The Best Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum will take care of most of the cleaning for you. It will remove pet hair, lint and dirt from surfaces and furniture before they get stuck. Many robot vacuums are compatible with smart assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.
Many models include maps, which allows them to draw a map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges or navigating around clusters of devices if cords are.
What to Look For
Certain robots have advanced features that let you control them via apps and voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as spot and zone cleaning, and object avoidance. They might also have longer battery life and larger dust collection bins.
Look for a model with an extended brush that can sweep up large pieces of debris and one that's slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Also, make sure that the vacuum can be used on multiple floor types without having to swap out brushes or alter suction settings, which could make it less effective in cleaning and reduce its lifespan.
The best robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters that catch fine particles and safeguard your home. They also have an enormous, easily 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 debris in difficult-to-access places such as under and behind furniture. They also typically have a clean dustbin door that helps you keep an eye on the amount of dirt accumulation so you know when it's time for you to empty the.
You can also use the app to set the boundaries of furniture and rooms that you don't want it entering. Some models are also able to detect the type of flooring and adjust their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.
There are also robots that recharge and resume cleaning exactly where they left off in case their battery is low. Certain robot vacuums have cameras built-in that allows you to see the route taken by your robot and what it has collected.
Certain robots can be controlled via voice commands however, not all. Make sure that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice, and test out how it responds to different commands during the purchasing process. Some robots can even self-empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations, reducing the chores you have to do a bit more. But this feature comes with a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots cannot substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they do provide an effective and efficient alternative to the routine of cleaning your floors. The most effective robotic cleaners clean up small particles like dust, pet hair and crumbs, or larger objects like metal shavings and wood shavings. They do this without harming furniture or floors.
They will often register the type of floor they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush functions in order to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is particularly important if you have different flooring types in your home. Many models offer the option to set virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay out of certain areas of your house. This helps to keep your pets and children from getting into areas they shouldn't. It will also ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of every scheduled session.
You should also think about how much autonomy you're comfortable with giving your robot. Some models require your attention and presence while others work on their own, with the ability to change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile app or voice commands through an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your space and allow you to create zones, and tell the robot to clean certain areas in your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the best robot to "set it and leave it". It was a master in mapping, forming virtual boundaries and getting around obstacles better than the other robots we tried. It also has the ability to empty itself so that you do not have to do it manually. Additionally, the side brushes are used to sweep debris from corners and edges that a vacuum cannot 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 efficient in cleaning the entire floor of your home on a single charge than other models we've tried. It's a tough one to beat, especially at its price.
Battery Life
A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore, and more like an indulgence. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shedding pet hair can make a big difference in how clean your home feels every day. A basic robot can handle the majority of cleaning tasks. However, those who prefer a less hands-on experience may wish to search for a model which also doubles as a mops.
The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is among the best models for both as it delivers excellent performance in both its mop and vacuuming modes, and is able to handle dirt, debris, pet hair and even cat litter. Its feature for avoiding objects is awe-inspiring, allowing it to steer clear of objects and avoid getting stuck on them.
It has a large dustbin as well as a long-lasting battery, so it can cover a large amount of space in one session. It's also a smart cleaner, which means it can track your home, and it is compatible with apps like those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to let you control the vacuum with voice commands.
The app that comes along with the robot lets you create schedules, assign rooms to be cleaned or pause/resume sessions. It will even alert you to the moment that its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.
This robot can also distinguish between carpets and hard floors, and adjust its settings in accordance with the type of flooring. This helps to prevent the machine from becoming stuck on one type of floor and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it is not yet able to recognize high pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so you'll still have to be careful when picking up large objects.
All robot vacuums require a certain amount of maintenance, such as brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the bin of dust after each cleaning session. Also, cleaning sensors or cameras between uses to keep them in top shape. The manufacturer will offer specific guidelines for these and other steps to maintain which can differ based on the model.
Cost
The most effective robot vacuums might not be expensive, but they are much less expensive than a professional carpet cleaner or even a stand-up one. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they require that you empty and rinse their dust bins after each cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums have intelligent features that help them be more effective in your home, for instance mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum on the layout of your room by using an app, so it knows not to run over the stairs or underneath the furniture where there could be the possibility of a mess. Others can identify what floor type they're working on, so they can adjust their suction or brush functions for the best rated robot vacuum results.
Certain models have object avoidance. The system uses sensors (or a camera) which can detect toys and other objects lying on the floor. The robot is then instructed to avoid them instead of running into them. This could be extremely helpful when you have children or pets who scatter toys all over the home.
Another smart feature that may be important 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 old enough to operate the robot, or when it's convenient for you.
How often you should use your robot will be contingent on how much dirt or debris is accumulating on your floor. Most experts suggest using your robot vacuum at least every week in order to keep your floors clean and to remove pet hair, lint and surface dirt.
If you're working with limited areas of floor space and don't want to use your robot for other tasks, a low-cost model, such as our top choice the Eufy 11S, is a great option. It's user-friendly cost-effective, and can do the job without creating any noise when you're working or watching television.