How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're able to live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and aren't worried about cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum will probably work for you. Find a model that is clean and works with voice assistants.

It excels at removing dirt, pet hair and cat litter on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum cleaner can help you keep up with the pet fur, dust and dander that settles on your floors every day. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you both time and effort. The most effective models have powerful suction that will easily clean up most mess and leave your home clean.

You can cover a larger area with a robot vacuum and mop, which is especially beneficial if you live in a large home. Look for one that has an water reservoir in the chassis or as a separate item that you swap in when the vacuuming is done. It will have to be emptied and filled in order to complete the task to complete.

In a perfect world, you'd clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from hitting things. In the majority of homes, however this isn't possible or desirable. Most models allow you to use an app that you can install on your phone to create virtual barriers the robot can see. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to flag areas you don't want it to access, such as children rooms or a stack of device cords in the corner.

If you're looking to buy a basic robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a great option. It's quiet, and it works on hard floors and low-pile rugs. It can be scheduled using the app to vacuum or mop at any time. It's got a long battery life, which can last for up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.


2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums typically require only minimal effort from you. They use navigation tools like sensors and lasers to maneuver through obstacles and collect dust, food crumbs and pet hair from hard floors, tiles, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many have boundary strips to allow them to stay within the walls of a room while more expensive models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a predetermined time. Certain models come with fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

Look for models that you can control from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also choose Wi-Fi models that permit users to start cleaning from anywhere with an app. You may prefer one with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your home.

Certain robot vacuums are also mopping. They make use of water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is useful for regular mopping but won't be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, such as pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can pick hybrids with a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that lets you go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan as they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid falling into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's one of the best ways to make sure your robot has a full understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go next when it's low on battery.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done through an app or physical boundary strips. This lets you define areas that you don't want your robot explore, so that it can focus its attention on areas that require the most cleaning.

Many robots can also automatically navigate to different floors according to the type of floor they're cleaning, whether that's switching between hard flooring and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. This feature proved to be useful during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. But, it's still essential to tuck away furniture and cords before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get stuck or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums come with WiFi capabilities and can be controlled via voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums connect to smart home systems, and create a map of the space they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" the way your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. There are also built-in obstacles avoidance that stops them from hitting furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like charging cables that are loose, shoe laces and hair from pets.

The majority of robots come with the ability to control them with a remote that can be used to guide them around your house. Most robots can be controlled by a mobile app which has more options. You can typically create multiple cleaning schedules, create an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to certain areas using directional arrows on the screen.

Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can create within the app to block the robot from accessing certain areas (like kid's toys or dishes for dogs and dog beds). Other apps let you make a map of your home and provide the robot with precise information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features that will assist you in cleaning your home. However the interface isn't as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacs that can clean throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins save you time and effort. Some work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also build an image of your home and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some degree of object detection and object detection, but more expensive models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really make your life easier (although our test bot did once "eat" the socks of a pair). socks). If you're looking to take your home maintenance to the next level opt for a robotic mop that comes with a water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models that we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, they did a great job of cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and food crumbs, tracked-in dirt and pet hair. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and work on furniture. For an affordable model that can work on its own and is reasonably priced look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum will help keep your home tidy and clean without doing much work. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and create zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favourite chair. The majority of our top picks also automatically empty their bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The best robot vacuums are programmable to keep your floors clean for weeks or even months at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every week or even every day. vacuum and mop combo allows you to take more time doing the things you enjoy and reduces the time needed to clean your floors manually.

In our tests, 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 and even fluffy matter like hair of pets. It lacks the intelligent mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks but is still a great option for most families.

The best thing about the j7 is its ability to detect and avoid obstacles like power cords as well as socks and shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up before using your robot. However, rooms that are cluttered can cause your robot to get stuck and do a poor job.