The Best Robot Vacuums
A good robot vacuum does the bulk of the work and removes pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it can cling to furniture or sink into carpets. Some also integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to give you the convenience of hands-free operation.
Many models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating around cords that connect devices.
What to Look For
Some robots have advanced features, allowing users to control them with voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as cleaning zones and spots, and the ability to avoid objects. They may also have longer battery lives and bigger dust collection bins.
Select a model with an extensive brush that can clean up large debris and is thin enough to fit underneath furniture. Check if the robot vacuum is able to clean various types of floors without altering brushes or suction settings. This can decrease its cleaning efficiency and shorten its lifespan.
The best robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters that can trap fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also have an ample easy-to-access bin for collecting so that you can empty it often. Some models come with an additional side brush for sweeping up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access areas behind and under furniture. The dustbins are usually transparent, which means you can see how much dirt is in the bin and when to empty it.
You can also make use of the app to set limits around furniture and rooms that you do not want it to enter. Certain models also recognize the kind of floor and adjust their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.
There are robots that can recharge and continue cleaning where they left off when their battery runs out. Some also have a built-in camera that lets you observe the path of your robot vacuum and view what it's collected.
Certain robots can be controlled by voice commands, but not all. Check that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and then test it to see how the robot responds to different commands before you purchase. Some robots will even empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, reducing your chore list a little more. This feature is costly, as are a larger container for collecting waste and a more rapid charging speeds.
Cleaning Performance
While robots aren't able to substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they do offer a reliable and effective alternative to the daily chore of cleaning your floors. The most effective robotic cleaners clean up small particles such as dust, pet hair, and crumbs, as well as larger items like metal shavings and wood shavings. They do this without damaging the flooring or furniture.
Most of the time, they'll detect what type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features accordingly so that they can more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important if your home has various types of flooring. A lot of models come with many options to set up virtual boundaries, which allows you to tell the robot to stay clear from certain areas of your home. This can help keep your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of every scheduled session.
You should also consider the amount of autonomy you're comfortable giving your robot. Some models require you to be present and attentive, whereas others can work independently. They can change cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using the mobile app or via voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Some will map and learn your space and allow you to define zones and tell robot vacuum and mop the robot to clean certain areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot j7+ was the best "set it and forget it" robot. It was superior in mapping the virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles than any of the other robots that we test. It can also empty itself, so you don't need to manually do it. Additionally, the side brushes help sweep debris from edges and corners that a vacuum might not reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors permit it to go under and behind furniture for more thorough cleaning than other robots, and its advanced navigation system allows it to be more efficient in cleaning the entire floor of your home in one charge than other devices we've tested. With its low cost, you'll find it tough to beat in everyday use.
Battery Life
A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less of a chore, and more of an enjoyable experience. Promptly nabbing tracked-in dirt, crumbs, and shed pet hair can make a huge difference in the cleanliness of your home on a daily basis. While a basic robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those who want a bit more of a hands-off experience should look for a model that doubles as mop.
The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one of the top models for both, since it is extremely efficient in both its mop and vacuuming modes and can easily handle dirt debris, pet hair and even cat litter. Its object avoidance function is amazing. It allows it to steer away from objects and not get caught on them.
It comes with a huge dustbin as well as an extremely long-lasting battery, which means it can cover a large amount of space in just one go. It's also a smart cleaner, which means it can track your home, and it is compatible with apps like those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum with voice commands.
The app that comes with the robot allows you to set up schedules, designate rooms to be cleaned or pause/resume sessions. It will notify you when its battery is depleted and then return to the docking station for recharging.
The robot can also differentiate between hard floors and carpets, and adjust its settings in accordance with the type of flooring. This will prevent the machine from becoming stuck on one type of floor and causing damage to furniture. But, it's not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so you will have to be cautious when picking up large objects.
All robot vacuums require a certain level of maintenance, for example brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the dust bin 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 as well as other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.
Cost
The top robot vacuums may not be cheap, but they are far cheaper than professional carpet cleaning machines or even a stand-up vacuum. They also need less maintenance than a traditional vacuum and most require that you empty (and occasionally rinse) their bins of dust after each cleaning session and often wiping down their sensors or cameras.
Many robot vacuums have clever features which make them more efficient in your home. For example, mapping technology allows you to inform the vacuum of where to go using an app, ensuring it doesn't get stuck in stairs or under furniture, where there could be the possibility of a mess. Other robot vacuums can detect the type of floor they are cleaning so they can adjust their suction and brush functions to get the best results.
Certain models come with object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even a camera) to spot toys and other items on the floor. They then instruct the robot to walk around them, rather than running into them. This could be extremely helpful if you have kids or pets who tend to scatter toys around the home.
Voice control is a different feature that you could find useful. It allows you to control your robot with your voice, instead of the on-board buttons. This can be helpful when you have children who aren't yet old enough to operate the controls or just want a hands-free option.
How often you have to utilize your robot is contingent upon the amount of dirt and dust is normally found on your floors. The majority of experts recommend using a robotic vacuuming at least once per week to keep your floors looking great and nabbing pet hair, dirt and lint before it is able to get ground in or become more difficult to get rid of.
If you're working with limited areas of floor space and don't want to make use of your robot for other tasks, a budget model like our top pick the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's reasonably priced, easy to set up and use and can complete the task without causing any noise disruption while you watch TV or work.