How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're able to live without smart capabilities like mapping, and aren't worried about emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum will probably work for you. Find a model with a clean base and works with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested for picking up dirt and pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and low-pile carpeting. It can also map out and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum robot can keep up with the pet hair, dust and dander that build up on your floors on a daily basis. It can also reduce the frequency you have to do a deeper clean and saves your time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which will clean up most mess with ease and leave your home cleaner.

You can take care of more space with a robot vacuum and mop, which is particularly beneficial if you live in an extensive home. Find a model that has water reservoirs either in the chassis or as a separate item that you put in after vacuuming is complete. It will need to be filled and empty, so it's an extra task.

In a perfect universe you would clean your floors before using your robot vacuum to stop it from crashing into anything. In the majority of homes it's not feasible or desirable. Thankfully, many models let you use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot can detect and avoid. Certain models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't want the robot to access. For instance the child's room or a pile of cords in a corner.

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum with no bells and bells, this model from the networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It's quiet and can be used on hard floors as well as low-pile carpets and can be programmed using the app to mop and vacuum at your own convenience. It has a good battery life, which can last up to 180 minutes before it requires to recharge.

2. Simple to operate

Robot vacuums generally require only minimal effort from you. They make use of navigation tools such as sensors and lasers to maneuver through obstacles and collect dust, food crumbs and pet hair from flooring, tile carpets, hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. Many models have boundary strips that allow them to remain inside the room. The more expensive models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and start cleaning. Some models have fall detection technology that helps users avoid falling down the stairs or getting caught in cords.

Look for robot vacuum with docking station models that you can control from the comfort of your sofa using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also look for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that allow you to start cleaning from any location via an app. Depending on how big your home is, you might prefer a model with a long battery life and a spacious dust bin that doesn't require being emptying frequently.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to wash your floor. This is great for everyday mopping, but will not work for tough messes like pet poop, or other wet spills. You can choose hybrids that have a removable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that lets you go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots utilize advanced mapping technologies to build a precise map of your floorplan while they clean and tidy, allowing them to avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is only available on higher-end models however, it lets your robot get a complete understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go when the battery runs out.

If you don't want your robot to venture into areas of your home you'd rather it stay away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either via their app or physical boundary strips. This allows you to define areas that you do not want your robot to venture into, so it can focus its attention on the areas and rooms that require the most attention.

Many robots will also automatically change floors depending on the kind of floor they are cleaning. This can be done by changing from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests this was a helpful feature that helped improve their pick-up scores for both carpeting that is low-pile and hardwood. It is essential to put away any loose cords or furniture before using your robot vacuum, to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-connected and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts, which allow you to control them using voice commands or via your smartphone. Many robot vacuums connect to smart home systems and create an outline of the area they clean after each cleaning session. This allows them to "learn" how your home is laid out and to plan more efficient routes for future cleaning sessions. Some come with obstacle avoidance features built in, which prevents them from causing damage to furniture and getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots come with a remote that you can use to pilot them around your home. However, the majority of them can be controlled using an app on your mobile that offers more options. You can create multiple cleaning schedules and robot Vacuum with Docking station make a list with your favorite rooms. You can also guide the robot by using the directional Arrows.

Some models offer no-go zones, which are virtual barriers you can create within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog bowls and beds). Certain apps let you create a map of your house and provide detailed information about the floors. The app on our top choice, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you clean your home, however its interface isn't as polished as the ones from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work throughout the house without stopping to recharge or empty their bins of dust make it easier for you to save time and effort. Some robot vacuums are compatible with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also draw maps of the area for you to program them to specific areas or rooms, and to stay clear of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums detect objects, but the iRobot J7 has advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can make your life easier (although one of our test bots did "eat" a couple of socks). If you're trying to improve your home maintenance, think about the use of a robot mop and an water container that you can fill and empty.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a stand-up vacuum they were able to do a fantastic job cleaning hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. They excel at picking up fine dirt, food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked in. They are also able to tackle stray cat litter and metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to easily work their way around furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning corners and edges as well. For a basic model that works on its own and is relatively inexpensive, check out the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the right configuration with the right setup, a robot vacuum will assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh on a regular basis without much work from you. You can schedule cleanings through the app and set up no-go zones so that your robot doesn't damage your plants or ruin your favorite chair. The majority of our top picks empty their dustbins for you and clean their docking stations.

The most effective robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for months or weeks at a time, thereby making it easier to save time and effort of manually mopping or sweeping your floors every week or day. This allows you to spend more time on things you love and cuts down on the amount of time that your floors require to be cleaned manually.

In our tests the Q Revo was able to grab small particles such as oatmeal and baking soda as well as heavier debris such nails and screws made of steel as well as fluffy things like 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 best aspect of the j7 robot is that it makes use of cameras and processor-powered sensors to identify and avoid obstacles such as shoes, power cords, socks and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up after using your robot vacuum with docking station [you can check here]. However, cluttered rooms may cause your bot to become stuck and perform poorly.