10 Undeniable Reasons People Hate Robot Vacuum
The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming less painful. Modern models mop and can even climb (small) stairs.
Some have a smaller bin which they empty themselves. Others can be controlled via a smartphone app rather than a physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that help them navigate your home more efficiently.
1. Power
Our top pick for robotic vacuums has a suction power of 8,000Pa, which is powerful enough to get rid of even the most stubborn dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide beneath furniture, such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology allows for intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does a fantastic job at cleaning up pet hair, baking soda, and other debris that can be found near the baseboards as well as in corners.
Other high-powered robots on this list, besides the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, are the iRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. It comes with a powerful docking station that automatically performs maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction, coupled with its effective mopping, made sure my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints, and other messes on every type of floor we test.
In the lower cost range, a model that has 2,500Pa of suction is sufficient for the majority of homes. These units are quieter, making them a better option for those with hearing issues. They're not silent, but they're only as loud as normal conversations at home.
Think about your budget and cleaning needs to find the perfect combination of power and usability. Frequent light-duty tidying requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning requires a lot of power. Then assess your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules to select the best model for your needs. Look through our entire list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more details about the most recent models. Many users report seeing their carpets and bare floors looking much cleaner after introducing a robot vacuum to their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job well without knowing how to get around your home. The most advanced robots utilize sophisticated navigation technology to scan rooms and build a map, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three major types of robot navigation: LiDAR-based, sensor-based and camera-based.
LiDAR is employed by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, which offers the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in less expensive models, but they aren't always accurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark areas. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used object recognition to navigate things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean by zones, rooms or even the entire house.
Other features worth considering include sensors for floors that can recognize carpets that are hard and soft automatically increasing suction power when needed. Certain robots such as the Roborock mop use a mopping pad lift that allows you to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solutions to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller bin will require less frequent emptying while larger ones will save money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically employ a tiny disposable dust bag, but the mid-range models typically have larger 3L dustbins that last for ages. Certain high-end robots, such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will automatically empty their bins and fill their water tanks, allowing convenience without hands.
3. App control
The top robot vacuums have an application that lets you track cleaning progress and schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices for hands-free control. They also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-based control. Some have a remote control that allows you to start, pause and return to dock. Select My Source with an extra large dustbin and is able to self-empty rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Some robots are equipped with mapping technology to help them avoid obstacles like stairs and furniture. Certain robovacs let you define no-go zones and rooms to clean areas that require it the most. They also come with cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you want to use your robot vacuum to clean rugs, choose a model which can be used for wet and dry mopping. You'll be able to get better results from an vac that is able to remove its own mop pad, as well, which you can then rinse and reconnect when it comes time for another cleaning cycle. Look for robots with a rubber roller. It will be less likely to get caught from pet hair or other particles. Check the robot's side brush and brushroll for any debris that may have been stuck to them. Do this once or twice per week. If you notice that they're beginning to get blocked, it could be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Debris collection
Like the name suggests, robot vacuums are designed to collect dust and debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums can take small particles such as baking soda and sand, in addition to larger ones such as metal screws, orzo, and pet hair. They also have better pickup results on low-pile carpets than the majority of manual vacuums.
All flooring types are covered, and the top performing robots had pick-up scores of more than 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were the two most efficient bots in this class. Both are highly automated with docking stations that can perform maintenance by themselves and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins which eliminate the contents of the wastebasket. They can also clean the washboard while they mow. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology to help them navigate through the most difficult areas. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can vacuum carpet and remove mop pads. This makes it a great option for people who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you're looking for a less expensive option, look into the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget-friendly pick. It features LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It's a bit slow to map rooms and is susceptible to crashing into obstacles, however it's much less expensive than our other top-rated choices.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums are designed to let you get on with your life while keeping your floors looking spick and clean. While you'll still need to give your home a manual sweeping every now and again robot vacuums can help you maintain a standard of cleanliness, and even wash while you're away from home.
To maximize the amount of time you can get out of your robovac, choose an advancé with a long battery life. A good rule of thumb is to anticipate a model to last for around two complete cleaning sessions if you run it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a larger vacuum however, it should be enough to get the job done in most homes. If you don't like to be waiting around while your robovac recharges you, you can choose a model that automatically makes its return to the base station to recharge.
If you are looking for a robovac that does a little bit of everything, consider an all-in-one machine that can mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model of this category, offers self-emptying and self-refilling for the dust bin as well as the water tank and the mop pad. It can even be programmed to automatically re-fill and wash mops when they're running low.
Its dependable carpet and hard floor pick up excellent hair pickup, tangle prevention, and its an almost perfect auto empty score make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and unless you have an apartment that is small and has no pets, it might be too expensive for certain. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but is priced around 25% less.