20 Tips To Help You Be Better At Robot Vacuum
The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is the bane of a lot of people's lives however, robot vacuums make it a little less tedious. Modern models mop and can even climb (small) steps.
They have a small dustbin that they empty themselves, and some of them can be controlled from a smartphone app instead of the physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home more effectively.
1. Power
Our top choice for robot vacuums has a suction power of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to eliminate even the most difficult hairs and dirt. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide beneath furniture such as beds and sofas, and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology supports precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great for cleaning pet hair, baking powder, and other debris near baseboards and corners.
Other high-powered robots that are listed besides the DEEBOT X2 OMNI include the IRobot Roomba j7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a sturdy docking station that automates maintenance and includes mopping capabilities as well. Its powerful suction and effective mopping kept my floors free of pet hair and muddy footprints and other debris during every flooring type test we conducted.
In the lower price range, a unit with around 2,500Pa of suction is more than adequate for the majority of homes. These units are quieter and, therefore, a better choice for those with sensitive ears. They're still not silent, but they're only as loud as normal conversations at home.
Take into consideration your budget and cleaning needs to find the perfect combination of power and convenience. For frequent light-duty cleaning it is recommended to have a longer runtime and less suction is recommended. Weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Take a look at your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules in order to determine the best model for your needs. We recommend checking out our entire list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many users have reported that their carpets and floors look cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum isn't able to accomplish its task if it does not know how to navigate your home. Because of this, the best robots rely on sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and builds a map to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation including LiDAR, camera, and sensor.
The most expensive models utilize LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, offering the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in lower-end models, however they aren't always accurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark places. Most robots come with cliff sensors, which prevent them from falling off stairs or other drops.
A number of the robots I tested utilized object recognition to navigate things like fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best automatic vacuum cleaner. It was a fantastic mapping device and powerful oscillating mops that could be used as an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a zones, rooms or even the entire house.
Think about features like sensors that detect floors that automatically increase suction power when needed. Certain robots, like the Roborock mops, use mopping pad lifts to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, whereas a larger one will save money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners usually employ a tiny disposable dust bag, while the mid-range models typically have larger 3L dustbins that can last for many years. Certain high-end robots, such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks, allowing convenience without hands.
3. App control
Most robot vacuums come with an app that monitors the progress of cleaning and schedule cleaning sessions. They also connect to smart home devices. Many also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice. Certain models come with an on-screen remote that lets you start the process, pause it, and return to dock. Pick a model that comes with a larger trash bin and can self-empty instead of one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs have technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles like furniture and stairs. Some allow you to designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean the areas that require it the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down the staircase, which is particularly useful in multi-level homes.
If you want to utilize your robot mop vacuum to clean rug carpets, you should choose one that can be used for wet and dry mopping. You'll get better cleaning results when your vacuum can remove its mop pad. Clean it and attach it again when you are ready to run a new cleaning cycle. Look for robots with the rubber roller. It will be less likely to get caught from pet hair or other debris. Examine the robot's side brushes and brushroll for any debris that has become stuck on. Do this at least every week. If you notice they are getting clogged it might be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
Like the name suggests, robot vacuums are designed to collect dust and debris from your floors. The best ones are able to pick small particles such as baking soda and sand as well in larger pieces of orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also have better pickup results on carpets with low piles than most manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had pickup scores higher than 95%. The two top-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 by themselves and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that take the contents of the wastebasket and can clean the washboard while you mow. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum cleaner, smart mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate through the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can vacuum carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it an ideal option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming often.
If you're looking for a more affordable alternative, we suggest the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot+, our budget-friendly pick. It features LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It's not the fastest to map out rooms and is susceptible to crashing into obstacles, however, it's cheaper than our other best-buy choices.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums let you get on with your day while they keep your floors in perfect condition. While you'll still have to give your home a manual vacuum every now and again Robotic vacuums can help maintain a standard of cleanliness, and even wash even when you're away.
To maximize the time you get from your robovac, choose a model with excellent battery life. A good robot vacuum rule of thumb is to expect a model to last for about two full cleaning sessions when you run it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a larger vacuum but should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't want to wait around while your robovac is charging you, you can opt for an automatic model that makes its way back to its base station to recharge.
If you're looking for a robovac that has a little bit of everything in it, then think about a robot that can also mop. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model in this category, offers self-emptying and self-refilling for the dust bin as well as the water tank and mop pad. It can be programmed to refill and wash its mop pads when they run out.
The clear winner of our tests is the Dyson V810, because of its impressive carpet and hard floor pickup, superb hair pickup, tangle-free performance, and an almost perfect auto empty score. It's not cheap and unless you have a small house with no pets, it may be too costly for some. The second-placed model is the Dreametech D10+, has identical performance, however it costs 25 percent less.
