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 sink into carpets. Some also integrate with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience.
Many models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an interactive map of your house. This can help them avoid falling off ledges and navigating around the cords of devices.
What to look for
Certain robots have advanced features that allow you to control them through the app and voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning and object avoidance are just a few of the features. These machines may also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.
Select a model with a wide brush to sweep up large debris, and is thin enough to fit under furniture. Find out if the vacuum is able to clean various types of floors without changing suction settings or brushes. This can decrease its effectiveness in cleaning and decrease its life span.
The best robot vacuums come with top-quality filters to capture fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also come with an ample, easily accessible bin for collecting so that you can empty it frequently. Some come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and debris in hard-to-reach places behind and under furniture. The bins are typically transparent, allowing you to see how much dirt is in the bin, and when to empty it.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum for times when you're most likely to be at home, you can also use the app to draw the boundaries around your furniture and the rooms that you'd like it avoid. Certain models also recognize the kind of floor and adjust their brush and vacuum settings to match.
There are robots that can recharge and continue cleaning where they left off when their battery runs out. Some robot vacuums have cameras built-in that lets you see the path taken by your robot and the data it has gathered.
Some robots are controlled via voice commands, but not all. Make sure that the model you choose is compatible with your voice assistant of preference, and then test the way it responds to different commands during the purchasing process. Some robots can even self-empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations, making your chore list a little bit more. However, this feature comes at a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and a faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots can't replace a full-on vacuum or broom, they can provide a practical and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning floors. If you're looking to keep track of tracked-in dust as well as pet hair and crumbs or nab bigger debris like wood shavings and metal screws Most top-rated robotic cleaners are adept at picking up different types of debris on the first go-around and doing so without damaging your floor surfaces or furniture.
In most cases, they'll be able to detect the type of floor they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features in accordance with the type of surface to more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important when your home is made up of various types of flooring. Many models also come with many options for setting up virtual boundaries that allow you to instruct the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This is helpful for keeping your pets or children from entering areas they shouldn't be, and it can help ensure that your entire home gets cleaned in every scheduled time.
You should also think about how much autonomy you're comfortable with giving your robot. Some models require you to be present and attentive, whereas others can work independently. They can change cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using the mobile app or via voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Some will map and learn your space, allowing you to set up zones and instruct the robot to clean certain areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot was the best "set it and forget it" robot. It was the best in mapping, creating virtual boundaries and getting around obstacles better than the other robots we test. It can also empty itself so you aren't required to manually do it. And, the side brushes are used to sweep debris from edges and corners which a vacuum can't reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors also permit it to go under and behind furniture for more thorough cleaning than other robots. Its advanced navigation system makes it more capable of cleaning the entire area of your home in a single charge as compared to other devices we've tested. For a price that is affordable you'll find it hard to beat in everyday use.
Battery Life
A good robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less like a chore, and more like a treat. The difference between a clean house and a dirty one can be made by removing tracked-in dirt as well as crumbs pet hair, and other messes. While a basic robot is able to best affordable robot vacuum handle the majority of cleaning tasks, those seeking more of a hands-free experience should choose models that double as mop.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI is a top performer in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It can take care of dirt, pet hair, and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, enabling it to avoid objects and not get stuck on them.
It also has a long battery life and a large bin for dust, making it able to cover a considerable amount of space in a single session. It's also a smart cleaner, which means it can map your home and can be used with apps like the ones offered by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to let you control the vacuum using voice commands.
The application that comes with the robot allows you to create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning or the ability to pause and resume sessions. It will notify you when its battery is low and will return to the docking station for recharging.
The robot is also able to distinguish between hard floors and carpets, and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This will prevent the machine from getting stuck on one type of surface and accidentally tearing your furniture. But, it's not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so you will have to be cautious about picking up large items.
All robot vacuums require some level of maintenance, for example getting rid of hair from brushes, emptying (and occasionally rinsing) the bin of dust after each cleaning session, and cleaning sensors or cameras between uses to ensure they are in top shape. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these and other maintenance procedures which can differ based on the model.
Cost
The best robot vacuums may not be expensive, but they are much less expensive than professional carpet cleaning machines or even a stand-up vacuum. They also require less maintenance than a traditional vacuum and most require that you empty (and occasionally rinse) their bins of dust after each cleaning session, and often wiping down their cameras or sensors.
A lot of robot vacuums have intelligent features which make them more efficient within your home. For instance mapping technology allows you to instruct the vacuum on where to go via an app, so it doesn't get stuck in staircase or under furniture, where there might be an unclean mess. Others can tell what floor type they are working on, so they can alter their suction or brush features to get the most effective results.
Some models feature object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even cameras) to spot objects and toys on the floor and coach the robot to go around them, rather than running through them. This could be extremely helpful when you have children or pets who tend to throw toys around the house.
One other smart feature that could be of interest to you is voice control that lets you control your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This is helpful when your children aren't yet old enough to operate the robot or when it's practical for you.
How often you should use your robot will be contingent on how much dirt or debris is on your floor. The majority of experts suggest using your robot vacuum at least every week to keep your floors spotless and remove pet hair, lint, and surface dirt.
If you're only working with only a small amount of floor space and do not intend to utilize the robot for any other purpose and you're looking for a budget model, like our top choice Eufy 11S is a great choice. It's inexpensive, simple to set up and use, and can complete the task without causing any noise disruption while you work or watch TV.