How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you don't need advanced features such as mapping and aren't worried about emptying your bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably suitable for you. Select a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.
It excels at removing dirt, clumps of cat litter and pet hair on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can help you keep track of the pet fur, dust and dander that collects on your floor each day. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving your time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction that can take on the majority of messes and leave your home cleaner.
You can cover more area with a robot vacuum and mop, which can be useful if you have a large house. Look for models that have water reservoirs either built into its chassis or as a separate item that you swap in when the vacuuming is finished. It will need to be emptied and filled and refilled, which is an additional chore.
In the ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from crashing into objects. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models let you use your smartphone to create virtual barriers that the robot will see and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which can be used to mark areas that you don't want it be in, like kids rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.
If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum with no bells and whistles, this model from the networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It is quiet, works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to mop and vacuum at your convenience. It's got a long battery life, which can last for up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.
2. Easy to operate
Robot vacuums generally need very little from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors lasers, cameras and sensors to move around obstacles and remove food particles, dust and pet hair from floors, tiles carpets, hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. Many models have boundary strips to help them stay inside a room. Higher-end models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and begin cleaning. Some models even have fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down stairs or becoming caught in electrical cords.
If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, look for models that work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also choose Wi-Fi models that allow users to start cleaning from anywhere with an app. Depending on how large your home is, you may prefer one with a long-lasting battery and a roomy dustbin that doesn't require being emptying frequently.
Certain robot vacuums are also mopping machines. They use water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is great for mopping, but not for difficult messes such as pet poop and other wet spills. You can select hybrids with an able mopping pad made of microfiber or a self-emptying model that lets you go up to 60 days before emptying the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Certain robots employ advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan while they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid crashing into furniture or falling over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is only available on higher-end models, but 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.
If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home that you'd rather it stay away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer the possibility of creating virtual barriers, either with their apps or physical boundary strips. This lets you create zones that you don't want your robot venture into, so it can concentrate its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most cleaning.
Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different flooring types based on the type of floor they're cleaning, whether that's switching between hard and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. This feature was useful in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum on hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. It is important to secure any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum so it doesn't get caught.
4. Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems, and can create an outline of the area they clean after each cleaning session. This lets them "learn" how your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. There are also built-in obstacles avoidance that prevents them from hitting furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables shoes, laces for shoes and pet hair.
Most robots have an remote control that can be used to guide them around your house. Most robots can be controlled via a mobile application that comes with more features. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules and create a list with your favorite rooms. You can also guide the robot using directional Arrows.
Certain models have no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can create within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like kids' toys or dog bowls and beds). Other apps allow you to make the map of your house and provide the robot with precise information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features that will aid in cleaning the house. However its interface isn't as polished as that from iRobot or Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robotic vacs that can clean throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their trash bins save you time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your space and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms and stay clear of obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums come with some level of object detection however, higher-end models such as the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to improve your home's maintenance, think about a robot mop with an water container that can be filled and then empty.
While no of the models we tested could match the ability to pick up dirt of a stand-up vacuum, they did a great job cleaning hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. They are great in sweeping up dust and food dust, tracked-in dirt, and pet hair. They also can handle screws and nuts made of metal, as well as cats' litter. The best robot vacuums are able to clean corners and edges and can work on furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
With the proper setup, a robot vacuum can aid in keeping your home looking and feeling cleaner regularly, without a lot of effort. You can schedule your cleanings using the app and set up no-go zones to ensure that your robot doesn't harm your plants or your favourite chair. Many of our top picks will empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking stations.
The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors on a regular basis for weeks or even months at a time, saving you from the arduous task of manually mopping and sweeping your floors on a daily or weekly basis. This lets you take more time doing the things you enjoy and reduces the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.
During testing the Q Revo was able grab fine particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It isn't equipped with the advanced mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks but is still a good choice for most families.
The best thing about the j7 is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords and socks, shoes as well as pet waste. This means you don't have to spend time tidying the room prior to running your robot, however messy rooms can mean that your bot may get stuck and not perform the job as well.