The Best Robot Vacuums
A quality robot vacuum does most of the work and removes pet hair, lint, and surface dirt before it can stick to furniture or be sucked into carpets. Many robot vacuums integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.
Many models come with maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This helps them avoid tumbling off ledges or navigating the cords of devices.
What to Look For
Certain robots come with advanced features, which allow you to control them using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping, spot and zone cleaning, and objects avoiding. They might also have longer battery lives and larger dust collection bins.
Find a model that has a a wide brush that can sweep up large pieces of debris and one that's small enough to fit under furniture. Also check whether the robot vacuum can be used on multiple flooring types without having to change brushes or change suction settings. This can reduce its cleaning effectiveness and reduce its lifespan.
The top robotic vacuums come with top-quality filters that can trap fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also have a large easy-to-access bin for collecting so that you can empty it often. Some robot vacuums come with an extra side brush to sweep up pet hair and debris from hard-to reach places, such as 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.
You can also make use of the app to set limits around furniture and rooms that you do not want it to enter. Some models can also detect the kind of floor and adjust their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.
There are also robots that recharge and continue cleaning right where they left off if their battery is low. And some have a built-in camera that lets you observe the path of your robot vacuum and even see what it's taken in.
Certain robots can be controlled by voice commands but not all. Make sure the model you pick is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and then test it to see how well the robot responds to various commands before you purchase. Some robots will even empty their trash bins or clean their docking stations which will reduce your chore list. This feature is expensive and comes with a bigger collection container and faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots aren't able to replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they can provide a practical and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning your floors. The most effective robotic cleaners pick up small debris such as dust, pet hair, and crumbs, or larger items like metal shavings and wood shavings. They do this without damaging furniture or floors.
They often detect 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 if your home is surrounded by various types of flooring. A lot of models have the option of setting up virtual boundaries. This lets you instruct your robot to stay clear of certain areas of your house. This is useful in protecting your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't be in, and it can help ensure that your entire home is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.
Consider how much autonomy your robot can enjoy. Some models require you to be present and attentive, while others operate independently. They can alter cleaning methods and schedules using an app on mobile devices or by voice commands with an integrated smart assistant. Some models can map and understand your home and allow you to create zones and tell the robot to clean specific areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot was the top "set it and forget it" robot. It was the best robot floor cleaner in mapping, forming virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles better than all the other robots we tried. Additionally, it can completely empty itself so you don't need to do that manually and has side brushes that help to sweep debris out of corners and edges that it is difficult to reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors allow it to get under and behind furniture for a deeper clean than most robots. Its advanced navigation system makes it more efficient in cleaning the entire area of your home in a single charge than other devices we've tried. It's difficult to beat even at a reasonable price.
Battery Life
A quality robot vacuum will make keeping your floors clean feel less like a chore and more like a treat. The distinction between a clean home and a dirty one can be achieved by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked in, as well as crumbs pet hair, and other messes. While a basic robot is able to handle the majority of cleaning tasks, those looking for more of a hands-off experience should look for a model that doubles as mop.
The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is among the top models for both, since it is extremely efficient in both vacuuming and mop modes and is able to easily deal with dirt, debris, pet hair and even cat litter. Its ability to avoid objects is remarkable. It allows it to avoid objects and not get caught on them.
It has a large dustbin and a long-lasting battery, so it can cover a significant amount of space in a single session. It's also smart vacuum, which means that it can make maps of your home and integrate with apps, such as those provided by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you control it with voice commands.
The app that comes with the robot is simple and easy to use, allowing you to set schedules, designate rooms for cleaning, or to pause and resume your sessions. It will alert you when its battery is depleted and will return to the docking station for recharging.
The robot can also differentiate between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This helps to prevent the machine from squeezing on one type of surface and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it isn't yet able to recognize high pile carpeting or the seams between rooms, so you'll have to be cautious about picking up large items.
To keep robot vacuums in good working order they require regular maintenance. This includes cleaning the brushes of hair and emptying the trash bin (and sometimes washing it) after each cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these steps as well as other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.
Cost
The most effective robot vacuums aren't expensive, but they are considerably less expensive than professional carpet cleaning machines or even a stand-up one. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they only require you to empty and rinse their dust bins following every cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums have clever features that make them more efficient for your home, such as mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum to follow the layout of your space via an app so that it doesn't run into the stairs or under the furniture, where there might be an issue. Other robot vacuums can recognize the type of floor they are cleaning, so they can adjust their suction and brush capabilities to achieve the most effective results.
Certain models come with object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even cameras) to identify toys and other items on the floor. They then instruct the robot to walk around them, rather than running through them. This is a great option for families with pets or children who are known to leave toys in the home.
One other smart feature that may be important to you is voice control that lets you control the robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This is helpful if your children aren't yet old enough to operate the robot or when it's convenient for you.
How often you should use your robot will depend on the amount of dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. 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, lint and surface dirt before it is able to get ground in or become more difficult to get rid of.
If you're working with limited flooring and don't intend to make use of your robot for other tasks, a budget model like our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's inexpensive, simple to set up and use, and does the job with minimal noise disturbance while you work or watch TV.
