What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will keep you on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or "walls" to keep them out of areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This mop and vac creates a home map with its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future jobs. It has self-cleaning brush rolls and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, choose one that can take in large items, like lamp cords and toys, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure they don't become entangled in the roller brush and don't end up on your floors. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be cleaned regularly by children or pets.

It's recommended to select a model that has an efficient motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, lint, and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your room. If you have a large house it is possible to pick models that have multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models have mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums are long-lasting but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust container and wiping down the sensors on a regular basis will keep your machine running efficiently for the years to be. Many robot vacuum owners we speak to have owned their machines for ten years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot is much less costly than a larger vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning the surface of dirt as well as pet fur and lint. You can use them to scrub your floors multiple times per day. The drawback is that they don't come with as smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They also can avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs, and some models can automatically return to their dock or base when they run out of power. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to memorize the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're running into walls.

You don't have to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a fantastic job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tile, wood and low-pile rug. They can also handle bigger debris like nails that are rusty, metal screws or discarded toys. Some have an automatic base that drains itself, which is a great feature when you don't need to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric such as schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robots to enter.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will stop them from falling over cords or furniture. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance, which uses a camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid objects like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested, however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles within my home and rarely got stuck or tangled while working on my floors.

The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always do a great job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also tends to over-vacuum some areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter, and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuum for high pile carpet robot vacuums come with an app that can help you set up cleaning modes, set schedules and see an outline of the flooring area that the machine covers. This is a great feature that many competitors don't have. It allows you to create profiles that will automatically start the robot at specified times, and keep it running continuously. For instance, you could clean the living area every day or Best Robot Vacuum For High Pile Carpet before dinner.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Certain models can be controlled by Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.

For a truly hands-free experience, opt for a model with a large dust bin that can accommodate numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are also models that are self-emptying that take some of the burden of emptying the robot after each run of vacuuming.

If you want a robot that can do more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into the possibility of a model that can mop floors. These are usually bigger than the robotic vacuums and have a water tank inside which can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

Robots that are more advanced can make their own maps and keep track of the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to return to the beginning when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our testers who used robots with this feature found it to be very efficient. They could easily watch TV or do other chores while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can make an exact map of your home, which means that you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner, or every room in your home while you're at work.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning mode it is recommended to purchase one that works with an app for mobile devices. In the app, you can also check the status of your vacuum and its dust bin. The best robot vacuum for large house vacuums that are robotic can be controlled using Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters makes it easy to keep hygienic, especially when you are able to access the filter and then remove it to rinse it. Another great feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to clean up dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Others come with sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent the clogging.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to understand your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords. Cheaper models may use boundaries to mark areas where you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with young children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, as it helps your robot nab the items instead of scattering them.

More robots are coming with mop attachments. This is great for those with hard floors who require to mop regularly. These robots have a water tank built into the chassis, or an additional piece that you can put in when it's time to clean. These robots may require refilling frequently, but are ideal for homes with hard floors and can't be cleaned with vacuums.

We've seen some incredible technology incorporated into these tiny robots and they're cheaper than you expect. In fact, you can get an affordable model for less than $200 that does a good job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, while moving around the edges of light carpets or area rug. It is possible to schedule the robot to vacuum the room regularly, and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.