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 daily basis. Many robot vacuums have applications that allow you to schedule cleaning times. You can also set virtual boundaries or walls, to ensure that the vacuum stays away from areas you don't want to be cleaned.

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

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up big items, such as lamp cords and toys, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brush or end up on your floor. This feature is especially important if your robot will be regularly cleaned by children or pets.

It's recommended to select a model that has an efficient motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your space. If you live in an apartment you might want to choose one that has multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire house in one go. Some models also come with mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums last a long time however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and cheaper wiping down the sensors regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for the years to be. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we have spoken to have been using their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot is less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll do an excellent job of cleaning the surface of dirt as well as pet fur and lint. You can use them to scrub your floors several times per day. They don't have as much technology and are more prone to becoming jammed or requiring 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. Certain models are able to return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The most expensive models usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to learn the design of your home and spend less time bumping into walls.

There is no need to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a great job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tile, wood and low-pile rugs. They also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even the remains of toys. Some models even have a self-emptying base which is helpful if you don't want to empty the trash bin after every clean-up.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart robot vacuum features, which make the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. They include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them through an app or a voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls' to block off areas you do not want the robots to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or tangling cords. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance, which uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects 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 around my home and rarely got stuck or derailment while working on my flooring.

The J7+ from iRobot was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a good job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my carpets. It also tended to over-vacuum some areas, resulting in an abundance of dust in the filter and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an app that can help you customize cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view the flooring area that the machine covers. This is a very useful feature that some competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specific times and run it regularly. For example, cleaning the living room every day or before dinner.

A good app will allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free. You can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.

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

If you're looking for a robot that can do more than vacuum, think about the models that have mopping functions. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums, and have a water tank inside which can store several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the arrangement from one cleaning to another, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, since it won't need to spend time going back to the beginning of the room when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants who utilized the robot that has this feature discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could watch TV or complete other chores 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

If you'd like to alter the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and choose the cleaning mode, it's best to get one that has an app that can be downloaded on mobile. You can also check the state of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin within the app. Some of the best robot vacuums can even be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. A powerful brush is another excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the obstruction of brushes that may happen in other machines.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that allow them to learn your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. The cheaper models could use boundary strips to mark off areas that you don't wish it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly useful for families with young children who scatter toys and socks all over the home. This allows your robot collect these items instead of scattering.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop heads. This is great for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. They have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. These robots might require refilling frequently however, they are perfect for homes that have hard floors that can't be easily cleaned by vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some incredible technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might imagine. You can find a decent one for under $200. It does a decent job cleaning on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and area rug. It is possible to schedule the robot to vacuum the room on a regular basis and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.