A Provocative Rant About Good Robot Vacuum

What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum can help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map with its first run, memorizing your home's layout for future tasks. It has self-cleaning brush rolls and an large dust bin that is empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up big items such as lamp cords and toys and dust particles that are fine. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brush or end up on your floor. This is especially important if you have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.

A model that has a powerful engine and lots of suction is an excellent option. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

The size of your home is another important consideration. If you live in a large house it is possible to pick a model that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in one session. Some models also have mopping capabilities, which can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time however they'll need to be maintained regularly and in a proper manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for ten years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries with time).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a large vacuum cleaner. They'll still do an excellent job of cleaning dirt from surfaces pet fur, lint and other debris. You can use them to scrub your floor several times a day. They do not have as much technology and are more susceptible to becoming jammed or requiring manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums make use of sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the staircase. They are also able to avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords, and some models will automatically return to their base or dock when they are running low on power. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn your home's layout and therefore spend less time bouncing against walls.

There is no need to spend lots of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do an excellent job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces like wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They also do a good job of removing larger debris such as metal screws or staples that have rust, or the remains of toys. Some models come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is a great feature if you do not want to empty it after each cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer smart features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient, including scheduling, zone targeting, and the ability to control them via an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't wish robots to access.

Certain robotic vacuums such as the Eufy 11S and my former top choice the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from crashing into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some robot vacuum black friday vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of a camera, processors and algorithms to stay clear of items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It's a bit more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles and never is stuck or derails while working on my floor.

The iRobot J7+ was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always do a great job at avoiding dirt or crumbs on my carpets. It also had a tendency to over-vacuum specific areas, which resulted in a lot of dust in the filters, and a less tidy house.

Smart Mapping

The best robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to customize cleaning modes, create schedules, and see an image of the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that many competitors don't have. This makes it easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specific times and keep it running on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app will also let you control your robot via voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free. You can say "start cleaning" or "change cleaning mode" without having to use the app.

Find the model with a large dustbin. This will allow you to do many cleaning sessions without needing empty it. You can also find models that are self-emptying which takes a portion of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, you should consider the models that have mopping functions. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums and come with a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home and can even keep track of the layout between cleanings, which helps them avoid getting lost or stuck in corners. This can make a significant difference in how efficiently your robot vacuums because it won't be spending time returning to the beginning of the room when it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our testers who used a robot with this capability found it to be very efficient, and could comfortably sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models utilize laser navigation, Intelligent Cleaning Robot and can create an exact map of your house, which means you can program them to clean just the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house when you're at work.

App Control

It is best to select the vacuum that comes with a mobile application if you want to customize the frequency of intelligent cleaning robot and select the cleaning mode. You can also see the state of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin in the app. The best robotic vacuums can be controlled by 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 removed and rinsed. Another great feature is a powerful brush that can be found in corners and along baseboards, making it easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some even have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could occur in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools to help them discover your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as stairs, furniture and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundaries to mark areas that you don't wish to see it go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly useful for families with young kids who throw socks and toys around the house. This helps your robot to gather the items instead of scattering.

More robots are coming with mops. This is beneficial for those with floors that are hard and need to mop frequently. They come with an integrated water tank into the chassis or an extra piece you can swap in when it's time to mop. They might need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're great for homes with floors made of wood that aren't easily cleaned by vacuum.

We've seen some impressive technology packed into these little robots and they're less expensive than you might expect. In fact, you can find a decent one for less than $200 that does a good job of cleaning pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rug. The robot can be programmed to clean a particular room at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely using an app or by pressing buttons.