What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac and mop creates a map of your home with its first trip, and then it will remember your home's layout for future tasks. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that can pick-up large objects like lamps and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brushes or left on your floor. This feature is particularly important when you have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot regularly.

A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is also an ideal option. This will help it to be more effective in eliminating pet hair, dust and lint off carpets and hardwood floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your space. If you live in a big house, you may choose a model with multiple cleaning zones that can cover the entire home in a single session. Some models also have mopping functions, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine functioning efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries in the process).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning surface dirt, pet fur and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floors tidy. However, they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to becoming stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacuums use sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. The most expensive models usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to remember the design of your home and spend less time hitting walls.

You don't need to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a fantastic job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They also can handle larger debris such as metal screws, pure clean Robot vacuum rusty nails or even toys that have been discarded. Some even come with an auto-emptying base that is handy in the event that you don't wish to empty your trash bin after every Pure clean robot vacuum-up.

Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features, making the look of a stick vacuum outdated. These include schedules, Pure Clean Robot Vacuum zone-targeting, and the capability to control them via an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want robots to access.

Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former top choice, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from crashing into furniture or tangling cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance, which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like shoe cords, lamp cords socks and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles within my home and rarely got stuck or tangled when I was working on my floors.

While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance bot, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas leading to a lot of dust in the filters and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums come with an app that helps you set up cleaning modes and schedules, as well as view a map of your flooring area that the machine covers. This is an excellent feature that many competitors don't have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specified times and continue to run on a regular basis, like cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.

A good app can also allow you to control your robot via 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.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, opt for a model with a large dust bin that can withstand many cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. You can also find models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the labor out of emptying the robot after each run of vacuuming.

If you want a robot that can do more than simply vacuum, you'll need to consider the possibility of a model that can mop floors. These are usually bigger than the robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank inside that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be emptied.

Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps, and can remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums, as it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch TV or do other things while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms when you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change how often the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning option it is recommended to purchase one that works with a mobile app. Within the app, you can also examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to access the filter and then remove it to wash it. A high-powered brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair legs than others. Some have sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent obstruction.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to discover your home and overcome obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as furniture, stairs, and cords. The cheaper models could use boundary strips to mark areas you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who throw socks and toys scattered around the house, because it helps your robot nab these objects instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots equipped with mops which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots come with a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate component that you swap in when they're ready to mop. These robots might require frequent refills, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors that aren't cleaned easily with vacuum cleaners.

We've seen some incredible technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might think. You can get a good one under $200, which does a decent job cleaning on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and carpets. The robot vacuum and mop self empty can be programmed to vacuum the room at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.