How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you’re able to live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and aren’t worried about cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum will probably work for you. Pick a model that has an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.
It is a pro at picking up dirt, clumps of pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we’ve tried. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can help you keep track of the pet fur, dust and dander that accumulates on your floor every day. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you both time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which will clean up most mess with ease and leave your home cleaner.
Choosing a robot vacuum that also mop will allow you to cover more ground using one machine, which could be especially helpful in a larger home. There are models with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. It will have to be emptied and filled, so it’s an extra chore.
In the ideal world, you’d clean your floors before you used your robot ilife robotic vacuum cleaner to keep it from crashing into objects. In the majority of homes this isn’t possible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models allow you to use a smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot can detect 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 cords for your device in the corner.
This model is a great option if you’re looking for a basic robot cleaner that does not have all the bells and whistles. It’s quiet, it works on both hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed through the app to mop and vacuum at your leisure. It comes with a battery life that can last up to 180 minutes.
2. Easy to Operate
Robot vacuums typically require very little from you. They utilize sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs off tiles, hard floors and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundary strips to help them stay inside a room. The more expensive models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and start cleaning. Some models include fall detection technology that helps users avoid falling down the stairs or becoming tangled in cords.
If you’re looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to begin a cleaning session from anywhere through an app. Depending on how large your home is, you may prefer an item with a long battery life and a spacious dust bin that doesn’t have to be emptying frequently.
Some robot vacuums can double as mops, using reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is helpful for regular mopping but won’t be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, like pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can find hybrids with a removable microfiber pad that can be used for mopping, or choose self-emptying models that let you go for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map while they clean. This allows them to avoid bumping into furniture or tripping over cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models however it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of the layout of your home and know where to go when the battery is out.
If you don’t want your robot navigating into areas of your house that you’d prefer to keep it away from (like your children’s toys or the mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either via their app or a set of physical boundary strips. This lets you define areas that you don’t want your robot explore, so that it can focus its attention on the rooms and robot vacuum brands spaces that need the most cleaning.
Many robots will also automatically switch floors based on the flooring they are cleaning. This can be done by changing from carpet to hard flooring or by focusing on specific areas of your house like corners and baseboards. This feature proved helpful during our tests and helped improve the vacuum’s performance on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. But, it’s still essential to put away loose cords and furniture before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn’t get caught or get into something it shouldn’t.
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 connect to smart home systems and create an outline of the area they clean after each session. This allows them to «learn» how your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes in future cleaning sessions. Some have obstacles avoidance built-in that prevents them from causing damage to furniture and getting stuck on things such as loose charging cables or pet hair.
Most robots are equipped with a remote control that you can use to move them around your home. However, many can be controlled with a mobile app that comes with additional features. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules and make an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually direct the robot with direction Arrows.
Certain models have no-go zones that are virtual barriers that you can create in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog bowls and beds). Some apps let you create an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features to aid in cleaning the house. However its interface isn’t as sleek as iRobot or shark robot vacuum self empty.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire house without stopping to recharge or to empty their dustbins save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also build an outline of your space, robot vacuum Brands allowing you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms and avoid obstacles.
Most robot vacs have some degree of detection of objects however, higher-end models like the iRobot J7 have advanced features such as «home mapping» and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can make your life easier (although our test bot did once «eat» a pair of socks). If you’re looking to push your home cleaning to the next level consider a robot mop with a tank of water that you fill and empty yourself.
While none 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 and carpets with low pile. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked in. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacuums can remove dirt from edges and corners and can work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
With the right configuration with the right setup, a robot vacuum will assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling cleaner on a regular basis with minimal effort. You can schedule cleanings using the app, and you can create no-go zones so that your robot doesn’t walk on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.
The best robot vacuums are programmable to keep your floors clean for weeks or even months at a time, thereby making it easier to save time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors each week or every day. This allows you to enjoy more time doing things you like and reduces the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.
During testing, the Q Revo was able to capture small particles such as oatmeal and baking soda and heavier debris like metal screws and nails as well as fluffy things like hair from pets. It’s not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, however it works well enough for the majority of families.
The best feature of the j7 is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles like shoes, power cords, socks and pet waste. This means you don’t have to tidy the room prior to running your robot vacuum brands, however messy rooms can mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform as well.