What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will keep you on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums work with applications that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries, or 'walls,' to ensure that the vacuum stays away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac and vacuum cleaner mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your space for future use. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, select one that can pick-up big items such as lamp cords and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that they don't get snarled by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is especially important when you have pets or children and may need to clean the robot regularly.

It's an excellent idea to select a model that has an efficient motor and plenty of suction power. This will help it be more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

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

Robot vacuums are long-lasting but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your machine running smoothly for the years to be. Many of the robot vacuum owners we have spoken to have owned their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll still do a great job at keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and dust. You can use them to scrub your floors multiple times per day. However, they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to getting stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to help you navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They also can stay clear of obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on power. The ones that are more expensive usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to remember the layout of your home and lessen the time you spend hitting walls.

You don't need to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a great job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile and low-pile rug. They also can handle bigger debris like nails that are rusty, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is a great feature for those who don't want to empty it every cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your standard stick vacuum cleaner with mopping seem prehistoric, including zones, schedules, and Vacuum Cleaner the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls' to block off areas you don't want the robot to go.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps 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 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 was also very rarely stuck or derailment when I was cleaning my flooring.

The iRobot J7+ was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however it didn't always do a good job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my carpets. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum some areas, which led to lots of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuums have an app that can help you customize cleaning modes set schedules, and view an outline of the floor area that the machine covers. This is an extremely useful feature that many competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specified times and continue to run regularly. For instance, you could clean the living area every day, or just before dinner.

A good app can 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.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can accommodate numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the burden of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that does more than vacuum, consider one that has mopping capabilities. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums, and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before needing to emptied.

The most advanced robots can 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 stuck in corners. This can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to where it started when it encounters walls or furniture.

Our test participants who utilized robots with this feature discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ 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 every room in the house while you're working.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning option, it's best vacuum and mop combo for vinyl floors to get one that is compatible with a mobile app. You can also check the state of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin using the app. Some of the best 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 makes it easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is a fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the blockage of brushes that could happen in other machines.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools to assist them in navigating around obstacles and to learn about your home. High-end models have sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models often utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly useful for families with young children who scatter toys and socks around the house. This allows your robot collect these items, instead of scattering them.

We're seeing more robots that have mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. These robots have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. These robots might require refilling frequently, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be cleaned easily with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some incredible technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you expect. You can get a good one under $200, which does a decent cleaning job on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area carpets. You can program the robot to sweep rooms regularly, and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.