12 Companies Are Leading The Way In Good Robot Vacuum
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 daily basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes a map of your home with its first run. It then remembers the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empties automatically.
Object Detection
When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that can pick up big items, such as lamps and toys as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that the items don't get caught in the roller brush or strewn across your floor. This is especially important when you have pets or children, and 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. robots that vacuum and mop will enable it to be more effective in eliminating dust, pet hair and lint off carpets and hardwood flooring.
The size of your house is another important consideration. If you have a huge home, you may want to opt for a model with multiple cleaning zones that can cover your entire house in one session. Some models also come with mopping functions that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping the sensors clean on a regular basis will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for years to be. Many robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for ten years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as time went by).
A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning the surface of dirt, pet fur and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can send out often throughout the week to keep your floor clean. However, they don't offer as much smart technology, and can be susceptible to becoming stuck or require human intervention.
Object Avoidance
The best robot vacuums use sensors, cameras or lasers to navigate your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords, and some models can automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of energy. Some of the most expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to remember your home's layout and spend less time bouncing against walls.
If you don't want to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you can still find one that does a great job of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and dust from floors made of wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They can also do a good job of handling larger debris like metal screws or staples that have rust, or abandoned toys. Some come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is great if you do not want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.
Some robotic vacuums have smart features, which make the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the ability for you to control them via an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want robots to access.
Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from derailing by running into furniture or getting caught in cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to detect and avoid objects like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles and never is stuck or derails when I'm working on my floor.
Although the iRobot J7+ was a great obstacle avoidance tool however, it wasn't always doing well in removing dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was prone to over-vacuum certain areas resulting in dust accumulation in the filters and a less clean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the best robots vacuums have an application that lets you modify cleaning modes, make schedules, and look at a map of the floor area covered by the machine. This is a great feature that other models don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain times and keep it running on a regular basis, like cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.
A good app can also let you control your robot with voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.
For a truly hands-free experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can accommodate several cleaning sessions before having to be emptied. There are models that self-empty, which eliminates the need to empty the robot after every vacuuming session.
If you're looking for a robotic that does more than vacuum, think about one that has a mopping function. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and come with a water tank that can hold multiple cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.
Robots that are more advanced can make their own maps, and can remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.
Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch TV or do other things while the robot cleaned. Some models employ laser navigation and can make an exact map of your entire home, which means that you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or every room in your home while you're working.
App Control
If you want to customize the frequency at which the robot cleans your house and select the cleaning mode, it's best to get one that works with a mobile app. You can also see the state of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
A robot that self-empties a bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially if you can easily access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. A powerful brush is another fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair legs than others, and some have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the clogging of brushes that can be a problem in other robots.
Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools to help them discover your home and overcome obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to enter. Object avoidance is especially important for families with children who throw socks and toys scattered across the house, as it allows your robot to grab those objects instead of scattering them.
More robots are equipped with mops. This is beneficial for those with hard floors who need to mop frequently. These robots come with a water tank built into the chassis, or an extra piece you can put in when it's time to mop. They might need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're perfect for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.
We've seen some amazing technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you expect. In fact, you can get an affordable model for less than $200 that does a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, while moving around the edges of light carpets or area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.