How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need advanced features like mapping, and do not mind cleaning your trash bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably for you. Select a model with an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested for picking up dirt and pet hair from tiles, hardwood floors, and carpeting with low pile. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum cleaner can help you keep track of the pet fur, dust and dander that accumulates on your floor every day. It can also reduce how often you need to deep clean, saving you time and effort. The best models have powerful suction that can take on the majority of messes and leave your home cleaner.

Selecting a vacuum that also mop can help you achieve more coverage with one machine, which is especially beneficial for homes with a large area. Find a model that has a water reservoir either in the chassis or as a separate item that you put in after the vacuuming is done. It will need to be filled and empty and refilled, which is an additional task.

In a perfect universe it would be ideal to clean your floors first before using your robot vacuum, preventing it from running into anything. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. The majority of models let you utilize an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers that the robot will see. Some have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas you don't want it to access, such as children rooms or a stack of cords for your device in the corner.

If you're looking for a simple robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model made by networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It's quiet and works on both hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to vacuum and mop at your leisure. It's got a long battery life, and can last up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums generally require very little from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors, lasers and cameras to move around obstacles and remove dust, food crumbs and pet hair from flooring, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. Many have boundary strips that help them stay within the walls of a room, while more expensive models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a predetermined time. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help users avoid falling down the stairs or becoming tangled in cords.

Find models that you can control from your couch via voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that allow you to begin cleaning anywhere you want using an app. You might want to choose one with an extremely long-lasting battery as well as an enormous dust bin, based on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can also be mopping machines. They utilize water reservoirs to clean the floor. This is useful for normal mopping, but it won't work for tough messes such as pet poop or other spills that get wet. You can find hybrids with a removable microfiber pad that can be used for mopping, or you can choose self-emptying models that let you use the best Robot vacuum cleaner device for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map as they clean. This helps them avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on the top models, but it lets your robot get a complete understanding of your home's layout and The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner knows where to go when the battery is out.

Most robots let you create virtual barriers. This can be done through an application or even physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to access in order to focus on the areas that require the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically switch floors based on the kind of flooring they are cleaning. This can be done by switching from carpet to hard flooring, or by focussing on specific areas of your house, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests it was a great feature that helped improve their pick-up scores for both carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. It's important to tuck away any loose cords or furniture before using your robot vacuum so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create a map of your space after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from bumping into furniture and causing damage or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables shoes, laces for shoes and pet hair.

Most robots have a remote control that can be used to guide them around your house. However, the majority of them can be controlled using an app on your mobile, which gives you more features. You can usually create multiple cleaning schedules, build an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to specific areas by using directional arrows on the screen.

Some models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers can be created in the app to stop the robot from accessing certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and dishes). Certain apps let you draw an image of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app that we recommend as our top choice one, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you tidy your home, however its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire home without stopping to recharge or to empty their dustbins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make a map of your space, allowing you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.

Most robot vacuums offer some degree of detection of objects and object detection, but more expensive models such as the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can simplify your life (although our test bot did "eat" the socks of a pair). socks). If you're looking to improve the quality of your home maintenance, consider a robot mop with water containers that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, they all do a great job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked into. They can also tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacs can effortlessly work through furniture, and they excel at cleaning corners and edges as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum robot mop can keep your home clean and tidy without having to do lots of work. You can schedule cleanings in the app and create zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or ruin your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or weeks at a stretch, saving you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every week or every day. This lets you take more time doing the things you like and reduces the time it takes to clean your floors manually.

During testing during testing, Q Revo was able grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also picked up larger particles like metal screws and nails and fluffy things like pet hair. It doesn't have the smart mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, the best Robot vacuum Cleaner however it works well enough for most families.

The most impressive feature of the j7 is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords and socks, shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy up before running your robot, although cluttered rooms will mean that the robot may become stuck and not perform as well.