What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A good robotic vacuum can assist you in keeping track of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes an outline of your home with its first run. It then stores the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning brush roll.
Object Detection
When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that can pick up large items, like lamp cords and toys, and also dust particles. This will ensure they don't get snarled by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is especially important for those who have children or pets and need to clean the robot regularly.
It's also a good idea to select a model that has an efficient motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, dust and lint from your hardwood and carpet floors.
Another factor to consider is the size of your space. If you have a huge home, you might want to opt for a model with multiple cleaning zones that cover your entire house in one go. Some models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums are tough however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will ensure that your robot is functioning efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries along the way).
A basic robot will cost less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll still do a great job at removing surface dirt, pet hair and dust. You can use them to sweep your floor several times a day. They don't have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require 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 batteries are low. They also can avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually feature mapping capabilities that allow them to remember the arrangement of your home, and spend less time running into walls.
You don't need to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile and low-pile rug. They can also do a good job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even discarded toys. Some have a base that automatically empty itself, which is ideal if you do not want to empty it after each cleaning session.
Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient, including zones, schedules, and the ability to control them with an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones as well as '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 choice Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of a camera, processors and smarts to avoid items such as lamp cords 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 gets stuck or derailed when I'm working on my floor.
vacuum mop robot cleaner from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always succeed at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also was prone to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in a lot of dust in the filters and a less tidy home.
Smart Mapping
A few of the top robot vacuums come with an app that lets you customize cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is a handy feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain time intervals and run it on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living area prior to dinner or on a regular basis.
A good app will also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot using voice commands.
Choose a model that has an enormous dust bin. This will allow you to perform many cleaning sessions without needing empty it. There are models that self-empty, which takes some of the burden of emptying the machine after each cleaning run.
If you're looking for a machine capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into one which can mop your floors. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums, and include a water tank inside which can store many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris prior to needing to be cleaned.
cleaning robot mop and vacuum advanced robots can create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to another which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to the beginning when it encounters walls or furniture.
Our test participants found that the robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch TV or complete other tasks while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can create an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house when you're at work.
App Control
It's best to choose a robot that has an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin within the app. 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 a washable filter and a self-emptying container, especially if the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to clean up hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept 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 machines.
Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that allow them to discover your home and get around obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models sometimes use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want it to leave. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who have socks and toys scattered across the house, because it assists your robot in capturing those objects instead of scattering them.
Robots are increasingly equipped with mops. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. They have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate component that you can swap in when ready to mop. These robots might require refilling frequently but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors that aren't cleaned with vacuums.
We've seen some impressive technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might expect. In fact, you can find an affordable model for less than $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms on a regular basis. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.