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 daily basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop makes the map of your home with its initial run. It then stores the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It comes with a huge dust bin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up big items such as lamps and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will help ensure they don't become entangled in the roller brush, and don't end up on your floors. This feature is particularly important for those who have pets or children and good robot vacuum may need to clean the best robot vacuum for carpet and hardwood regularly.

It's also a good idea to select a model that has strong motors and lots of suction power. This will help it to be more effective in removing dust, pet hair and lint from carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you live in a big house, you may want to opt for models with multiple cleaning zones that can cover the entire house in a single session. Some models have a mopping feature that can be used to keep floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your robot functioning efficiently for many years. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same model for 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries along the way).

A basic robot will cost you less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, but they'll do a fantastic job of keeping up with surface dirt, pet hair and lint. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can send out several times a week to keep your floors clean. The drawback is that they don't come with as technological innovation, and may be susceptible to becoming stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They are also able to avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they are running low on energy. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing against walls.

You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They can also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even the remains of toys. Some come with an automatic base that drains itself, which is ideal if you do not want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned with features like zones, schedules, and the capability to control them using an app or voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and '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 pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Others, like the irobot vacuum cleaner and mop Roomba j7+, are more sophisticated. AI obstacle avoidance, which uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to see and avoid items like lamp cords, shoes, socks, and pet waste. It's more expensive than the other bots I've tested, however, it did a great job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get stuck or tangled when I was cleaning my floors.

The J7+ from irobot vacuum and mop combo was a great obstacle-avoiding robot, but it did not always do a great job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas resulting in dust accumulating in the filters and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best i robot vacuum robot vacuums include an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and look at the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific time intervals and run it on regularly, for example, cleaning your living room prior to dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app can also allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without using the app.

To have a hands-free experience, choose a model with a large dust bin that can hold many cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. There are models that self-empty, eliminating the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that is more than a vacuum, think about a model with mopping functions. These are usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have an internal water tank which can store several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before needing to be cleaned.

Robots that are more advanced can develop their own maps and remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to return to where it was when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots that had this feature were extremely efficient. They could sit and watch television or perform other things while the robot was cleaning. Some models employ laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

It's best robot vacuum for carpet to choose one that comes with a mobile application in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and select cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the state of its dust bin using the app. Some of the top robotic vacuums can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that has a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep hygienic, especially when you are able to 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 to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are better at avoiding chair legs than others, and some have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the clogging of brushes that can be a problem in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that allow them to discover your home and overcome obstacles. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas where you don't want it to leave. Object avoidance can be especially useful for families with young children who throw socks and toys around the home. This allows your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

We're seeing more robots with mops, which are beneficial for those who have hard floors and require to mop them regularly. These robots have a water reservoir that is built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They might need to be refilled more often than other kinds of robots, however they're great for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned by vacuum.

We've seen some incredible technology packed into these little robots and they're cheaper than you think. You can find a quality one for under $200. It does a decent job cleaning on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and carpets. The robot can be programmed to clean a particular room on a regular basis. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.