10 Top Robot Vacuum Tricks All Experts Recommend
Top Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
Robots aren't as good at removing particles such as metal screws or pasta pieces. However, they are excellent at cleaning pet hair, dust, and crumbs. The best models are equipped with smart vacuum cleaner navigation technology, which helps them avoid cords, toys, and other obstacles in the household.
1. IRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO is a fantastic robot vacuum that has a variety of innovative features that make it more easy to maintain than many competing models. Its automatic bin emptying is among the most efficient features we've seen on the form of a robot, and it works well with both hard floors and carpets. The app will guide you through the entire process. It's also easy to use and set up. Another feature that is impressive is its ability to return to where it was when we tested it. It did this for 77 minutes on one cleaning, before running out of battery.
The i3+ EVO is different from the other robot vacuums we tested has a self cleaning vacuum cleaner emptying bin that automatically dumps debris in an external dirt container on the base of its charging once it is full. This helps reduce the need for hands-on maintenance and also helps prevent the i3+ EVO from overfilling, however it still requires manually emptied after every cleaning session. The i3+ EVO's internal dust bin can hold 2.4L of debris and is enough to last five or four cleaning sessions before you need to replace it.
Similar to the i7, this model also uses the latest floor tracking sensors to create maps and navigate in neat rows. The i3+ EVO can only keep one map, whereas the i7 is able to store multiple. The i7 also has the ability to utilize its map to create no-go zones and virtual barriers, however the i3+ EVO cannot.
While the i3+ EVO is better in removing debris on surfaces than the other robovacs we reviewed, it's not the best roborock vacuum in terms of cleaning edges and corners. It is also less gentle on furniture, despite being fairly silent. It pushed chairs away from walls, and made some collisions with the sides of our bed, and also got stuck on cords and toys while testing.
2. Black & Decker Pro Q5
Whether you're expanding your collection of robot vacuums or just starting out using one, the Q5 Pro is a great choice. It offers a sleek design with a powerful navigation system, as well as efficient automation at a low price. It's the best value for the money on the market currently and even beats the Roborock models that are more expensive in a variety of ways.
This robot does an excellent job of cleaning floors that are not clean and its avoidance system assists it in avoiding furniture legs and other obstacles. It also excels on carpets and scores the highest score on our tests of navigation. The only issue is that it's noisier than other models, and doesn't perform better in our user-satisfaction and predicted reliability tests.
The Q5 Pro has a very large dust bin that is 770ml, which means you won't need to empty it as often as other 2-in-1 robots. Its 240-minute runtime is very generous compared to others we've tested. When the battery is low, it returns to its dock and automatically recharges, before starting cleaning where it left off. You can manage the Q5 Pro via the app and also use voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
This is one of the first robots we've seen incorporate 3D mapping. This, along with other innovations has helped it perform exceptionally well in our tests for vacuuming and mopping tests. It allows you to schedule cleaning times, set no-go zones and see the status of the battery among other things. The app is easy to use, but it isn't compatible with Apple HomeKit. The feature is scheduled to be added in 2025. Apple changed its footnote on its website in the beginning of November to reflect that the feature was delayed until 2025. HomeKit isn't compatible with several other robots, however Siri Shortcuts are.
3. TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus
The Tapo RV30 Plus TP-Link robot vacuum cleaner is a fantastic option if you're looking for a vacuum that is able to mop and is affordable. It offers an impressive set of features at a reasonable price and has a chic design. You can control it with the buttons on the device through the app or even with voice commands. The device is powered by batteries, and the vacuum container is able to automatically empty itself.
The TP-Link RV30 Plus does a very good job at cleaning up messes of all kinds and is suitable for light mopping on hard floors. It comes with a sweeping brush replacement and mopping cloth, as well as an HEPA-filter. It can be used with an intelligent hub such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to control the device using voice. The TP-Link RV30 Plus can be quickly set up and connected to different flooring surfaces using the automatic mode. This guarantees that the most effective results are achieved for every room and flooring.
Three cleaning modes are available to suit your requirements. The vacuuming mode is a thorough cleaning of the room. It makes use of the smart sensor to identify edges furniture, stairs, and other obstacles. The mopping mode can be used to automatically clean floors or to get rid of stubborn liquid spills and stains. A third option allows you to combine the two features for a thorough and thorough cleaning.
The TP-Link RV30 Plus has a powerful suction, 3 settings for dry mopping and can swiftly remove dust, pet hairs, crumbs, and other debris from floors of any kind. The device can even clean carpets without damaging them thanks to the special mops.
In the initial mapping run, the TP-Link RV30 Plus scans and saves the home's layout by using its LiDAR and Gyro dual navigation system. You can modify the map using the app and combine or split rooms according to your preferences. You can also set up no-go zones and virtual walls to prevent the RV30 Plus from wandering into areas that you don't want to be in.
4. Eufy iMop
The Eufy iMop robot vacuum and mop is among the top fully-featured robots for flooring made of hard wood. It features a high-tech mapping system that maps your home across multiple floors. The base station is well-designed and automates cleaning to a great extent. It provides excellent obstacle avoidance and navigation.
The model is equipped with an internal dToF LiDAR sensor to map out your home and design efficient cleaning routes. The iMop awed us with its analysis of coverage and navigation efficiency, and it was very good at eliminating obstacles, like furniture. It also has the ability to return to the base station, which is a great feature in the event that it is unable to recharge its battery during cleaning.
It also has a spot cleaning mode that lets you to mop or clean a specific part of your floor. It can also be manually programmed to follow a specific path, which is useful in narrow staircases or hallways. It was capable of cleaning carpets in our carpet cleaning evaluation however, it had trouble with thicker pile carpets and rugs. It is also able to automatically raise the mop pad once it comes into contact with carpet, which is a great option if you wish to not mop your carpets.
The iMop has an onboard dust bin as well as an water tank that is filled and refilled at the end of each cleaning session. The dust bin that is onboard can hold up to 2.5 liters of debris. It will only require emptying after a few cleaning cycles. The water tank is capable of handling more than a dozen mopping sessions before running out. The iMop requires less maintenance and cleaning than an standard robot vacuum, which could be a major selling point for busy families.
The iMop smartphone app is simple to use and offers a wide range of configuration options. It offers multiple suction settings as well as mopping settings, and scheduling. It also lets you build virtual walls and no-go zones, to ensure that the robot doesn't wander into rooms that are off limits. Additionally, the app gives you access to your iMop's status as well as warnings about errors.
