What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and create virtual boundaries, or 'walls' to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes an outline of your home's layout with its first run. It then remembers the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a self-cleaning brush roll and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.
Object Detection
When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up large objects like lamps and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will help ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. best robot vacuum is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned regularly by pets or children.
It's also a good idea to choose a model with a powerful motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.
The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have a huge house, you may want to opt for a model with multiple cleaning zones that can clean the entire home in one go. Certain models have mopping features that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums can last a long time however they'll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for a decade or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries in the process).
A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair and dust. You can use them to clean your floor several times a day. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to becoming jammed or requiring manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Certain models are able to return to their dock or base when their batteries are low. They also can avoid obstacles like furniture cords and legs. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to learn your home's layout and therefore spend less time bumping against walls.
If you don't want to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you could find a model that does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like tile and wood as well as low-pile carpets. They also be capable of handling larger debris like metal screws or staples that have rust, or the remains of toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is great for those who don't want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.
The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric with features like schedules, zone targeting and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas you do not want the robot to venture.
Some robotic vacs like the Eufy 11S and my former top pick the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from derailing by running into furniture or tangling with cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's more expensive than the other bots I've tried, however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles within my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped when I was working on my flooring.
The iRobot J7+ was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however it didn't always succeed at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in an abundance of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the top robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and see the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a handy feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific times and keep it running on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or on a regular basis.
A good app will also let you control your robot via voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.
Look for a model that has a large dustbin. This allows you to complete numerous cleaning sessions without having to empty it. There are models that self-empty that take some of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.
If you're looking for a robot that is more than just vacuum, you'll want to consider a model which can mop your floors. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.
The most advanced robots create their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to the next, which helps them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't be spending time going back to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.
Our test participants who utilized the robot that has this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient, and could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms while you're working.
App Control
It's best to choose the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. Within the app, you can check the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuums can be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and remove it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is another great 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 also have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could be a problem in other robots.
Some robot vacuums have navigation tools that help them discover your home and overcome obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like stairs, furniture, and cords. The cheaper models could use boundary strips to mark off areas you don't want to see it go. Object avoidance is especially important for families with children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, because it assists your robot in capturing those items instead of scattering them.
More robots are equipped with mops. This is great for those with hard floors who require to clean regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're ideal for homes with floors made of wood that can't be easily cleaned by vacuum.
These robots come with impressive technology, and cost much less than you would expect. You can find a quality one for less than $200, and it can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and area carpets. It is possible to 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.