Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner
While robot vacuums are fantastic in keeping your floors spotless however, they're not able to substitute for a larger vacuum. Even the best vacuums struggle to get into carpets or rugs and often get tangled in socks and cords.
Your robot will last longer if you perform routine maintenance. This includes replacing filters, cutting hairs that have become tangled off brushes and emptying the dustbin.
Battery Life
Most robot vacuums are able to handle a couple of cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The second-placed model in our overall picks is the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo is rated to last up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on one charge. This is enough to clean most smaller homes with a mix of hard floors and carpets with low pile, or a larger home where the rooms are roughly the same size.
A longer battery life means that the robot can spend less time charging and more time cleaning. It's a good idea to choose an auto-emptying dust bin, since these models are more efficient when it comes to cleaning up debris and returning to the dock to recharge. It is important to clean or replace the filters and wipe down sensors and the camera regularly so that they can be seen clearly.
Smart mapping technology is a great feature to look out for, as it allows you to program your robot to clean specific rooms or areas where it's likely to bump into furniture or other obstacles. This feature is also helpful for ensuring that your robot is able to reach under and around furniture such as sofas, beds and other large objects. Some cheap robovacs offer boundaries that you can put on the floor to block off areas, while others make use of sensors and cameras to achieve this goal.
Even the most powerful robot vacuums cannot replace a traditional vacuum when it comes heavy-duty dirt and debris. It is recommended to keep a power vacuum available for these chores and plan robot vacs for light cleanings throughout the week.
Navigation
A robot should be able of moving around your home without being caught or running into things such as metal screws, pet hair or sand. In our tests the tracking device is used to track the robot through an entire lab. It then maps its surroundings. We also look for how well it avoids obstacles like power cords, furniture legs, and pet waste.
The best robots are able to map out multiple floors, and recognize landmarks like doors and windows. The most advanced robots like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra have a dual sensor navigation system which uses a LIDAR to draw a room's layout and a structured-light camera on the front to identify objects in real-time. The S8 can avoid obstacles like cables for power and legs of furniture. It also has the capability to store up to four floor maps.
The majority of the models that are affordable rely on bump sensors which are not as accurate. In my tests they cut right through cords, dog poop, and even the shoes that were placed in the middle of the room. The most affordable choice the Dreametech D10+, is an exception to this. It is a great carpet, hard floor, tangle and hair pickup. It also has a near-perfect auto empty score.
A large dust bin onboard, that doesn't need to be emptying manually is another feature that is essential. If you have models that mop the floor, this tank will provide enough water for several weeks of cleaning sessions. The Karcher RCV 5 comes with this and a big enough footprint to be placed under furniture however, it's not so huge that it doesn't fit into the nook between your toilet and bathtub.
Apps
Robot vacuums are a lot similar to upright models, and it takes an enormous amount of technology to get them up to speed. The result is a mature market that is brimming with options. Even the best models require interaction from their users, especially when it comes to schedule cleanings, create the floor plan of your home and install virtual barriers.
To lessen the chance of this interaction, consider looking for a model with its own app to identify the location of your home, and save those settings for the future. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it left off on subsequent runs rather than having the mapping process restarted every time.
Also, look for models that offer zones or spot cleaning. They allow you to instruct the robot vacuum to concentrate on a specific spot like under the dining room table after a big family meal. You can choose to use the app or by voice commands.
The ability to avoid objects is another feature that's available with numerous models. It lets the robot detect objects in its path, for instance the shoe box or a crate filled with dog toys, and guide itself around it. This will stop it from crashing into objects that could damage its sensors or cause jams.
Some of the more expensive models we've tested have this feature. They depend on bump sensor technology to do this however they weren't always able to avoid things in my test home.
Pet Hair
When it comes to removing pet hair, you should choose the right model designed to handle this kind of debris. The top models feature high suction power and a brush that is free of tangling, and an emptying mechanism that will automatically empty hair into the trash bin when needed. Some models are able to detect dirt levels and alter the level of cleaning. They can also detect objects that aren't a part of the flooring in your home, such as furniture and toys, food bowls cords, and much more.
Some robot vacuums have extra pet-friendly features, such as a small water dispenser that can be used for mopping floors, and a HEPA filter that can help reduce allergens like pet dander. They could also provide an operation that is quieter, which can reduce the amount of noise generated during cleaning.
Robot vacuums that include maps are a great option for pet owners since they are designed to analyze your home and devise plans of attack in accordance with the layout and obstructions in each room. Shark Matrix Plus is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum that can create a map of a room, and navigate through furniture, and over other obstacles using accelerometer and gyroscope smart sensors.
Other models that are more advanced let you define no-go zones that are areas that the robot is expected to avoid, such as items that are fragile or pet feeding spots--by adjusting settings through an app. This feature is particularly useful for households with busy schedules, as you can schedule cleaning sessions without having to be present in the space where the vacuum is. Another feature that is extremely useful is spot cleaning, which allows you to control the vacuum to clean a particular area that is particularly dirty or full of pet hair.
Dust Bin
If you don't want something tiny, choose a robot with a large bin or even a self-emptying dustbin. This is why we suggest opting for a model with an enormous bin or a self-emptying dustbin. The former will help you keep up with cleaning the bin regularly enough to keep track of its performance, while the latter will save you time and effort by automatically emptying its contents into an internal container every few cleans.
Whatever the size of your home the majority of robots are able to move around and up to furniture, and almost all can detect and navigate around household obstacles like shoes, loose cords and dog puke. Look for models with smart mapping capabilities that enable them to "learn" the structure of your home and design more efficient routes, as well as models that detect and avoid objects that may hinder their routes (like shoelaces or strangling charging cables).
Some models provide spot cleaning. This lets you choose a specific area of your house for thorough cleaning. In our tests, we found that the top models can remove small particles like baking soda, sand, orzo, screws made of metal and pet hair, in addition to heavier debris such as oatmeal, orzo, and screws made of metal.
Depending on the brand, the majority of robots last for a long time and remain in good working order in the event that you maintain them with regular maintenance, like cleaning out hair that has become tangled from brushes and emptying the dust bin after every use, and cleaning cameras and sensors whenever required. The best robots are also more flexible. This makes it easier to repair or replace parts like batteries and wheels, as they wear out.