How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you're willing to live without the benefits of smart features like mapping, and don't mind cleaning the trash bin every 60 days or so, a basic robotic vacuum is likely to work for you. Find a model with a clean base and can work with voice assistants.

It excels at removing dirt, clumps of pet hair and cat litter on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpeting that is lower-pile better than any other robo vacuum we've tested. It also maps and create virtual no-go zones for rooms and areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that accumulates on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also reduce the frequency at which you have to deep clean and saves your time and effort. The most effective models feature powerful suction, which will tackle most messes with ease and leave your home cleaner.

You can cover more area by using a robot vacuum and mop, which can be beneficial if you live in an extensive home. You can find a model with a tank for water either integrated into the chassis or as an additional piece that you can take out after vacuuming. It will have to be filled and empty and refilled, which is an additional task to complete.

In a perfect universe, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum, preventing it from crashing into anything. In the majority of homes this isn't possible or desirable. Most models allow you to utilize an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers that the robot will detect. Some include no-go zones, which can be used to mark areas you don't want the robot mop and vacuum combo to access, such as children rooms or a pile of device cords in the corner.

If you're looking to buy a basic robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and whistles, this model made by the company that makes networking TP-Link is a great option. It's quiet and works well on hard floors as well as low-pile rugs and can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at your own convenience. It has a long battery life, and can last up to 180 minutes before needing to recharge.

2. Easy to operate

In general robot vacuums require little input from you. They utilize instruments for navigation, such as sensors cameras, lasers, and sensors to maneuver and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs from tiles, hard floors 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 begin cleaning. Some even come with fall detection technology that can help them avoid falling down stairs or becoming tangled in electrical cords.

If you want to control your robot vacuum and mop robot best from the comfort of a couch, look for models that integrate voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also pick Wi-Fi models that permit you to begin a cleaning session anywhere using an app. You may want to select one with a long-lasting battery and a large dustbin, depending on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can double as mops, utilizing reservoirs of water to clean your floors. This is great for normal mopping, but it won't work for tough messes like pet poop or other spills that are wet. You can select hybrids with an adjustable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that allows you to go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots utilize advanced mapping technology to create a detailed map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid crashing into furniture or tripping over things like cords or chair legs. This feature is usually only available on more expensive models, but it's one of the most effective ways to ensure that your robot has an accurate understanding of the layout of your home and can determine where to go when it's low on battery.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your home you'd prefer to keep it away from (like your children's toys or the tangled mess of gadget cords in the corner), most robots offer some method of creating virtual barriers, either with their apps or physical boundary strips. This lets you block off zones that you don't want your robot to venture into, so it can focus its attention on areas and rooms that require the most cleaning.

Many robots also have the ability to automatically navigate to different flooring types according to the type of floor they're cleaning, whether that's changing between hard and carpet or focusing on specific areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature was effective in our tests and improved the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It is essential to put away any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum, to ensure that it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow users to control them with voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session to "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Certain models have obstacle avoidance built in that prevents them from causing damage to furniture or 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 using an app on your mobile, which gives you more options. You can create multiple cleaning schedules and make a list with your favorite rooms. You can also guide the robot using directional arrows.

Some models provide 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 children or dog bowls and beds). Other apps let you create the map of your house and provide the robot with detailed information about your floors. The app on our top pick, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you tidy your house, but its interface isn't as polished and elegant as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robotic vacs that can clean a whole house without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins make it easier for you to save time and effort. Certain robot vacuums can work with smart home platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts to enable hands-free operation. They can also create a map of the space that allows you to program them for certain rooms or areas and to stay clear of obstacles.

Most robot vacuums offer some degree of object detection however, higher-end models such as the iRobot j7 come with advanced features like "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really make your life easier (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you're seeking to improve the quality of your home maintenance, think about a robot mop with water containers that you can fill and empty.

While none of the models that we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a stand-up vacuum, they did an excellent job cleaning hard floors as well as low pile carpets. They excel in sweeping up dust and food crumbs, tracked-in dirt and pet hair. They also can handle nuts and screws made of metal as well as the stray cat litter. The top robot vacuums can effortlessly work around furniture, and they do a great job of cleaning corners and edges as well. For a basic model that functions by itself and is relatively inexpensive look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

A robot vacuum can help 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 to ensure that your robot won't trample your plants or your favourite chair. The majority of our top picks automatically empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations for you.

The Best Robot Hoover robot vacuums can be programmed to keep your floors clean for weeks or months at a stretch, which saves you the time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every single week or day. This lets you have more time to do the things you love and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.

In our tests the Q Revo was able to capture tiny particles such as oatmeal and baking soda and heavier debris like nails and screws made of steel and even fluffy matter such as hair of pets. It lacks the intelligent mapping and object-avoiding features of our top picks, but it is still a great option for families with children.

The j7's best robot vacuum for mopping feature is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes and socks and pet waste. This means that you don't need to clean up before running your robot, but clutter in your home can mean your bot may get stuck and not perform the job as well.