Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner
While robot vacuums are excellent in keeping your floors spotless, they can't replace a full-size vacuum. Even the most powerful robots have difficulty getting deep into rugs and carpets, and they may get caught with cords and socks.
Being on top of routine maintenance (replacing filters cutting hair tangled from brushes and emptying the dust bin) will help your robot last longer.
Battery Life
Most robot vacuums are equipped to handle a couple of cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The Ecovacs Q30S Combo is the runner-up of our top selections. It comes with a battery that can last up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) on a single charge. This is more than enough time to clean the majority of smaller homes that have carpets that are hard and low-pile carpets or a larger house where the rooms are roughly the same size.
A longer battery life also means that the robot is able to spend more time cleaning, and less time charging its dock. It's a good idea to choose models that have a self-emptying dust bin because they are more efficient when it comes to picking up debris and returning to the dock to recharge. It is also essential to empty or change the filter and wipe down cameras and sensors regularly so that they can see your home clearly.
Smart mapping technology is a beneficial feature, as you can program your robot to ensure it only cleans specific rooms or stays clear of areas where it's likely to crash into furniture and other obstacles. This feature is also helpful for ensuring that your robot can reach under and around furniture such as beds, sofas and other high-height items. Some cheap robovacs come with boundary strips you can use to block off specific areas. Other high-end models depend on sensors and cameras.
Even the most powerful robot vacuums aren't able to replace a conventional vac when it comes heavy-duty dirt and debris. It's recommended to have a power vacuum on hand for these chores and plan robot vacs for light cleanings throughout the week.
Navigation
A robot should be able to navigate around your home without getting stuck or crashing into objects like metal screws or loose pet hair or sand. In our tests we used a tracking device used to track the robot through an entire lab. It then analyzes its surroundings. We also check how well the robot can avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture legs and pet waste.
The most advanced robots can map out multiple floors and recognize landmarks, like windows and doors. The most advanced robots, such as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra have a dual sensor navigation system which utilizes an LIDAR to map out a room and a structured-light camera at the front to spot objects in real-time. The S8 is able to avoid obstacles like power cords and furniture legs. It also has the capability to store up to four floor maps.
More affordable models don't have this kind of detection and rely on bump sensors, which aren't as precise. In my tests they were able to detect dog poop through 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 is a great carpet, hard floor, tangle, and hair pickup. It also has an auto empty score that is near-perfect.
A large onboard dustbin which doesn't have to be empty manually is another aspect that's crucial. For models that mop the floor, this tank can hold enough water to last for several weeks of cleaning. The Karcher RCV 5 has this and a big enough footprint that it can be tucked away under furniture, but not so large that it can't fit into the nook between your toilet and bathtub.
Apps
Robot vacuums are like upright vacuums, and it takes a lot of tech to get them up and running at speed. The result is a mature market with plenty of options. Even the best models require interaction from their customers, especially when it comes to schedule cleanings, create the floor plan of your home and install virtual barriers.
To lessen the chance of this interaction, consider looking for a model that has its own app to determine the design of your home and save the settings for the future. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it left off in subsequent runs, rather than having the mapping process restarted each time.
It's worth looking 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 for example, like under the dining table following the family's big meal. You can do this by using the app or by voice commands.
Object avoidance is another feature that's available with many models. It allows the robot, when it spots something that is in its path such as a box shoes or a crate containing dog toys, to coach itself around. automatic vacuum cleaner prevents it from hitting objects that could damage its sensors or cause jams.
Some of the more expensive models we've tested have this feature. They depend on bump sensor technology for this, but they didn't always avoid things in my test home.
Pet Hair
Look for the best vacuum cleaner specifically designed to collect hair from pets. The best models have powerful suction capabilities, a brush that avoids the tangling and an emptying mechanism that will automatically dump hair into the trash bin when it is needed. Some are also able to detect dirt levels and adjust cleaning intensity according to the amount of dirt. They can also detect items that aren't part of the flooring in your home, such as furniture, toys, food bowls, cords, and more.
Some robot vacuums come with additional pet-friendly features. These include a water dispenser which is used to mop floors and an HEPA filtering system that helps to reduce allergens like pet dander. They may also offer the option of a quieter operation, which will reduce the amount of noise generated during cleaning sessions.
Robot vacuums with maps are an excellent option for pet owners. They're designed to evaluate your home and devise an strategy based on the arrangement of each room and obstacles. Shark Matrix Plus is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum that can map a room, navigate around furniture and other obstacles with the help of accelerometers and Gyroscope smart sensors.
Other advanced models let you set no-go zones, which are areas that the robot is expected to stay clear of, such as fragile items or pet feeding spots. You can adjust these settings using an app. This feature is especially useful for households with busy schedules as it permits you to schedule cleaning time and adjust settings without having to be in the same room with the vacuum. Another great feature is spot cleaning which gives you the option to use the vacuum to clean a specific area that may be particularly dirty or brimming with pet hair.
Dust Bin
If you don't want something tiny, choose a robot with a large bin or even a self-emptying bin. That's why we recommend opting for a model that has an enormous bin or self-emptying bins. The former will enable you to keep track of cleaning the bin regularly enough to ensure you are on top of its performance, while the latter will help you save time and hassle by automatically emptying its contents into an internal container after every few cleans.
Whatever the size of your house the majority of robots are able to climb up and around furniture, and they can recognize and navigate around household obstacles such as shoes, cords that are loose and dog puke. Look for models with intelligent mapping capabilities, which enable them to "learn" the layout of your home and design more efficient routes, as well as models that detect and avoid objects that could hinder their routes (like shoelaces or the tangled charging cables).
Some models also offer spot cleaning, which lets you to manually target a particular area of your home for thorough cleaning. In our tests, we found that the top models are able to remove fine particles such as baking soda, sand, orzo, screws made of metal and pet hair, as well heavier debris such as oatmeal, orzo, and metal screws.
According to the manufacturer, robots can last years and continue to perform well as long as they are properly maintained. For instance, cleaning tangled hair out of brushes and emptying dust bins after each use as well as wiping cameras and sensors down as needed. The top robots are more modular. This allows you to replace or repair components like wheels and batteries when they get worn out.