What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot 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 define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them out of areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop makes an outline of your home using its initial run. It then saves the space for future cleaning jobs. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up large items, like lamps and toys and also fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brushes or end up on your floor. This feature is particularly important for those who have pets or children and may need to clean the robot regularly.

A model with a powerful engine and lots of suction is also an ideal choice. This will help it be more effective in removing pet hair, lint and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you have a huge home, you may prefer models with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire home in one session. Certain models have mopping features that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are tough, but they need to be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running smoothly for years to be. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak with have owned the same machine for a decade or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do a great job of keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and lint. You can use them to scrub your floors several times per day. The drawback is that they don't offer as much technological innovation, and may be prone to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and prevent getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They also can stay clear of obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on energy. The most expensive models usually feature mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the arrangement of your home, and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.

If you don't want spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you could find one that is capable of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like tile and wood as well as low-pile carpets. They also can handle larger debris such as metal screws, rusty nails or even toys that have been discarded. Some models even have self-emptying bases which is helpful for those who don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

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

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and algorithms to stay clear of items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tested however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home and rarely got stuck or tangled when I was working on my floors.

The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always succeed at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my carpets. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum some areas, resulting in a lot of extra dust in the filter, and a less-clean house.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuums come with an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings and schedules, as well as view the flooring area that the machine covers. This is a useful feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specified times and good robot vacuum continue to run continuously. For instance, you could clean the living room each day, or just before dinner.

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

Choose the model with a large dust bin. This will allow you to perform numerous cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can also find models that self-empty, which takes some of the burden of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you want a robot capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at the possibility of a model which can mop your floors. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and include a tank of water that can hold multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before needing to emptied.

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 can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room if it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test subjects who tested the robot that has this capability found it to be extremely efficient, and could watch TV or complete other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models use laser navigation and can create an exact map of your home, which means that you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house while you're working.

App Control

It is best to select one that comes with an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose cleaning mode. In the app, you can also examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuum & mop vacuums can be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot with a washable filter and a self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter is easily removed and rinsed. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools to help them understand your home and overcome obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models often use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is particularly beneficial for families with young kids who throw socks and toys all over the house. This helps your robot to collect the items instead of scattering.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop attachments. 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 which you can change out when it's time to mop. They may require frequent refills however, they are perfect for homes that have hard floors that aren't cleaned easily with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some impressive technology in these small robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you expect. In fact, you can get a decent one for less than $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or 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.