Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums are fantastic for keeping your floors tidy but they cannot replace a regular vacuum. Even the most powerful robots have trouble getting deep into carpets and rugs, and they may get caught up in cords and socks.
Maintaining a regular schedule of maintenance (replacing filters cutting hair tangled from brushes and emptying the dust bin) can help your robot last longer.
Battery Life
Most robot vacuums are equipped to handle a few cleaning sessions without having to be charged. The second-placed model in our overall selections, the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo, has a battery that is designed to last for up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on one charge. This will suffice for homes that have the combination of hard floors and carpets with low pile or larger homes where the rooms are about the same size.
A longer battery life means the robot will be able to spend less time charging and spend more time cleaning. You should select a model that has an auto-emptying bin. These models are more efficient in collecting debris and then returning to docks to recharge. It is essential to clean or replace the filters and clean the sensors and the camera on a regular schedule so they can see clearly.
Smart mapping technology can be a useful feature, since you can program your robot to ensure it only cleans certain rooms or avoids areas where it is likely to bump into furniture or other obstacles. It's also helpful for ensuring your robot is able to go under and around sofas, beds and other furniture that is tall. Some robovacs that are inexpensive have boundary strips you can place on the floor to block off areas, and other models with higher-end features utilize sensors and cameras to achieve this goal.
Even the top robot vacuums can't substitute a traditional vac when it comes heavy-duty dirt and debris. It's best to keep a power vacuum on hand for these tasks and schedule robot vacuums for light cleaning throughout the week.
Navigation
A robot must be able to navigate around your home without getting stuck or crashing into objects such as metal screws or pet hair that is loose, or sand. In our tests, we use a tracking device to follow the robot as it travels through a multiroom lab. It determine its surroundings. We also examine how the robot is able to avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture leg and pet waste.
The most advanced robots are able to map out multiple floors and can 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 at the front to identify objects in real-time. The S8 is able to avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as furniture legs. vacuum robot has the ability to store up to four floor maps.
More affordable models don't have this kind of object detection and rely on bump sensors which aren't as precise. In my tests they were able to see through dog poop and cords, as well as a pair of shoes placed in the middle. The most cost-effective choice Dreametech D10+, is one exception to this. It has excellent carpet and hard floor pickup, excellent hair and tangle pickup and a near perfect auto empty score.
Another feature worth mentioning is a large onboard dustbin which doesn't have to be manually empty, and for models that mop, a water tank that can hold weeks worth of mopping sessions. The Karcher RCV 5 comes with this, and a large enough footprint that it can be placed under furniture, but not so large 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 up to date. There are many options in a market that is a mature. Even the top models require interaction from their customers especially when it comes time to schedule cleanings, create an outline of your home, and set up virtual barriers.
Think about a model that has its own app that can recognize the layout of your home and save the settings for future use. This will let the robot vacuum start where it left off on subsequent runs, rather than having to restart the mapping process each time.
You should also look for models that provide zones or spot cleaning. They let you tell the robot vacuum to focus on a specific area, such as under the dining table after a big family meal. You can choose to do this by using the app or voice commands.
Avoidance of objects is a different option that is available on numerous models. It allows the robot to see something in its path, for instance a box of shoes or a crate filled with dog toys, and guide itself around it. This prevents it from crashing into objects that might damage its sensors or cause a jam.
This feature is available on a few of the more expensive models we tested. They rely on bump sensor technology for this however they weren't always able to keep things out of my test home.
Pet Hair
When you're looking to remove pet hair, you should choose one that is specifically designed to handle this kind of debris. The most effective models come with powerful suction capabilities and a brush that prevents tangling, and an emptying mechanism that can automatically empty hair into the trash bin when necessary. Some are also able to detect dirt levels and adjust cleaning intensity accordingly. They can even spot items that aren't part of your flooring like furniture and toys, food bowls, cords, and more.
Some robot vacuums include pet-friendly features, such as a small water dispenser that can be used for mopping floors and an HEPA filter that can reduce allergens, such as pet dander. They might also offer an operation that is quieter, which can minimize the amount of noise generated during cleaning.
Robot vacuums that have maps are a great option for pet owners since they're designed to evaluate your home and create plans of attack in accordance with the layout and obstructions in each room. Shark Matrix Plus is a dual-purpose robot vacuum that can map a room, navigate through furniture, and over other obstacles by using accelerometers and Gyroscope smart sensors.
Apps let you establish no-go zones. These are areas that the robot shouldn't be allowed, such as fragile objects or pet feeding areas. This feature can be especially beneficial for families with a lot of activity, as it allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and adjust settings without having to be in the same room as the vacuum. Another great feature is spot cleaning which gives you the option to control the vacuum to clean an area that is 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 bin. We recommend picking a model that has a large bin, or even a dustbin that self-empties. The former will enable you to keep track of emptying the bin often enough to keep track of its performance and the latter will help you save time and effort by automatically dumping the contents into an internal container every few cleans.
Look for models that have smart mapping capabilities that allow them to "learn" the layout of your home and plan more efficient routes. They can also sense and avoid objects that could hinder their routes (like shoelaces or tangled charging cables). Find models with intelligent mapping capabilities. This allows them to "learn the structure of your home and plan more efficient routes.
Some models offer spot cleaning. This lets you choose a specific area of your home to be targeted for intensive cleaning. We've found that most of the top performers in our tests can remove fine particles such as baking soda and sand, as well as heavier debris such as oatmeal orzo pasta screws and pet hair.
Depending on the brand, most robots can last for a long time and continue to perform as long as you are on top of maintenance, like cleaning out hair that has become tangled from brushes, emptying the dust bin after every use, and cleaning cameras and sensors as required. The best-performing robots also tend to be more modular which makes them simpler and less costly to repair or replace parts such as wheels and batteries as they wear out.