The Best Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum will do most of the cleaning for you. It will take pet hair, lint and surface dirt from carpets and furniture before they can get stuck. Many also work with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to offer the convenience of hands-free operation.

A lot of models come with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges or navigating through clusters if the cords for your device are.

What to Find

Some robots come with advanced features that let you control them through the app and voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning, and object avoidance are just a few of the features. They could also have longer battery lives and larger dust collection bins.

Choose a model that has a wide brush to clean up large debris and that is slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Make sure the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without changing the suction settings or brushes. This could reduce the effectiveness of cleaning and reduce its lifespan.

The top robot vacuums come with high-quality filters that trap tiny particles to safeguard the interior of your home and an easy-to-access bin that lets you empty it frequently. Some models come with an additional side brush to clean up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access areas under and behind furniture. They also usually have a door for the dustbin that is clear which allows you to keep an eye on the amount of dirt accumulation to can tell when it's time to empty the.

In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to run at times when you're likely to be at home, you can use the app to draw the boundaries around your furniture and rooms you'd like it to avoid. Certain models can also detect the type of floor they're cleaning and automatically adjust their brush and suction settings to suit the floor.

There are also robots that recharge and resume cleaning exactly where they left off when their battery runs low. There are some that have an inbuilt camera that lets you see your robot vacuum's route and even see what it's collected.

Some robots also allow you to control them with your voice, but they may not do so as well as others. Check that the model you pick is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice and then test it to see how well the robot responds to commands before buying. Some robots are able to automatically empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, reducing your list of chores a bit more. However, this feature comes at an expense, as does a larger collection bin and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots can't substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they do provide an effective and efficient alternative to the daily chore of cleaning your floors. The most effective robotic cleaners clean up small particles such as dust, pet hair and crumbs, or bigger items like metal shavings and wood shavings. They accomplish this without harming furniture or floors.

Most of the time, they'll detect the type of floor they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly to more effectively clean your floors. This is particularly important if your home is surrounded by different kinds of flooring. Many models offer the option of setting up virtual boundaries. This allows you to instruct your robot to stay clear of certain areas in your home. This can be helpful in keeping your pets or children from stepping into areas where they shouldn't, and also helps ensure that your home is cleaned at the end of every scheduled session.

Think about how much autonomy your robot will enjoy. Some models require your presence and attention while others operate on their own, with the ability to alter cleaning schedules and cleaning modes using a mobile application or voice commands using an integrated smart assistant. Some models can map and understand your space and allow you to set up zones and tell the robot to clean specific areas of your home on a weekly or daily basis.

In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the Best Rated Robot Vacuum robot to "set it and forget it". It was better in mapping the virtual boundaries and avoids obstacles than the other robots we tested. It can also empty itself, so you don't need to do it manually. Additionally, the side brushes can help clean debris from corners and edges that a vacuum might not reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors permit it to go behind and under furniture for a deeper clean than most robots. Its advanced navigation system is more efficient in cleaning the entire level of your home in a single charge as compared to other devices we've tested. It's hard to beat, especially at a reasonable price.

Battery Life

A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore and more of an enjoyable experience. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair can make a huge difference in the cleanliness of your home on a daily basis. While a robot vacuum with mapping of a basic design can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those looking for a bit more of a hands-off experience should look for one that doubles as mop.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is among the best models for both as it offers great performance in both its mop and vacuuming modes, and is able to handle dirt and pet hair, as well as debris and even cat litter. Its function to avoid objects is remarkable. It lets it avoid objects and not get caught on them.

It has a big dust bin and a battery that lasts for a long time, best rated robot Vacuum so it can cover a significant amount of space in one session. It is also a smart vacuum, meaning it can make maps of your home and use apps, such as those provided by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to let you control it using voice commands.

The app that comes with the robot lets you create schedules, assign specific rooms for cleaning or suspend or resume sessions. It can even warn you when its battery is running low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

The robot can also differentiate between carpets and hard floors, and adjust its settings accordingly. This prevents the machine from becoming stuck on a particular type of surface and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it is not yet able to discern high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you'll have to be cautious about picking up large items.

All robot vacuums require some amount of maintenance, for example getting rid of hair from brushes, emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the dust bin after each cleaning session. Also, cleaning sensors or cameras between uses to ensure they are in good shape. The manufacturer will offer specific recommendations for these and other maintenance procedures that may differ based on the specific model.

Cost

The best robot vacuums don't come inexpensive, but they're less expensive than a professional carpet cleaner or an entire stand-up vacuum. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they only require you to empty and occasionally rinse their dust bins following every cleaning session.

A lot of robot vacuums have intelligent features which make them more efficient within your home. For example mapping technology lets you inform the vacuum of where to go using an app, which means it doesn't run into the stairs or under furniture, where there may be an unclean mess. Other robot vacuums are able to detect the kind of floor they are cleaning, so they can adjust their suction and brush capabilities to achieve the most effective results.

Certain models come with object avoidance, which makes use of sensors (or even cameras) to detect toys and other items on the floor and coach the robot to walk around them, rather than running into them. This is a great solution if your children or pets tend to leave toys around the home.

One other smart feature that could be of interest to you is voice control, which lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This is a great option when you have children who aren't yet old enough to operate the controls, or if you simply want a hands-free solution.

How often you should use your robot will depend on how much dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. Most experts recommend using a robotic vacuuming at least once per week to keep your floors looking good and nabbing pet hair, dust and dirt from the surface before it can get trapped or become difficult to remove.

If you're limited with floor surfaces and don't plan to make use of your robot for other tasks, a budget model, such as our top pick the Eufy 11S, is a great option. It's easy to use and affordable, and it does the job without creating any noise when you're working or watching TV.