What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning times and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop creates a map of your home with its first run. It then saves the area for future cleaning jobs. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can clean up big items such as lamps and toys and fine dust. This will help ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be cleaned regularly by pets or children.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is an excellent option. This will allow it to be more effective in getting rid of pet hair, dust and lint from carpets as well as hardwood flooring.

Another factor to consider is the size of your space. If you have a huge home, you may choose one with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire house in one go. Some models come with a mopping feature that can be utilized to keep floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable, self cleaning robot vacuum but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly, emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak to have owned their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries with time).

A basic robot is less costly than a larger vacuum cleaner. They'll be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning the surface of dirt as well as pet fur and lint. You can use them to clean your floors multiple times per day. The drawback is that they don't come with as technological innovation, and may be susceptible to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best mapping robot vacuum robot vacs use sensors, lasers or cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of power. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to remember the layout of your home and spend less time bumping against walls.

There is no need to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a fantastic job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like wood, tile and low-pile rugs. They can also take care of larger particles like nails that are rusty, metal screws or discarded toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base that is handy for those who don't want to empty your trash bin after every clean-up.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features that make the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. They include scheduling, zone-targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't wish the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like shoes, lamp cords, socks and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it does a great job of avoiding obstacles and rarely is stuck or derails when I'm working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always do a great job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas which resulted in a lot of dust in the filters, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums come with an app that lets you set up cleaning modes, set schedules and see a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is a useful feature that a few competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at certain times and continue to run on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living area prior to dinner or every other day.

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

Look for models with a large dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can find models that self-empty, which eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a robot that is more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at one that can mop floors. These are typically larger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank inside that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before needing to be emptied.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even remember the layout from one cleaning to the next, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a big difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could 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 throughout the house while you are at work.

App Control

It is recommended to select the vacuum that comes with an app for mobile devices in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. In the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the best vacuums that are robotic can be controlled using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, particularly when you are able to easily access the filter and self cleaning robot vacuum take it off it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is a fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards to remove hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some have a self cleaning robot Vacuum-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could occur in other machines.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools to assist them in navigating around obstacles and to learn about your home. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like furniture, stairs, and cords. Cheaper models may utilize boundary strips to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it allows your robot to grab the items instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mop heads. This is beneficial for those with hard floors who need to mop regularly. They come with an integrated water tank into the chassis, or an additional piece that which you can change out when it's time to clean. They may require refilling frequently however, they are perfect for homes that have hard floors that aren't easily cleaned by a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology in these small robots and they're less expensive than you might think. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, while moving around the edges of light carpets or area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms on a regular schedule. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.