13 Things About Good Robot Vacuum You May Not Have Known

What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on regular basis. Many robot vacuums work with applications that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries, or "walls," to ensure that the vacuum stays away from areas you don't wish to be cleaned.

This smart vac and mop creates a home map after its first run, storing your space for future use. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically emptys and a self-cleaning, brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up big items, such as toys and lamp cords, as well as dust particles. This will help ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children, and may need to clean the robot regularly.

A model with an efficient engine and plenty of suction is also an excellent choice. This will enable 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 a large house, you may want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models also come with mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will ensure that your robot is running smoothly for a long time. Many of the robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for ten years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot will cost less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job at removing dirt and pet hair, and dust. You can use them to scrub your floor several times a day. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more susceptible to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacuums use cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models will return to their dock or base when their batteries are low. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize your home's layout and therefore spend less time bumping against walls.

If you don't want to spend the money on the most sophisticated robotic vacuums, you could find one that does a great job of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and debris from floors that are hard like tile and wood as well as carpets with a low pile. They also can handle larger particles like metal screws, rusty nails or discarded toys. Some have a base that automatically empty itself, which is a great feature when you don't need to empty it after each cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have clever features, which make the standard stick vacuum look outdated. They include zones-targeting, schedules, and the capability to control them through an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want the robot to get into.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from crashing into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses cameras, processors and intelligent algorithms to avoid objects like lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tried, however it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles and never gets stuck or derailed when working on my floor.

While the iRobot j7+ was a great obstacle avoidance tool, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs off my rugs. It also was prone to over-vacuum specific areas, which resulted in dust accumulating in the filters and a less clean home.

Smart Mapping

The best mapping Robot vacuum robot vacuums come with an app that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. This lets you create profiles which will automatically start the robot at certain times and run it regularly. For example, it could be cleaning the living room each day, or just before dinner.

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

Look for the model with a large dust bin. This will allow you to do numerous cleaning sessions without having empty it. You can find models that self-empty. This eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after every time you vacuum.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that can do more than vacuum, think about the models that have a mopping function. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums and include a tank of water that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before having to be emptied.

Robots that are more advanced can make their own maps, and can remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, because it won't need to return to where it was when it encounters furniture or walls.

Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were extremely efficient. They could watch TV or complete other tasks while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation to create a map of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or throughout the house while you are at work.

App Control

It is best mop vacuum robot combo to select a robot that has an app for mobile devices for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. You can also check the status of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin in the app. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, especially if you can easily access the filter and take it off it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair leg than others. Others come with a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to prevent the clogging.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that aid them in navigating obstacles and to learn about your home. High-end models use sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as stairs, furniture, and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundaries to mark areas where you don't want to see it go. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with children who throw socks and toys scattered across the house, because it allows your robot to grab these objects instead of scattering them.

We're starting to see more robots with mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and need to clean them regularly. These robots come with water tanks built into the chassis or an additional piece that which you can change out when it's time to clean. They might need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're great for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned using a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you think. You can find a quality one under $200, which does a decent cleaning job on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and area rug. You can schedule the robot to clean the room every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.