What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes a map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then stores the space for future cleaning jobs. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.
Object Detection
When you are choosing a robotic vacuum, look for one that can pick up large objects, such as lamps and toys and also dust particles. This will ensure they don't get caught by the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is especially important when you have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot regularly.
It's recommended to choose a model with strong motors and lots of suction power. This will allow it to be more effective in removing dust, pet hair, and lint from carpets as well as hardwood floors.
Another factor to consider is the size of your room. If you have a large house it is possible to select one that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire house in a single session. Certain models have mopping features that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot functioning efficiently for many years to be. Many of the owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have owned the same model for 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries along the way).
A basic robot will cost less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job at keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair, and lint. You can use them to sweep your floor several times a day. However, they don't offer as much technological innovation, and may be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.
Object Avoidance
The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home and prevent getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models will return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They also can avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing against walls.
If you don't want to spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you could locate a model that does a great job of removing pet hair, dirt, dust and dust from floors made of tile and wood as well as carpets with a low pile. They also do a decent job of handling larger debris like metal screws or staples that have rust, or discarded toys. Some have an automatic base that drains itself, which is a great feature if you do not want to empty it every cleaning session.
Many robotic vacuums also come with advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric, including schedules, zone targeting and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't wish robots to access.
Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Others, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance, which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles within my home and rarely got derailed or trapped when I was cleaning my flooring.
Although the iRobot J7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance robot but it wasn't always able to do an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was prone to over-vacuum certain areas, leading to dust accumulating in the filters, and a less clean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the best robot vacuum and mop for tile floors robot vacuums have an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings set schedules, and view the area of floor that the machine covers. This is an extremely useful feature that many competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles which will automatically start the robot at specific times and run it continuously. For example, it could be cleaning the living room each day, or just before dinner.
A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.
To have a hands-free experience, choose an option with a big dust bin that can accommodate several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. You can find models that self-empty, eliminating the need to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.
If you're looking to purchase a robot that does more than vacuum, think about one that has mopping functions. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums, and have an internal water tank that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and other debris prior to having to be empty.
The most advanced robots can create their own maps of your house and can even remember the layout between cleanings and help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to where it was when it encounters furniture or walls.
Our test subjects found that robots that had this feature were very efficient. They could watch TV or complete other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you're working.
App Control
If you want to customize the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning mode it is recommended to purchase one that is compatible with an app for mobile devices. Within the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuums can be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
It is easy to maintain a robot equipped with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially if the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the obstruction of brushes that may happen in other machines.
Some robo-vacs have navigation tools that assist them in navigating around obstacles and learn your home. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as stairs, furniture, and cords. Less expensive models might utilize boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who throw socks and toys scattered around the house, since it allows your robot to grab those objects instead of scattering them.
More robots are coming with mop attachments. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop frequently. These robots come with a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece can be swapped in when ready to mop. These robots may need to be refilled frequently however, they are perfect for homes with hard floors that can't be cleaned with a vacuum.
We've seen some impressive technology incorporated into these tiny robots and they're cheaper than you expect. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that can do a decent job of cleaning pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. It is possible to schedule the robot to vacuum the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.