How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're able to live without smart capabilities like mapping, and don't mind emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum will probably work for you. Choose one with a clean base and can work with voice assistants.

It is the best robo-vacuum we have tested for getting rid of dirt and pet hair on tiles, hardwood floors, and carpets with low pile. It can also map and create virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can help you keep track of the dust, pet fur and dander that accumulates on your floor each day. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, saving your time and effort. The best models come with powerful suction, which can take on the majority of messes and leave your home clean.

Selecting a vacuum that also mop will allow you to cover more ground by using just one machine. This could be especially helpful for homes with a large area. Find models that have a water reservoir either integrated into the chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when vacuuming is complete. You'll have to empty it and refill it, however, so this is an additional task that will require a little extra work on your part.

In ideal world, you'd clean your floors prior to using your robot vac to keep it from running into things. In the majority of homes this isn't possible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models allow you to use a smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot will be aware of and avoid. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to mark areas that you don't want it to be in, like kids rooms or a pile of cords for your device in the corner.

This model is a good option if you're looking for a simple robot cleaner without all the bells. It's quiet and works well on hard floors as well as low-pile rugs. It can be scheduled using the app to vacuum or mop at your convenience. It comes with a battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Simple to operate

Robot vacuums generally require very little effort from you. They utilize navigational tools such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to move and collect pet hair, dust, and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors and hardwood. Many have boundary strips to help them stay within a room's walls, while more expensive models can be set to automatically wake up and start cleaning at a set time. Some models even have fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down the stairs or getting tangled in electrical cords.

Look for models that allow you to control from your couch using voice assistants such as Alexa or Robot Vacuum brands Google Assistant. You can also look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to start cleaning from any location using an app. You may want to select one with a long-lasting battery and a large dust bin, depending on the size of your house.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing water reservoirs to clean your floors. This is helpful for normal mopping, but it won't work for tough messes like pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can choose hybrids that have an adjustable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that allows you to stay for up to 60 days before emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots employ advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map as they clean. This helps them avoid bumping into furniture and getting caught on cords or chairs. This feature is typically only available on higher-end models, but it's one of the most effective ways to ensure your ihome robot vacuum has a complete understanding of the layout of your home and can determine where to go when it runs out of battery.

If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your house that you'd rather it stay away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner) Most robots provide some way to create virtual barriers, either with their app or a set of physical boundary strips. This allows you to create zones that you do not want your robot to enter, so that it can concentrate its attention on areas that require the most attention.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different floors based on the type of floor they're cleaning, whether that's changing between hard flooring and carpet or focusing on particular areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. In our tests, this was a useful feature that improved their pick-up scores for both carpeting made of low-pile or hardwood. However, it's still important to put away loose cords and furniture before using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get stuck or come into contact with something it shouldn't.

4. Remote Control

The majority of robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled with voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and build an outline of your space after each cleaning session so they can "learn" your layout and devise more efficient routes for future runs. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from crashing into furniture and damaging it 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. Most robots are operated by mobile applications, which offers more features. It is possible to set up multiple cleaning schedules, create an inventory of your favorite rooms and even manually guide your robot to certain areas using directions on the screen.

Certain models have no-go zones These are virtual barriers that you can create within the app to prevent the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for kids or dog bowls and beds). Other apps let you create an outline of your home and provide the robot with detailed information about your floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features to aid in cleaning the house. However the interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacuums that can sweep all over your home without stopping to recharge or empty their bins of dust can save you time and energy. Some work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts for hands-free operation. They can also make maps of the area for you to program them for certain areas or rooms and to stay clear of obstacles.

Most robot vacuums offer some degree of object detection and object detection, but more expensive models such as the iRobot j7 come with advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that will simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you want to take your home cleaning to the next level consider a robot mop that comes with a water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models that we tested could compete with the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum, they were able to do a fantastic job of cleaning hard floors and low pile carpets. They excel at picking up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked into. They can also tackle scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The best robot vacs can easily maneuver through furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning corners and edges as well. For an affordable model that can work by itself and is relatively inexpensive take a look at the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum brands (read more on www.ypperfect.com`s official blog) vacuum can keep your home tidy and clean without having to do lots of work. You can schedule cleanings in the app and set up no-go zones so that your robot won't trample your plants or your favorite chair. Many of our top picks will also empty their dustbins and clean their docking station.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or months at a time, thereby saving you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every single week or every day. This allows you to spend more time doing things you enjoy, and decreases the time needed to clean your floors manually.

During testing the Q Revo was able to grab fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal and heavier debris like nails and screws made of metal, and fluffy stuff like hair of pets. It's not equipped with the advanced mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, but it's adequate for most families.

The most appealing thing about the j7 is that it utilizes camera and processor-powered sensors to identify and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes socks, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before you can run your robot, although messy rooms can mean that your bot may get stuck and not be able to do as well.