Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums are great for keeping your floors tidy but they are not a substitute for a regular vacuum. Even the most powerful robots have difficulty getting deep into carpets and rugs, and they can become tangled up in cords and socks.
Being on top of routine maintenance (replacing filters cutting hair that is tangled from brushes, and emptying the dust bin) will help your robot last longer.
Battery Life
Most robot vacuums are able to handle a couple of cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The runner-up in our overall picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo is capable of lasting up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on a single charge. This is more than enough time to clean the majority of smaller homes that have a mix of hard floors and carpets with low pile or a larger house with rooms that are roughly the same size.
A longer battery life means the robot will spend less time charging and more time cleaning. You should choose a model that has a self-emptying bin. These models are more efficient in collecting debris and then returning to docks to recharge. It's important to clean or replace the filters and wipe down sensors and the camera on a regular schedule so they can see clearly.
Smart mapping technology can be a valuable feature, since you can program your robot to ensure that it only cleans certain rooms or stays clear of areas where it is likely to bump into furniture or other obstacles. It's also helpful for ensuring your robot is able to get under and around sofas, beds and other tall furniture. Some cheap robovacs come with boundary strips you can use to block off certain areas. Other models of higher quality rely on sensors and cameras.
Even the best robot vacuums aren't able to replace a conventional vac when it comes to heavy-duty dirt and debris. It is recommended to keep a traditional power vac on standby for these tasks, and to schedule robot vacuums regularly for light cleaning throughout the week.
Navigation
A robot must be able to navigating your home without getting caught or crashing into objects like metal screws or pet hair, or sand. In our tests, a tracking device is used to track the robot's movements through an entire lab. It then maps its surroundings. We also check the way it manages to avoid obstacles, including 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 utilizes the LIDAR to map out a room and a structured-light camera on the front to detect objects in real-time. This lets the S8 to avoid common obstacles like power cords and furniture legs and can also store up to four different floor maps in its internal memory.
More affordable models don't have this type of object detection and rely on bump sensors, which aren't as precise. In my tests they were able see through dog poop and cords, as well as a pair of shoes placed in the middle. The most affordable choice Dreametech D10+, is an exception to this. It is a great carpet and hard floor pickup, good hair and tangle pickup, and an almost perfect auto empty score.
Another feature that is important is a large dust bin which doesn't have to be manually empty, and for the models that mop, a water tank which can store weeks of mopping sessions. The Karcher RCV 5 has this feature and has a large enough footprint to be placed under furniture however, it's not so huge that it won't fit in the nook between your toilet and bathtub.
Apps
Robot vacuums are a lot like upright vacuums and require an enormous amount of technology to bring them up to speed. There are plenty of alternatives available in a marketplace that is maturing. Even the best models require interaction from their users especially when it comes to schedule cleanings, create the floor plan of your home, and set up virtual barriers.
To help reduce this interaction, consider looking for a model that has its own app to identify the design of your home and save the 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 important to look out for a model that offers zones or spot cleaning options. These allow you to tell the robot vacuum to focus on a particular area like under the dining table following an enormous family meal. You can do this using the app or voice commands.
Many models also offer objects avoidance. It permits the robot, when it sees something in its way, like a box of shoes or a crate filled with dog toys, to guide itself around. This will stop it from running into objects that could harm its sensors or cause jams.
Some of the more expensive models we tested come with this feature. However, they usually rely on bump sensors for this and weren't always able to stay clear of things in my test homes.
Pet Hair
Choose the best vacuum cleaner specifically designed to remove pet hair. The best models have powerful suction capabilities and a brush that prevents tangling, and an emptying mechanism that will automatically empty hair into the dust bin when necessary. Some are also able to detect dirt levels and adjust cleaning intensity according to the amount of dirt. They are able to detect objects that aren't a part of your home's flooring, such as furniture and toys, food bowls cords, and much more.
Some robot vacuums include pet-friendly features, such as a water dispenser that can be used for mopping floors, and a HEPA filter that can reduce allergens, such as pet dander. They may also offer the option of a quieter operation, which will minimize the amount of noise generated during cleaning.
Robot vacuums that have mapping capabilities are a great option for pet owners. They're designed to evaluate your home and develop an attack plan based on the arrangement of each room and obstacles. For instance the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum is a smart vacuum that has the amazing ability to map a room and navigate around furniture and other obstacles using gyroscope and accelerometer smart sensors that work in conjunction to learn the layout of your space.
Apps allow you to set up zones that are not allowed. These are areas that the robot should not be allowed, such as delicate objects or pet feeding areas. This feature can be especially useful for households with busy schedules as it permits you to schedule cleaning sessions and make adjustments without having be in the same room with the vacuum. Spot cleaning is another great feature. You can instruct the vacuum cleaner to clean an area that is particularly dirty or filled with pet hair.
Dust Bin
If you're not looking for something tiny it is recommended to select an item that can hold at least a complete bag of garbage from one cleaning session. We suggest choosing the one with an enormous bin, or even a dustbin that self-empties. The former will allow you to keep track of emptying the bin often enough to ensure you are on top of its performance, while the latter will save you time and hassle by automatically emptying its contents into an internal container every few cleanings.
Whatever the size of your house, most robots can easily climb up and around furniture, and they are able to detect and navigate around household obstacles such as loose cords, shoes, and dog puke. Look for models that have intelligent mapping capabilities. This lets them "learn the layout of your house and plan more efficient route.
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 best models can remove small particles like baking soda, sand orzo, screws made of metal and pet hair, as well heavier debris like oatmeal, orzo, and metal screws.
According to the company, robots can last years and still perform well, as long as they're maintained. For example cleaning hair tangled of brushes and emptying dust bins after each use, as well as wiping cameras and sensors down as needed. The most reliable robots are more flexible. This makes it easier to replace or repair components such as wheels and batteries when they wear out.