What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

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

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, look for one that can pick up big items, such as lamp cords and toys, as well as dust particles. This will ensure they don't get snarled in the roller brush, and aren't left behind on your floors. This is especially important if you have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot regularly.

A model with a powerful engine and lots of suction is an ideal option. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your house is another crucial factor to consider. If you live in a large house, you may want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so you can clean the entire house in a single session. Certain models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

best vacmop robot vacuums are tough but they need to be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your robot running efficiently for long time to come. Many owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the same machine for a period of 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries in the process).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll be able to do a fantastic job of cleaning dirt from surfaces pet fur, lint and other debris. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can distribute often throughout the week to keep your floors free of dirt. However, they don't have as smart technology, and can be susceptible to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models will return to their base or dock when their battery is depleted. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture cords and legs. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to learn your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing off walls.

You don't need to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as tiles, wood and low-pile rug. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even discarded toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base, which is useful if you don't want to empty your trash bin after every clean-up.

The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient, including scheduling, zone targeting, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want robots to access.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former top robot vacuum choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance that utilizes a camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles around my home and rarely got stuck or derailment while working on my flooring.

The iRobot J7+ was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a good job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in a lot of extra dust in the filter, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best hybrid vacuum mop robot robot vacuums include an application that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view an image of the area covered by the machine. This is a great feature that some competitors don't have. It allows you to create profiles that will automatically start the robot at specified times and continue to run continuously. For example, it could be cleaning the living room every morning or prior to dinner.

A good app will also let you control your robot via voice commands. Certain models can be controlled by Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, choose an option with a big dust bin that can accommodate several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. You can find models that self-empty, which eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after every time you vacuum.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, you should consider one that has mopping capabilities. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums and have a water tank in the interior which can store many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before having to be empty.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the arrangement from one cleaning to another which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum as it will not have to go back to the beginning when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our testers found that robots with this feature were very efficient. They could sit and watch TV or do other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can make an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency with which the robot cleans your house and select a best cleaning robot mop mode you should choose one that works with a mobile app. You can also check the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin within the app. The best robot vacuum for the money robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially if you can easily access the filter and remove it to wash it. A high-powered brush is a great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better in avoiding the chair's legs than others, and some have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the clogging of brushes that can happen in other machines.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that assist them in navigating around obstacles and help you understand your home. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models often use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark off areas you don't want it to enter. Object avoidance is especially important for families with young children who throw socks and toys scattered across the house, because it assists your robot in capturing those items instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots with mops, which are great for people who have hard floors and need to clean them regularly. They have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in when they're ready to mop. They may need to be refilled frequently however, they are perfect for homes that have hard floors that can't be easily cleaned by a vacuum.

We've seen some amazing technology incorporated into these tiny robots and they're less expensive than you might imagine. You can find a decent one under $200, which can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area rugs. The robot can be programmed to vacuum specific rooms on a regular basis. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.