What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many robot vacuums are compatible with apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or "walls," to ensure that the vacuum is kept away from areas you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a map of your home with its first trip, and then it will remember your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with a large dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, look for one that can pick up big items, such as toys and lamp cords, and also dust particles. This will help ensure they don't get snarled by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

A model with an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an excellent option. This will help it be more effective at getting up pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you live in a big home, you may want to opt for models with multiple cleaning zones that can clean the entire home in one session. Certain models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums last a long time however, they must be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your machine working efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have had the same machine for a decade or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries in the process).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job of keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can use several times a week to keep your floors tidy. However, they don't have as smart technology, and can be susceptible to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums robot utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They are also able to stay clear of obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on power. The most expensive models usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.

You don't have to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as tiles, wood and low-pile rugs. They also can handle larger debris such as metal screws, rusty nails or even toys that have been discarded. Some have an automatic base that drains itself, which is ideal when you don't need to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features, making the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. They include scheduling, zone-targeting and the capability to control them via an app or a voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas you do not want the robot to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from crashing into furniture or tangling with cords. Some best robot for mopping floors vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tested, but it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or tripped when I'm working on my floor.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot but it wasn't always able to do well in removing dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas, which led to an abundance of dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuums come with an app that can help you customize cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view an outline of the floor area that the machine covers. This is a great feature that many competitors don't have. It is easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific times and keep it running on regularly, for example, cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app can allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free. You can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.

Find the model with a large dustbin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without having to empty it. You can find models that self-empty, eliminating the need to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a robot capable of doing more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into the possibility of a model that can mop your floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dust and dirt before needing to emptied.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout between cleanings and help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to the beginning when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers who used the robot that has this feature found it to be very efficient, and they could easily watch TV or complete other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can then program them to clean your bedroom after dinner, or all rooms when you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change how often the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode, it's Best robot vacuum with Mapping to get one that works with a mobile app. In the app, you can monitor the condition of your vacuum and its dust bin. Some of the best vacuum cleaner and mop robot vacuums that are robotic can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot that has a washable filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. Another great feature is a high-powered brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards making it much easier to clean up hair and dirt. Certain robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could occur in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools to help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords, while cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, since it assists your robot in capturing these objects instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mop heads. This is useful for those with hard floors who need to mop regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other kinds of robots, but they're perfect for homes with floors made of wood that aren't easily cleaned by vacuum.

We've seen some amazing technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you imagine. In fact, you can find an affordable model for less than $200 that can do a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean a particular room on a regular basis. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.