What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A quality robot vacuum will keep you on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a daily basis. Many work with apps to allow you to schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac-mop robot vacuum makes the map of your home with its first run. It then remembers the space for future cleaning jobs. It comes with self-cleaning brush rolls and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When you are choosing a robotic vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up big items such as lamps and toys and fine dust. This will help ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush, and don't end up on your floors. This feature is especially crucial if your robot is going to be cleaned frequently by children or pets.

A model that has an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is a good option. This will allow it to be more effective in getting rid of pet hair, dust and lint from carpets as well as hardwood floors.

Another important consideration is the size of your space. If you live in a large house it is possible to choose one that has multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean your entire home in one go. Certain models also include a mopping function, which can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time however they'll need to be cleaned regularly and properly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine running smoothly for a long time. Many of the robot mop and vacuum combo vacuum owners we have spoken to have owned their machines for 10 years or longer (and have replaced brushes, motors, and batteries along with time).

A basic robot will cost you less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair and dust. You can use them to sweep your floors multiple times per day. The downside is they don't come with as smart technology, and can be prone to getting stuck or needing human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top best combo robot vacuum mop vacuums make use of sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling on the stairs. They also can stay clear of obstacles such as cords and furniture legs, and some models will automatically return to their dock or base when they run out of energy. Some of the more expensive models have the ability to map, which allows them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing off walls.

If you're not looking to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can locate a model that is capable of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and debris from floors that are hard like tiles and wood, as well as carpets with low pile. They can also take care of larger debris such as nails that are rusty, metal screws or discarded toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base, which is useful in the event that you don't wish to empty your trash bin after every cleaning run.

Many robotic vacuums also come with advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric, including schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to go.

Certain robotic vacuums like the Eufy 11S and my former favorite, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling cords. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items such as lamp cords and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tested, but it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or tripped while working on my floor.

The iRobot J7+ was a fantastic obstacle avoidance robot, but it did not always do a good job at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my rugs. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas, leading to a lot of dust in the filters, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

The best cheap robot vacuum mop robot vacuums come with an app that lets you to customize cleaning settings, set schedules and see a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is a useful feature that many competitors don't have. This allows you to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at certain times and continue to run on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app can also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.

To enjoy a hands-free and effortless experience, look for models with a large dust bin that can hold numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. There are models that self-empty, which takes some of the burden of emptying the robot after each cleaning run.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, consider the models that have mopping capabilities. They are usually larger than the robotic vacuums and come with an internal water tank that can hold many cleaning sessions of dirt and other debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your home. They can even keep track of the arrangement from one cleaning to the next, which helps them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the best robot vacuum cleaner and mop speed at which your robot vacuums because it won't need to spend time returning to the beginning of the room when it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test subjects who tested the robot that has this capability found it to be extremely efficient. They could comfortably watch TV or do other chores while the robot cleaned. Certain models utilize laser navigation to create the map of your home. You can program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms when you're at work.

App Control

It is recommended to select the vacuum that comes with a mobile application if you want to customize the frequency of cleaning and choose the cleaning mode. You can also see the state of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin in the app. The best robot vacuum with mop for hardwood floors robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot with a washable filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. A high-powered brush is another fantastic feature that allows you to reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of hair and dirt. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair leg than others. Others have sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent the clogging.

Some robo-vacs use navigation tools that help them understand your home and get around obstacles. The top models utilize sensors and cameras to recognize obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. The cheaper models could utilize boundary strips to mark areas that you don't wish it to enter. Avoidance of objects can be particularly useful for families with young children who throw socks and toys around the home. This helps your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

We're starting to see more robots that have mops, which are great for people who have hard floors and require to mop them regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate piece can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be filled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're great for homes with hard floors which aren't easy to clean by vacuum.

We've seen some amazing technology in these small robots, and they're a lot cheaper than you imagine. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that does a decent job of cleaning pet hair and crumbs from hard floors while also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. The robot can be programmed to clean specific rooms at regular intervals. It can also be controlled remotely via an app or by pressing buttons.