What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on regular basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning times and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop will create a map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then stores the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, choose one that is able to pick up big items, such as toys and lamp cords, and also fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't become entangled by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is especially important if you have pets or children, and need to Pure Clean robot vacuum the robot regularly.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an excellent option. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, lint, and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is a different factor to consider. If you have an apartment it is possible to choose one that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire house in one go. Certain models have mopping features that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums last a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean on a regular basis will keep your robot running smoothly for years to be. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we have spoken to have been using their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries with time).

A basic robot will cost you less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job at removing dirt on the surface, pet hair, and dust. You can use them to clean your floor several times a day. The downside is they don't have as advanced technology, and could be susceptible to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. Some models will return to their dock or base when the battery is low. They also can avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the design 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 like wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They can also take care of bigger debris like metal screws, rusty nails or even toys that have been discarded. Some come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is a great feature when you don't need to empty it after each cleaning session.

The majority of robotic vacuums have innovative features that make a ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned with features like zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and pure clean robot vacuum 'virtual walls to block off areas where you do not want the robot to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from crashing into furniture or tangling cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses sensors, cameras and smarts to avoid items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's more expensive than other bots I've tested, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get stuck or derailment when I was cleaning my floors.

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

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums include an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a handy feature, and one that many competitors don't have. This allows you to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific times and continue to run on a regular basis, like cleaning your living room prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot using voice commands.

Choose models with a large dustbin. This will allow you to do numerous cleaning sessions without having to empty it. There are also models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the work out of emptying the robot after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a machine that can do more than just automatic vacuum and mop robot, you'll want to look at a model which can mop your floors. They are usually larger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank inside that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and other debris prior to having to be empty.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home and can even remember the arrangement from one cleaning to the next, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a huge difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums, since it won't be spending time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers who used the robot that has this feature found it to be very efficient, and could watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models use laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or every room in your home 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 you should choose one that has an app that can be downloaded on mobile. Through the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the top robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and then remove it to wash it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to remove dirt and hair. Certain robots are more adept in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools to aid them in navigating obstacles and to learn about your home. The top models come with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to go. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with children who throw socks and toys all over the home. This allows your robot to gather these items, instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mops. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop frequently. These robots come with an integrated water tank into the chassis or an extra piece which you can change out when it's time to mop. They might need to be refilled more often than other kinds of robots, however they're perfect for homes with floors made of wood that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.

These robots are packed with impressive technology, and they cost much less than you'd think. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, while traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. You can schedule the robot to vacuum rooms on a regular basis and it can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.