What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair and lint on daily basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, storing your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empties automatically.
Object Detection
When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, select one that can clean up large items like lamp cords and toys and dust particles of fine size. This will help ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This feature is particularly important for those who have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.
It's also a good idea to select a model that has strong motors and plenty of suction power. This will help it to be more efficient in eliminating dust, pet hair and lint off carpets and hardwood flooring.
The size of your home is a different factor to consider. If you have an area that is large, you may want to choose models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in one go. Some models also have mopping functions that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums last a long time however they'll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean on a regular basis will ensure that your robot is running efficiently for the years to come. Many of the robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for ten 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 do an excellent job of cleaning the surface of dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can use several times a week to keep your floors free of dirt. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to getting jammed or needing manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords, and some models can automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on energy. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to memorize the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.
You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a fantastic job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as tiles, wood and low-pile rug. They also be capable of handling larger objects such as metal screws or staples that have rust, or discarded toys. Some come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is great when you don't need to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.
Many robotic vacuums also come with advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric with features like scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them via an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas where you do not want the robot to enter.
Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy 11S and my former favorite the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling with cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses a camera, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or tripped when working on my floor.
While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot, it didn't always do an excellent job of removing dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also was prone to over-vacuum specific areas, leading to dust accumulation in the filters and a less clean house.
Smart Mapping
The best vacuum robot and mop robot vacuums include an app that lets you customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the area covered by the machine. This is a useful feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specific times and continue to run regularly. For example, cleaning the living room every morning or prior to dinner.
A good app will allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.
To have a hands-free experience, opt for an option with a big dust bin that can hold many cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. There are also models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.
If you want a robot capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into one which can mop your floors. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and include a water tank in the interior that can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to needing to be cleaned.
Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps and remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time going back to the beginning of the room when it encounters furniture or walls.
Our test subjects who tested robots with this feature found it to be very efficient. They could comfortably watch TV or complete other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or throughout the house while you are at work.
App Control
It is best to select one that comes with an app that is mobile if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. Through the app, you can also monitor the condition of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
It is simple to maintain a robot with a washable filter and a self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter is easily cleaned and washed. A high-powered brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept in avoiding chair leg splinters than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to prevent the clogging.
Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools that assist them in navigating around obstacles and learn your home. High-end models use sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like furniture, stairs, and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark areas where you don't want to see it go. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with young children who scatter socks and toys around the house. This allows your robot to collect the items instead of scattering.
We're seeing more robots equipped with mops which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to clean them regularly. These robots have an integrated water tank into the chassis, or an additional piece that you can put in when it's time to clean. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other kinds of robots, but they're ideal for homes with hard floors which aren't easy to clean using a vacuum.
These robots come with some amazing technology, and cost significantly less than you'd think. You can find a decent one under $200, which can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean the room on a regular schedule. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.