What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on daily basis. Many robot vacuums have applications that let you schedule cleaning times. You can also set virtual boundaries, or 'walls,' to keep the vacuum away from areas you don't wish to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop creates an outline of your home with its initial run. It then stores the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, make sure you choose one that can pick up large objects, such as lamp cords and toys, as well as dust particles. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brush or left on your floor. This is especially important when you have pets or children, and you may have to clean the robot regularly.

It's an excellent idea to select a model that has a powerful motor and lots of suction power. This will enable it to be more effective in getting rid of dust, pet hair and lint off carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you live in an apartment, you may want to select one that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean the entire house in a single session. Some models also come with mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are tough but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we have spoken to have owned their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries with time).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do a great job at removing dirt and pet hair and lint. You can use them to scrub your floor several times a day. The downside is they don't come with as technological innovation, and may be prone to getting stuck or require human 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 staircase. They can also avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs, and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they run low on energy. The more expensive ones often feature mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're hitting walls.

If you don't want splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can still locate a model that does a great job of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and debris from floors that are hard like tiles and wood, as well as low-pile carpets. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or discarded toys. Some come with self-emptying bases that is handy for those who don't want to empty the trash bin after every clean-up.

Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric such as schedules, zone targeting and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robots to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Self-cleaning robotic vacuum Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will prevent them from tripping over cords or furniture. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get stuck or derailment when I was working on my flooring.

While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance bot however, it wasn't always doing well in removing dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum some areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best vacuum with mop robot robot vacuums come with an app that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the area covered by the machine. This is a handy feature that a few competitors do not have. This lets you create profiles which will automatically start the robot at certain times, and keep it running continuously. For example, it could be cleaning the living area every day, or just before dinner.

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

Choose models with a large dustbin. This will allow you to perform many cleaning sessions without having empty it. There are models that self-empty, which eliminates the requirement to empty the machine after every time you vacuum.

If you want a robot that can do more than simply vacuum, you'll need to consider a model which can mop your floors. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank that can hold multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can develop their own maps and remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't have to spend time going back to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers who used robots with this feature found it to be very efficient, and they could comfortably sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or throughout the house when you're at work.

App Control

If you'd like to alter how often the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning option you should choose one that is compatible with a mobile app. In the app, you can monitor the condition of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuum for carpet and hardwood robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot equipped with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. A high-powered brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Others have sensors that automatically clean brushes to avoid obstruction.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that allow them to learn your home and overcome obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who have socks and toys scattered around the house, because it helps your robot nab the objects instead of scattering them.

More robots are equipped with mops. This is useful for those with hard floors who require to clean regularly. They come with a water tank built into the chassis, Robot vacuum mops or a separate piece you can put in when you're ready to mop. They may need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're perfect for homes with floors made of wood that aren't easily cleaned with a vacuum.

These robots come with impressive technology, and they are priced significantly less than you'd think. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. You can program the robot to clean rooms on a regular basis and can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.