How To Save Money On Robot Vacuum

The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming a little less painful. Today's models also mop and can even climb (small) stairs.

Some have a small bin which they empty themselves. Others are controlled with a smartphone app rather than an actual remote. Some have mapping features that help them navigate more efficiently.

1. Power

Our top choice for robot vacuums comes with a suction force of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to get rid of even the most stubborn dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology allows for precise navigation and obstacle avoidance. It also does a great job of cleaning pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris close to the baseboards as well as in corners.

Other powerful robots on this list, apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI include the IRobot Roomba J7+ aswell as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a powerful docking station that automates maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction, coupled with its efficient mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints and other debris on every type of floor we test.

In the lower cost range, a model with around 2,500Pa of suction is more than adequate for the majority of homes. These models are quieter, making them the ideal choice for people with sensitive hearing. They aren't silent, but they're not the same volume as conversations at home.

Think about your budget and cleaning requirements to determine the best combination of power and convenience. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer runtime and lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning demands maximum power. Take a look at your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules in order to determine the best model to meet your requirements. We recommend looking through our full list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many users report that their carpets and floors look cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum can't do its job well if it doesn't know how to navigate your home. The most advanced robots utilize sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and build a map, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.

The most expensive models utilize LiDAR to create a digital map of the room. This model offers the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in less expensive models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. The majority of robots have cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.

Many of the robots I tried used objects recognition to navigate through things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It was a fantastic mapping device, powerful oscillating mops, an intuitive app and the ability to clean by area, room or the entire home.

Other features worth considering include floor type sensors that recognize carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Some robots, like the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to reach corners and eliminate dried spills. Many hybrids can even apply cleaning solutions to stubborn staining.

A smaller size of the bin means less frequent emptying, however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The majority of low-cost robotic cleaners utilize an inexpensive, disposable dust bag. However, most mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins which last for a long time. Some premium robots, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks for hands-free convenience.

3. App control

The majority of robot vacuums come with an app that can monitor the progress of cleaning, schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices. Many also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-based control. Some have a remote control that allows you to start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Select a model with a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.

Certain robovacs have mapping technology that helps them recognize obstacles, such as the stairs, and also avoid getting into furniture. Some robovacs allow you to define no-go zones and rooms to ensure that they only clean those areas which need the most. They also have cliff sensors to prevent them from falling down staircase, which is particularly useful in multi-level homes.

If you intend to use your robot vacuum for cleaning rugs, choose one that can be used both for dry and wet mopping. You'll get better cleaning results if your robot vacuum can remove its mop pad. Clean it and reconnect it when you want to run a new cleaning cycle. Find robots that have the rubber roller. It is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other particles. It's a good idea to inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for stuck-on debris once or twice a week, too. If you notice that they're beginning to clog, it might be time to buy replacement parts.

4. Debris collection

As the name implies robot vacuums are made to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuum cleaner and mop ones pick fine particles such as baking soda and sand as well as larger pieces like orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. They also provide better pick-up results on low-pile carpets than manual vacuums.

The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores higher than 95 percent. Our two best-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated with docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.

Both come with self-emptying bins which automatically suck up the contents of the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while mowing. They also have suction of 8,000Pa, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology that helps them navigate even the most challenging spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can mop carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it a great choice for users who have to switch between mopping and vacuuming frequently.

If you're looking for a less expensive option, look into the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot Plus, our budget choice. It has LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It can be a bit slow at mapping out rooms and is prone to hitting obstacles, but the price is less than the other choices.

5. Battery life

The most effective robot vacuums are made to let you move on with your life while keeping your floors clean and spick and span. You'll still need to manually clean your home every so often but robovacs can aid in maintaining a certain standard of cleanliness, and even clean while you're away.

Find a robovac equipped with long-lasting batteries to get the most out of it. If you choose to use the most powerful power setting, a model should last about two cleaning sessions. This is smaller than a larger vacuum but it should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't want to sit for your robovac to recharge, you can choose one that will automatically return to the base station for charging.

If you are looking for a robovac that does a bit of everything, consider an all-in-one robot that can mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the best automatic vacuum and mop model in this category. It provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of the dust bin as well as the mop pad. It can also be programmed to automatically refill and wash mops when they're low.

Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick-up as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle prevention, and its close to perfect auto empty scores make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap, and unless you have the space of a small home with no pets, it could be too costly for certain. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but is priced around 25% less.