How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're willing to live without smart capabilities like mapping, and don't mind cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Look for an option that is clean and is compatible with voice assistants.

It excels at picking up dirt, clumps of pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other vacuum we've tried. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum cleaner can help you keep track of the dust, pet fur and dander that settles on your floors every day. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which can tackle most messes with ease and leave your home cleaner.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum and mop, which is particularly useful if you have an extensive home. There are models that has a water tank integrated into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. It will have to be emptied and filled and refilled, which is an additional task.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum to prevent it from running into anything. But in most homes, this isn't possible or desirable. Most robots allow you to use an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will observe. Some include no-go zones, which can be used to mark areas you don't want it enter, such as kids' rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

If you're looking to buy a basic robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model from networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It's quiet, it works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to mop and vacuum at your leisure. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

In general, robot vacuums require very little input from you. They use instruments for navigation, such as sensors lasers, cameras, and sensors to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors and hardwood. Many models have boundaries strips that help them remain in a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and begin cleaning. Some models even have fall detection technology that prevents tumbling down stairs or getting caught in electrical cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to begin cleaning sessions from anywhere via an app. You may prefer an option with a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dustbin, depending on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops and use water reservoirs to clean your floors. This is ideal for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop or other wet spills. You can find hybrids with a removable microfiber pad that can be used for mopping, or opt for an auto-emptying model that lets you use the device for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to create a precise map while they clean. This makes it easier to avoid crashing into furniture and getting caught on cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on the top models, but it allows your robot to have a thorough understanding of your home's layout and knows where to go when the battery runs out.

If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home you'd rather it stay away from (like your children's toys or the mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their apps or physical boundary strips. This lets you create zones that you don't want your robot to venture into, so it can concentrate its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most cleaning.

A lot of robots can also automatically change floors depending on the kind of flooring they are cleaning. This can be accomplished by switching from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to certain areas of your home like corners and baseboards. This feature proved useful during our tests and helped improve the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. It is essential to put away any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum, so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums connect to smart home systems, and can create a map of the area they clean after each session. This lets them "learn" the way your home is laid out, and then plan more efficient routes for future cleaning sessions. Certain models have obstacle avoidance built in that prevents them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on things such as loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. Most robots are operated by mobile applications which has more options. You can typically set multiple cleaning schedules, make the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot to specific areas using directions on the screen.

Some models offer no-go zones These are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to stop the robot mop and vacuum combo from entering certain areas (like kids' toys or dog beds and bowls). Other apps allow you to make a map of your home and provide the robot with detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features that will help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins save you time and effort. Some work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also draw an outline of the space for you to program them to specific areas or rooms and to avoid obstacles.

Most robot vacuums offer some degree of object detection however, higher-end models such as the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're trying to improve your home's maintenance, think about an automated mop that comes with a water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a standup vacuum, they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors and low pile carpets. They are excellent at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked in. They can also handle nuts and robot Vacuum Cleaner screws made of metal as well as the stray cat litter. The most effective robot vacuums can remove dirt from edges and corners and can even work on furniture. For an affordable model that can work on its own and is reasonably priced, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can keep your home clean and tidy without you having to do many tasks. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and you can designate no-go areas to ensure that your robot does not step on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations.

The most effective robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or months at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every week or even every day. This lets you spend more time doing things you enjoy and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

During testing, the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like oatmeal and baking soda and heavier debris like nails and screws made of metal and even fluffy matter such as hair of pets. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and object avoidance features of our top rated robot vacuum picks, but it's sufficient for most families.

The best aspect of the j7 robot is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up before using your robot. However, messy rooms can cause your robot to get stuck and do an inadequate job.