What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robotic vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many robot vacuums are compatible with apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or "walls," to ensure that the vacuum is kept away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This mop and vac creates a map of your home with its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future jobs. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can clean up big items such as lamp cords and toys and dust particles of fine size. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush or left on your floor. This is especially crucial if your robot is going to be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an excellent option. This will enable it to be more efficient in eliminating pet hair, dust and lint from carpets as well as hardwood floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your space. If you live in a big house, you may want to opt for models with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire home in one go. Certain models also include a mopping function, which can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly, emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your robot working efficiently for many years. Many of the robot vacuum owners who we talk to have been using their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot mop vacuum combo 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, lint and other debris. You can use them to sweep your floors multiple times per day. The drawback is that they don't offer as much smart technology, and can be susceptible to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or robot mop vacuum Combo cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models will return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bumping into walls.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a fantastic job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as wood, tile and low-pile rugs. They can also take care of bigger debris like metal screws, rusty nails or discarded toys. Some come with an auto-emptying base that is handy if you don't want to empty the dustbin after every cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient with features like zones, schedules, and the ability to control them with an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top 10 robot vacuums pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses cameras, processors and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tried, however it does a great job of avoiding obstacles and never gets stuck or derailed while working on my floor.

The J7+ from iRobot was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always succeed in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in dust accumulating in the filters, and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuum 2023 robots vacuums come with an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and look at an image of the area covered by the machine. This is a handy feature that some competitors lack altogether. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific time intervals and run it on regularly, for example, cleaning the living area prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot using voice commands.

Find the model with a large dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without needing empty it. There are models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the labor out of emptying the robot after each run of vacuuming.

If you want a robot capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to consider a model that can mop your floors. These are usually bigger than the robotic vacuums and have an internal water tank that can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be emptied.

Robots that are more advanced can make 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 efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't have to spend time going back to the beginning of the room when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test participants who utilized the robot that has this feature found it to be extremely efficient, and they could easily watch TV or do other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can make an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or every room in your home while you're working.

App Control

It is recommended to select one that comes with an app that is mobile if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. In the app, you can monitor the condition of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is simple to keep clean, especially when you are able to access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair leg splinters than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to prevent clogging.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that aid them in navigating obstacles and help you understand your home. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to detect obstacles such as stairs, furniture and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundary strips to mark off areas where you don't want it to enter. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who throw socks and toys scattered across the house, because it allows your robot to grab the objects instead of scattering them.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mops. This is great for those with hard floors who require to mop frequently. These robots come with water tanks built into the chassis or a separate piece you can swap in when you're ready to mop. They may need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're perfect for homes with hard floors which aren't easy to clean with a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you imagine. You can find a quality one for less than $200, and it does a decent job cleaning on hard floors, while also navigating around the edges of carpets and carpets. It is possible to schedule the robot to clean the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.