Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner
While robot vacuums are great in keeping your floors clean but they aren't able to replace a full-size vacuum. Even the most powerful robots have trouble getting deep into carpets and rugs and they can become tangled with cords and socks.
Staying on top of routine maintenance (replacing filters cutting hair that is tangled from brushes, and emptying the dust bin) can help your robot last longer.
Battery Life
The majority of robot vacuums are able to handle a few cleaning sessions without having to be charged. The Ecovacs Q30S Combo is a close second in our overall selections. It comes with batteries that last up to 180 minute (3,230 square foot) on one charge. This will be more than enough for most small homes with carpets, hard flooring and carpets with low pile or larger homes with rooms that are about the same size.
A longer battery lifespan also means that the robot is able to spend more time cleaning, and less time charging on its dock. It's a good idea to choose models that have a self-emptying dust bin because these models are more efficient when it comes to picking up debris and returning to the dock for recharging. It is essential to clean or replace filters and clean the sensors and cameras regularly so that they can see clearly.
Smart mapping technology can be a valuable feature, since you can program your robot to ensure that it only cleans specific rooms or avoids areas where it is likely to bump into furniture and other obstacles. This feature is also helpful for ensuring that your robot can reach under and around furniture, such as sofas, beds and other high-height items. Some cheap robovacs have boundary strips that you can use to block off specific areas. Other high-end models depend on sensors and cameras.
Even the best robot vacs can't replace a conventional vacuum when it comes to heavy-duty large-pile dirt and other debris. It's best to keep a power vacuum on hand for these chores and plan robot vacs to do light cleaning throughout the week.
Navigation
A robot must be able to navigate you home without getting stuck or crashing into objects such as metal screws, loose pet hair, or sand. In our tests we used a tracking device used to follow the robot around a multi-room lab. It then analyzes its surroundings. We also test how the robot avoids obstacles like power cords, furniture leg 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 utilizes the LIDAR to create a floor plan and a structured-light camera at the front to identify objects in real-time. The S8 can evade obstacles like power cords and furniture legs. It also has the ability to store up to four floor maps.
The most affordable models rely on bump sensors which aren't as accurate. In my tests they were able to detect dog poop through cords as well as a pair shoes placed in the middle. The best value pick, the Dreametech D10+, is an exception to this. It has excellent carpet and hard floor pickup, good hair and tangle pickup and a near perfect auto empty score.
A large onboard dustbin, which doesn't have to be empty manually, is also a feature that's important. If you have models that mop the floor, this tank can provide enough water for several weeks of cleaning sessions. The Karcher RCV 5 has this and a big enough footprint to be tucked away under furniture however, it's not so huge that it can't fit into the nook between your bathtub and toilet.
Apps
Robot vacuums are similar to their upright counterparts and require a lot of technology to keep them current. The result is a mature market with plenty of options. Even the most advanced models require input from their users particularly when it comes to plan cleaning schedules, design the floor plan of your home and set up virtual barriers.
To help reduce the impact of this interaction, you should look for a model that has its own app to recognize the layout of your home and save these settings for future use. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it began when it runs again, instead of having the mapping process restarted each time.
It's also worth keeping an eye out for a vacuum that comes with spot or zone cleaning modes. Robot Vacuum Mops let you tell the robot vacuum to concentrate on a specific area like under the dining table after the family's big meal. You can usually choose to do this using the app or via voice commands.
Many models also offer objects-avoidance. It allows the robot to observe something in its path, such as the shoe box or a crate full of dog toys, and guide itself around it. This will prevent it from hitting objects that could damage its sensors or cause jams.
Some of the more expensive models we tested have this feature. However, they tend to rely on bump sensors for this and didn't always manage to avoid things in my test homes.
Pet Hair
Find a vacuum cleaner that is specifically designed to collect hair from pets. The most effective models will feature a high suction, a brush that stops tangling, and an automatic emptying mechanism. Some can also detect dirt levels and adjust cleaning intensity accordingly. They also can detect items that aren't a part of your flooring at home, such as furniture, toys and food bowls.
Some robot vacuums include pet-friendly features, such as a water dispenser that can be used for mopping floors and an HEPA filter that helps reduce allergens like pet dust. They may also have an operation that is quieter to minimize the amount of noise produced during cleaning sessions.
Robot vacuums with the ability to map are a great option for pet owners since they're engineered to assess your home and develop a plan of attack in accordance with the layout and the obstacles in each room. Shark Matrix Plus is a two-in-one robot vacuum that can map a room, navigate through furniture, and over other obstacles by using accelerometers and gyroscope sensors.
Apps allow you to create no-go zones. These are areas that the robot is not allowed, for instance, areas with fragile objects or pet feeding areas. This feature is especially useful for busy households, as it allows you to schedule cleaning sessions without needing to be in the space in which the vacuum is. Another great feature is spot cleaning that lets you control the vacuum to clean a specific area that is dirty or full of pet hair.
Dust Bin
If you don't want something small, go for a model with a big bin or even a self-emptying bin. We suggest choosing the one with an enormous bin, or even a dustbin that automatically emptys. The former will allow you to keep up with emptying your bin often enough to ensure its efficiency. The latter will help you save time and effort by automatically emptying the contents into an inside container every few cleanings.
No matter the size of your house the majority of robots are able to move around and up to furniture, and they can recognize and navigate around household obstacles such as shoes, loose cords and dog poop. Make sure you choose models with smart mapping capabilities. This allows them to "learn the patterns of your house and plan more efficient routes.
Some models also provide spot cleaning, which allows you to manually target an area of your house for intensive cleaning. We've observed that the majority of the top performers in our tests can pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand, as well as heavier particles like oatmeal orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair.
According to the manufacturer the company, robots can last for years and still perform as well, so long as they're maintained. For instance, cleaning tangled hair out of brushes and emptying dust bins after each use and wiping sensors and cameras down as required. The best robots are also more adaptable. This allows you to replace or repair components like wheels and batteries when they wear out.