11 Strategies To Refresh Your Good Robot Vacuum

What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robot vacuum can assist you in keeping track of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many use apps that let you schedule cleaning sessions and create virtual boundaries, or 'walls' to keep them from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vacuum and mop creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your space for future jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When selecting a robot vacuum cleaner, choose one that is able to pick up large items like lamp cords and toys and fine dust. This will ensure that they do not get stuck in the roller brushes or strewn across your floor. This is especially important if you have pets or children and you may have to clean the robot regularly.

It's recommended to select a model that has a powerful motor and plenty of suction power. This will allow it to be more effective in eliminating dust, pet hair and lint from carpets and hardwood flooring.

Another factor to consider is the size of your home. If you live in a large house you might want to select models that have multiple cleaning zones so that you can clean the entire house in a single session. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums are durable, but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we speak with have owned the same machine for a period of 10 years or more (and replaced brushes, motors and batteries along the way).

A basic robot is much less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll still do an excellent job of cleaning the surface of dirt, pet fur and lint. You can use them to sweep your floors several times per day. However, they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to becoming stuck or require human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacuums use cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Certain models are able to return to their base or dock when the battery is low. They can also avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually feature mapping capabilities that allow them to memorize the arrangement of your home, and spend less time bumping into walls.

You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile, and low-pile rugs. They can also take care of larger debris such as nails that are rusty, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some models come with a base that automatically empty itself, which is a great feature for those who don't want to empty it after each cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features, which make the look of a stick vacuum outdated. They include zones-targeting, schedules, and the ability for you to control them using an app or voice assistant, such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and 'virtual walls' to block off areas where you do not want the robots to go.

Some robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S or good Robot Vacuum my former top choice, Roborock S8, come with obstacle avoidance technology to prevent them from tripping over cords or furniture. Some robot vacuums, like the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle avoidance technology that makes use of cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles, and never gets stuck or derailed while working on my floor.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a great obstacle avoidance robot but it wasn't always able to do well in removing dirt and crumbs from my carpets. It also was prone to over-vacuum specific areas, leading to dust accumulating in the filters and an unclean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robots vacuums include an app that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and see a map of the floor area that is covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that some competitors do not have. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at certain time intervals and run it on a regular basis, like cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot via voice commands. Some models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot through voice commands.

To have a hands-free experience, opt for an option with a big dust bin that can withstand numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. You can also find models that are self-emptying that take some of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that can do more than vacuum, consider one that has a mopping function. These are usually larger than robotic vacuums, and come with a water tank that can store multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before it needs to be empty.

Robots that are more sophisticated can create their own maps and remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum since it won't have to go back to the beginning when it comes across furniture or walls.

Our test participants who utilized a robot with this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient, and they could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot cleaned. Some models employ laser navigation and can make an exact map of your home, meaning you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner or each room of the house while you're working.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode it is recommended to purchase one that works with a mobile app. You can also view the status of the vacuum and the state of its dust bin in the app. The best shark robot vacuum vacuums that are robotic can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot that shark self emptying robot vacuum-empties a bin and washable filters is simple to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and take it off it to wash it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards which makes it easier to clean up dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair legs than others, and some also have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the blockage of brushes that could happen in other robots.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that help them learn your home and navigate around obstacles. High-end models have sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like furniture, stairs and cords. On the other hand, less expensive models sometimes use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark areas you don't want to go. Avoidance of objects can be particularly beneficial for families with young kids who throw socks and toys all over the house. This allows your robot to gather these items instead of scattering.

More robots are coming with mop attachments. This is useful for those with floors that are hard and need to mop regularly. These robots come with a water reservoir built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They might need to be refilled more frequently than other types of robots, however they're perfect for homes with floors made of wood which aren't easy to clean with a vacuum.

These robots are loaded with impressive technology, and they are priced much less than you'd think. You can find a quality one for under $200. It can do a decent job of cleaning on hard floors while navigating around the edges of carpets and rug. It is possible to schedule the robot to sweep a room on a regular basis and can be controlled remotely using the app or good robot vacuum by pressing buttons on its side.