The Best Robot Vacuums
A good robot vacuum does the majority of the work for you and removes pet hair, lint and dirt before it can stick to furniture or get ground into carpets. Many also work with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to offer the convenience of hands-free operation.
A lot of models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an interactive map of your house. This helps them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating through clusters if the cords for your device are.
What to Find
Some robots have advanced features, allowing you to control them using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning, and object avoidance are just a few of the features. They might also have longer battery lives and bigger dust collection bins.
Look for a model with an extended brush that can clean large particles and one that's slim enough to fit under furniture. Make sure the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without changing the suction settings or brushes. This can decrease its effectiveness in cleaning and decrease its lifespan.
The top robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters that can trap fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also come with a large easy-to-access collection bin that allows you to empty it often. Some have an extra side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access places such as behind and under furniture. The bins are typically transparent, so you can see how much dirt is in the bin and when to empty it.
In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to operate at times when you're likely to be at home, you can use the app to create a boundary around your furniture and the rooms that you want it to avoid. Certain models can also detect the kind of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their brush and suction settings accordingly.
There are also robots that will recharge and resume cleaning right where they left off in case their battery runs low. And some have a built-in camera that lets you track the route of your robot vacuum and view what it's taken in.
Some robots also allow you to control them using your voice, though not all do so as effortlessly as other models. Make sure the model you choose is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and test it out to see how the robot responds to various commands prior to purchasing. Some robots will even empty their trash bins or clean their docking stations which can reduce the chore list. But this feature comes with a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots can't replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they can provide an effective and efficient alternative to the everyday chore of keeping floors clean. If you're looking to keep track of dirt, crumbs and pet hair or nab bigger debris like metal screws and wood shavings Most top-rated robotic cleaners are capable of picking up a variety of materials on the first pass and without causing damage to the flooring or furniture.
In most cases, they'll be able to detect the type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features in accordance with the type of surface to more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important when your home is surrounded by various types of flooring. There are many models that offer a wide range of options for setting up virtual boundaries that allow you to instruct the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This helps keep your pets or children from entering areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled time.
Consider how much autonomy your robot will enjoy. Certain models require you to be active and attentive, while others operate independently. They can alter cleaning modes and schedules via the mobile app or via voice commands with an integrated smart assistant. Some will map and learn your home and allow you to create zones and instruct the robot to clean specific areas of your home on a weekly or daily basis.
In our tests the iRobot J7+ was the most efficient "set it and forget it" robot. It was the best at mapping, creating virtual boundaries and avoiding obstacles better than all the other robots we tested. It can also completely empty itself so you don't have to do it manually. It also has side brushes that can help sweep debris out of corners and edges where the vacuum isn't able to reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors also permit it to go behind and under furniture for a deeper clean than most robots. Its advanced navigation system is more capable of cleaning the entire area of your home in one charge than other devices we've tested. It's a tough one to beat, especially at a reasonable price.
Battery Life
A good robot vacuum can make keeping your floors clean feel less like a chore and more like a luxury. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair can make a big difference in how clean your home feels on a daily basis. A basic robot can take care of most cleaning tasks. However, robots that vacuum and mop who prefer a more hands-off experience might want to look for a model which also serves as a mops.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI is a top performer in both mopping and vacuuming modes. It is able to handle pet hair, dirt, and even cat litter. Its ability to avoid objects is impressive. It lets it steer away from objects and avoid getting caught on them.
It has a large dustbin as well as a battery that lasts for a long time, so it can cover a significant amount of space in a single session. It also functions as smart vacuum, which means it can make maps of your home and work with apps, like the ones offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to let you control it with voice commands.
The application that comes with the robot is simple and simple to use, allowing you to set schedules, assign rooms for cleaning, or to pause and resume your sessions. It will notify you when its battery is low and will return to the docking station to recharge.
Another great feature of this robot is that it can differentiate between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This prevents the machine from getting bogged down in one type of surface or accidentally tearing up your furniture. However, it is not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you will have to be cautious about picking up large items.
All robot vacuums require a certain amount of maintenance, like removing hair from brushes and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the dust bin after each cleaning session. Also, cleaning sensors or cameras between uses to ensure they are in good condition. The manufacturer will offer specific recommendations for these and other maintenance procedures which can differ based on the specific model.
Cost
The most effective robot vacuums may not be inexpensive, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a stand-up one. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, as they only require you to empty and clean their dust bins after every cleaning session.
Many robot vacuums have clever features that help them be more effective in your home, like mapping technology, which allows you to instruct the vacuum to follow the layout of your home via an app so that it is aware not to go into the stairs or under the furniture, where there could be a mess. Others can tell what floor type they are working on, so they can alter their suction or brush features for the best results.
Some models come with objects avoidance. This uses sensors (or cameras) that can detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to stay clear of them, rather than crashing into them. This is a great option if your children or pets are known to leave toys in the home.
One other smart feature that may be important to you is voice control, which lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of using the on-board buttons. This can be helpful if you have little ones who aren't quite old enough to use the controls or simply want a hands-free solution.
The frequency at which you should use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and dust is usually found on your floors. Most experts suggest using your robot vacuum at least once a week in order to keep your floors spotless and to get rid of pet hair, lint and dirt on the surface.
If you only have a limited amount of floor space and do not intend to use the robot for any other purposes and you're looking for you should consider a budget model like our top choice Eufy 11S is a great option. It's reasonably priced, easy to install and operate, and gets the job done without causing any noise disruption while you watch TV or work.