The Best Robot Vacuums

A quality robot vacuum does the bulk of the work and removes pet hair, lint and dirt before it adheres to furniture or sink into carpets. They also have smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to offer the convenience of hands-free operation.

Many models have maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your house. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges or navigating cords that connect devices.

What to Look for

Certain robots come with advanced features, allowing you to control them via voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as cleaning zones and spots, and object avoidance. They may also have longer battery lives and bigger dust collection bins.

Choose a model with a a wide brush that can clean up large debris and one that's slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Also check whether the robot vacuum can move over multiple floor types without having to change brushes or change suction settings, which can decrease the effectiveness of cleaning and reduce its lifespan.

The most effective robot vacuums feature high-quality filters that sift out tiny particles to safeguard the interior of your house and an ample, easy-to-access bin that lets you empty it often. Some models come with an additional side brush for sweeping up pet hair and debris in difficult-to-access places such as under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, which means you can observe the amount of dirt in the bin and when you should empty it.

In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to operate at times when you're likely to be at home, you can use the app to create a boundary around your furniture and rooms that you want it to avoid. Certain models can also detect the kind of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to suit the floor.

You can also find robots that can recharge and continue cleaning exactly where they left off if their battery is low. Some robot vacuums have cameras built-in that allows you to see the route taken by your robot and what it has collected.

Some robots are controlled via voice commands, but not all. Make sure 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 different commands prior to purchasing. Some robots are able to automatically empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, reducing your chore list a little more. This is a costly feature, as are a larger storage container and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots aren't able to substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they can offer a reliable and effective alternative to the routine of cleaning your floors. Whether you need to keep track of dust, crumbs and pet hair or nab bigger debris like wood shavings and metal screws The top robotic cleaners are adept at picking up different types of debris on the first pass and doing so without damaging your floor surfaces or furniture.

In most cases, they'll be able to detect what type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features accordingly to more thoroughly clean your floors. This is particularly important if you have a variety of flooring throughout your home. Many models offer the option of setting up virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay clear of certain areas of your house. This can help to keep your pets and children from getting into areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.

Think about how much autonomy your robot can enjoy. Certain models require your attention and presence while others function on their own and can change the cleaning mode and schedule using a mobile application or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Some models can map and understand your home, allowing you to define zones and instruct the robot to only clean specific areas of your home on a weekly or daily basis.

In our tests, the iRobot+ proved to be the top robot for "set it and forget it". It was the best in mapping, forming virtual boundaries and eliminating obstacles better than the other robots we tested. It can also completely empty itself so that you don't need to do that manually and has side brushes that help sweep debris out of corners and edges that a vacuum may not reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors allow robot vacuum deals it to get behind and under furniture for a deeper clean than most robots. Its advanced navigation system allows it to be more efficient in cleaning the entire level of your home in a single charge than other models we've tried. For a price that is affordable you'll be able to find it difficult to beat in everyday use.

Battery Life

A high-quality robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel less like a chore, and more like a luxury. The distinction between a clean home and one that is dirty can be achieved by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked in, and crumbs, pet hair, and other debris. While a robot of a basic design can handle most cleaning tasks, those who want an extra hands-free experience should consider one that doubles as a mop.

Ecovacs' Deebot T10 OMNI is a top performer both in vacuuming and mopping modes. It can take care of pet hair, dirt and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, enabling it to steer clear of objects and not get stuck on them.

It has a large dustbin as well as an extremely long-lasting battery, which means it can cover a large amount of space in just one go. It's also a smart cleaner, which means it can be able to map your home, and it is compatible with apps like those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum with voice commands.

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

Another good thing about this robot is that it can differentiate between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly. This prevents the machine from being stuck on one kind of surface or accidentally tearing up your furniture. It's not able detect seams or carpeting with high pile in rooms, which is why it's important to be careful when picking up large objects.

All robot vacuums require some level of maintenance, such as brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the trash bin after each cleaning session. Also, wiping down sensors or cameras between uses to keep them in good condition. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these steps as well as other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums aren't inexpensive, but they're cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or a full-size stand-up vac. They also require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, with most requiring only that you empty (and sometimes wash) their bins after each cleaning session, and occasionally cleaning their sensors or cameras.

Many robot vacuums come with intelligent features that help them be more efficient within your home. For instance mapping technology allows you to tell the vacuum where to go using an app, so it doesn't get stuck in 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 that they can adjust their suction and brush features to get the most effective results.

Certain models come with object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even cameras) to detect toys and other items on the floor and instruct the robot to walk around them, rather than running through them. This is a great option when your pets or children tend to leave toys all over the home.

Voice control is a different feature that you could find useful. It allows you to operate your robot with your voice, instead of the buttons on the board. This is useful if your children aren't old enough yet to operate the robot, or is it just more convenient for you.

How often you need to utilize your robot is contingent upon how much dirt and debris is normally found on your floors. Most experts suggest using your robot vacuum at least every week to keep your floors spotless and to remove pet hair, lint and dirt on the surface.

If you're limited with areas of floor space and don't want to make use of your robot for other tasks, a budget model, such as our top choice, the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's reasonably priced, easy to install and operate, and can complete the task without causing any noise disruption while you work or watch TV.