The Best Robot Vacuums
A good robot vacuum does the bulk of the work for you and removes pet hair, lint, and surface dirt before it can cling to furniture or get ground into carpets. They also have smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience.
Many models have maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges or navigating around clusters if device cords.
What to Look for
Some robots have advanced features, allowing you to control them using voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping, cleaning zones and spots, and object avoidance. They could also have longer battery life and larger dust collection bins.
Select a model that has broad brushes that can clean up large debris and is small enough to fit under furniture. Find out if the vacuum is able to clean various types of floors without having to change brushes or suction settings. This can decrease its cleaning efficiency and shorten its lifespan.
The top robotic vacuums have high-quality filters to capture fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also come with an ample accessible bin for collecting so that you can empty it frequently. Some models come with an additional side brush to clean up pet hair and debris in hard-to-reach places under and behind furniture. They also usually have a clear dustbin door that helps you keep an eye on the level of dirt buildup so you can tell when it's time to empty.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum for times when you're likely to be at home, you can use the app to draw the boundaries around your furniture and the rooms that you'd like it avoid. Some models are also able to detect the type of flooring and adjust their brush and vacuum settings to match.
You can also find robots that will recharge and continue cleaning right where they left off in case their batteries are running low. And some have a built-in camera that lets you track the route of your robot vacuum and see what it has taken in.
Some robots can be operated by voice commands but not all. Be sure that the robot you choose is compatible with the voice assistant of your preference, and then test how well it responds to various commands during the purchase process. Some robots will even empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, making your chore list a little bit. This is a costly feature and comes with a bigger storage container and a more rapid charging speeds.
Cleaning Performance
While robots cannot replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they do provide a practical and efficient alternative to the routine of cleaning your floors. It doesn't matter if you have to keep track of dust or pet hair, crumbs and crumbs or nab bigger debris like wood shavings and screws, most top-rated robotic cleaners are adept at picking up various materials in the first pass and without causing any damage to your floor surfaces or furniture.
They will often register the type of surface that they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush settings in order to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is particularly important if you have various flooring types across your home. There are many models that offer an array of options for setting up virtual boundaries, which allows you to tell the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This is useful in keeping your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't be, and it helps to ensure that your entire home is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.
Think about the amount of autonomy your robot can enjoy. Some models require you to be present and attentive, while others work on their own. They can alter cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using an app on mobile devices or by voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Some 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 weekly or daily basis.
In our testing, the iRobot was the best "set it and forget it" robot. It excelled in mapping, forming virtual boundaries and eliminating obstacles better than the other robots we test. It can also empty itself so you do not have to do it manually. The side brushes can help clean debris from corners and edges that a vacuum cannot reach.
Its slim design and infrared sensor allows it to clean behind and under furniture which allows it to do a better job than most robots. And its advanced navigation system lets it to sweep the entire floor of your house on a single battery charge. It's difficult to beat even at its price.
Battery Life
A high-quality robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less like a chore and more like a luxury. Promptly nabbing tracked-in dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair can make all the difference in how clean your home is on a daily basis. A basic robot is able to handle most cleaning tasks. However those who prefer a less hands-on experience may want to look for a model which also can be used as an mop.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI provides excellent performance in both mopping and vacuuming modes. It is able to handle pet hair, dirt, and even cat litter. Its function to avoid objects is amazing. It lets it keep away from objects and not get tangled on them.
It has a large dust bin and a battery that lasts for a long time, so it can cover a significant amount of space in one session. It's also smart vacuum, which means that it can create maps of your home and integrate with apps, such as those provided by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you control it with voice commands.
The app that comes along with the robot allows you to create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning, or pause/resume sessions. It can even alert you to the moment that its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.
Another good thing about this robot is the ability to distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This helps keep the machine from being bogged down in one type of surface or damaging furniture. However, it isn't yet able to website detect high pile carpeting or the seams between rooms, so you'll have to be cautious about picking up large objects.
To ensure that robot vacuums are in top condition, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning brushes of hair, and emptying the dust bin (and sometimes washing it) after every cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these actions and other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.
Cost
The best robot vacuums don't come inexpensive, but they're cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner, or even an entire stand-up vacuum. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as most only require that you empty and sometimes clean their dust bins after every cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums come with smart features that can make them more efficient for your home, like mapping technology that allows you to guide the vacuum on the layout of your home via an app so that it is aware not to go over the stairs or underneath the furniture where there could be the possibility of a mess. Others can identify what floor type they are working on, so they can alter their suction and brush features for the most effective results.
Some models come with object avoidance. The system uses sensors (or cameras) that can detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to avoid them, rather than crashing into them. This is a great benefit for families with children or pets that tend to scatter toys around the home.
One other smart feature that might be important to you is voice control that lets you control the robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on the board. This can be beneficial when you have children who aren't quite old enough to use the controls or just want a hands-free option.
How often you need to utilize your robot is contingent upon how much dirt and debris is typically on your floors. Most experts recommend using your robot vacuum at least every week in order to keep your floors spotless and to get rid of pet hair, lint, and surface dirt.
If you have limited flooring and don't intend to utilize your robot for other purposes, a budget model, such as our top pick the Eufy 11S, is a good choice. It's user-friendly, affordable, and does the job without causing any noise while you work or watch TV.