What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on daily bases. Many work with apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This best smart vacuum vac and mop creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your space for future use. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up big items such as toys and lamp cords and fine dust. This will help ensure they don't get caught by the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This is especially important for those who have pets or children and need to clean the robot regularly.

A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is a good choice. This will enable it to be more effective in eliminating dust, pet hair, and lint from carpets as well as hardwood flooring.

Another important consideration is the size of your space. If you live in an apartment you might want to select one that has multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models also have mopping capabilities that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are tough but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we have spoken to have been using their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot is less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll perform a great job of cleaning dirt from surfaces, best sweep And mop vacuum pet fur and lint. You can use them to scrub your floors several times per day. They do not have as much technology and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. They are also able to avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they are running low on energy. The ones that are more expensive usually come with mapping capabilities that permit them to memorize the arrangement of your home, best hardwood floor robot vacuum and mop and spend less time bumping into walls.

You don't have to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a fantastic job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tiles, wood and low-pile rugs. They also do a decent job of handling larger debris like metal screws and staples that are rusty or even abandoned toys. Some models even have a self-emptying base, which is useful if you don't want to empty the dustbin after every cleaning run.

Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient with features like schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them with an app or voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas you do not want the robot to go.

Some robotic vacs such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from crashing into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of sensors, cameras and smarts to avoid items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tested, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles and rarely gets stuck or derailed while working on my floor.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a solid obstacle avoidance tool however, it wasn't always doing an excellent job of avoiding dust and crumbs from my carpets. It also tends to over-vacuum certain areas, which resulted in an abundance of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best Rated robot vacuum and mop combo robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and see a map of the floor area covered by the machine. This is a handy feature, and one that some competitors lack altogether. This allows you to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific times and continue to run on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app will allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

For a truly hands-free experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can hold numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that self-empty which takes a portion of the burden of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.

If you're looking for a machine that can do more than just vacuum, you'll want to consider one that can mop your floors. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums, and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can create their own maps and remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, since it won't have to spend time going back to the beginning of the room whenever it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test participants found that the robots with this feature were extremely efficient. They could sit and watch television or perform other things while the robot cleaned. Some of these models utilize laser navigation and can create an exact map of your home, which means that you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or every room in the house when you're at work.

App Control

It's best robot vacuum combo to choose a robot that has an app for mobile devices if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin using the app. Some of the top robot vacuums are controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, particularly when you are able to access the filter and then remove it to wash it. Another feature that is great is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Some have an automatic cleaning system that cleans brushes to prevent obstruction.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that allow them to understand your home and overcome obstacles. High-end models have sensors and cameras that can detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark areas where you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly beneficial for families with young children who scatter socks and toys all over the home. This helps your robot collect these items instead of scattering.

More robots are coming with mops. This is great for those with floors that are hard and need to clean regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate piece can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more frequently than other kinds of robots, however they're ideal for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned with a vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might think. You can find a quality one under $200, which can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors and can be scoured around the edges of carpets and area carpets. You can schedule the robot to sweep the room every day, and it can be controlled remotely via the app or by pressing buttons on its side.