10 Meetups About Good Robot Vacuum You Should Attend

What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on the top of pet hair and lint on a regular basis. Many of them use apps to let you schedule cleaning sessions and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them away from areas you don't want cleaned.

This smart vac and mop creates a home map with its first trip, and then it will remember your space for future jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically empties and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, select one that is able to pick up big items such as lamp cords and toys and dust particles of fine size. This will help ensure they don't get snarled in the roller brush, and aren't left behind on your floors. This is especially important when you have pets or children and need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

It's also a good idea to select a model that has a powerful motor and lots of suction power. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, lint and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your home is another crucial factor to consider. If you have an apartment, you may want to select a model that has multiple cleaning zones, so you can clean your entire home in one session. Some models also have a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors fresh and clean.

Robot vacuums are durable however, they must be maintained in a timely and efficient manner. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping your sensors will keep your machine working efficiently for many years. Many robot vacuum owners who we talk to have owned their machines for ten years or longer (and have replaced motors, brushes, and batteries as time went by).

A basic robot will cost you less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll still do an excellent job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair, and dust. They're a great maintenance cleaner that you can use several times a week to keep your floors clean. The drawback is that they don't come with as advanced technology, and could be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The best robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to guide them around your home without getting stuck or falling down the stairs. They are also able to avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords, and Irobot vacuum and mop combo some models automatically return to their base or dock when they run out of energy. Some of the more expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to remember your home's layout and spend less time bumping against walls.

You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a great job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tiles, wood and low-pile rugs. They can also do a good job of handling larger debris like metal screws or staples that have rust, or discarded toys. Some even come with a self-emptying base which is helpful for those who don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning session.

Some robotic vacuums have smart features, making the best robot vacuum cleaner traditional stick vacuum look outdated. These include schedules, zone-targeting, and the ability for you to control them using an app or voice assistants, such as Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones as well as 'virtual walls to block off areas where you do not want the robots to enter.

Some robotic vacs such as the Eufy 11S and my former favorite, the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from getting sucked into furniture or tangling with cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to identify and avoid items like shoe cords, lamp cords socks, and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than other bots I've tested however, it did a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It was also very rarely derailed or trapped while working on my flooring.

The J7+ from iRobot was an excellent obstacle avoidance robot however, it didn't always do a good job in avoiding crumbs or dirt on my carpets. It also tends to over-vacuum areas, resulting in an abundance of dust in the filter and a less-clean house.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums have an app that can help you to customize cleaning settings, set schedules and see a map of your floor area that the machine covers. This is a great feature that many competitors don't have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at certain times and keep it running on a regular basis, like cleaning the living area prior to dinner or every other day.

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

For a truly hands-free experience, look for an option with a big dust bin that can withstand many cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. You can find models that self-empty, which eliminates the requirement to empty the robot after each vacuuming session.

If you're looking to purchase a robot that is more than a vacuum, think about the models that have mopping functions. They are typically larger than robotic vacuums, and have a water tank which can hold several cleaning sessions' worth of dust and dirt before needing to emptied.

Robots that are more sophisticated can make their own maps and remember the arrangement of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a significant difference in the speed at which your robot vacuums, since it won't have to spend time returning to the beginning of the room when it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test participants who utilized robots with this capability found it to be extremely efficient, and could easily sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot cleaned. Certain models utilize laser navigation to create an outline of your home. You can then program them to clean the bedroom after dinner, or in all rooms while you're working.

App Control

If you want to customize how often the robot cleans your home and choose the cleaning mode it is recommended to purchase one that is compatible with an app for mobile devices. You can also see the status of the vacuum and the condition of its dust bin within the app. The best robotic vacuums can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is simple to maintain a robot that has a washable filter and a self-emptying container, Shark IQ robot vacuum particularly when the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. Another excellent feature is a powerful brush that gets into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to get rid of dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Some have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to prevent obstruction.

Certain robo-vacs utilize navigation tools that allow them to understand your home and get around obstacles. High-end models use sensors and cameras to identify obstacles such as furniture, stairs, and cords. The cheaper models could use boundary strips to mark off areas where you don't want it to enter. Avoidance of objects is particularly important for families with children who have toys and socks scattered throughout the house, because it helps your robot nab the items instead of scattering them.

We're beginning to see more robots with mops, which are great for people who have hard floors and need to mop vacuum robot them regularly. These robots have a water tank built into the chassis, or an additional piece that which you can change out when you're ready to mop. They may need to be filled more frequently than other types of robots, but they're ideal for homes with hard floors that can't be easily cleaned using a vacuum.

We've seen some incredible technology in these small robots, and they're a lot less expensive than you might expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that does a good job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area carpets. It is possible to schedule the robot to vacuum a room on a regular basis and can be controlled remotely using the app or by pressing buttons on its side.