What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robotic vacuum can assist you in keeping track of pet hair, lint and dust on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning times and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop makes a map of your home using its first run. It then stores the space for future cleaning jobs. It has self-cleaning brush rolls as well as an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When picking a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that is able to pick up large items, like toys and lamp cords, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brushes or end up on your floor. This is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

It's recommended to select a model that has strong motors and plenty of suction power. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another crucial aspect to consider is the size of your room. If you live in an area that is large you might want to choose a model that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire house in one go. Some models come with mopping features that can be used to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums can last a long time, but they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your robot functioning efficiently for many years. Many robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot is less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll still perform a great job of cleaning the surface of dirt pet fur, lint and other debris. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can distribute several times a week to keep your floor tidy. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more susceptible to getting jammed or needing manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models will return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They also can avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. Some of the most expensive models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to memorize the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you don't want to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can find one that does an excellent job of removing pet hair dirt, dust, and dust from floors made of wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They also do a decent job of handling larger objects such as metal screws, rusty staples or abandoned toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is ideal if you do not want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have clever features, which make the look of a stick vacuum old-fashioned. These include schedules, zone-targeting, and the capability to control them through an app or a voice assistant, like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacuums, like the Eufy 11S or my former favorite, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology that will prevent them from tripping over furniture or best shark robot vacuum for pet hair cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses sensors, cameras and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles within my home and rarely got stuck or derailment when I was cleaning my flooring.

While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance robot however, it wasn't always doing an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also tended to over-vacuum certain areas, resulting in a lot of extra dust in the filter and a less clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the top robot vacuums have an application that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and look at an image of the floor area covered by the machine. This is an extremely useful feature that some competitors do not have. This lets you create profiles that automatically start the robot at certain times and run it continuously. For example, it could be cleaning the living area every day or before dinner.

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

Look for the model with a large dust bin. This allows you to complete many cleaning sessions without needing to empty it. There are models that self-empty, eliminating the requirement to empty the machine after every vacuuming session.

If you're looking for a machine that is more than just vacuum, you'll want to look into the possibility of a model which can mop your floors. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and have an internal water tank that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

Robots that are more sophisticated can create their own maps and remember the plan of your house from one cleaning session to the next, preventing them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time going back to the beginning of the room if it comes across walls or furniture.

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

App Control

If you want to customize how often the robot cleans your home and choose a cleaning mode, it's best shark robot vacuum for pet hair to get one that is compatible with a mobile app. You can also check the status of the vacuum as well as the state of its dust bin within the app. The best eufy robot vacuum robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is simple to keep clean, especially when you are able to access the filter and remove it to rinse it. A high-powered brush is another excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards to get rid of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the clogging of brushes that can happen in other machines.

Certain robo-vacs come with navigational tools to aid them in navigating obstacles and to learn about your home. High-end models are equipped with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords, while cheaper models may use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas where you don't want it to go. Object avoidance can be especially beneficial for families with young kids who scatter socks and toys around the house. This can help your robot to collect these items instead of scattering.

We're beginning to see more robots that have mops, which are useful for those who have hard floors and require to mop them regularly. These robots come with a water tank built into the chassis, or a separate piece you can put in when you're ready to mop. They may require refilling frequently, but are ideal for homes that have hard floors that aren't cleaned easily with a vacuum.

These robots come with some amazing technology, and they cost much less than you'd think. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that can do a decent job of cleaning pet hair and crumbs off hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean the room on a regular schedule. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.