What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum can keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many robot vacuums are compatible with applications that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or "walls," to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes a map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then remembers the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.
Object Detection
When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that can pick-up large objects like lamps and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will help ensure they don't get caught by the roller brush and aren't left behind on your floors. This feature is particularly important for those who have pets or children, and need to clean the robot on a regular basis.
It's an excellent idea to select a model that has strong motors and lots of suction power. This will help it be more effective in removing pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.
Another important consideration is the size of your space. If you live in an apartment, you may want to pick models that have multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire home in one go. Some models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums are long-lasting, but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping the sensors clean regularly will keep your machine running efficiently for years to be. Many of the robot vacuum owners who we talk to have been using their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries with time).
A basic robot is less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning surface dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. You can use them to sweep your floors several times per day. They don't have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to help you navigate your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their base or dock when their batteries are low. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture cords and legs. The most expensive models usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to memorize the arrangement of your home, and spend less time hitting walls.
If you're not looking to spend a lot of money on the latest robotic vacuums, you can find a model that is capable of picking up pet hair dirt, dust, and crumbs from hard floors like tile and wood as well as carpets with a low pile. They also be capable of removing larger debris such as metal screws, rusty staples or abandoned toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base, which is useful in the event that you don't wish to empty the dustbin after every cleaning run.
Certain robotic vacuums come with smart features that make the standard stick vacuum look quaint. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the ability for you to control them through an app or a voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robots to venture.
Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top choice, Roborock S8, come equipped with obstacle avoidance technology to keep them from tripping over furniture or cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles within my home. It also didn't get stuck or derailment while working on my flooring.
The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot, but it did not always do a great job at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my rugs. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum some areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter and a less-clean house.
Smart Mapping
A few of the top robot vacuums have an app that can help you set up cleaning modes, set schedules and see a map of your area of floor that the machine covers. This is a useful feature, and one that a few competitors do not have. This makes it easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain times and keep it running on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.
A good app will allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.
To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, opt for an option with a big dust bin that can withstand several cleaning sessions before having to be empty. There are also models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the burden of emptying the machine after each cleaning run.
If you're looking for a machine that can do more than just vacuum, you'll want to consider a model that can mop your floors. These are usually bigger than robotic vacuums and come with an internal water tank that holds many cleaning sessions of dirt and debris before needing to be cleaned.
Robots that are more advanced can create their own maps, and can remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, since it won't need to spend time going back to the beginning of the room whenever it encounters furniture or walls.
Our test subjects who tested a robot with this feature found it to be very efficient. They could easily watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house while you're working.
App Control
It's best to choose the vacuum that comes with 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 as well as the state of its dust bin within the app. The best vacuums that are robotic can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.
A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to access the filter and take it off it to wash it. A powerful brush is another excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards to remove dirt and hair. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the clogging of brushes that can occur in other machines.
Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools that help them navigate around obstacles and learn your home. High-end models have sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models may use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it helps your robot nab the items instead of scattering them.
We're starting to see more robots equipped with mops which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and require to regularly clean them. These robots come with an integrated water tank into the chassis, or an extra piece you can put in when you're ready to mop. They may need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're perfect for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.
We've seen some amazing technology incorporated into these tiny robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might imagine. In read article , you can find a decent one for less than $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. It is possible to schedule the robot to sweep rooms every day and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.