How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you don't need advanced features such as mapping and aren't worried about emptying your bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably the best choice for you. Select a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.
It is the best robo-vacuum we have tested for picking up dirt and pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and carpets with low pile. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can keep up with the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a daily basis. It also can reduce the frequency you have to deep clean which will save you time and effort. The most effective models feature powerful suction, which can clean up most mess with ease and leave your house
cleaner.
Selecting a vacuum that also mop will help you cover more ground with one machine, which could be especially helpful for homes with a large area. Find one that has water reservoirs either in the chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when the vacuuming is done. It'll need to be filled and empty in order to complete the task to complete.
In a perfect world you would clean your floors before using your robot vacuum to stop it from crashing into anything. In most homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Thankfully, most models allow you to use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the
robot vacuum for stairs will be aware of and avoid. Some have no-go zones which you can use to flag areas that you don't want it to be in, like kids rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.
If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum without all the bells and bells, this model from the company that makes networking TP-Link is a good choice. It is quiet, can be used on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed through the app to vacuum and mop at your convenience. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.
2. Easy to Operate
Robot vacuums typically require very little from you. They make use of navigational tools such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to move around and collect dust, pet hair, and food crumbs from hard floors,
cleaner tiles and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundary strips to help them stay inside a room. More expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and begin
cleaning robot mop and vacuum. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or becoming tangled in cords.
Find models that can be controlled from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. Also, look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to begin cleaning from any location using an app. Depending on the size of your house is, you might prefer a model that has a long battery life and a spacious dust bin that doesn't have to be regularly emptied.
Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is helpful for regular mopping but won't be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, like pet poop, or other spills that get wet. You can pick hybrids with a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that lets you go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots utilize advanced mapping technology to create an accurate map of your floorplan as they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid falling into furniture or falling over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is usually only available on higher-end models, but it's certainly one of the best ways to ensure your robot has a full understanding of the layout of your house and can determine where to go when it's running out of battery.
If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your house that you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your kids' toys or the mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer the possibility of creating virtual barriers, either through their app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't wish your robot to go into, so that it can concentrate on areas that require the most attention.
Many robots will also automatically switch floors based on the floor they are cleaning. This can be done by changing from carpet to hard flooring, or by focussing on specific areas of your house like corners and baseboards. This feature proved useful in our tests and enhanced the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and low-pile floor carpeting. It's important to tuck away any loose cords or furniture before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught.
4. Remote Control
Almost all robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that enable users to control them with voice commands or via your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and build an outline of your space after each cleaning session, so that they can "learn" your layout and design more efficient routes for future runs. Some have obstacle avoidance built in to prevent them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or pet hair.
Most robots come with a remote that you can use to steer them around your home. However, many can be controlled with an app on your mobile that comes with additional features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules, and create a list with your favorite rooms. You can also manually guide the robot by using the directional the arrows.
Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers you can create in the app to stop the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for children or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Some apps let you draw an image of your home and
cleaner provide detailed information about the floors. The app on our top pick, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you clean your house, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robotic vacuums that can sweep all over your home without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins save you time and effort. Some robot vacuums work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also make an image of your space and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can simplify your life (although one of our test bots did "eat" a couple of socks). If you're trying to improve your home maintenance, think about an automated mop that comes with a water container that you can fill and empty.
While none of the models we tested could compete with the power of a stand-up vacuum the majority of them do an excellent job at cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They excel at picking up food crumbs and tracked-in dirt. They are also able to handle metal screws and nuts and the stray cat litter. The best robot vacs can easily work their way around furniture and are great at cleaning edges and corners as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
With the right setup with the right setup, a robot vacuum will aid in keeping your home looking and feeling cleaner every day without much work from you. You can schedule cleanings in the app and create no-go zones so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favorite chair. Many of our top picks empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.