The Best Robot Vacuums
A quality robot vacuum does the bulk of the work and nabs pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it can stick to furniture or sink into carpets. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.
Many models have mapping capabilities, which allow them to create a map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating around cords that connect devices.
What to look for
Certain robots have advanced features that let you control them through the app and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning, and object avoidance are some of the features. These machines could also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.
Choose a model that has an extensive brush that can remove large particles, and is small enough to fit underneath furniture. Also, make sure that the vacuum can be used on multiple floor types without the need to swap brushes or change suction settings, which can make it less effective in cleaning and shorten its life.
The top robotic vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters to capture fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also have an enormous accessible collection bin that allows you to empty it often. Some models come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access areas under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, allowing you to see the amount of dirt in the bin and when to empty it.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to operate at times when you're most likely to be at home, you can also use the app to set an area around your furniture and the rooms that you want it to avoid. Certain models also recognize the type of flooring and alter their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.
You can also find robots that recharge and continue cleaning exactly where they left off if their battery runs low. There are some that have an inbuilt camera that lets you see your robot vacuum's route and even see what it's collecting.
Some robots also allow you to control them with your voice, however they may not do so as easily as others. Make sure that the model you pick is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice and test it out to see how well the robot responds to commands prior to purchasing. Some robots will even empty their bins and clean their docking station, which will help you reduce your chore list. This feature is costly, as are a larger collection container and more rapid charging speeds.
Cleaning Performance
While robots can't replace a full-on vacuum or broom, they can provide an effective and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning floors. The most effective robotic cleaners remove small particles like dust, pet hair and crumbs, or larger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They accomplish this without damaging the floor or furniture.
They usually detect the type of floor they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush functions accordingly to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is particularly important when you have different flooring types throughout your home. Many models offer the option of setting virtual boundaries. This lets you tell your robot to stay out of certain areas in your home. This can be helpful in protecting your pets or children from stepping into areas where they shouldn't, and also helps ensure that your home gets cleaned in every scheduled time.
Consider how much autonomy your robot will enjoy. Some models require you to be present and attentive, whereas others operate independently. They can change cleaning methods and schedules using a mobile application or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and understand your home's layout and allow you to set up zones, and instruct the robot to clean specific areas within your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot+ proved to be the best robot for "set it and forget it". It was superior in mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and eliminating obstacles than any of the other robots that we evaluated. Plus, it can empty itself completely so you don't have to do it manually. It also has side brushes that help sweep debris into its path from corners and edges where the vacuum isn't able to reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors also permit it to go behind and under furniture to provide more thorough cleaning than other robots, and its advanced navigation system allows it to be more efficient in cleaning the entire floor of your home in a single charge than other models we've tested. It's hard to beat, especially at its price.
Battery Life
A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less of a chore, and more like a treat. The difference between a clean house and one that is filthy can be made by removing dirt that has been tracked in, and crumbs, pet hair, and other debris. A basic robot can take care of the majority of cleaning tasks. However, those who prefer a less hands-on experience may wish to search for a model that serves as a mops.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI is a top performer in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It can handle dirt, pet hair, and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, allowing it to steer clear of objects and avoid getting stuck on them.
It also has a long battery lifespan and a large dust bin which allows it to cover a large amount of space in one session. It also functions as smart vacuum, meaning it can make maps of your home and work with apps, such as those provided by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to allow you to control it with voice commands.
The app that comes along with the robot allows you to create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning or pause/resume sessions. It will even warn you the moment that its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.
The robot is also able to distinguish between hard floors and carpets and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This helps to prevent the machine from getting stuck on one type of floor and accidentally tearing your furniture. It is not able to detect high-pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so it is important to be cautious when grabbing large objects.
To keep robot vacuums in good working order, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning the brushes of hair, and emptying the trash bin (and sometimes washing it) after every cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these and other maintenance procedures which can differ based robot mop on the specific model.
Cost
The top robot vacuums aren't expensive, but they're less expensive than a professional carpet cleaner or a full-size stand-up vac. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, as they only require you to empty and occasionally clean their dust bins after each cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums come with smart features that can make them more efficient for your home, for instance mapping technology that allows you to guide the vacuum on the layout of your space through an app so it is aware not to go through the stairs or under the furniture, where there could be the possibility of a mess. Others can identify what floor type they are working on, allowing them to adjust their suction and brush features to get the most effective results.
Some models feature object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even a camera) to identify toys and other items on the floor and coach the robot to go around them instead of running over them. This is a great option when your pets or children are prone to leaving toys all over the home.
Voice control is a different feature you might find useful. It lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of the buttons on the board. This is useful for children who aren't old enough yet to operate the robot, or is it just more convenient for you.
How often you have to use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and dust is typically on your floors. The majority of experts recommend using a robotic vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking good and to remove pet hair, dirt and lint before it gets crushed or become difficult to get rid of.
If you only have only a small amount of floor space and do not plan to utilize the robot for any other purposes such as cleaning, then a budget model, like our top pick Eufy 11S is a great option. It's inexpensive, simple to install and operate, and gets the job done with little noise interference while you watch TV or work.