How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you're willing to live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and you don't mind emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum could be a good choice for you. Pick a model that has an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.
It excels at removing dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other vacuum we've tried. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum will stay on top of the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you both time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction that can clean up most mess with ease and leave your house cleaner.
A robot vacuum that can also mop will allow you to get more space by using just one machine. This can be particularly beneficial in a larger home. You can find a model with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. You'll need to empty and refill it, however, so this is an additional chore that requires a little extra work on your part.
In a perfect universe it would be ideal to clean your floors first before you use your robot vacuum, preventing it from crashing into anything. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models allow you to use a smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot is able to be aware of and avoid. Certain models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't wish it to enter. For example an area for children's play or a pile cords in an area.
This model is a good choice if you want an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells. It's quiet and works well on both hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to vacuum or mop at your own convenience. It has a long battery life of around 180 minutes.
2. Easy to operate
In general, robot vacuums require very little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to navigate through obstacles and collect dust, food crumbs and pet hair from hard floors, tiles, hardwood and low-pile carpets. A lot of them have boundary strips that allow them to stay within the walls of a room, while higher-end models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a set time. Some models have fall detection technology that helps users avoid falling down the stairs or becoming tangled in cords.
If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, look for models that can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also select Wi-Fi models that allow you to start cleaning anywhere you want using an app. You may prefer a model that has a long-lasting battery, as well as an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your house.
Some robot vacuums double as mops and use reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is great for regular mopping but won't work for extra-tough messes, like pet poop or other spills that are wet. There are hybrids that come with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose a self-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map while they clean. This allows them to avoid bumping into furniture and getting caught on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is typically only available on more expensive models, but it's certainly one of the best ways to ensure your robot has a complete understanding of the layout of your house and can determine where to go when it's running out of battery.
If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either via their app or a set of physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't wish your robot to enter to allow it to concentrate on rooms that need the most attention.
Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different floors according to the type of flooring they're cleaning, be it that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature was useful in our tests and enhanced the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. It's nevertheless important to put away loose cords and furniture before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.
4. Remote Control
Almost all robot vacuums are WiFi-connected and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that allow you to control them via voice commands or via your smartphone. Many robot vacuums connect to smart home systems and generate an outline of the area they clean after each cleaning session. This allows them to "learn" how your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance, which stops them from crashing into and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables shoes, laces for shoes and pet hair.
Most robots come with a remote that you can use to control them around your home. Most robots can be controlled via a mobile application which has more options. You can typically set multiple cleaning schedules, make the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot around specific areas by using directional arrows on the screen.
Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers you can create within the app to block the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for kids or dishes and dog beds). Some apps let you create a map of your house and provide more detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features to help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacuums that can clean your entire home without stopping to recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create a map of your home and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.
Most robot vacs have some level of object detection and object detection, but more expensive models such as the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" socks). socks). If you're trying to improve your home maintenance, you should consider a robot mop with a water container that can be filled and then empty.
While none of the models that we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, they did a great job cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They also can handle screws and nuts made of metal, as well as cats' litter. The best robot vacs can easily maneuver around furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning edges and corners as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum can help keep your home clean and tidy without you having to do much work. You can schedule cleanings through the app, and you can create no-go zones so that your robot doesn't walk on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks will empty their trash bins for you and clean their docking station.
The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the tedious chore of manually cleaning your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This helps you have more time to do the things you like and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.
In the course of testing the Q Revo was able to capture small particles such as oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of metal and even fluffy matter like hair from pets. It isn't equipped with the intelligent mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks, but it is still a great choice for families with children.
The best thing about the j7 is that it utilizes camera and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up before using your robot. However, cluttered rooms can cause your robot to become stuck and perform an inadequate job.