What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a daily basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop creates an outline of your home with its first run. It then saves the space to help you with future cleaning tasks. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, select one that is able to pick up large objects like lamp cords and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will ensure they don't get snarled in the roller brush, and don't end up on your floors. This is especially important for those who have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

It's an excellent idea to choose a model with a powerful motor and lots of suction power. This will help it be more effective in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your carpets and 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 one with multiple cleaning zones that cover the entire house in one go. Some models also come with mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is working efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the same model for 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries along the way).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, but they'll still do an excellent job of keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and lint. You can use them to clean your floors several times per day. The downside is they don't have as technological innovation, and may be susceptible to becoming stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or cameras to help them navigate your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They are also able to stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and some models can automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on energy. The more expensive ones often come with mapping capabilities that permit them to remember the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're hitting walls.

If you don't want to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can locate a model that is capable of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like tiles and wood, as well as carpets with a low pile. They can also take care of larger particles like nails that are rusty, metal screws or discarded toys. Some even come with self-emptying bases which is helpful if you don't want to empty your trash bin after every cleaning run.

Many robotic vacuums also come with smart features that make your ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned, including zones, schedules, and the ability to control them via an app or 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 go.

Some robotic vacs, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from derailing by running into furniture or getting caught in cords. Others, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes sensors powered by processors to detect and avoid objects like lamp cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles in my home. It also didn't get stuck or derailment when I was working on my floors.

The iRobot J7+ was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always succeed at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum specific areas, leading to dust accumulation in the filters, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robots vacuums come with an app that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and look at the floor area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. This lets you create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specific times, and keep it running continuously. For example, cleaning the living room each day or before dinner.

A good app can allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.

Find models with a large dust bin. This will allow you to perform numerous cleaning sessions without having to empty it. You can find models that self-empty, which eliminates the requirement to empty the machine after each vacuuming session.

If you want a robot capable of doing more than just vacuum, you'll want to look into one that can mop your floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums and include a tank of water that can hold multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before needing to emptied.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the arrangement from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum as it will not have to go back to where it was when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch television or perform other things while the robot cleaned. Some models use laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you are at work.

App Control

It's best to choose a robot that has an app for mobile devices for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose a cleaning mode. You can also check the status of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the best robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying bin, particularly when the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. A high-powered brush is a great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair legs than others. Some have sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent obstruction.

Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that help them navigate around obstacles and help you understand your home. The most expensive models employ sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark areas you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, since it helps your robot nab those objects instead of scattering them.

We're beginning to see more robots equipped with mops which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to regularly clean them. They come with a water tank built into the chassis or an additional piece that you can swap in when it's time to mop. They may need to be refilled frequently but they're ideal for homes with hard floors that aren't cleaned with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some incredible technology in these small robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you imagine. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. It is possible to schedule the robot to sweep a room every day, and it can be controlled remotely via the app or by pressing buttons on its side.