How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you're willing to live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and aren't worried about cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or then, a basic robot vacuum will probably work for you. Look for an option that has a clean base and works with voice assistants.
It is a pro at picking up dirt, cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum is able to stay clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on the frequency at which you have to clean your floors and saves you time and effort. The best model has powerful suction that is able to clean up most mess and leave your home clean.
Selecting a vacuum that also mop can help you cover more ground with one machine, which is especially beneficial in larger homes. There are models that has a water tank integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can remove after vacuuming. It'll need to be emptied and filled and refilled, which is an additional chore.
In ideal world, you'd clean your floors prior to using your robot vacuum to keep it from running into things. In the majority of homes it's not feasible or desirable. The majority of models let you use an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers the robot can observe. Some have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas that you don't want it to be in, like kids rooms or a stack of cords for your device in the corner.
This model is a great choice if you want an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells and whistles. It's quiet, works well on both hard floors and low-pile rugs and can be scheduled through the app to vacuum or mop at your convenience. It's got a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.
2. Easy to operate
In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors and lasers to move around obstacles and remove dust, food crumbs and pet hair from hard flooring, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many models have boundary strips to help them remain inside the room. More expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and begin cleaning. Certain models come with fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down stairs or getting caught in cords.
If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and let you start cleaning sessions from anywhere using an app. You may prefer an option with a long-lasting battery and an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your house.
Some robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is useful for normal mopping, but it won't work for extra-tough messes, such as pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can find hybrids with a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or you can choose a self-emptying model that lets you go for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a precise map as they clean. This helps them avoid hitting furniture and tripping on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is only available on the top models however it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of the layout of your home and to know where it should go when the battery runs out.
If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home that you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your kids' toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their apps or a set of physical boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you don't want your robot to venture into, so it can concentrate its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most cleaning.
Many robots also automatically switch floors based on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be achieved by changing from carpet to hard flooring or by paying attention to specific areas of your house, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved helpful in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. However, it's still important to tuck away furniture and cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't become stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.
4. Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and build maps of your home after each cleaning session to "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future trips. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from hitting and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and hair from pets.
Most robots come with a remote you can use to control them around your home. The majority of robots can be operated by mobile applications which has more options. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules and make an agenda of your most-loved rooms. You can also manually guide the robot by using the directional the arrows.
Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that you can create in the app to stop the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dishes for dogs and dog beds). automatic vacuum and mop robot Robot Vacuum Mops allow you to create an outline of your home and give the robot detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features to aid in cleaning the house. However the interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacuums that can clean your entire house without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some robot vacuums 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 and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to avoid obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 offers advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life much easier (although one of our test robots did "eat" a few socks). If you're looking to push your home cleaning to the next level consider a robot mop that comes with a tank of water that can be filled and then empty.
While none of the models we tested can compete with the power of a stand-up vacuum, they all do a great job of cleaning hard floors and low-pile carpets. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacs can effortlessly work around furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning edges and corners as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum can help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do much work. You can schedule cleanings in the app and create zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks also automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.
The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, saving you from the arduous task of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a daily or weekly basis. This allows you to spend more time doing things you enjoy and decreases the amount of time that your floors require to be cleaned manually.
During testing the Q Revo was able to capture small particles such as baking soda and oatmeal, heavier debris such as nails and screws made of steel as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, however it works well enough for most families.
The j7's best feature is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords and socks, shoes as well as pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before you can run your robot, although cluttered rooms will mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform the job as well.