What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning times and set virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop creates the map of your home with its initial run. It then stores the area 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 selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up large objects like lamp cords and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will ensure that they don't get snarled in the roller brush and aren't left behind on your floors. This is especially important when you have pets or children, and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.

It's an excellent idea to select a model that has an efficient motor and plenty of suction power. This will enable it to be more effective in removing dust, pet hair and lint off carpets and hardwood flooring.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have a large house, you may want to select one that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in one session. Some models also have mopping capabilities, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained and cleaned regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is working efficiently for many years. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot will cost you less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job of keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair and lint. You can use them to scrub your floor several times a day. The downside is they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to getting stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the staircase. They also can avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of power. The ones that are more expensive usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're running into walls.

If you don't want spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you could locate a model that does a great job of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and carpets with a low pile. They can also do a good job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even discarded toys. Some models even have an auto-emptying base which is helpful in the event that you don't wish to empty the dustbin after every clean-up.

Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric, including scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't wish robots to access.

Certain 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 furniture or cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's more expensive than other bots I've tested however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get derailed or trapped when I was cleaning my flooring.

Although the iRobot J7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance bot but it wasn't always able to do an excellent job of removing dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was prone to over-vacuum specific areas, resulting in dust accumulating in the filters, and a less tidy house.

Smart Mapping

A few of the top robot vacuum robot vacuums come with 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 handy feature, and one that many competitors don't have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific time intervals and run it on regularly, for example, cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app can let you control your robot using voice commands. Certain models can be controlled by Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free. You can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.

To have a hands-free experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can hold many cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. You can also find models that self-empty which takes a portion of the labor out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, you should consider one that has mopping functions. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and include a water tank inside that can hold many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your house and can even remember the arrangement from one cleaning to another and help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time going back to the beginning of the room when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers who used a robot with this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient, and could watch TV or do other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation and can make an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning option you should choose one that is compatible with an app for mobile devices. You can also view the status of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the best buy robot Vacuum robotic vacuums can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially if you can easily access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. Another feature that is great is a powerful brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards, making it easier to remove dirt and hair. Certain robots are more adept in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some even have an auto-cleaning sensor that helps prevent the obstruction of brushes that may happen in other machines.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that help them learn your home and get around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark areas you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly beneficial for families with young kids who scatter toys and socks all over the home. This helps your robot to collect these items, instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mops. This is great for those with floors that are hard and need to mop frequently. These robots come with a water tank built into the chassis or an additional piece that which you can change out when it's time to clean. They may need to be refilled more often than other types of robots, however they're ideal for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.

These robots are loaded with some amazing technology, and they cost much less than you'd expect. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that does a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and best buy robot Vacuum crumbs off hard floors, and also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. You can program the robot to sweep a room every day, and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.