What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robotic vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums are compatible with applications that let you schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries, or "walls," to ensure that the vacuum is kept away from areas you don't wish to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your home's layout for future tasks. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, choose one that can take in large items, like lamps and toys and also fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't get snarled by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an ideal choice. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, lint and robot Mop vacuum combo dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your room. If you have a large home, you might want to opt for one with multiple cleaning zones that can clean your entire house in one session. Certain models also include a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums last a long time however they'll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for the years to come. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can send out often throughout the week to keep your floor free of dirt. They do not have as much technology and are more susceptible to getting jammed or needing manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. Some models can return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They also can avoid obstacles such as furniture cords and legs. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize your home's layout and therefore spend less time bumping against walls.

There is no need to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tile, wood and low-pile rug. They can also be capable of handling larger debris like metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some have a base that automatically empty itself, which is great for those who don't want to empty it after each cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned, including scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them with an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't wish the robot Mop vacuum combo to get into.

Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from derailing by running into furniture or tangling cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes a camera and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots that I've tried, however it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never gets stuck or derailed when I'm working on my floor.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a good obstacle avoidance tool, it didn't always do an excellent job of removing dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum areas, which led to an abundance of dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums come with an app that lets you set up cleaning modes set schedules, and view an outline of the floor area that the machine covers. This is an extremely useful feature that other models do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specified times and continue to run on a regular basis, like cleaning the living room before dinner or on a regular basis.

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

Look for the model with a large dust bin. This will allow you to do numerous cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can also find models that self-empty which takes a portion of the work out of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you want a robot that is more than just vacuum, you'll want to look into one which can mop your floors. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even remember the arrangement from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum because it won't need to go back to the beginning when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch television or perform other things while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms while you're working.

App Control

It's best robot vacuum with mapping to choose one that comes with an app that is mobile for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose cleaning mode. In the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuums can even be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot that has a washable filter and a self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter is easily cleaned and washed. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to remove dirt and hair. Some robots are better at avoiding chair legs than others, and some also have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the blockage of brushes that could occur in other machines.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that help them navigate around obstacles and help you understand your home. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as furniture, stairs, and cords. Cheaper models may use boundary strips to mark off areas you don't want to see it go. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, as it assists your robot in capturing those objects instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots with mops, which are great for people who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap in when ready to mop. They may need to be refilled more often than other kinds of robots, however they're ideal for homes with floors made of wood that aren't easily cleaned with a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might expect. You can find a decent one for less than $200, and it does a decent cleaning job on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean a particular room at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.