What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum and mop robot best can keep you on top 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 away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your space for future jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys, as well as a self-cleaning, brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, choose one that can pick up large items, like lamp cords and toys, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brushes or left on your floor. This feature is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned regularly by children or pets.

It's recommended to choose a model with strong motors and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your room. If you live in a large house it is possible to select one that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire home in one go. Some models have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time, but they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is working efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have owned the same model for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job at keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair, and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can use every week to keep your floor free of dirt. The downside is they don't offer as much technological innovation, and may be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They also can avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on power. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the layout of your home and spend less time bumping against walls.

If you're not looking to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can still locate a model that does a great job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and carpets with a low pile. They can also do a good job of handling larger debris like metal screws, rusty staples or discarded toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is great for those who don't want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer innovative features that make a ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned with features like scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them with an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't wish the robot to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Other models, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes cameras and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks, and pet waste. It's more expensive than other bots I've tested, however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get stuck or derailment when I was working on my floors.

While the iRobot j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance robot however, it wasn't always doing well in removing dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas which resulted in a lot of dust in the filters, and an unclean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums come with an app that can help you to customize cleaning settings, set schedules and see an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is a useful feature that a few competitors do not have. This lets you create profiles that automatically start the robot at specific times, and keep it running continuously. For example, cleaning the living room every day or before dinner.

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

Look for the model with an enormous dust bin. This will allow you to do numerous cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the labor out of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.

If you're looking for a machine that can do more than just vacuum, you'll want to look at one which can mop your floors. These are usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank in the interior that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to having to be empty.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home. They can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to another and help 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 go back to the beginning when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our testers found that robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch TV or do other things while the robot cleaned. Some of these models use laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house while you're working.

App Control

It is recommended to select the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose a cleaning mode. You can also see the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin using the app. Some of the best vacuums that are robotic can be controlled using 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 container, especially if the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards, making it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the blockage of brushes that could occur in other machines.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that help them navigate around obstacles and to learn about your home. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models may utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with young children who throw socks and toys all over the home. This allows your robot to collect these items instead of scattering.

We're beginning to see more robots with mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require frequent refills but they're ideal for homes with hard floors that can't be cleaned easily with vacuums.

These robots are packed with some amazing technology, and cost significantly less than you'd expect. You can get a good one for less than $200, and it does a decent job cleaning on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and area carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum the room on a regular schedule. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.