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 regular basis. Many robot vacuums are compatible with apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or walls, to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't want cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map after its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future jobs. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, select one that can clean up big items such as toys and lamp cords and fine dust. This will ensure that the items don't get caught in the roller brush or left on your floor. This is particularly important if your robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

It's also a good idea to choose a model with an efficient motor and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have a huge home, you might want to opt for a model with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire home in one go. Some models also come with a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean on a regular basis will keep your machine running efficiently for long time to be. Many of the robot vacuum owners we have spoken to have been using their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job at keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair and dust. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can send out every week to keep your floors clean. They do not have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home cleaning without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. Some models will return to their base or dock when their batteries are low. They also can avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The more expensive ones often feature mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the layout of your home and Smart vacuum reduce the amount of time you're running into walls.

If you don't want spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can still find one that does a great job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They can also handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or discarded toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is great if you do not want to empty it every cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric, including schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas where you do not want the robots to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance that uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like shoes, lamp cords, socks, and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots that I've tried, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or derails when working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a good job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my carpets. It also tends to over-vacuum areas, resulting in a lot of extra dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an application that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and see a map of the floor area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that some competitors do not have. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specified times and continue to run on a regular basis, like cleaning the living area prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app can allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.

Look for models with a large dustbin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are also models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the burden of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.

If you're looking for a robotic that is more than a vacuum, think about one that has mopping capabilities. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and come with an internal water tank that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home. They can even remember the layout between cleanings, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to where it was when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our test participants who utilized the robot that has this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient, and 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 the bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you are at work.

App Control

If you'd like to alter the frequency with which the robot cleans your house and select the cleaning mode you should choose one that has an app for mobile devices. You can also check the status of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin in the app. Some of the best vacuums that are robotic can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot that has the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter is easily cleaned and washed. A powerful brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair legs than others. Some have sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent clogging.

Some robot vacuums have navigation tools that help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark off areas you don't want to enter. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with young kids who scatter toys and socks around the house. This can help your robot to gather the items instead of scattering.

More robots are coming with mop heads. This is great for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. These robots have an integrated water tank into the chassis, or a separate piece you can swap in when it's time to clean. These robots might require frequent refills, but are ideal for homes with hard floors that aren't cleaned with vacuum cleaners.

These robots come with impressive technology, and they are priced significantly less than you would expect. In fact, you can find an affordable model for less than $200 that can do a decent job of cleaning pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, while traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum a particular room at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.