How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum
If you can live without advanced features such as mapping, and don't mind cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum could be a good choice for you. Pick a model that has a clean base that works with voice assistants.
It is the best robo-vacuum we have tested in getting rid of dirt and pet hair from tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting with low pile. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.
1. Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can assist you in keeping up with the pet fur, dust and dander that accumulates on your floor each day. It can also cut down on the frequency at which you have to deep clean, saving your time and effort. The most effective model comes with powerful suction that is able to clean up most mess and leave your home clean.
Choosing a robot vacuum that can also mop can help you cover more ground with one machine, which could be especially helpful in larger homes. There are models with a tank for water either in the chassis itself or as an extra piece that you can take out after vacuuming. You'll need to empty and refill it, though, so this is an additional chore that requires some extra effort on your part.
In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before you use your robot vacuum to stop it from running into anything. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Most robots allow you to make use of an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers the robot can see. Some models have no-go zones, which you can flag areas you don't want the robot to be allowed to enter. For instance an area for children's play or a pile of cords in a corner.
If black friday robot vacuum deals looking for a simple robot vacuum without all the bells and bells, this model from the networking company TP-Link is a great option. It's quiet, it works on both hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to mop and vacuum at your leisure. It has a good battery life that can last up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.
2. Easy to operate
Robot vacuums generally need only minimal effort from you. They use sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors and hardwood. A lot of them have boundary strips that allow them to stay within a room's walls, while pricier models can be set to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a set time. Some even come with fall detection technology that prevents tumbling down stairs or getting caught in electrical cords.
If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of your couch, you should look for models that work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, look for Wi-Fi-connected models that allow you to begin a cleaning session from anywhere through an app. You may prefer an option with a long-lasting battery and a large dust bin, depending on the size of your home.
Some robot vacuums can double as mops, using reservoirs of water to clean your floor. This is useful for regular mopping but won't work for tough messes such as pet poop or other spills that get wet. You can find hybrids with a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose an auto-emptying model that lets you go for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.
3. Smart Mapping
Some robots use advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map while they clean. This makes it easier to avoid crashing into furniture and tripping on cords or legs of chairs. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's one of the most effective ways to ensure your robot has a full understanding of the layout of your home and knows where to go next when it's running out of battery.
Most robots let you create virtual barriers. This can be done using an app or physical boundary strips. You can block off areas you don't want your robot to go into in order to focus on the rooms that require the most attention.
Many robots can also automatically navigate to different flooring types depending on the flooring they're cleaning, be it that's changing between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on specific areas of your home, like corners and baseboards. This feature was helpful during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and low-pile floor carpeting. But, it's still essential to secure furniture and cords that are loose prior to running your robot vacuum so that it doesn't get stuck or run into something it shouldn't.
4. Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many robot vacuums are connected to smart home systems, and generate a map of the space they clean after each session. This allows them to "learn" the way your home is laid out and plan more efficient routes during future cleaning sessions. Certain models have obstacle avoidance features built in, which prevents them from damaging furniture and getting stuck on objects like loose charging cables or pet hair.
Most robots come with a remote that you can use to control them around your home. However, the majority of them can be controlled with an app on your mobile that offers more options. You can typically set up multiple cleaning schedules, build the list of rooms you like and even manually guide your robot to certain areas by using directional arrows on the screen.
Some models provide no-go zones These are virtual barriers that you can configure within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog bowls and beds). Some apps let you create a map of your house and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app we ranked as our top pick, the Roborock S7+, has a lot of useful options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.
5. Long Battery Life
Robot vacuums that clean your entire home without stopping for a recharge or emptying their trash bins save time and effort. Some of them work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make an outline of the space that allows you to program them for certain areas or rooms and to avoid obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features such as "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These features can make your life much easier (although one of our test bots did "eat" a few socks). If you want to take your home maintenance even further opt for a robotic mop with an water tank that can be filled and then empty.
While none of the models that we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, they did a great job cleaning hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. They are great at sweeping up fine dust and debris, food particles, dirt tracked in and pet hair. They can even tackle some scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The top robot vacuums can effortlessly work around furniture and do a great job of cleaning edges and corners as well. Eufy 11S is a relatively affordable and basic model.
6. Convenient Self-Charging
A robot vacuum can help keep your home tidy and clean without having to do much work. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and designate no-go areas so that your robot doesn't walk on your plants or sit on your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks automatically empty their bins and clean their docking stations for you.
The best robot vacuums are programmable to clean your floors regularly for months or weeks at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors each week or every day. This allows you to spend more time doing things you like and reduces the time it takes to clean your floors manually.
In our tests, the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal and heavier debris like metal screws and nails and even fluffy matter such as pet hair. It lacks the smart mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks, but is still a great option for most families.
The greatest aspect of the j7 robot is that it uses camera and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. This means that you don't have to clean up after using your robot. However, cluttered rooms may cause your bot to become stuck and do a poor job.