The Best Robot Vacuums
A good robot vacuum will do most of the work for you and removes pet hair, lint and dirt before it can stick to furniture or get ground into carpets. Many robot vacuums are compatible with smart assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free cleaning experience.
Many models include the ability to map, which allows them to create a map of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges or navigating cords that connect devices.
What to Look for
Some robots come with advanced features that allow you to control them via apps and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning and object avoidance are just a few of the features. These machines could also come with larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.
Look for a model with broad brushes that can sweep up large pieces of debris and one that is slim enough to fit under furniture. Also check whether the robot vacuum can be used on multiple floor types without having to swap out brushes or change suction settings. This can decrease the effectiveness of cleaning and shorten its life.
The best robot vacuums have high-quality filters that trap small particles to guard the inside of your home and an ample, easy-to-access collection bin that allows you to empty it frequently. Some models come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and debris in hard-to-reach places behind and under furniture. The bins are typically transparent, which means you can see the amount of dirt in the bin and when you should empty it.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum for times when you're likely to be at home, you can also use the app to draw a boundary around your furniture and areas that you'd like it avoid. Some models are also able to detect the type of floor and alter their brush and vacuum settings accordingly.
There are robots that can recharge and continue cleaning the area they left after their battery has run out. Some robot vacuums come with cameras that lets you see the path that your robot has taken and the information it has collected.
Some robots are controlled via voice commands, but not all. Be sure that the robot you choose is compatible with your voice assistant of choice, and test out how well it responds to various commands during the purchase process. Some robots can even empty their bins and clean their docking stations which can reduce the chore list. This feature is expensive as is a larger container for collecting waste and a faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots cannot replace a full-on vacuum or broom, they provide an effective and efficient alternative to the daily chore of keeping floors clean. The best robotic cleaners can clean up small particles like dust, pet hair, and crumbs, as well as larger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They do this without harming furniture or floors.
Most of the time, they'll detect the type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly to more effectively clean your floors. This is particularly important when you have a variety of flooring throughout your home. There are many models that offer a wide range of options to set up virtual boundaries that allow you to tell the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This is helpful for keeping your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't be in, and it helps to ensure that your entire house is cleaned at the end of every scheduled time.
Think about how much autonomy your robot will have. Certain models require you to be present and attentive, whereas others work on their own. They can change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile application or voice commands with an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and learn your home's layout and allow you to define zones and instruct the robot only to clean certain areas in your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the best robot to "set it and forget it". It was more adept at mapping the virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles than any of the other robots that we test. It also has the ability to empty itself so you do not have to manually do it. The side brushes can help clean debris off edges and corners that a vacuum might not reach.
Its slim design and infrared sensor enable it to clean under and behind furniture which allows it to do a better job than most robots. Its advanced navigation system enables it to clean the entire floor of your home using just a single charge of battery. It's difficult to beat even at its price.
Battery Life
A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less of a chore, and more like a treat. The difference between a clean house and one that is dirty can be achieved by getting rid of tracked-in dirt as well as crumbs, pet hair, and other particles. While a simple robot can handle most cleaning tasks, those who want an extra hands-free experience should choose a model that doubles as a mop.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI provides excellent performance in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It is able to handle pet hair, dirt and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, allowing it to steer clear of objects and not become stuck on them.
It comes with a huge dustbin and a long-lasting battery, so it can cover a significant amount of space in just one go. It's also a smart vacuum, which means it can track your home and is compatible with apps like the ones offered by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum with voice commands.
The application that comes with the robot allows you to create schedules, define specific rooms for cleaning or suspend or resume sessions. It will notify you when its battery is running low and will return to the docking station for recharging.
This robot can also distinguish between carpets and hard floors, and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This helps to prevent the machine from squeezing on one type of floor and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it isn't yet able to recognize high pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so you'll still have to be careful when 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 should be cleaned after each use. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these and other steps to maintain that more info may differ based on the specific model.
Cost
The top robot vacuums aren't expensive, but they're cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even an entire stand-up vacuum. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they require that you empty and sometimes rinse their dust bins after each cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums are equipped with intelligent features that make them more efficient for your home, like mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum to follow the layout of your room via an app so that it is aware not to go into the stairs or under the furniture, where there could be a mess. Other robot vacuums are able to detect the type of floor they are cleaning, so they can alter their suction and brush features to get the most effective results.
Some models come with objects avoidance. It makes use of sensors (or cameras) that detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is directed to stay clear of them, rather than crashing into them. This is a great solution when your pets or children are prone to leaving toys around the house.
Voice control is another useful feature that you could find useful. It lets you control your robot with your voice, rather than the buttons on board. This can be beneficial for children who aren't quite old enough to operate the controls, or if you are looking for a hands-free option.
How often you should use your robot will depend on the amount of dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. The majority of experts recommend using your robot vacuum at least once per week in order to keep your floors clean and to remove pet hair, lint, and surface dirt.
If you have limited areas of floor space and don't want to make use of your robot for other tasks, a low-cost model like our top choice the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's inexpensive, simple to set up and use and does the job with minimal noise disturbance while you work or watch TV.