How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you're willing to live without advanced features such as mapping, and aren't worried about emptying the dustbin every 60 days or then, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Find one that is clean and is compatible with voice assistants.
It is a pro at picking up dirt, cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other vacuum we've tested. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.
- Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum cleaner can help you keep up with the dust, pet fur and dander that collects on your floor every day. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you time and effort. The most effective models feature powerful suction, which can clean up most mess with ease and leave your home clean.
You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum and mop, which can be beneficial if you live in a large house. Find models that have water reservoirs either integrated into the chassis or as a separate piece that you put in after vacuuming is complete. It will need to be emptied and filled in order to complete the chore.
In a perfect world, you'd clear your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. However, in the majority of homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models allow you to use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot can detect and avoid. Some models include no-go areas that you can mark areas you don't wish it to be allowed to enter. For example the child's room or a pile cords in a corner.
This model is a great option for those looking for a basic robot cleaner that does not have all the bells and whistles. It's quiet, and it works on hard floors as well as low-pile rugs. It can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at your own convenience. It's got a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.
- Simple to operate
In general, robot vacuums require very little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors and lasers to maneuver around obstacles and suck up food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. A lot of them have boundary strips that allow them to stay within a room's walls, while higher-end models can be set to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a set time. Some even come with fall detection technology that prevents falling down stairs or becoming caught in electrical cords.
Find models that can be controlled from your couch via voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also select Wi-Fi models that allow you to begin cleaning anywhere you want using an app. You may prefer one with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as a large dust bin, depending on the size of your house.
Certain robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is great for mopping, but not for difficult messes such as pet poop and other spills. There are hybrids that have an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or you can choose a self-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.
- Smart Mapping
Certain robots employ advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan while they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or falling over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is only available on the top models however it lets your robot have a thorough understanding of the layout of your home and to know where it should go when the battery runs out.
Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done using an application or even physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't wish your robot to enter to allow it to concentrate on areas that require the most attention.
Many robots will also automatically change floors based on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be accomplished by switching from carpet to hard flooring, or by focussing on certain areas of your home like corners and baseboards. This feature proved useful during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It's nevertheless important to secure furniture and cords that are loose prior to running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.
- Remote Control
The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems and create a map of the space they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" the way your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes in future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacle avoidance features built in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture and getting stuck on things such as loose charging cables or pet hair.
Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. The majority of robots can be operated by mobile applications that comes with more features. You can set up a variety of cleaning schedules, and create a list with your favorite rooms. You can also manually guide the robot using direction arrows.
Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers that can be created within the app to block the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and dishes). Some apps let you draw an image of your home and provide detailed information on the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features to help you clean the house. However, its interface isn't quite as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.
- Long Battery Life
robot vacuum cleaner black friday vacuums that can sweep your entire home without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some robot vacuums are compatible with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also draw a map of the space that allows you to program them to specific rooms or areas and to stay clear of obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, but the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can simplify your life (although one of our test robots did "eat" two socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, you should consider an automated mop that comes with water containers that you can fill and empty.
While none of the models that we tested could match the ability to pick up dirt of a standup vacuum, they did an excellent job of cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They excel at picking up fine dirt, food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked in. They also can handle screws and nuts made of metal as well as the stray cat litter. The best robot vacuums are able to clean edges and corners and can work on furniture. For an affordable model that can work on its own and is comparatively inexpensive take a look at the Eufy 11S.
- Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum can help keep your home clean and tidy without you having to do lots of work. You can schedule cleanings through the app, and create no-go zones so that the robot won't walk on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks also automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.
The best robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a stretch, saving you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every single week or even every day. This allows you to take more time doing the things you enjoy, and decreases the time it takes to clean your floors manually.
In our tests the Q Revo was able to grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal as well as heavier debris such metal screws and nails as well as fluffy things such as hair of pets. It isn't equipped with the smart mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks, but is still a great choice for families with children.
The best thing about the j7 is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes and socks and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before using your robot. However, cluttered rooms may cause your bot to get stuck and do an inadequate job.