What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

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

This smart vac-mop will create a map of your home using its initial run. It then saves the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a self-cleaning brush roll and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, look for one that can pick up large items, like toys and lamp cords, and also dust particles. 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 your robot is going to be cleaned regularly by pets or children.

A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also a good option. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, dust and lint off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your house is another important consideration. If you have a huge home, you may prefer a model with multiple cleaning zones that can cover the entire house in one go. Some models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping your sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same model for a decade or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot is less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning surface dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. You can use them to scrub your floors multiple times per day. They don't have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of cameras, sensors or lasers to help you navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to remember your home's layout and spend less time bumping against walls.

If you're not looking to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you could find a model that is capable of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or discarded toys. Some have a base that automatically empty itself, which is ideal if you do not want to empty it after each cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer innovative features that make a ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned, including schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and smart robot Vacuum virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want robots to access.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, Smart robot vacuum come with obstacle avoidance technology to stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance that uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like shoes, lamp cords, socks and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles within my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped when I was working on my floors.

While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance robot, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter, and a less clean house.

smart robot Vacuum Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuum for hard floors robots vacuums include an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is an extremely useful feature that some competitors don't have. It is easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific times and continue to run on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app can also allow you to control your robot via 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 using the app.

To have a hands-free experience, look for a model with a large dust bin that can withstand several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. There are also models that self-empty, which takes some of the work out of emptying the robot after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a machine capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at one which can mop your floors. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums, and come with an internal water tank which can store many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can develop their own maps, and can remember 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 effectiveness of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to go back to where it was when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our test participants who utilized robots with this feature found it to be extremely efficient, and could easily watch TV or do other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models use laser navigation and can make an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

If you'd like to alter how often the robot cleans your house and select a cleaning option, it's best to get one that works with an app that can be downloaded on mobile. You can also view the state of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the most effective robot vacuums are controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot that has a washable filter and a self-emptying container, especially if the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. 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 better in avoiding chair legs than others. Some have sensors that automatically clean brushes to avoid clogging.

Some robot vacuum and mop vacuums have navigation tools that help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who leave socks and toys scattered around the house, since it assists your robot in capturing those items instead of scattering them.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop heads. This is useful for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. These robots have an integrated water tank into the chassis or an extra piece you can swap in when it's time to mop. These robots might require frequent refills but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be cleaned easily with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some incredible technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. You can program the robot to sweep the room every day and can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.