How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without smart capabilities like mapping, and aren't worried about emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Choose a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.

It is a pro at picking up dirt, cat litter and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other vacuum we've tried. It also has the ability to map out and set virtual no go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep up with the pet hair, dust and dander that build up on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on how often you need to clean your floors, saving your time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction that can tackle most messes with ease and leave your house cleaner.

A robot vacuum that is also able to mop will help you cover more ground with one machine, which could be especially helpful in larger homes. Look for a model that has an water reservoir built into its chassis or as a separate item that you swap in when vacuuming is complete. You'll have to empty it and fill it up, however it's an additional task that will require some extra effort on your part.

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

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum with no bells and whistles, this model made by the networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It's quiet, and it works on both hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at your convenience. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to Operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to move around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tile carpets, and hardwood. Many models have boundaries strips that help them remain in a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and start cleaning. Some models have fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, look for models that can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also search for models that connect to Wi-Fi and let you start cleaning from any location via an app. Depending on how large your house is, you might prefer a model that has a long battery life and a large dust bin that doesn't require being emptying frequently.

Certain robot vacuums are also mopping. They utilize water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is great for mopping, but not great for tough messes like pet poop and other spills. There are hybrids that have a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose an auto-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan while they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid falling into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is typically only available on higher-end models, but it's certainly one of the best ways to make sure that your robot has an accurate understanding of the layout of your home and is aware of where to go when it runs out of battery.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't wish your robot vacuum with docking station to go into in order to concentrate on rooms that require the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically switch floors based on the floor they are cleaning. This can be achieved by switching from carpet to hard flooring or by focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests this was a helpful feature that helped improve their scores on picking up carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. It's nevertheless important to secure furniture and cords before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't become stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums have WiFi connectivity and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to enable you to control them via voice commands or via your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future trips. Some come with obstacle avoidance features built in, which prevents them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots are equipped with the ability to control them with a remote that can be used to guide them around your home. Most robots are controlled by a mobile app, which offers more features. You can set up a variety of cleaning schedules and make a list with your favorite rooms. You can also guide the robot with the directional Arrows.

Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers you can create in the app to stop the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and dishes). Some apps allow you to create an image of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features that will assist you in cleaning your home. However its interface isn't as polished as that from 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 make it easier for you to save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your living space, allowing you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums detect objects, but the iRobot J7 has advanced features such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life much easier (although one of our test bots did "eat" a few socks). If you're looking to push your home maintenance even further opt for a robotic mop with a tank of water that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models we tested beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, most do an admirable job at cleaning robot mop and vacuum hard floors and low-pile carpets. They excel at picking up food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked in. They can also handle nuts and screws made of metal as well as cats' litter. The most effective robot vacuums are able to clean corners and edges and can work around furniture. For an affordable model that can work on its own and is reasonably priced, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right setup, Buy Robot vacuum a buy Robot Vacuum vacuum can aid in keeping your home looking and feeling cleaner every day without a lot of effort. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and designate no-go areas so that your robot doesn't get in the way of your plants or favorite chair. Many of our top picks also automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or even weeks at a time, removing you from the arduous task of manually cleaning your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This allows you to take more time doing the things you enjoy, and decreases the time needed to clean your floors manually.

During tests, Q Revo was able grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also snatched up heavier particles such as nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy stuff like pet hair. It does not have the smart mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but is still a good choice for families with children.

The best aspect of the j7 robot is that it makes use of cameras and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. This means that you don't have to tidy up before using your robot. However, cluttered rooms could cause your robot to become stuck and do a poor job.