10 Facts About Good Robot Vacuum That Will Instantly Put You In The Best Mood
What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A good robot vacuum can help you stay on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a daily basis. Many of them use apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and set virtual boundaries or 'walls' to keep them out of areas you don't want cleaned.
This smart vac-mop creates the map of your home's layout with its first run. It then remembers the space to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and a self-cleaning, brush roll.
Object Detection
When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up big items such as toys and lamp cords as well as dust particles that are fine. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brush or strewn across your floor. This is particularly important if your robot will be cleaned frequently by children or pets.
It's an excellent idea to choose a model with strong motors and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your carpets and hardwood floors.
The size of your house is another important consideration. If you live in a big house, you may prefer models with multiple cleaning zones that can clean your entire house in one go. Some models also have a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.
Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes, emptying the dust bin and wiping down the sensors on a regular basis will keep your machine running efficiently for the years to be. Many owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have had the same machine for a period of 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).
A basic robot will cost less than a full-size vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job at keeping up with dirt and pet hair, and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can use often throughout the week to keep your floors tidy. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more prone to get stuck or require manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The best robot vacuums use cameras, sensors or lasers to navigate your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when their batteries are low. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities, which allow them to remember your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing off walls.
If you don't want to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can still find one that is capable of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and low-pile carpets. They can also handle larger particles like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or discarded toys. Some have a base that automatically empties itself, which is a great feature for those who don't want to empty it after each cleaning session.
The majority of robotic vacuums have smart features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient with features like scheduling, zone targeting, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want the robot to enter.
Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or my former top pick, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology to keep them from tripping over cords or furniture. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and algorithms to stay clear of items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles and never gets stuck or derailed when working on my floor.
The J7+ from iRobot was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however it didn't always do a good job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my rugs. It also tends to over-vacuum areas, which resulted in a lot of extra dust in the filter and an unclean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the best robots vacuums include an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and view a map of the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a handy feature that some competitors lack altogether. It is easy to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specific times and keep it running on a regular basis, like cleaning your living room prior to dinner or every other day.
A good app will also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free. You can say "start a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.
For a truly hands-free experience, look for a model with a large dust bin that can withstand numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that self-empty. This eliminates the requirement to empty the machine after every time you vacuum.
If you want a robot that can do more than just vacuum, you'll want to look at the possibility of a model that can mop floors. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before having to be emptied.
The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the arrangement between cleanings, which helps them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum, since it won't have to return to the beginning when it comes across furniture or walls.
cutting-edge technology found that the robots with this feature were very efficient. They could watch TV or do other things while the robot cleaned. Some models employ laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire home, meaning you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house while you're working.
App Control
It is best to select the vacuum that comes with a mobile application for those who want to modify the frequency of cleaning and choose cleaning mode. Through the app, you can check the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the best robot vacuums can be controlled by voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.
It is simple to maintain a robot that has an washable filter and self-emptying container, particularly if the filter can be easily cleaned and washed. Another feature that is great is a powerful brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to clean up dirt and hair. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair leg than others. Others come with an automatic cleaning system that cleans brushes to avoid the clogging.
Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that help them learn your home and navigate around obstacles. The top models come with sensors and cameras that recognize obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords, whereas cheaper models sometimes utilize boundary strips that you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want it to leave. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who leave socks and toys scattered around the house, as it helps your robot nab those objects instead of scattering them.
More robots are equipped with mop heads. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. These robots have a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that you swap in when they're ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more often than other types of robots, however they're perfect for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned with a vacuum.
These robots are loaded with some impressive technology, and cost much less than you'd think. In fact, you can find an affordable model for less than $200 that does a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, and also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms at regular intervals. It can be controlled remotely through an app or by pressing buttons.