Five Things Everyone Makes Up About Robot Vacuum
The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming a little less painful. Today's models also mop and even climb (small) steps.
Some have a small bin which they empty themselves. Others can be controlled by a smartphone app rather than a physical remote. Some models have mapping capabilities to aid in navigating your home more effectively.
1. Power
With 8,000Pa of suction power Our top choice for robot vacuums is durable enough to take care of the most difficult dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square shape allows it to slide under furniture like beds and sofas. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides precise obstacle avoidance as well as intelligent navigation. It is also great at cleaning pet hair, baking powder and other messes around corners and baseboards.
In addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI bot, other top-of-the-line bots on this list include the iRobot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes with a powerful docking station that automates maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction, coupled with its effective mopping feature, ensured my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints and other messes on all floors we test.
In the lower cost range, a model that has 2,500Pa of suction is sufficient for the majority of homes. They are also quieter, which makes them the ideal option for those with sensitive hearing. They're not quiet, but they're just about the same as a normal conversation at home.
To find the ideal balance of usability and power, consider your cleaning needs and budget. A regular light-duty cleaning schedule requires longer runtime and lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning demands maximum power. Consider your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules in order to select the best model to meet your requirements. We suggest looking through our complete list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more details on the most recent models available. Many customers report seeing their carpets and bare floors looking significantly cleaner after introducing a robot vacuum into their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum won't be able to do its job effectively if it doesn't know how to get around your home. For this reason, the best robots rely on advanced navigation technology that effectively scans rooms and builds an outline map to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation that include LiDAR, camera and sensor.
LiDAR is employed by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, offering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Less expensive models depend on bump sensors, which can be more inaccurate and tend to miss many debris in dark areas. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors, which stop them from falling off steps or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used objects recognition to navigate through things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean by zones, rooms or even the whole house.
Other features worth a look include floor type sensors that recognize carpets with soft and hard floors, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Certain robots such as the Roborock mop use a mopping pad that lifts to reach into corners and clean dry spills. Some hybrids even apply cleaning solution to stubborn stains.
A smaller dustbin will require less frequent emptying, while larger ones will cost less to replace. The majority of low-cost robotic cleaners utilize an inexpensive disposable dust bag. However, the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins that last a long time. Certain premium robots such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI Station can self-empty and fill up their water tanks for hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The best robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to monitor cleaning progress and schedule your 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 models have a remote control that allows you to begin the process, pause it, and return to dock. Look for a model with larger dustbins that self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.
Certain robovacs have mapping technology that allows them to recognize obstacles, such as stairs, and avoid running into furniture. Others allow you to create no-go zones or specific rooms, so they only clean the areas that require the most. They also have a cliff sensor to keep them from falling, which is helpful in multi-leveled homes.
If you intend to use your robot autonomous vacuum to clean rug carpets, you should choose a model which can be used for dry and wet mopping. You'll get better results from an vac that is able to remove its own mop pad, too, which you can then rinse and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a machine that has a rubber roll, which is less prone to tangles due to pet hair and other debris than bristle rollers like those found on cheaper models. Check the robot's side brushes and brushroll for any debris that might have gotten stuck on. Do this at least twice a week. If you notice they are beginning to get clogged up it might be time to purchase replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are designed to, as the name suggests, to collect dust and debris from your floors. The best ones pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand as well as larger pieces like orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also provide better pick-up results on low-pile carpets than most manual vacuums.
Across all flooring types, the top performing robots had pick-up scores of greater than 95%. Our two best-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI, and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated with robust docking stations that do maintenance on their own. They also have apps that make them incredibly user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that suck up the contents of the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while mowing. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum cleaner, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology to help them navigate through the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS model is also among the few robots that we tested that can remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet which makes it the ideal choice for users who need to switch between vacuuming and mopping regularly.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, we recommend the iRobot Roomba Kombo J7+, our budget choice. It features LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup performance for the price. It's a bit slow to map rooms and may be susceptible to crashing into obstacles, however, it's cheaper than our other top selections.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums let you get on with your day while they keep your floors in perfect in good condition. Although you'll need to give your home a manual automatic hoover every now and then robot vacuums can help you keep a certain level of cleanliness and even keep your home clean when you're away.
To maximize the time you can get out of your robovac, choose the model that has a high battery life. If you select the highest power setting, the model should last two cleaning sessions. This is less than a larger vacuum however, it should be enough to get the job done in most homes. If you don't want to be waiting around while your robovac charges you, you can choose one that will automatically make its way back to the base station to recharge.
If you're looking for a robovac that has a little bit of everything in it, then consider one that is able to mop. Eufy's X10 is the best automatic vacuum model in this class and provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of your dust bin and mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically refill and wash mops when they're empty.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair pickup and tangle avoidance, and close to perfect auto vacuum and mop empty scores makes it the clear winner of our test scores. However, it's not cheap and unless you live in an apartment with no pets it might be too expensive for some. The second-placed model, the Dreametech D10+, has very similar performance but costs about 25 percent less.
