j7 is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles such as power cords and socks, shoes and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up before using your robot. However, cluttered rooms can cause your robot vacuum sale to become stuck and do poorly.