So You ve Purchased Robot Vacuum ... Now What
The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is a major cause of a lot of people's lives However, robot vacuums make it a little less tedious. Modern models can also mop and even climb (small) steps.
Some have a small trash bin which they empty themselves. Others are controlled with a smartphone app rather than the physical remote. Some come with mapping features to help them navigate more efficiently.
1. Power
Our top choice for robot vacuums has a suction power of 8,000Pa, which is powerful enough to eliminate even the most stubborn dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture, such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology allows for intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great for cleaning pet hair, baking powder, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
In addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI bot, other powerful bots in this list include the iRobot Roomba j7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes with a sturdy docking station that automatically performs maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping kept my floors free of pet hair, muddy paw prints, and other debris during every floor type test we ran.
A model with 2,500Pa suction will suffice for the majority of homes in the lower price range. These units are quieter, making them an ideal choice for people who have sensitive hearing. They're still not silent, but they're only about the same as normal conversations at home.
Take into consideration your budget and cleaning requirements to determine the best combination of power and convenience. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, whereas weekly heavy-duty cleaning demands maximum power. Consider your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules in order to determine the best model to meet your needs. We recommend looking through our entire list of robot vacuum reviews (Continued) and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many users report seeing their carpets and bare floors appear cleaner after introducing a robotic vacuum in their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot perform its task without knowing how to navigate your home. The best robots employ sophisticated navigation technology to scan rooms and build an outline map, which allows for thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three major types of robot navigation: LiDAR-based, sensor-based, and camera-based.
The most expensive models employ LiDAR to create a digital map of the room. This model offers the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in less expensive models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. The majority of robots have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots I tested used objects recognition to navigate through things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had excellent mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, a user-friendly app and the ability to clean a area, room or the whole house.
Other features worth looking into include floor type sensors that can detect hard floors and soft carpet, automatically boosting suction power when necessary. Some robots, like the Roborock mop, make use of mopping pad lifts to reach corners and tackle dried spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solution on stubborn stains.
A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The most affordable robotic cleaners generally employ a tiny disposable dust bag, while the majority of mid-range models come with larger dust bins of 3L that last for decades. Certain high-end robots, such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their bins and fill their water tanks to provide convenience without hands.
3. App control
The best robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices to allow hands-free control. Many robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a dedicated remote control that lets you start, pause and return to dock. Pick a model that comes with an extra large dustbin and is able to self-empty instead of one that requires manual emptying.
Certain robovacs come with technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles such as stairs and furniture. Certain robovacs permit you to designate no-go zones and specific rooms to clean the areas that require the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down the stairs, which is especially useful in multi-level homes.
If you intend to utilize your robot vacuum that mops vacuum for cleaning carpets, select a model which can be used both for wet and dry mopping. You'll have better results cleaning if your robot vacuum can also remove its mop pad. Clean it and reattach it when you need to conduct a clean-up cycle. Look for robots with an elastomer roller. It is less likely to tangle from pet hair or other particles. It's recommended to inspect the robot hoover's brushroll as well as side brushes for debris that has gotten stuck every once or twice per week, too. If you notice that they are beginning to get clogged up, it may be time to replace parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are made, as the name suggests to remove dust and other debris from your floors. The most effective robot mop vacuums are able to collect small particles such as baking soda and sand, as well as larger ones such as metal screws orzo, as well as pet hair. They also deliver better results on low pile carpets than many manual vacuums.
Across all flooring types, the top-performing robots had pickup scores of greater than 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our most efficient bots in this class. Both are highly automated equipped with docking stations that do maintenance on their own and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They can also clean the washboard while they mow. They also come with an 8,000Pa automatic vacuum cleaner, intelligent mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that helps them navigate through the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS model is also one of the few robots that we tested that can take its mop pads and vacuum mop cleaner robot carpet which makes it the ideal choice for users who need to change between mopping and vacuuming frequently.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, check out the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget-friendly pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It's not the fastest to map rooms and is susceptible to bumping into obstacles, however it's much less expensive than our other best-buy choices.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums are designed to let you go to work while they keep your floors looking spick and span. While you'll still need to give your home a manual hoover every now and then, robovacs can help you keep a certain level of tidiness and even clean even when you're away.
Look for a robovac with an extended-lasting battery to get the most use of it. A good guideline is to anticipate a model to last about two cleaning sessions when you run it at the maximum power setting. This is less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it is enough to provide for the majority of homes. If you don't wish to wait while your robovac charges you can opt for a model that will automatically return to the base station for charging.
If you're looking to buy a robovac with a variety of features in it, you should consider one that is able to mop. Eufy's X10, the best model in this class, 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 low.
The clear winner in our tests is the Dyson V810 because of its impressive carpet and hard floor pickup, superb hair pickup, tangle-free performance, and nearly perfect auto empty score. However, it's not cheap and unless you live in the smallest of homes without pets, it may be too pricey for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but it costs 25 percent less.