The Best Robot Vacuums
A good robot vacuum will do the bulk of the work and removes pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it can cling to furniture or be sucked into carpets. Many also work with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide an unrestricted experience.
Many models have maps, which allows them to create maps of your home. This helps them avoid tumbling off ledges and traversing 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 a few of the features. They may also have longer battery life and bigger dust collection bins.
Choose a model that has a wide brush to sweep up large debris, and is thin enough to be able to fit under furniture. Make sure the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without changing the suction settings or brushes. This could reduce the effectiveness of cleaning and reduce its life span.
The top robot vacuums come with high-quality filters that trap small particles to guard the interior of your house and a large, easy-to-access bin that allows you to clear it frequently. Some robot vacuums come with an extra side brush to remove pet hair or debris in hard-to reach places like under or behind furniture. They also usually have a clear dustbin door that helps you keep an eye on the level of dirt accumulation so you know when it's time to empty.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to run at times when you're likely be at home, you can use the app to draw the boundaries around your furniture and rooms that you want it to avoid. Some models also register what kind of floor they're cleaning and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings accordingly.
There are robots that recharge and continue cleaning where they left off when their battery is exhausted. Some also have a built-in camera that allows you to track the route of your robot vacuum and even see what it's collecting.
A lot of robots allow you to control them with your voice, though they may not do so as easily as others. Make sure that the model you choose is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice and test it out to see how well the robot responds to various commands before buying. Some robots will even empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, which can reduce the chores you have to do a bit. But this feature comes with cost, as do a larger collection bin and faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots can't substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they can provide a practical and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning floors. The most effective robotic cleaners pick up small debris like pet hair, dust and crumbs, or bigger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They do this without causing damage to the flooring 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 especially important when your home has different types of flooring. A lot of models come with many options to set up virtual boundaries, allowing you to instruct the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This can be helpful in protecting your pets or children from entering areas they shouldn't be in, and also helps ensure that your entire house is cleaned up at the end of every scheduled session.
You should also think about how much autonomy you're willing to give your robot. Some models require your presence and attention while others operate on their own and can change cleaning modes and schedules through a mobile app or voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your home's space, and let you set up zones, and tell the robot to clean specific areas within your home on a weekly or daily basis.
In our tests, the iRobot j7+ was the best "set it and forget it" robot. It was more adept in mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and avoids obstacles than the other robots that we test. It can also empty itself so that you aren't required to do it manually. Additionally, the side brushes are used to sweep debris off edges and corners which a vacuum can't reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors enable it to reach under and behind furniture for an even more thorough clean than most 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 tried. Even at its affordable price you'll find it hard to beat for daily use.
Battery Life
A quality robot vacuum will help keep your floors tidy and feel less like a chore and more like a treat. The distinction between a clean home and one that is dirty can be achieved by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked in, as well as crumbs, pet hair, and other particles. While a basic robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those looking for a bit more of a hands-off experience should look for models that double as mop.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI offers excellent performance both in vacuuming and mopping modes. It can handle pet hair, dirt and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, allowing it to avoid objects and not become stuck on them.
It also has a long battery life and a large dust bin which allows it to cover a considerable amount of space in one session. It also functions as a smart vacuum, which means it can make maps of your home and work with apps, such as those provided by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you control it with voice commands.
The software that comes with the robot is simple and easy to use and allows you to set schedules, define rooms to be cleaned, or stop and resume sessions. It can even warn you when its battery is running low and then return to its docking station to recharge.
The robot is also able to distinguish between carpets and hard floors 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'll still have to be careful when picking up large check here objects.
All robot vacuums require a certain level of maintenance, such as brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the bin of dust after each cleaning session and wiping down cameras or sensors between uses to ensure they are in good condition. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these steps and others, which can vary depending on the model.
Cost
The top robot vacuums may not be expensive, but they are much less expensive than a professional carpet cleaning machine or even a stand-up one. They also need less maintenance than a traditional vacuum as they require that you empty (and occasionally rinse) their dust bin after each cleaning session, and periodically cleaning their cameras or sensors.
Many robot vacuums are equipped with smart features that can help them be more effective in your home, like mapping technology, which allows you to instruct the vacuum to follow the layout of your room through an app so it knows not to run into the stairs or under the furniture, where there could be an issue. Other robot vacuums can recognize the type of floor they are cleaning so they can adjust their suction and brush features to get the most effective results.
Certain models come with object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even cameras) to detect objects like toys and other things on the floor and 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 prone to leaving toys in the home.
Another feature that might be important to you is voice control which allows you to operate your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This can be helpful for children who aren't yet old enough to use the controls or just want a hands-free option.
How often you should use your robot will depend on how much dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. The majority of experts suggest using a robot vacuuming at least once per week to keep your floors looking their best and to remove pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it can get trapped or become difficult to get rid of.
If you're limited with areas of floor space and don't want to utilize your robot for other purposes, a budget model, such as our top pick the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's inexpensive, simple to install and operate and can complete the task without causing any noise disruption while you watch TV or work.