What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac and mop creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your space for future jobs. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, choose one that can pick up big items, such as lamps and toys and also fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush, and aren't left behind on your floors. This feature is especially crucial if your robot is going to be regularly cleaned by pets or children.

A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an ideal choice. This will help it be more effective in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your space. If you live in a big house, you may choose one with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire house in one go. Certain models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time, but they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping down the sensors regularly will keep your robot functioning efficiently for many years to come. Many owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the best robot vacuum cleaner same model for a period of 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries in the process).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at removing dirt and pet hair, and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floor clean. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the staircase. Some models can return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture cords and legs. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to remember the design of your home and lessen the time you spend running into walls.

If you don't want spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can find a model that does an excellent job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and dust from floors made of tile and wood as well as carpets with a low pile. They also be capable of handling larger objects such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even the remains of toys. Some have a base that automatically empties itself, which is great when you don't need to empty it every cleaning session.

Many robotic vacuums also come with advanced features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient with features like schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacs, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or getting caught in cords. Others, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes a camera and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots that I've tested, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or derails while working on my floor.

The iRobot J7+ was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always do a good job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas resulting in a lot of dust in the filters, and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the top robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view an image of the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that many competitors don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific times and keep it running on a regular basis, like cleaning the living area prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app can also let you control your robot with voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.

Find models with an enormous dust bin. This will allow you to perform many cleaning sessions without needing empty it. You can also find models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the work out of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.

If you're looking for a machine capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at a model which can mop your floors. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums and come with a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before having to be emptied.

Robots that are more sophisticated can develop their own maps and keep track of the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents 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 into contact with walls or furniture.

Our testers who used robots with this feature found it to be extremely efficient. They could watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Certain models utilize laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or all rooms while you're working.

App Control

It is recommended to select one that comes with an app that is mobile if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and select cleaning mode. Within the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. The Best Robot Hoover robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot that has an washable filter and self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter is easily removed and rinsed. A powerful brush is another fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards to get rid of dirt and Self Cleaning Vacuum hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some even have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools to help them navigate around obstacles and to learn about your home. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundaries to mark areas where you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, since it assists your robot in capturing the objects instead of scattering them.

We're seeing more robots with mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and need to clean them regularly. These robots have water tanks built into the chassis, or an extra piece you can put in when you're ready to mop. These robots may need to be refilled frequently however, they are perfect for homes with hard floors that can't be cleaned easily with a vacuum that vacuums and mops.

These robots are loaded with some impressive technology, and cost a lot less than you would expect. In fact, you can get an affordable model for less than $200 that can do a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. You can schedule the robot to vacuum the room on a regular basis and it can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.