What NOT To Do When It Comes To The Robot Vacuum Industry

How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and you don't mind emptying the dustbin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Look for a model that is clean and works with voice assistants.

It excels at picking up dirt, cat litter and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile and carpeting with less pile than any other vacuum we've tested. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep clean of the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you time and effort. The best i robot vacuum models come with powerful suction, which will clean up most mess with ease and leave your home clean.

You can cover more area with a robot vacuum and mop, which is especially beneficial if you live in a large home. Look for a model that has an water reservoir integrated into the chassis or as a separate item that you swap in when the vacuuming is done. It will have to be emptied and filled, so it's an extra chore.

In a perfect universe it would be ideal to clean your floors before you use your robot vacuum to stop it from running into anything. In the majority of homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Most robots allow you to make use of an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers that the robot will see. Some models include no-go areas, which you can flag areas you don't want the robot to access. For example the child's room or a pile of cords in an area.

This model is a great option for those looking for a basic robot cleaner that does not have all the bells. It's quiet, it is able to work on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be programmed through the app to vacuum and mop at your convenience. It's got a long battery life, and can last up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

Robot vacuums typically require very little from you. They use navigational tools such as sensors, lasers, and cameras to move around and collect dust, pet hair, and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundary strips that allow them to stay inside a room. More expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and begin cleaning. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or getting caught in cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, search for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also search for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that allow you to begin a cleaning session from anywhere using an app. You may prefer a model that has a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dustbin, depending on the size of your home.

Certain robot vacuums are also mops. They use water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is great for everyday mopping, but will not work for extra-tough messes, like pet poop or other wet spills. There are hybrids that have a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose a self-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a precise map while they clean. This helps them avoid bumping into furniture or tripping over cords or chairs. This feature is only available on top-of-the-line models however it lets your robot have a thorough understanding of your home's layout and knows where to move when the battery runs out.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your home that you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your kids' toys or the mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either through their app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't want your robot to enter, so that it can concentrate on rooms that require the most attention.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different flooring types depending on the floor they're cleaning, whether they're switching between hard flooring and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. This feature proved effective in our tests and improved the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It's nevertheless important to secure loose cords and furniture before running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts, which allow users to control them with voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems that create a map of your space after each cleaning session, to "learn" your layout and design more efficient routes for future runs. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance, which stops them from bumping into and damaging furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and hair from pets.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to steer them around your home. However, many can be controlled with a mobile app that comes with additional options. You can set up a variety of cleaning schedules and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually guide the robot with the directional Arrows.

Certain models have no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to stop the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog beds and bowls). Some apps let you create an outline of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features to aid in cleaning the house. However its interface isn't as sleek as iRobot or shark ai ultra robot vacuum.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their bins of dust can save you time and energy. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also build an image of your living space and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums come with some degree of detection of objects and object detection, but more expensive models such as the iRobot j7 come with advanced features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance, which can make your life easier (although our test bot did "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to take your home maintenance to the next level, look for a robotic mop that comes with a tank of water that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models we tested can compete with the power of a stand-up model, vacuum and mop most do an admirable job of cleaning carpets with low pile and hard floors. They are great in sweeping up dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They can even tackle some pet litter that is stray and metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can clean edges and corners and can work around furniture. For an affordable model that can work on its own and is comparatively inexpensive, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the proper setup with the right setup, a robot vacuum will help you keep your home looking and looking and feeling cleaner every day without a lot of effort. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and create no-go zones so that your robot doesn't walk on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks also automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for months or even weeks at a time, removing you from the arduous task of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This allows you to spend more time on things you love and decreases the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

In the course of testing, the Q Revo was able to capture small particles such as baking soda and oatmeal as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of steel, and fluffy stuff such as hair of pets. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and object avoidance features of our top picks, but it works well enough for the majority of families.

The most appealing aspect of the j7 robot is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to recognize and avoid obstacles such as power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't have to tidy up before using your robot. However, messy rooms can cause your robot to become stuck and perform a poor job.