What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop will create the map of your home with its first run. It then remembers the area for future cleaning jobs. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys and a self-cleaning, brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, choose one that can take in big items, such as toys and lamp cords, and also fine dirt. This will ensure that the items don't get stuck in the roller brush or left on your floor. This feature is particularly important when you have children or pets and may need to clean the robot regularly.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also a good option. This will help 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 space. If you live in an apartment you might want to choose a model that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums last a long time however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have had the same machine for a decade or more (and best budget robot vacuum changed motors, brushes and batteries in the process).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning dirt from surfaces, pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can distribute every week to keep your floors clean. The downside is they don't offer as much smart technology, and can be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize 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 furniture legs and cords, and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on power. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you're not looking to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you could find a model that does a great job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like tile and wood as well as low-pile carpets. They can also handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some come with an auto-emptying base, which is useful in the event that you don't wish to empty the dustbin after every cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have clever features, which make the look of a stick vacuum quaint. These include scheduling, zone-targeting and the ability to control them through an app or voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas you do not want the robot to go.

Some robotic vacs like the Eufy 11S and my former top pick the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from getting sucked into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of sensors, cameras and algorithms to stay clear of items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's more expensive than the other bots I've tried, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles in my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped while working on my floors.

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

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums come with an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings and schedules, as well as view a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is an extremely useful feature that other models don't have. It allows you to create profiles that automatically start the robot at specified times and continue to run regularly. For example, cleaning the living area every day or before dinner.

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

Find a model that has a large dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are models that self-empty, eliminating the requirement to empty the machine after every vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a machine that can do more than just vacuum, you'll want to look at a model that can mop floors. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums, and include a water tank in the interior which can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can create their own maps and keep track of the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums, as it won't be spending time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test subjects found that robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch television or perform other things while the robot was cleaning. 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're working.

App Control

If you'd like to alter the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning option, it's best Budget robot Vacuum to get one that is compatible with an app for mobile devices. Through the app, you can check the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuum for dog hair vacuums that are robotic can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is simple to keep clean, particularly when you are able to easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair legs than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to avoid the best robot vacuum cleaner clogging.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools to help them understand your home and overcome obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. Cheaper models may utilize boundary strips to mark areas where you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who have socks and toys scattered across the house, because it assists your robot in capturing these items instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mop heads. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. These robots have water tanks built into the chassis or a separate piece which you can change out when it's time to clean. These robots might need to be refilled frequently, but are ideal for homes with hard floors and can't be easily cleaned by a vacuum.

We've seen some incredible technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you expect. You can get a good one under $200, which can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and rug. The robot can be programmed to vacuum the room on a regular schedule. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.