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 garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum is likely to work for you. Select a model with a clean base that works with voice assistants.

It is the best vacuum we have tested for cleaning up pet hair from hardwood floors, tile, and carpeting with low pile. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum will assist you in keeping up with the pet fur, dust and dander that collects on your floor every day. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving you both time and effort. The best model has powerful suction that will easily take on the most difficult messes and leave your home cleaner.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum as well as a mop, which can be beneficial if you live in an extensive home. You can find a model that has a water tank built into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can swap out after vacuuming. It will need to be emptied and filled and refilled, which is an additional chore.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors first before using your robot vacuum to stop it from running into anything. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models allow you to use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot can be aware of and avoid. Some models have no-go zones which can be used to mark areas you don't want the robot to enter, such as kids' rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

This model is a good option if you're looking for an easy robot cleaner that doesn't have all the bells. It's quiet, it works on both hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to mop and Sweep And Mop Robot vacuum at your own convenience. It has a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to navigate around obstacles and suck up dust, food crumbs and pet hair from flooring, tile carpets, and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundaries strips that help them remain inside the room. The more expensive models can be programmed to start up at a certain time and start cleaning. Some even have fall-detection technology that prevents falling down the stairs or getting caught in electrical cords.

Look for models that you can control from your couch via voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also select Wi-Fi models that permit users to start cleaning from anywhere with an app. Depending on how big your home is, you may prefer a model with a long battery life and a spacious dust bin that doesn't have to be regularly emptied.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, utilizing water reservoirs to clean your floors. This is great for mopping, but not for tough messes like pet poop or Best Cheap Robot Vacuum other wet spills. There are hybrids that come with an ejectable microfiber pad for mopping, or you can choose self-emptying models that let you go for 30 to 60 days without having to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map while they clean. This allows them to avoid bumping into furniture or tripping over cords or chair legs. This feature is only available on higher-end models, but it allows your robot to be aware of the layout of your home and to know where it should go when the battery runs out.

Most robots allow you to create virtual barriers. This can be done via an application or even physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to enter to allow it to concentrate on rooms that require the most attention.

Many robots can also automatically navigate to different floorings based on the type of surface they're cleaning, whether that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved helpful in our tests and improved the vacuum mop cleaner robot's performance on both hardwood flooring and low-pile floor carpeting. It's important to tuck away any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot cleaner and mop vacuums have WiFi connectivity and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts, which allow you to control them via voice commands or via your smartphone. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart cleaning home systems, and generate a map of the space they clean after each cleaning session. This allows them to "learn" the way your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes for future cleaning sessions. Some have built-in obstacle avoidance that prevents them from crashing into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or shoe laces, as well as hair from pets.

Most robots come with a remote you can use to control them around your home. However, many can be controlled using an app for mobile devices that offers more options. You can set up multiple cleaning schedules and create an agenda of your most-loved rooms. You can also manually direct the robot by using the directional the arrows.

Some models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers can be created within the app to block the robot from entering specific areas (like toys for children or dog beds and dishes). Other apps let you create the map of your house and provide the robot with detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has many useful features that will help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacs that can work a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their bins of dust save you time and effort. Some robot vacuums work with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also build a map of your home that allows you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms and beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot J7 has advanced features, such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life much easier (although one of our test robots did "eat" a couple of socks). If you're trying to improve your home's maintenance, consider an automated mop that comes with an water container that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum the majority of them do an excellent job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel at picking up food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked into. They also can handle metal screws and nuts as well as stray cat litter. The top robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and can work on furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively inexpensive and basic model.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can keep your home tidy and clean without doing many tasks. You can schedule cleanings through the app, and you can create no-go zones so that your robot doesn't step on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. Many of our top picks empty their trash bins for you and clean their docking stations.

The best robot vacuums are programmable 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 single week or every day. This lets you take more time doing the things you enjoy, and decreases the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.

During tests during testing, Q Revo was able grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed larger particles like nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy stuff like pet hair. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and object avoidance features found in our top picks, however it's adequate for the majority of families.