How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you don't require advanced features such as mapping and don't mind emptying your dustbin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum could be for you. Pick a model that has an uncluttered base that can work with voice assistants.
It excels at picking up dirt, pet hair and cat litter on hardwood floors, tile and low-pile carpeting better than any other robo vacuum we've tried. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can keep up with the dust, pet hair and dander that collects on your floors on a daily basis. It can also cut down on the frequency you have to deep clean and saves your time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which will take on the majority of messes and leave your home cleaner.
You can cover a larger area with a robot vacuum and mop, which is particularly useful if you have a large home. Look for a model that has an water reservoir in the chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in when the vacuuming is finished. It'll need to be emptied and filled, so it's an extra task to complete.
In a perfect universe, you would clear your floors first before using your robot vacuum to prevent it from running into anything. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Thankfully, most models allow you to use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot will detect and avoid. Some models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't wish it to enter. For example the child's room or a pile of cords in an area.
If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum with no bells and bells, this model from networking company TP-Link is a great option. It's quiet and can be used on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to vacuum and mop at your own convenience. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.
2. Simple to operate
Robot vacuums generally require only minimal effort from you. They use navigation tools like sensors and lasers to maneuver around obstacles and suck up food particles, dust and pet hair from hard floors, tile, hardwood and low-pile carpets. A lot of them have boundary strips that help them stay within a room's walls, while pricier models can be set to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a predetermined time. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help users avoid falling down the stairs or getting caught in cords.
Find models that allow you to control from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and let you start cleaning from any location via an app. Depending on how large your house is, you might prefer a model with a long-lasting battery and a roomy dustbin that doesn't have to be emptied frequently.
Some robot vacuums can also be mops. They make use of water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is ideal for mopping, but not great for difficult messes such as pet poop or other wet spills. You can select hybrids that have an able mopping pad made of microfiber, or a self-emptying version that allows you to stay for up to 60 days without emptying the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map as they clean. This allows them to avoid hitting furniture or tripping over cords or chair legs. This feature is typically only available on higher-end models, but it's one of the best ways to ensure that your robot has an accurate understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go next when it's low on battery.
Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physically-based boundary strips. This lets you block off zones that you do not want your robot to explore, so that it can concentrate its attention on the areas that require the most cleaning.
Many robots also automatically change floors based on the type of flooring they are cleaning. This can be done by changing from carpet to hard flooring, or by focussing on certain areas of your home like corners and baseboards. This feature was useful in our tests and improved the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It's nevertheless important to secure furniture and cords before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get stuck or get into something it shouldn't.
4. Remote Control
The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session so that they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from crashing into and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or shoe laces, as well as pet hair.
Most robots come with a remote that you can use to control them around your home. Most robots can be controlled by a mobile app, which offers more features. You can set up a variety of cleaning schedules and make an agenda of your most-loved rooms. You can also manually direct the robot by using the directional Arrows.
Some models provide no-go zones that are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like kids' toys or dog beds and bowls). Some apps let you draw an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has several useful features that can aid in cleaning the house. However its interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robotic vacs that can clean throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins save you time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also make maps of the area that allows you to program them for specific areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can simplify your life (although one of our test robots did "eat" two socks). If you're trying to improve the quality of your home maintenance, consider the use of a robot mop and water containers that you can fill and empty.
While none of the models we tested beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up model, the majority of them do an excellent job at cleaning carpets and hard floors. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They also can handle metal screws and nuts, as well as cats' litter. The best robot vacuums can clean corners and edges and can work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum will help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do lots of work. You can schedule cleanings through the app and create zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot doesn't harm your plants or ruin your favorite chair. Many of our top picks empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking station.
The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or even weeks at a stretch, freeing you from the arduous task of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This lets you enjoy more time doing things you like and reduces the time it takes to clean your floors manually.
During testing the Q Revo was able to grab tiny particles such as baking soda and oatmeal as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of steel and even fluffy matter like pet hair. It lacks the smart mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but it is still a good choice for families with children.
The best feature of the j7 is that it makes use of cameras and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before using your robot. However, messy rooms can cause your robot to become stuck and perform a poor job.