14 Creative Ways To Spend Leftover Robot Vacuum Budget

How to Find the Best Robot Vacuum

If you can live without smart capabilities like mapping, and you don't mind emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum will probably work for you. Choose an option with a clean base and is compatible with voice assistants.

It is the best robot vacuum under 200 vacuum we have tested at getting rid of dirt and pet hair on hardwood floors, tile, and carpeting with low pile. It can also map out and set virtual no go zones for rooms or areas.

1. Powerful Suction

A robot vacuum can keep clean of the dust, pet hair and dander that accumulates on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also reduce the frequency of deep cleaning, which will save your time and effort. The most effective models have powerful suction that is able to take on the most difficult messes and leave your home cleaner.

Choosing a robot vacuum that also mop will help you achieve more coverage with one machine, which could be especially helpful in a larger home. Look for models that have water reservoirs either in the chassis or as a separate item that you can swap out when vacuuming is complete. It will need to be emptied and refilled and refilled, which is an additional task to complete.

In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum to stop it from hitting anything. In most homes, however this isn't possible or desirable. Most models allow you to make use of an app for your smartphone to build virtual barriers that the robot will observe. Certain models have no-go zones that you can mark areas you don't wish it to access. For example the child's room or a pile of cords in the corner.

This model is a great option if you're looking for a basic robot cleaner that does not have all the bells and whistles. It's quiet and works well on hard floors and low-pile carpets and can be scheduled through the app to mop or vacuum at any time. It has a good battery life, which can last up to 180 minutes before it needs to recharge.

2. Easy to Operate

In general, lefant robot vacuum vacuums require very little input from you. They utilize navigation tools like sensors and lasers to maneuver through obstacles and collect dust, food crumbs and pet hair from floors, tile carpets, hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. A lot of them have boundary strips that aid in staying within the walls of a room while higher-end models can be programmed to automatically wake up and begin cleaning at a predetermined time. Some models even have fall detection technology that prevents falling down stairs or becoming tangled in electrical cords.

Find models that can be controlled from your couch using voice assistants, such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Also, look for models with Wi-Fi connectivity that let you start cleaning from any location through an app. You may prefer one with a long-lasting battery and a large dustbin, depending on the size of your house.

Some robot vacuums double as mops, using reservoirs of water to wash your floors. This is helpful for everyday mopping, but will not work for extra-tough messes, like pet poop, or other spills that are wet. You can select hybrids that have an adjustable microfiber mopping pad or a self-emptying model that allows you to go for up to 60 days without emptying the base.

3. Smart Mapping

Certain robots employ advanced mapping technology to create a precise map of your floorplan as they clean the floor, which makes it easier for them to avoid bumping mindlessly into furniture or falling over things like chair legs or cords. This feature is only available on higher-end models however, it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of your home's layout and to know where it should go when the battery is out.

If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home that you'd prefer it to stay clear from (like your kids' toys or the tangled mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either with their apps or a set of physical boundary strips. This lets you define areas that you don't want your robot to enter, so that it can concentrate its attention on the rooms and spaces that need the most attention.

Many robots also automatically change floors depending on the type of floor they are cleaning. This can be done by changing from carpet to hard flooring, or by paying attention to specific areas of your house like corners and baseboards. In our tests, this was a useful feature that helped improve their pick-up scores for both hardwood and low-pile carpeting. It is important to secure any loose cords or furniture prior to using your robot vacuum, so it doesn't get caught.

4. Remote Control

Almost all robot vacuums have WiFi connectivity and work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts, which enable you to control them via voice commands or via your smartphone. Many connect to smart home systems that create an outline of your space after each cleaning session, so that they can "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future runs. Certain models have obstacle avoidance features built in that prevents them from causing damage to furniture or getting stuck on things like loose charging cables or pet hair.

Most robots are equipped with an remote control that you can use to move them around your house. However, many can be controlled using a mobile app that comes with additional options. You can create multiple cleaning schedules and make an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually guide the robot using direction the arrows.

Certain models have zones that are not allowed. These are virtual barriers that can be created within the app to block the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dishes and dog beds). Some apps let you draw an outline of your home and provide more detailed information about the floors. The app we ranked as our top pick, the Roborock S7+, has many useful options to help you clean your home, best Robot vacuum under 200 but its interface isn't as polished and elegant as those from iRobot and Shark.

5. Long Battery Life

Robot vacuums that clean your entire home without stopping to recharge or to empty their bins save time and effort. Some are compatible with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also make maps of the area that allows you to program them for certain rooms or areas and to avoid obstacles.

Most robot vacs have some degree of detection of objects however, higher-end models like the iRobot j7 offer sophisticated features such as "home mapping" and advanced obstacle avoidance that can really simplify your life (although our test bot did once "eat" a pair of socks). If you're looking to push your home cleaning to the next level, look for a robotic mop with an water tank that can be filled and then empty.

While none of the models we tested match the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum most do an admirable job at cleaning hard floors and low-pile carpets. They excel at sweeping up fine dirt, food crumbs, and dirt that has been tracked in. They can also tackle scattered cat litter, as well as metal screws and nuts. The most effective robot vacuums are able to remove dirt from edges and corners and can even work on furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.

6. Convenient self cleaning robot vacuum-Charging

With the proper setup, a robot vacuum can help you keep your home looking and feeling cleaner regularly, without much work from you. You can schedule cleanings through the app and set up no-go zones so that your robot won't trample your plants or your favorite chair. Many of our top picks also automatically empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations for you.

The best robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors on a regular basis for weeks or even months at a time, removing you from the arduous task of manually mopping and sweeping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This allows you to spend more time on things you love and decreases the amount of time your floors have to be cleaned manually.

During testing during testing, Q Revo was able to grab small particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed heavier particles such as nails and screws made of metal, as well as fluffy things like pet hair. It does not have the smart mapping and objects-avoiding features of our top picks, but is still a great choice for most families.

The j7's best feature is its ability to recognize and avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as socks and shoes, and pet waste. This means you don't have to clean the room prior to running your robot, however cluttered rooms will mean that your robot could get stuck and not perform the job as well.