10 Quick Tips About Good Robot Vacuum
What to Look For in automatic vacuum and mop robot can keep you on top of pet hair, lint and dust on a regular basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac and mop creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your space for future use. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.
Object Detection
When picking a robot vacuum, choose one that is able to pick up large items, like toys and lamp cords, and also fine dirt. This will ensure that they don't get caught in the roller brush or left on your floor. This feature is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by pets or children.
A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is an ideal choice. This will allow it to be more effective in removing dust, pet hair, and lint from carpets and hardwood floors.
The size of your house is another important consideration. If you live in a large house, you may want to select a model that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean the entire house in a single session. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.
Robot vacuums can last for a long time, but they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping down the sensors on a regular basis will ensure that your robot is running efficiently for years to be. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for a decade or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).
A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll still be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning dirt from surfaces, pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance tool that you can send out several times a week to keep your floor free of dirt. However, they don't have as technological innovation, and may be prone to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.
Object Avoidance
The best robot vacuums use sensors, cameras or lasers to navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their base or dock when their battery is depleted. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The more expensive ones often have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.
If you don't want to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can find a model that is capable of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and carpets with a low pile. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even abandoned toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base that is handy in the event that you don't wish to empty the dustbin after every clean-up.
Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features, making the standard stick vacuum look outdated. They include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want the robot to enter.
Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance that uses sensors powered by processors to detect and avoid objects like shoe cords, lamp cords socks and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or derails when I'm working on my floor.
The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however it didn't always do a great job at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas resulting in dust accumulating in the filters and a less tidy home.
Smart Mapping
A few of the top robot vacuums have an app that can help you set up cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view a map of your area of floor that the machine covers. This is a useful feature that some competitors lack altogether. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specified time intervals and run it on a regular basis, like cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.
A good app will allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.
Find a model that has a large dustbin. This will allow you to perform many cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can find models that self-empty. This eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.
If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, consider a model with a mopping function. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank that can hold multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before it needs to be empty.
Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps, and can remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to where it was when it comes across walls or furniture.
Our testers who used a robot with this capability found it to be very efficient, and could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation and can create an exact map of your home, meaning you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house while you're working.
App Control
It's best to choose one that comes with a mobile application in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. You can also see the state of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin in the app. Some of the top vacuums that are robotic can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.
A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, particularly if you can easily access the filter and remove it to rinse it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that gets into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to remove hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Others come with sensors that automatically clean brushes to avoid obstruction.
Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to learn your home and overcome obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models sometimes use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who throw toys and socks scattered throughout the house, since it allows your robot to grab those items instead of scattering them.
We're seeing more robots equipped with mops which are great for people who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. They have a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate piece you can swap in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other kinds of robots, however they're ideal for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned using a vacuum.
These robots are packed with impressive technology, and they cost a lot less than you'd think. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. You can schedule the robot to clean the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.