How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you don't require advanced features like mapping, and aren't worried about emptying your bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum could be for you. Choose a model with clean and tidy base that is compatible with voice assistants.
It excels at removing dirt, pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we've tested. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum will stay on top of the dust, pet hair and dander that accumulates on your floors on a daily basis. It can also decrease the frequency of deep cleaning, saving your time and effort. The most effective models have powerful suction that can take on the most difficult messes and leave your home clean.
A robot vacuum that can also mop will allow you to achieve more coverage using one machine, which could be especially helpful in larger homes. Choose one that has water reservoirs either integrated into the chassis or as a separate item that you swap in when the vacuuming is finished. You'll need to empty and fill it up, however it's an additional chore that requires some extra effort on your part.
In a perfect world, you'd be able to clean your floors before you used your robot vacuum to keep it from running into things. In the majority of homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Most models allow you to use an app that you can install on your phone to create virtual barriers that the robot can observe. Certain models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't wish it to access. For instance an area for children's play or a pile of cords in a corner.
If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model from networking company TP-Link is a great choice. It's quiet, works well on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at your convenience. It has a long battery life of around 180 minutes.
2. Easy to operate
In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors and lasers to navigate around obstacles and suck up dust, food crumbs and pet hair from floors, tiles carpets, and hardwood. Many models come with boundaries strips that help them stay inside a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and start cleaning. Some models include fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down stairs or getting caught in cords.
Look for models that can be controlled from your couch using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also search for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to begin a cleaning session from anywhere via an app. You may want to select a model that has a long-lasting battery and a large dustbin, depending on the size of your home.
Some robot vacuums can also be mopping machines. They utilize water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is useful for normal mopping, but it won't work for tough messes such as pet poop or other spills that get wet. You can choose hybrids with an able mopping pad made of microfiber, or a self-emptying version that allows you to go for up to 60 days before emptying the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a precise map as they clean. This allows them to avoid crashing into furniture and tripping on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however it allows your robot to be aware of the layout of your home and knows where to move when the battery runs out.
Most robots let you create virtual barriers. This can be done via an app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to enter in order to focus on the areas that require the most attention.
Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different flooring types based on the type of flooring they're cleaning, be it that's switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on particular areas of your home, like corners and baseboards. This feature proved helpful in our tests and enhanced the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It's important to tuck away any loose cords or furniture before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught.
4. Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems, and can create a map of the space they clean after each cleaning session. This lets them "learn" how your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes in future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacle avoidance built in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture or getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.
Most robots have an remote control that can be used to guide them around your home. The majority of robots can be controlled via a mobile application, which offers more features. You can typically set up multiple cleaning schedules, create an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot around specific areas using directional arrows on the screen.
Some models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that can be created in the app to prevent the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for kids or dishes and dog beds). Some apps allow you to create an outline of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app on our top pick one, the Roborock S7+, has a lot of useful options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire home without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some robot vacuums are compatible with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create a map of your space, allowing you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.
Most robot vacs have some degree of detection of objects, but higher-end models such as the iRobot J7 have advanced features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can make your life easier (although our test bot did once "eat" socks). socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider an automated mop that comes with an water container that can be filled and then empty.
While none of the models we tested could beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up model, most do an admirable job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and debris, food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. best shark robot vacuum can handle screws and nuts made of metal, as well as stray cat litter. The most effective robot vacuums are able to clean edges and corners and can work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
With the right configuration with the right setup, a robot vacuum will help you keep your home looking and feeling fresh on a regular basis without a lot of effort. You can schedule cleanings through the app and set up zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot won't trample your plants or ruin your favorite chair. Many of our top picks also automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.
The most effective robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or even weeks at a stretch, freeing you from the arduous task of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a daily or weekly basis. This lets you spend more time doing things you like and reduces the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.
During testing, the Q Revo was able to pick up tiny particles such as oatmeal and baking soda, heavier debris such as nails and screws made of steel as well as fluffy things such as hair of pets. It doesn't have the smart mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, however it works well enough for most families.
The best thing about the j7 is that it makes use of cameras and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. This means that you don't have to tidy up before using your robot. However, messy rooms can cause your robot to become stuck and do a poor job.