What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

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

This smart vac-mop creates the map of your home using its first run. It then remembers the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that is able to pick up large objects like lamps and toys as well as dust particles that are fine. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brush or end up on your floor. This feature is particularly important for those who have pets or children, and you may have to clean the robot regularly.

A model with a powerful engine and lots of suction is an excellent option. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, lint, and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your home. If you live in an apartment you might want to choose models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire home in one go. Some models also come with a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking 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, emptying the dust bin and wiping down the sensors on a regular basis will keep your machine running smoothly for the years to be. Many robot vacuum owners we speak to have owned their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at removing surface dirt, pet hair, and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can send out several times a week to keep your floor clean. The drawback is that they don't have as advanced technology, and could be prone to getting stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot mop for lvp robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They can also stay clear of obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you're not looking to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can locate a model that does a great job of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and debris from floors that are hard like tile and wood as well as carpets with low pile. They can also handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or discarded toys. Some have an automatic base that drains itself, which is a great feature when you don't need to empty it after each cleaning session.

Many robotic vacuums also come with innovative features that make a standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric, including zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't wish the robot to get into.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Others, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to identify and avoid items like shoes, lamp cords, socks, and pet waste. It's more expensive than the other bots I've tested but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped while working on my floors.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a great obstacle avoidance bot but it wasn't always able to do well in removing dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas, leading to a lot of dust in the filters, and an unclean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums have an app that lets you customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the floor area covered by the machine. This is a handy feature that a few competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start the robot at specific times and run it regularly. For instance, you could clean the living room every morning or prior to dinner.

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

To have a hands-free experience, choose models with a large dust bin that can withstand numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. There are models that self-empty, which takes some of the labor out of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking for a machine that is more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into one that can mop floors. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.

Robots that are more sophisticated can make their own maps, and can remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum because it won't need to go back to the beginning when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test subjects who tested robots with this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could easily watch TV or do 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 while you're working.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning mode, it's best to get one that has an app that can be downloaded on mobile. Within the app, you can also examine the status of your vacuum robot as well as its dust bin. Some of the best hybrid Robot vacuum mop robot vacuums can be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially if you can easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. Another excellent feature is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards which robot vacuums are the best makes it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Some robots are better in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some even have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the clogging of brushes that can occur in other machines.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to learn your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to identify obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. Cheaper models may use boundary strips to mark off areas where you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects is particularly useful for families with young children who scatter socks and toys all over the home. This allows your robot collect these items, instead of scattering them.

We're seeing more robots with mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that you swap in when they're ready to mop. These robots may need to be refilled frequently but they're ideal for homes that have hard floors and can't be easily cleaned by vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots and they're cheaper than you imagine. In fact, you can get a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.