Five Essential Tools Everyone In The Robot Vacuum Industry Should Be Using

The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuuming is a major cause of a lot of people's lives, but robot vacuums make it a little easier. Today's models also mop and can even climb (small) stairs.

They have a small dustbin that they empty themselves, and some can be operated by a smartphone app instead of the physical remote. Some have mapping capabilities that help them navigate your home more efficiently.

1. Power

Our top choice for robot vacuums comes with a suction force of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to eliminate even the most difficult hairs and dirt. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture, such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology allows for intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It is also great at cleaning pet hair, baking powder, and other debris near baseboards and corners.

Aside from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, the other powerful bots in this list include the iRobot Roomba j7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has docking stations that automatically handles maintenance. It also has mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction and effective mopping kept my floors free of pet hair, muddy paw prints, and other debris throughout every flooring type test we conducted.

In the lower cost range, a model that has 2,500Pa of suction is sufficient for most homes. These models are quieter, making them an ideal option for those who have sensitive hearing. They're still not quiet, but they're not as loud as normal conversations at home.

For the best mix of usability and power, consider your cleaning needs and budget. For frequent light-duty cleaning you will require a longer time-to-run and less suction is recommended. Weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Examine your flooring, home layout, and cleaning schedules before selecting the best model. We recommend checking out 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 looking much cleaner after introducing a robotic vacuum in their home.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum isn't able to perform its job properly when it doesn't know how to navigate your home. For this reason, the most effective robots depend on sophisticated navigation systems that consistently scans rooms and then creates an outline map to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost 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, delivering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in lower-end models, however they aren't always accurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark environments. Many robots also have cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other falls.

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 equipped with powerful oscillating mop heads, a user friendly app with excellent mapping capabilities.

Other features worth considering include sensors for floors that can recognize carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when required. Certain robots, like the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to reach corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution on stubborn stains.

A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, and a larger one will save you money on replacements. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use the smallest disposable dust bag. However, most mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins which last a long time. Some of the top models, like the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks for convenience without hands.

3. App control

The best robot vacuums come with an application that lets you track cleaning progress and schedule sessions and can connect to your smart home devices for hands-free control. Most also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to allow voice-controlled control. Certain models come with an on-screen remote that lets you start or pause and then return to dock. Find a model with larger dustbins that self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.

Certain robovacs have mapping technology that allows them to recognize obstacles, such as the stairs, and also avoid running into furniture. Others let you set no-go zones or targeted rooms, so that they only clean areas that need it most. They also have a cliff sensor to prevent them from falling, which is beneficial in multi-level homes.

If you intend to utilize your robot hoover and mop vacuum to clean rugs pick a model that can do dry mopping and wet. You'll get better results from an vac that is able to remove its own mop pad too, which you can then wash and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a machine with a rubber roller, which is less prone to tangles due to pet hair and other debris than a bristle roller like those found on smaller models. It's a good idea to check the robot vacuums that mop's brushroll and side brushes for debris that has gotten stuck every once or twice per week, too. If you notice that they're beginning to get clogged up, it may be time to replace parts.

4. Debris collection

As the name implies robot vacuums are made to remove dust and other debris from your floors. The best ones are able to pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand as well in larger pieces of orzo pasta, screws made of metal and pet hair. They also have better results on carpets with a low pile than many manual vacuums.

All flooring types are covered, and the top-performing robots had pickup scores of over 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that can perform maintenance on their own, and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.

Both have self-emptying bins that automatically remove the contents of the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboard while they mow. They also feature 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that helps them navigate even the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can clean carpet and take away mop pads. This makes it a perfect option for people who need 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-friendly pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation at reasonable prices and decent performance in the collection of debris. It can be a bit slow when it comes to mapping rooms and is susceptible to bumping against obstacles, but it is less than our other picks.

5. Battery life

The best robot vacuum that vacuums and mops vacuums let you move about your day while they keep your floors in top in good condition. It is still necessary to manually vacuum your home every so often but robovacs can assist you in maintaining a minimum level of cleanliness and even keep your home clean when you're away.

To maximize the amount of time you get from your robovac, make sure you choose an advancé with a long battery life. A good rule of thumb is to expect a robovac to last for around two cleaning sessions if you use it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a full-sized vacuum, but it should be sufficient to get the job done in most homes. If you don't want to wait while your robovac recharges, you can choose an option that automatically returns to the base station for charging.

If you're looking to buy a robovac with a variety of features in it, you should consider a robot that can also mop. Eufy's X10, the best model in this class, offers self-emptying and self-refilling for the dust bin as well as the water tank and mop pad. It can be programmed to automatically refill and wash its mops when they run out.

Its dependable carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair pickup and tangle-free, and a close to perfect auto empty scores make it the clear winner of our test scores. However, it's not cheap and unless you live in an apartment with no pets, it could be too expensive for some. The second-placed model one, the Dreametech D10+, has the same performance, however it costs 25 percent less.