What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A quality robot vacuum will help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many robot vacuums have applications that let you schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries, or walls, to ensure that the vacuum is kept away from areas you don't want to be cleaned.
This smart vac-mop makes the map of your home with its initial run. It then stores the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys and a self-cleaning, brush roll.
Object Detection
When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up large objects like lamps and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that the items don't get stuck in the roller brush or left on your floor. This feature is especially crucial if the robot will be cleaned frequently by pets or children.
A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an excellent option. This will help it be more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.
The size of your home is a different factor to consider. If you have a huge home, you may prefer a model with multiple cleaning zones that cover your entire house in one session. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums last a long time however, they must be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping down the sensors on a regular basis will keep your machine running smoothly for long time to come. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same model for a decade or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries in the process).
A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll still do an excellent job of cleaning dirt from surfaces as well as pet fur and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can send out every week to keep your floor clean. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more susceptible to get stuck or require manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without falling off or getting stuck on the stairs. Some models will return to their base or dock when their battery is depleted. They can also stay clear of obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The more expensive ones often have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the design of your home and reduce the amount of time you're bumping into walls.
You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tile, wood and low-pile rug. They can also take care of larger debris such as metal screws, rusty nails or discarded toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is ideal for those who don't want to empty it every cleaning session.
Some robotic vacuums have smart features, which make the traditional stick vacuum look quaint. These include zones-targeting, schedules, and the ability for you to control them using an app or voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.
Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former top pick Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from crashing into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some
robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a little 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 tangled when I was cleaning my floors.
While the iRobot j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance robot but it wasn't always able to do an excellent job of removing dirt and crumbs off my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum areas, which resulted in a lot of extra dust in the filter and a less clean house.
Smart Mapping
The
best robot vacuum for dog hair robot vacuums come with an app that helps you to customize cleaning settings set schedules,
Robot Vacuums and view a map of your area of floor that the machine covers. This is a very useful feature that some competitors don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specified times and keep it running on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.
A good app can also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.
For a truly hands-free experience, choose models with a large dust bin that can hold many cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that self-empty, eliminating the need to empty the robot after every time you vacuum.
If you want a robot that can do more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look at one that can mop your floors. These are usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have an internal water tank that holds multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to having to be empty.
The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your home. They can even remember the layout from one cleaning to the next which can help them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't have to spend time going back to the beginning of the room if it encounters furniture or walls.
Our testers who used the robot that has this feature discovered it to be extremely efficient, and could watch TV or do other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some models use laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or all rooms when you're at work.
App Control
It is recommended to select a robot that has a mobile application in case you wish to alter the frequency of cleaning and select a cleaning mode. You can also view the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the top robot vacuums can even be operated by voice using Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
It is easy to maintain a robot that has the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter is easily cleaned and washed. Another great feature is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Certain robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have self-cleaning sensors that can prevent the blockage of brushes that could occur in other robots.
Some robot vacuums have navigation tools that allow them to discover your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models may utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark off areas where you don't want it to leave. Object avoidance is especially important for families with children who leave socks and toys scattered across the house, since it helps your robot nab those items instead of scattering them.
Robots are increasingly equipped with mops. This is useful for those with hard floors who require to mop frequently. These robots come with water tanks built into the chassis, or an extra piece you can swap in when it's time to clean.