How To Explain Good Robot Vacuum To Your Grandparents What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A robot vacuum will help keep you on top of pet hair and lint on daily basis. Many use apps that allow you to schedule cleaning times and define virtual boundaries or "walls" to keep them from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

This smart vac-mop will create the map of your home with its first run. It then saves the area to be used for cleaning tasks in the future. It has a self-cleaning brush roll and an extra-large dust bin that empty automatically.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum, make sure you choose one that can take in large objects, such as toys and lamp cords, as well as fine dirt. This will ensure they don't get caught in the roller brush and aren't left on your floors. This feature is particularly important when you have pets or children, and you may have to clean the robot on a regular basis.


A model that has an efficient engine and plenty of suction is an excellent option. This will make it more efficient in removing pet hair, lint, and dust off your carpets and hardwood floors.

Another factor to consider is the size of your room. If you live in a big home, you may prefer models with multiple cleaning zones that can clean your entire house in one go. Certain models have mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.

Robot vacuums can last for a long time however, they must be cleaned regularly and properly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying your dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine working efficiently for many years. Many owners of robot vacuums we speak with have had the same machine for a decade or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job of keeping up with dirt on the surface, pet hair, and dust. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can use every week to keep your floors clean. The drawback is that they don't offer as much smart technology, and can be prone to becoming stuck or requiring human intervention.

Object Avoidance

The top robot vacuums make use of cameras, sensors or lasers to guide you around your home and avoid getting stuck or falling down the stairs. Some models can return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They can also avoid obstacles such as furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models have mapping capabilities, which allow them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bouncing against walls.

If you're not looking to splurge on the most advanced robotic vacuums, you can still locate a model that is capable of picking up pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs from hard floors like wood and tile and carpets with a low pile. They also can handle bigger debris like nails with rusty screws, metal screws or even toys that have been discarded. Some come with a base that automatically empties itself, which is great if you do not want to empty it at the end of each cleaning session.

Most robotic vacs also offer advanced features that make your ordinary stick vacuum appear old-fashioned, including scheduling, zone targeting, and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also design cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas that you don't want the robot to enter.

Some robotic vacs like the Eufy 11S and my former favorite the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that keeps them from derailing by running into furniture or tangling cords. Certain robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more advanced AI obstacle-avoidance technology that uses cameras, processors and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords and pet waste. It's a little more expensive than the other bots I've tested, but it does a fantastic job of avoiding obstacles and rarely gets stuck or derailed when working on my floor.

The iRobot J7+ was a great obstacle-avoiding robot however, it didn't always succeed at avoiding crumbs and dirt on my rugs. best robot vacuum for pet hair was known to over-vacuum specific areas, which resulted in dust accumulating in the filters and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robots vacuums have an app that lets you alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and view the area covered by the machine. This is a very useful feature that other models don't have. This allows you to create profiles that automatically start your robot at specified times and keep it running on an ongoing basis, such as cleaning the living room before dinner or on a regular basis.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot using voice commands. Certain models can be controlled by Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work entirely hands-free, meaning you can say "start with a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.

For a truly hands-free experience, opt for models with a large dust bin that can withstand several cleaning sessions before having to be emptied. There are also models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the work out of emptying the machine after each run of vacuuming.

If you're looking for a robot capable of doing more than just vacuum, you'll want to look into one which can mop your floors. These are usually bigger than the robotic vacuums, and come with an internal water tank that holds several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris prior to needing to be cleaned.

The most advanced robots create their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the layout between cleanings which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your robot vacuum, as it will not have to go back to where it was when it comes across walls or furniture.

Our test participants who utilized robots with this capability discovered it to be extremely efficient. They could sit back and watch TV or perform other chores while the robot was cleaning. Some of these models use laser navigation and can create an exact map of your entire house, which means you can program them to clean only the bedroom after dinner, or each room of the house while you're working.

App Control

If you're looking to change the frequency with which the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning mode, it's best to get one that is compatible with an app that can be downloaded on mobile. Within the app, you can examine the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the most effective robot vacuums can even be controlled via voice with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri Shortcuts.

A robot with a self-emptying bin and washable filters is easy to keep clean, especially when you are able to easily access the filter and take it off it to wash it. Another feature that is great is a high-powered brush that is able to reach into corners and along baseboards making it much easier to get rid of hair and dirt. Some robots are better in avoiding chairs' legs than others, and some also have a self-cleaning sensor that prevents the clogging of brushes that can happen in other robots.

Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools to assist them in navigating around obstacles and help you understand your home. The top models come with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles like stairs, furniture and cords, whereas cheaper models sometimes use boundary strips you place on the floor to mark areas you don't want to go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who have socks and toys scattered across the house, because it assists your robot in capturing those objects instead of scattering them.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop attachments. This is useful for those with hard floors who need to clean regularly. These robots have water tanks built into the chassis, or an additional piece that you can put in when it's time to mop. They might need to be filled more frequently than other kinds of robots, but they're great for homes with hard floors that aren't easily cleaned using a vacuum.

These robots are loaded with some impressive technology, and cost a lot less than you'd expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that does a good job of removing pet hair and crumbs from hard floors, while moving around the edges of light carpets or area rug. You can program the robot to vacuum the room every day and can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.