What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and set 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 using its first run. It then saves the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that can clean up large objects like lamp cords and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that they don’t become entangled in the roller brush and don’t end up on your floors. This is particularly crucial if your robot is going to be cleaned regularly by children or pets.

It’s an excellent idea to choose a model with a powerful motor and plenty of suction power. This will enable it to be more effective in eliminating pet hair, dust and lint from carpets and hardwood flooring.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your home. If you have a large home, you might choose one with multiple cleaning zones that can cover the entire house in one go. Some models also have mopping functions, which can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time, but they’ll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly, emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many robot vacuum owners we have spoken to have been using their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They’ll still be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning the surface of dirt, pet fur and lint. You can use them to sweep your floor several times a day. They do not have as much technology and are more prone to becoming jammed or requiring manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize cameras, sensors or lasers to help you navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They are also able to stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they run low on power. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to learn your home’s layout and therefore spend less time bumping against walls.

If you don’t want to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can find one that is capable of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and dust from floors made of wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They also be capable of handling larger objects such as metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some models even have a self-emptying base which is helpful in the event that you don’t wish to empty the trash bin after every cleaning session.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features, making the traditional stick vacuum look old-fashioned. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them through an app or voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don’t wish robots to access.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology to keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses cameras, processors and algorithms to stay clear of items like lamp cords and pet waste. It’s a bit more expensive than other bots I’ve tested but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles in my home. It was also very rarely derailed or trapped when I was cleaning my flooring.

While the iRobot’s j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot, it didn’t always do well in removing dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas, leading to a lot of dust in the filters and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an app that allows you to alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and see an image of the floor area covered by the machine. This is a great feature that some competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain time intervals and run it on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living area prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app will allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models support Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say “start cleaning” or “change cleaning mode” without using the app.

Choose models with an enormous dust bin. This will allow you to perform numerous cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are models that self-empty that take some of the burden of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you’re looking for a robotic that is more than a vacuum, think about one that has a mopping function. These are typically larger than robotic vacuums and include a water tank in the interior which can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your home. They can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums, since it won’t have to spend time returning to the beginning of the room when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test subjects found that robots with this feature were very efficient. They could watch TV or complete other things while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models use laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house when you’re at work.

App Control

It’s best robot mop only to choose the vacuum that comes with an app that is mobile if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and select the cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin in the app. The best vacuums that are robotic can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot with a washable filter and a self-emptying container, especially if the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. Another feature that is great is a powerful brush that gets into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair legs than others. Others have an automatic cleaning system that cleans brushes to avoid clogging.

Some robot vacuums have navigation tools to help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords, while cheaper models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas you don’t want to leave. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with children who scatter toys and socks all over the home. This allows your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

More robots are equipped with mop heads. This is useful for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. They have 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 need to be refilled more often than other types of robots, however they’re ideal for homes with floors made of wood that aren’t easily cleaned by vacuum.

These robots are loaded with impressive technology, and they cost much less than you would expect. You can get a good one under $200, which does a decent cleaning job on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and area carpets. The robot can be programmed to vacuum specific rooms at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.