The Best Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum can do most of the cleaning for you. It will take pet hair, lint, and surface dirt from carpets and furniture before they can get stuck. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants, such as 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 helps them avoid tumbling off ledges or navigating cords that connect devices.
What to look for
Certain robots come with advanced features, which allow you to control them using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as spot and zone cleaning and object avoidance. They could also have longer battery lives and larger dust collection bins.
Look for a model with a wide brush that can clean up large debris and one that's slim enough to fit under furniture. Also check whether the robot vacuum can be used on multiple kinds of floors without having to change brushes or change suction settings. This can reduce its cleaning effectiveness and reduce its lifespan.
The top robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters that can capture fine particles and protect your home. They also come with an ample accessible collection bin that allows you to empty it frequently. Certain robot vacuums come with an additional side brush to sweep up pet hair or debris in difficult-to-access places like under or behind furniture. The dustbins are usually transparent, allowing you to see how much dirt is in the bin and when to empty it.
You can also make use of the app to establish limits around furniture and rooms you do not want it to enter. Certain models can also detect the kind of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to suit the floor.
There are also robots that will recharge and continue cleaning exactly where they left off if their batteries are running low. Some robot vacuums have cameras built-in that lets you see the path taken by your robot and the information it has collected.
Some robots also let you control them with your voice, however not all do so as effortlessly as other models. Be sure that the robot you select is compatible with the voice assistant of your preference, and then test how it responds to various commands during the purchase process. Some robots can even empty their trash bins or clean their docking stations, which can reduce the chore list. However, this feature comes at a premium, as does an extra bin for collection and faster charging speed.
Cleaning Performance
While robots can't substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they provide an effective and efficient alternative to the daily chore of keeping floors clean. The most effective robotic cleaners remove small particles such as dust, pet hair and crumbs, or larger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They do this without harming the flooring or furniture.
Often, they will register the type of floor they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features in accordance with the type of surface so that they can more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important if you have various flooring types throughout your home. A lot of models come with many options to set up virtual boundaries that allow you to instruct the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This will to keep your pets and children from getting in areas they shouldn't. It also ensures that your entire house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.
It is also important to consider the level of autonomy you're comfortable with giving your robot. Some models require you to be present and attentive, while others operate independently. They can change cleaning methods and schedules using a mobile application or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Certain models map and understand your home's space, and let you set up zones, and tell the robot to clean certain areas in your home on a daily or weekly basis.
In our tests, the iRobot+ proved to be the top robot for "set it and forget it". It was the best at mapping, creating virtual boundaries and getting around obstacles better than the other robots we tried. It also has the ability to empty itself so you aren't required to manually do it. Additionally, the side brushes are used to sweep debris from corners and edges that a vacuum cannot reach.
Its slim profile and infrared sensors also allow it to get behind and under furniture to provide more thorough cleaning than other robots. Its advanced navigation system is more efficient in cleaning the entire area of your home in one charge than other models we've tried. It's a tough one to beat, even at its affordable price.
Battery Life
A high-quality robot vacuum can help keep your floors tidy and feel less like a chore, and more like a treat. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs, and shed pet hair can make a huge difference in how clean your home feels every day. While a basic robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those who want an extra hands-free experience should consider models that double as mop.
Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI is a top performer both in vacuuming and mopping modes. It can take care of pet hair, dirt and even cat litter. Its ability to avoid objects is amazing. It lets it keep away from objects and not get tangled on them.
It also has a long battery lifespan and a huge dust bin that allows it to cover a decent amount of space in one session. It's also a smart cleaner which means it can be able to map your home, and works with apps such here as those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to let you control the vacuum using voice commands.
The application that comes with the robot is simple and straightforward to use, allowing you to set schedules, define rooms for cleaning, or to pause and resume your sessions. It will notify you when its battery is low and then return to the docking station to recharge.
Another good thing about this robot is that it can distinguish between hard floors and carpets and adjust its settings accordingly, which helps keep the machine from being caught up in one type of surface or accidently tearing up furniture. It's not able to detect high-pile carpeting or seams in rooms, therefore it's important to be careful when grabbing large objects.
All robot vacuums require some degree of maintenance, like removing hair from brushes and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the trash bin after each cleaning session and cleaning sensors or cameras between use to keep them in top shape. The manufacturer will offer specific instructions for these and other maintenance procedures, which may vary depending on the particular model.
Cost
The most effective robot vacuums may not be cheap, but they are far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaning machine or even a stand-up one. They also require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, with most requiring only that you empty (and sometimes rinse) their bins of dust after each cleaning session and occasionally cleaning their cameras or sensors.
A lot of robot vacuums have smart features that help them be more efficient in your home. For instance mapping technology allows you to inform the vacuum of where to go using an app, so it doesn't get stuck in staircase or under furniture, where there might be the possibility of a mess. Other robot vacuums can recognize the type of floor they are cleaning, so they can alter their suction and brush capabilities to achieve the best results.
Some models have object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even cameras) to spot toys and other items on the floor and instruct the robot to walk around them instead of running over them. This could be extremely helpful when you have children or pets that tend to throw toys around the home.
Voice control is a different feature you may consider useful. It lets you operate your robot with your voice, instead of the on-board buttons. This is helpful if your children aren't yet old enough to operate the robot or is it just more practical for you.
How often you should use your robot will depend on the amount of dirt or debris is on your floor. Most experts recommend using a robot vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking great and nabbing pet hair, dirt and lint before it gets trapped or become difficult to get rid of.
If you're only working with a limited amount of floor space and do not plan to make use of the robot for other tasks such as cleaning, then a budget model, like our top choice Eufy 11S is a great option. It's inexpensive, simple to install and operate, and can complete the task with minimal noise disturbance while you work or watch TV.