The Best Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum will take care of the majority of the cleaning for you. It can remove pet hair, lint, and dirt from surfaces and furniture before they become stuck. Many also work with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience.

Many models have maps, which allows them to create a map of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges and navigating around clusters if device cords.

What to look for

Certain robots have advanced features that let you control them via apps and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as spot and zone cleaning and object avoidance. These machines may also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Find a model that has a an extended brush that can clean up large debris and one that's slim enough to fit under furniture. Find out if the vacuum is able to clean different types of floors without altering suction settings or brushes. This can reduce its cleaning efficiency and shorten its lifespan.

The best robot vacuum for thick carpet and pet hair robot vacuums have top-quality filters that catch small particles to guard the inside of your home and a large, easy-to-access bin that you can empty it frequently. Some come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and other debris in hard-to-reach places under and behind furniture. The dustbins are usually transparent, so you can observe the amount of dirt in the bin and when to empty it.

You can also make use of the app to set boundaries around furniture and rooms that you don't want it entering. Certain models can also detect the kind of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to suit the floor.

There are robotics that recharge and continue cleaning the area they left after their battery has run out. And some have a built-in camera that lets you see your robot vacuum's route and view what it's collecting.

Some robots can be operated by voice commands but not all. Make sure the model you choose is compatible with your voice assistant of choice, and test out how it responds to various commands during the purchase process. Some robots will even empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, reducing the chores you have to do a more. This is a costly feature as is a larger collection container and faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots can't replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they can provide a practical and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of keeping floors clean. The most effective robotic cleaners pick up small debris like pet hair, dust and crumbs, or bigger objects like metal shavings and wood shavings. They do this without causing damage to the flooring or furniture.

They will often register the type of floor they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush functions according to the type of floor you have. This allows them to clean it more thoroughly. This is especially important when your home has different types of flooring. A lot of models have the option to set up virtual boundaries. This lets you tell your neato robot vacuum to stay clear of certain areas of your house. This helps keep your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of every scheduled session.

You should also consider the amount of autonomy you're comfortable giving your robot. Certain models require you to be present and attentive, whereas others work on their own. They can change cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using a mobile application or voice commands with an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your home's space, and allow you to set up zones, and instruct the robot only to clean specific areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our testing, the irobot roomba Vacuum mop was the most efficient "set it and forget it" robot. It excelled in mapping, creating virtual boundaries and eliminating obstacles better than the other robots we tested. It also has the ability to empty itself, so you do not have to do it manually. The side brushes are used to sweep debris off edges and corners that a vacuum might not reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors allow it to get behind and under furniture for a deeper clean than most robots, while its advanced navigation system is more efficient in cleaning the entire area of your home in a single charge than other models we've tried. It's a tough one to beat, even at its price.

Battery Life

A good robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less like a chore and more like a luxury. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair can make a big difference in how clean your home feels every day. A basic robot is able to handle the majority of cleaning tasks. However, those who prefer a more relaxed experience may want to look for a model which also can be used as an mop.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is among the top models for both, since it delivers excellent performance in both vacuuming and mop modes, and is able to handle dirt and pet hair, as well as debris and even cat litter. Its feature for avoiding objects is particularly impressive, allowing it to steer clear of objects and not get stuck on them.

It also has a long battery lifespan and a large dust bin which allows it to cover a decent amount of space in a single session. It's also a smart vacuum, which means it can track your home and can be used with apps like those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to let you control the vacuum using voice commands.

The app that comes along with the robot lets you create schedules, assign specific rooms for cleaning, or suspend or resume sessions. It can even notify you the moment that its battery is low and return to its docking station to recharge.

Another good thing about this robot is the ability to distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This helps keep the machine from becoming bogged down in one type of surface or irobot roomba vacuum Mop damaging furniture. However, it is not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you will have to be cautious about picking up large objects.

To keep robot vacuums in top condition they require regular maintenance. This includes cleaning brushes of hair and emptying the trash bin (and sometimes washing it) after every cleaning session. Cameras and sensors should also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these steps and other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums aren't cheap, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner, or even an entire stand-up vacuum. They also require less maintenance than traditional vacuums and most require that you empty (and sometimes wash) their bins of dust after each cleaning session and periodically wiping down their sensors or cameras.

Many robot vacuums come with clever features that make them more efficient for your home, such as mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum on the layout of your room via an app so that it knows not to run over the stairs or underneath the furniture, where there could be a mess. Others can identify what floor type they are working on, allowing them to adjust their suction or brush features to achieve the best robot vacuum that mops results.

Some models feature object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even a camera) to spot objects and toys on the floor. They then instruct the robot to go around them, rather than running into them. This could be extremely helpful when you have children or pets who tend to scatter toys all over the house.

Voice control is another smart feature that you could find useful. It allows you to control your robot with your voice, rather than the buttons on the board. This is helpful for children who aren't old enough to operate the robot, or is it just more convenient for you.

The frequency at which you should use your robot will depend on how much dirt and debris is normally found on your floors. Most experts recommend using a robotic vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking great and to remove pet hair, dust and dirt from the surface before it can get crushed or become difficult to get rid of.

If you're limited with flooring and don't intend to utilize your consumer reports robot vacuum for other tasks, a budget model, such as our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a great option. It's inexpensive, simple to set up and use and does the job with little noise interference while you work or watch TV.