The Best Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum can do most of the cleaning for you. It can remove pet hair, good lint, and dirt from surfaces and furniture before they can get stuck. Many robot vacuums integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.

Many models have mapping capabilities, which allow them to draw a map of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges and navigating around cords that connect devices.

What to look for

Some robots have advanced features that allow users to control them with voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning and object avoidance are some of the features. They may also have longer battery lives and larger dust collection bins.

Choose a model that has a wide brush to sweep up large debris, and is small enough to be able to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without altering brushes or suction settings. This can reduce its effectiveness in cleaning and decrease its lifespan.

The top robotic vacuums come with top-quality filters to catch fine particles and safeguard your home from damage. They also come with an enormous, easily accessible collection bin so you can empty it often. Some models come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and debris in difficult-to-access areas under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, allowing you to see the amount of dirt in the bin and when to empty it.

You can also make use of the app to set limits around furniture and rooms that you do not want it to enter. Some models also register what kind of floor they're cleaning and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to suit the floor.

There are also robots that can recharge and resume cleaning right where they left off when their battery is low. There are some that have an inbuilt camera that lets you track the route of your robot vacuum and view what it's collected.

Many robots also allow you to control them with your voice, however not all of them do it as easily as others. Make sure that the model you select is compatible with your voice assistant of choice, and test the way it responds to various commands during the purchase process. Some robots are able to automatically empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, making the chores you have to do a bit more. This is a costly feature and comes with a bigger storage container and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

Robots aren't a substitute for a vacuum or broom. However, they can be incredibly efficient and effective in keeping your floors spotless. The most effective robotic cleaners remove small particles like dust, pet hair and crumbs, as well as larger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They can do this without harming the flooring or furniture.

Often, they will register what type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly so that they can more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important if your home is made up of different types of flooring. Many models also come with a wide range of options to set up virtual boundaries that allow you to tell the robot to stay clear from certain areas of your home. This will to keep your pets and children from getting in areas they shouldn't. It will also ensure that your home is kept clean during each scheduled time.

Consider how much autonomy your robot can enjoy. Some models require you to be present and attentive, while others operate independently. They can change cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using a mobile application or voice commands with an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your space and let you set up zones, and instruct the robot to clean specific areas of your home on a weekly or daily basis.

In our tests, the iRobot j7+ proved to be the top robot vacuum robot to "set it and forget it". It was the best at mapping, creating virtual boundaries and getting around obstacles better than the other robots we tried. It can also empty itself so you do not have to do it manually. The side brushes are used to sweep debris from edges and corners that a vacuum might not reach.

Its slim design and infrared sensor enable it to clean behind and under furniture, allowing it to do a better job than most robots. Furthermore, its advanced navigation system enables it to sweep the entire floor of your house on a single battery charge. Even at its affordable price, you'll find it tough to beat in everyday use.

Battery Life

A good robot vacuum can help keep your floors tidy and feel less like a chore, and more like a treat. The difference between a clean house and a dirty one can be made by removing tracked-in dirt as well as crumbs pet hair, and other particles. A basic robot can handle most cleaning tasks. However those who prefer a less hands-on experience may want to look for a model that serves as an mops.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one of the top models for both, as it is extremely efficient in both vacuuming and mop modes, and is able to handle dirt, debris, pet hair and even cat litter. Its ability to avoid objects is impressive. It lets it steer away from objects and not get tangled on them.

It has a big dustbin as well as a long-lasting battery, so it can cover a lot of space in one session. It's also a smart vacuum, which means it can create maps of your home and integrate with apps, such as the ones offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to let you use voice commands to control it.

The app that comes with the robot allows you to create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning or pause/resume sessions. It will alert you when its battery is depleted and return to the docking station for recharging.

The robot is also able to distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This helps to prevent the machine from getting stuck on a particular type of surface and then accidentally tearing furniture. However, it isn't yet able to detect high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you'll still have to be careful about picking up large items.

To keep robot vacuums in top condition, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning the brushes of hair, and emptying the dust bin (and sometimes washing it) after each cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must be cleaned after each use. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these steps and others, which can vary depending on the model.

Cost

The most effective robot vacuums may not be inexpensive, but they're far cheaper than professional carpet cleaning machines or even a stand-up one. They also need less maintenance than traditional vacuums, with most requiring only that you empty (and occasionally rinse) their bins after each cleaning session and occasionally cleaning their cameras or sensors.

Many robot vacuums are equipped with intelligent features that help them be more effective in your home, for instance mapping technology, which allows you to guide the vacuum on the layout of your room by using an app, so it is aware not to go through the stairs or under the furniture, where there might be a mess. Other models can determine the flooring type they are working on, so they can adjust their suction and brush features for the most effective results.

Some models feature object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even cameras) to identify objects like toys and other things on the floor and instruct the robot to walk around them instead of running through them. This is a great benefit when you have children or pets who throw toys around the house.

Another smart feature that may be important to you is voice control, which lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This can be beneficial if you have little ones who aren't quite old enough to operate the controls or simply want a hands-free solution.

How often you have to use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and debris is normally found on your floors. The majority of experts suggest using a robot vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking good and nabbing pet hair, dust and dirt from the surface before it is able to get crushed or become difficult to remove.

If you're limited with flooring and don't intend to use your robot for other tasks, a budget model like our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's affordable, easy to set up and use and gets the job done with minimal noise disturbance while you work or watch TV.