What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

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

This smart vac and mop creates a home map after its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future jobs. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, pick one that is able to pick up large objects like toys and lamp cords and dust particles of fine size. This will help ensure they don't become entangled in the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This is especially important if your robot will be regularly cleaned by pets or children.

A model with an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an excellent option. This will help it to be more efficient in removing dust, pet hair and lint from carpets as well as hardwood floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you live in an area that is large you might want to pick models that have multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire home in one go. Some models come with a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting however, they must be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and best robot vacuum for Hardwood floors wiping your sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many owners of robot vacuums we chat with have had the same model for a decade or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot is much less costly than a larger vacuum cleaner. They'll still be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning the surface of dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can send out every week to keep your floors tidy. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of sensors, cameras or lasers to help you navigate your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models will return to their base or dock when their batteries are low. They also can avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. Some of the most expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to remember your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing off walls.

If you're not looking to spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you can still find one that does a great job of picking up 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 removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or the remains of toys. Some come with an auto-emptying base that is handy if you don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning session.

Many robotic vacuums also come with innovative features that make a regular stick vacuum appear ancient such as zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas where you do not want the robot to venture.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will prevent them from tripping over furniture or cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses cameras, processors and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tested but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It was also very rarely derailed or trapped when I was cleaning my floors.

The iRobot J7+ was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however it didn't always do a great job at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in a lot of dust in the filters and a less tidy house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuum for hardwood floors robot vacuums have an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings, set schedules and see an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is an excellent feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. This allows you to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specified times and continue to run on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning your living room prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app will allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

For a truly hands-free experience, choose an option with a big dust bin that can accommodate numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are also models that are self-emptying that take some of the work out of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that is more than a vacuum, think about one that has mopping capabilities. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums, and include a tank of water which can hold several cleaning sessions' worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home. They can even remember the layout from one cleaning to another which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room whenever it comes across walls or furniture.

Our testers found that robots with this feature were very efficient. They could watch television or perform other tasks while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house when you're at work.

App Control

If you want to customize the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode, it's best to get one that works with an app for mobile devices. In the app, you can monitor the condition of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums are operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is simple to keep clean, especially when you are able to access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards, making it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding chair legs than others. Others have an automatic vacuum cleaner robot cleaning system that cleans brushes to prevent clogging.

Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools that aid them in navigating obstacles and to learn about your home. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as furniture, stairs, and cords. Less expensive models might use boundary strips to mark off areas you don't want it to go. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with young kids who throw socks and toys around the house. This helps your robot collect these items instead of scattering.

We're starting to see more robots that have mops, Best robot vacuum For hardwood Floors which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to mop them regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that you can swap in when ready to mop. They might need to be refilled more often than other types of robots, however they're great for homes with floors made of wood which aren't easy to clean using a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology incorporated into these tiny robots and they're cheaper than you think. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that does a good job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean the room on a regular basis. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.