How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you don't need the most advanced features such as mapping and do not mind cleaning your trash bin every 60 to 90 days, a basic robotic vacuum is probably suitable for you. Find an option that has a clean base and can work with voice assistants.

It is the best robo-vacuum mop robot we have tested in cleaning up pet hair from hardwood floors, tile, and carpets with low pile. It also maps and set virtual no-go zones for rooms and vacuum mop Combo robot areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum is able to stay up with the pet hair, dust and dander that collects on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It also can reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save you time and effort. The most effective model comes with powerful suction that is able to take on the most difficult messes and leave your home sparkling clean.

A robot Vacuum mop combo robot that is also able to mop will allow you to cover more ground with one machine, which could be especially helpful in larger homes. Look for one that has a water reservoir either in the chassis or as a separate piece that you can swap out when vacuuming is complete. It will need to be emptied and filled, so it's an extra chore.

In ideal world, you'd be able to clean your floors prior to using your robot vacuum to keep it from crashing into objects. But in most homes, this isn't feasible or desirable. Fortunately, the majority of models let you use your smartphone app to set up virtual barriers that the robot can detect and avoid. Some models include no-go areas, which you can flag areas that you don't want it to access. For instance an area for children's play or a pile of cords in an area.

If you're looking for a basic robot vacuum with no bells and bells, this model from networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It is quiet, is able to work on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile and can be programmed via the app to vacuum and mop at your convenience. It's got a long battery life of up to 180 minutes.

2. Easy to operate

Robot vacuums generally require only minimal effort from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to navigate around obstacles and remove dust, food crumbs and pet hair from floors, tile carpets, hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. A lot of models come with boundaries strips that help them stay inside a room. More expensive models can be programmed to get up at a particular time and start cleaning. Certain models come with fall detection technology to help them avoid falling down a flight of stairs or becoming tangled in cords.

If you're looking to control your robot vacuum cleaner for pet hair vacuum from the comfort of your couch, search for models that can work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. Also, look for models that connect to Wi-Fi and allow you to start cleaning from any location using an app. You might want to choose a model that has a long-lasting battery, as well as a large dust bin, depending on the size of your home.

Some robot vacuums can also be mopping. They make use of water reservoirs to wash the floor. This is useful for normal mopping, but it won't be effective for messes that are more difficult to clean, like pet poop or other wet spills. There are hybrids that have a removable microfiber pad for mopping, or choose self-emptying models that let you go for 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Some robots utilize advanced mapping technologies to build an accurate map of your floorplan as they clean, making it easier for them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or tripping over things such as cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models, but it lets your robot be aware of your home's layout and know where to go when the battery is out.

If you do not want your robot to go into areas of your home you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your children's toys or the mess of device cords in the corner) The majority of robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either through their app or a set of physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't want your robot to access in order to focus on the rooms that need the most attention.

A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different flooring types depending on the surface they're cleaning, whether they're switching between carpet and hard flooring or focusing on particular areas of your home, like baseboards and corners. This feature proved to be useful in our tests and enhanced the vacuum's performance on both hardwood flooring and carpeting for floors with low-pile. It is important to secure any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum so that it doesn't become caught.

4. Remote Control

Most robot vacuums are WiFi-enabled and can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to enable users to control them with voice commands or from your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session, so they can "learn" your layout and design more efficient routes for future runs. Some also have built-in obstacle avoidance that stops them from crashing into furniture and damaging it or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables, shoe laces and pet hair.

Most robots have an remote control that can be used to guide them around your house. Most robots can be controlled via a mobile application that comes with more features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules and make an agenda of your most-loved rooms. You can also guide the robot with the directional arrows.

Some models provide no-go zones that are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to stop the robot from entering certain areas (like kids' toys or dog bowls and beds). Certain apps let you draw a map of your house and provide detailed information on the floors. The app that we recommend as our top choice, the Roborock S7+, has numerous options to help you clean your house, but its interface isn't as polished as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that can sweep your entire house without stopping for a recharge or to empty their bins save time and vacuum mop combo robot effort. Some of them work with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also create an image of your home and allow you to program them to clean certain areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.

The majority of robot vacuums can detect objects, however the iRobot j7 comes with advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can make your life easier (although one of our test robots did "eat" two socks). If you want to take your home maintenance even further, look for a robotic mop that comes with an water tank that you fill and empty yourself.

While none of the models we tested could match the dirt-picking ability of a standup vacuum, they did a great job cleaning hard floors and carpets with low pile. They are excellent at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs and dirt that has been tracked in. They are also able to handle nuts and screws made of metal as well as the stray cat litter. The best robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and can work on furniture. For a basic model that works by itself and is comparatively inexpensive look into the Eufy 11S.

6. Convenient Self-Charging

With the proper setup, a robot vacuum can assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling cleaner regularly, without a lot of effort. It is possible to schedule cleanings with the app, and you can designate no-go areas to ensure that your robot does not step on your plants or favorite chair. The majority of our top picks also automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.

The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors regularly for weeks or even months at a time, making it easier to save time and effort of manually sweeping or mopping your floors every week or day. This allows you to spend more time doing things you like and reduces the amount of time required to clean your floors manually.

In our tests during testing, Q Revo was able to capture fine particles like baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed larger particles like metal screws and nails and fluffy hair. It's not equipped with the sophisticated mapping and objects avoidance features of our top picks, however it's sufficient for the majority of families.

The greatest aspect of the j7 robot is that it utilizes camera and processor-powered sensors to identify and avoid obstacles like power cords, shoes, socks and pet waste. This means you don't have to spend time tidying up before running your robot, although cluttered rooms will mean that your bot may get stuck and not perform as well.