The Best Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum will do the majority of the cleaning for you. It can remove pet hair, lint, and dirt from surfaces and furniture before they get stuck. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to give you a hands-free cleaning experience.
A lot of models come with the ability to map, allowing them to create an interactive map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating around the cords of devices.
What to Look For
Some robots have advanced features that allow users to control them with voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping, spot and zone cleaning and the ability to avoid objects. These machines may also come with larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.
Look for a model with broad brushes that can clean large particles and one that's small enough to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum is able to clean various kinds of floors without changing the suction settings or brushes. This can reduce its effectiveness in cleaning and decrease its lifespan.
The top robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters to catch fine particles and safeguard your home. They also have an enormous, easily accessible collection bin so you can empty it often. Certain robot vacuums come with an extra side brush to clean pet hair and debris from difficult-to-access places, such as under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, so you can see the amount of dirt in the bin, and when to empty it.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to run at times when you're likely to be at home, you can also use the app to draw the boundaries around your furniture and areas you'd like it to avoid. Certain models also recognize the kind of floor and alter their brush and vacuum settings to match.
There are also robots that can recharge and resume cleaning exactly where they left off if their battery is low. Some robot vacuums come with cameras built-in that lets you see the route that your robot has taken and what it has collected.
Many robots also allow you to control them using your voice, though not all of them do it as well as others. Make sure that the model you pick is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice and then test it to see how well the robot responds to commands before buying. Some robots will even empty their dustbins or clean their docking stations which will reduce your chore list. This feature is costly and comes with a bigger storage container and a faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
Robots aren't the same as for a broom or vacuum. However they can be extremely efficient and effective in keeping your floors clean. The most effective robotic cleaners clean up small particles like dust, pet hair, and crumbs, as well as larger items like metal shavings and wood shavings. They can do this without causing damage to the floor or furniture.
Often, they will register what type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features accordingly so that they can more thoroughly clean your floors. This is particularly important if you have a variety of flooring throughout your home. Many models offer the option to set virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay out of certain areas of your home. This is useful in preventing your kids or pets from getting into areas they shouldn't be in, and it helps to ensure that your entire home is cleaned at the end of every scheduled session.
You should also consider the level of autonomy you're willing to give your robot. Some models require your attention and presence while others operate independently and can change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile app or voice commands through an integrated smart assistant. Some will map and learn your home, allowing you to define zones and instruct the robot to only clean certain areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the most effective robot to "set it and forget it". It was a master in mapping, creating virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles better than all the other robots we tried. It can also empty itself so that you aren't required to do it manually. 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 behind and under furniture for a deeper clean than most robots, and its advanced navigation system makes it more efficient in cleaning the entire floor of your home in one charge than other models we've tested. Even at its affordable price you'll find it hard to beat for daily use.
Battery Life
A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less of a chore and more of an enjoyable experience. Fastly removing dirt, crumbs, and shed pet hair can make a big difference in how clean your home feels on a regular basis. While a basic robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those who want a bit more of a hands-free experience should consider one that doubles as mop.
The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one the top models for both as it offers great performance in both its mop and vacuuming modes and is able to easily deal with dirt debris, pet hair and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is awe-inspiring, allowing it to steer clear of objects and not become stuck on them.
It also comes with a long battery life and a large bin for dust which allows it to cover a decent amount of space in just one session. It's also a smart vacuum, which means it can be able to map your home, and it works with apps such as the ones offered by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum using voice commands.
The application that comes with the robot lets you set up schedules, designate specific rooms for cleaning, or suspend or resume sessions. It will alert you when its battery is low and then return to the docking station for recharging.
Another nice feature of this robot is that it can distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This helps keep the machine from being caught up in one type of surface or accidentally tearing up your furniture. It's not able detect high-pile carpeting or seams in rooms, so it is crucial to be aware when picking up large objects.
To keep robot vacuums in good condition, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning brushes of hair and emptying the trash bin (and sometimes washing it) after every cleaning session. Cameras and sensors should be cleaned after each use. The manufacturer will provide specific recommendations for these and other maintenance procedures, which may vary depending on the particular model.
Cost
The most effective robot vacuums might not be expensive, but they are much less expensive than professional carpet cleaning machines or even a stand-up one. 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 occasionally wiping down their cameras or sensors.
Many robot vacuums come with clever features that make them more efficient within your home. For instance, mapping technology allows you to instruct the vacuum on where to go via an app, ensuring it doesn't go through stairs or under furniture, where there might be an unclean mess. Others can tell what floor type they're working on, allowing them to adjust their suction or brush features for the most vacuum robot effective results.
Certain models come with object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even a camera) to spot objects and toys on the floor and instruct the robot to go around them instead of running over them. This is a great solution if your children or pets are known to leave toys around the home.
One other smart feature that might be important to you is voice control which allows you to operate the robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This is useful if your children aren't old enough to operate the robot or if it's just convenient for you.
The frequency at which you use your robot will depend on how much dirt or debris is on your floor. Most experts recommend using a robotic vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking great and nabbing pet hair lint and surface dirt before it gets crushed or become difficult to remove.
If you're limited with flooring and don't intend to make use of your robot for other purposes, a budget model, such as our top choice, the Eufy 11S, is a good choice. It's easy to use and affordable, and it does the job without making any noise while you work or watch television.