How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't require advanced features like mapping and you don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum could be the best choice for you. Look for a model with a clean base and works with voice assistants.

It is the best robo-vacuum we have tested at getting rid of dirt and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile, and carpets with low pile. It also maps and mopping robot vacuum cleaner create virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will stay clean of the dust, pet hair and dander that build up on your floors on a daily basis. It can also decrease the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you time and effort. The best model has powerful suction that will easily tackle most messes and leave your home sparkling clean.

A robot vacuum that can also mop can help you cover more ground by using just one machine. This is especially beneficial in a larger home. Look for models that have water reservoirs either integrated into the chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when the vacuuming is done. You'll have to empty it and fill it up, however it's an additional task that requires a little extra work on your part.

In the ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. In most homes, however, this is not possible or desirable. Most robots allow you to make use of an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers that the robot will observe. Some models include no-go areas, which you can flag areas you don't wish it to enter. For example, a child's room or a pile of cords in an area.

This model is a good robot vacuum option if you're looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells. It's quiet, it is able to work on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be programmed through the app to mop and vacuum at your own convenience. It has a long battery life of around 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Bob Robot Vacuum vacuums generally need very little effort from you. They utilize sensors, lasers, and cameras to move around and collect pet hair, dust and food crumbs off tiles, hard floors and hardwood. Many models come with boundary strips to help them remain in a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and start cleaning. Certain models come with fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or becoming tangled in cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, look for models that 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 might want to choose an option with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to wash your floor. This is ideal for mopping, but not great for difficult messes such as pet poop and other spills. There are hybrids that come with a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or opt for self-emptying models that let you go 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map while they clean. This makes it easier to avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over cords or legs of chairs. This feature is only available on higher-end models, but it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of the layout of your home and to know where it should move when the battery runs out.

If you don't want your robot to venture into areas of your home you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner), most robots offer the possibility of creating virtual barriers, either via their app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to go into to allow it to focus on the rooms that need the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically switch floors based on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be achieved by changing from carpet to hard flooring or by focussing on specific areas of your house, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests this was a helpful feature that improved their pick-up scores for both carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. However, it's still important to secure furniture and cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums come with WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from bumping into and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose, shoe laces and hair from pets.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. Most robots can be controlled by a mobile app which has more options. You can usually create multiple cleaning schedules, build an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to specific areas using directional arrows on the screen.

Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that you can set up in the app to prevent the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for kids or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Certain apps let you draw an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The app we ranked as our top pick one, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you clean your house, but its interface isn't as polished as the ones from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can clean your entire home without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also make a map of your living space, allowing 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 however, higher-end models like the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" socks). socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider an automated mop vacuum robot that comes with an water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested could match the ability to pick up dirt of a standup vacuum, they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors as well as carpets with low pile. They excel in sweeping up dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They are also able to handle nuts and screws made of metal as well as cats' litter. The best robot vacs can effortlessly work around furniture, and they are great at cleaning corners and edges as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right setup and the right setup, a robotic vacuum can help you keep your home looking and feeling fresh on a regular basis without much work from you. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't damage your plants or your favorite chair. Many of our top picks will empty their dustbins for Heavy duty you and clean their docking station.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or even weeks at a time, removing you from the tedious chore of manually mopping and sweeping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This helps you spend more time on things you love and decreases the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

During testing the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like oatmeal and baking soda and heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel and even fluffy matter like hair of pets. It lacks the advanced mapping and objects-avoiding features of our top picks, but it is still a great choice for most families.

The greatest feature of the j7 is that it uses camera and processor-powered sensors to identify and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means you don't have to spend time tidying up before you can run your robot, however messy rooms can mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform as well.