What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum can help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and create virtual boundaries, or 'walls' to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes the map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then stores the area to help you with future cleaning tasks. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically empties and a self-cleaning, brush roll.
Object Detection
When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, pick one that can clean up large objects like lamp cords and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and aren't left behind on your floors. This is especially important if you have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.
A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is an excellent option. This will help it be more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.
Another important consideration is the size of your space. If you have a large house, you may want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in a single session. Some models also come with mopping capabilities, which can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums can last for a long time, but they'll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your 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 that we have spoken with have owned the same machine for 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries along the way).
A basic robot will cost less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job at removing surface dirt, pet hair, and dust. You can use them to clean your floor several times a day. However, they don't have as advanced technology, and could be prone to getting stuck or needing human 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 staircase. They are also able to avoid obstacles like cords and furniture legs and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of energy. The most expensive models usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're running into walls.
You don't need to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They also can handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some models even have an auto-emptying base which is helpful if you don't want to empty your trash bin after every clean-up.
Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric with features like scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them with an app or a 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 venture.
Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will keep them from tripping over furniture or cords. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes cameras and processor-powered smarts to identify and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots that I've tried, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles and rarely is stuck or tripped when I'm working on my floor.
While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance robot, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in lots of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the top robot vacuums include an app that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a useful feature that a few competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specified times and continue to run continuously. For instance, you could clean the living area every morning or prior to dinner.
A good app will allow you to 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.
Choose models with a large dustbin. This will allow you to perform many cleaning sessions without having to empty it. You can also find models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the burden of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.
If you're looking to purchase a robot that is more than a vacuum, you should consider one that has a mopping function. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.
Robots that are more sophisticated can make their own maps and remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to where it was when it comes across furniture or walls.
Our testers found that robots with this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch TV or complete other things while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or all rooms when you're at work.
App Control
It is best to select one that comes with a mobile application if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also monitor the condition of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robotic vacuums 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 removed and rinsed. Another excellent feature is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to clean up dirt and hair. vacuum and mop combo are better in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some also have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the obstruction of brushes that may be a problem in other machines.
Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools to help them navigate around obstacles and learn your home. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundaries to mark areas you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who have socks and toys scattered across the house, since it assists your robot in capturing these objects instead of scattering them.
We're beginning to see more robots with mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and require to clean them regularly. These robots come with a water tank built into the chassis or an additional piece that which you can change out when you're ready to mop. They may need to be refilled more frequently than other kinds of robots, however they're great for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.
These robots are packed with impressive technology, and they cost significantly less than you'd expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that does a good job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. It is possible to schedule the robot to sweep rooms on a regular basis, and it can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.