How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you don't require advanced features like mapping and you don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days A basic robot vacuum is probably suitable for you. Find an option that has a clean base and can work with voice assistants.
It is the best robo-vacuum we have tested for cleaning up pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting with low pile. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum is able to stay clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that build up on your floors on a daily basis. It can also decrease the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you both time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which can clean up most mess with ease and leave your home clean.
You can cover a larger area by using a robot vacuum and mop, which is especially beneficial if you live in a large home. You can find a model that has a water tank integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can take out after vacuuming. It'll need to be filled and empty in order to complete the task.
In a perfect world, you'd clear your floors before you used your robot vacuum to prevent it from hitting things. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models let you use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot is able to detect and avoid. Some have no-go zones which you can use to mark areas you don't want it access, such as children rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.
This model is a great option if you're looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells and whistles. It's quiet, it works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to mop and vacuum at your convenience. It comes with a battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.
2. Simple to operate
In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They use sensors, lasers, and cameras to move around and collect pet hair, dust, and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors and hardwood. Many have boundary strips to help them stay within the walls of a room, while higher-end models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a predetermined time. Some models have fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down stairs or getting caught in cords.
Find models that allow you to control from your couch using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to start a cleaning session from anywhere using an app. You may prefer an option with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as a large dustbin, depending on the size of your house.
Some robot vacuums can double as mops, using water reservoirs to clean your floor. This is ideal for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop or other wet spills. You can find hybrids with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose self-emptying models that let you go for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots utilize advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is only available on the top models however it lets your robot get a complete understanding of your home's layout and know where to move when the battery runs out.
If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home that you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your kids' toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner), most robots offer the possibility of creating virtual barriers, either with their apps or physical boundary strips. shark self emptying robot vacuum can block off areas you don't wish your robot to enter, so that it can focus on the rooms that need the most attention.
A lot of robots can also automatically switch floors based on the kind of flooring they are cleaning. This can be achieved by changing from carpet to hard flooring or by focussing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests it was a great feature that helped improve their scores on picking up hardwood and low-pile carpeting. It is important to secure any furniture or cords that are loose before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught.
4. Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi connectivity and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts that allow users to control them with voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and build an outline of your space after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and design more efficient routes for future runs. There are also built-in obstacles avoidance that prevents them from bumping into furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and pet hair.
The majority of robots come with the ability to control them with a remote that you can use to move them around your home. However, most can also be controlled with an app for mobile devices, which gives you more options. It is possible to set up multiple cleaning schedules, create the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot around specific areas using directional arrows that appear on the screen.
Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers you can create in the app to stop the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dishes and dog beds). Other apps let you create an outline of your home and give the robot detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that will help you clean the house. However, its interface isn't quite as sleek as iRobot or Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacs that can work a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins can save you time and energy. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also make an outline of your home and allow you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.
Most robot vacs have some degree of object detection, but higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will make your life easier (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you're seeking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider the use of a robot mop and water containers that you can fill and empty.
While none of the models we tested can match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel in sweeping up dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They can even tackle some scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum will help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do many tasks. You can schedule cleanings using the app, and you can create no-go zones so that the robot won't get in the way of your favorite chair or plants. Many of our top picks empty their dustbins and clean their docking station.
The top robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for months or weeks at a time, thereby saving you the time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every single week or day. This lets you have more time to do the things you love and reduces the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.
During tests, Q Revo was able to grab small particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also picked up heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, but it works well enough for the majority of families.
The best thing about the j7 is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords as well as socks and shoes and pet waste. This means that you don't need to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, but clutter in your home can mean your bot may get stuck and not do as good a job.