A Productive Rant About Good Robot Vacuum What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum

A good robotic vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair, lint, and dust on a regular basis. Many robot vacuums are compatible with applications that let you schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or walls, to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't want to be cleaned.

the advantage and vac creates a home map after its first run, memorizing your home's layout for future tasks. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys and self-cleaning, self-cleaning brush roll.

Object Detection

When choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, pick one that can pick-up big items such as lamp cords and toys as well as fine dust. This will ensure that they don't get stuck in the roller brushes or left on your floor. This feature is particularly important if you have pets or children, and need to clean the robot on a regular basis.

It's recommended to choose a model with strong motors and plenty of suction power. This will make it more efficient at getting up pet hair, lint and dust from your hardwood and carpet floors.

The size of your house is a different factor to consider. If you have an area that is large you might want to select a model that has multiple cleaning zones so you can clean your entire house in one go. Certain models also include a mopping function that can be used to keep your floors looking fresh and clean.


Robot vacuums are long-lasting but they need to be cleaned properly and regularly. Regularly cleaning the rotating brushes and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your machine functioning efficiently for many years. Many of the owners of robot vacuums that we have spoken with have owned the same model for 10 years or more (and changed motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).

A basic robot will cost you less than a large-sized vacuum cleaner, however they'll do a fantastic job at removing dirt and pet hair and lint. They're an excellent maintenance cleaner that you can use several times a week to keep your floor clean. They do not have as much technology and are more susceptible to becoming jammed or requiring manual intervention.

Object Avoidance

The most effective robot vacuums utilize sensors, cameras or lasers to guide you around your home, avoiding getting stuck or falling on the stairs. Certain models are able to return to their dock or base when their battery is depleted. They also can avoid obstacles like furniture legs and cords. Some of the more expensive models come with the ability to map, which allows them to learn the layout of your home and spend less time bumping against walls.

You don't need to spend a lot of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. You can still find models that do a great job of picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces, such as wood, tile and low-pile rug. They also do a decent job of removing larger debris such as metal screws and staples that are rusty or even the remains of toys. Some even come with an auto-emptying base that is handy if you don't want to empty the trash bin after every cleaning run.

Many robotic vacuums also come with advanced features that make your standard stick vacuum seem prehistoric with features like schedules, zone targeting and the ability to control them via an app or a voice assistant like Alexa. You can also create cleaning zones and 'virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to go.

Certain robotic vacuums, such as the Eufy 11S and my former top pick the Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that prevents them from derailing by running into furniture or getting caught in cords. Some robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+ have more sophisticated AI obstacle-avoidance technology which uses sensors, cameras and smarts to avoid items like lamp cords as well as pet waste. vacuum and mop combo 's a little more expensive than other bots I've tried, but it did an impressive job of avoiding obstacles around my home. It also didn't get stuck or tangled when I was cleaning my floors.

While the iRobot's j7+ was a good obstacle avoidance robot but it wasn't always able to do an excellent job of avoiding dirt and crumbs from my rugs. It also was known to over-vacuum certain areas leading to dust accumulation in the filters, and an unclean home.

Smart Mapping

Some of the best robot vacuums come with an app that can help you to customize cleaning settings, set schedules and see an outline of the area of floor that the machine covers. This is a great feature that many competitors do not have. It allows you to create profiles that will automatically start the robot at specific times and continue to run regularly. For example, it could be cleaning the living room every day or before dinner.

A good app will also allow you to control your robot with voice commands. Certain models are compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your robot with voice commands.

To have a hands-free experience, choose models with a large dust bin that can hold numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be empty. There are models that self-empty that take some of the work out of emptying the machine after each vacuuming run.

If you're looking for a robotic that can do more than vacuum, think about the models that have a mopping function. They're usually bigger than robotic vacuums and have a water tank that can hold multiple cleaning sessions worth of dirt and dust before having to be emptied.

The most advanced robots generate their own maps of your house and can even keep track of the layout from one cleaning to another which can help them avoid getting lost or trapped in corners. This can make a big difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuums, as it won't be spending time going back to the beginning of the room when it comes into contact with walls or furniture.

Our test subjects who tested the robot that has this capability found it to be extremely efficient. They could comfortably watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Some models employ laser navigation, and can create an exact map of your entire house, which means you can program them to clean just 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 for mobile devices. You can also check the status of the vacuum as well as the condition of its dust bin within the app. Some of the top vacuums that are robotic can be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.

It is easy to maintain a robot equipped with an washable filter and self-emptying container, particularly if the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. A high-powered brush is another excellent feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards to remove dirt and hair. Some robots are more adept at avoiding chair leg than others. Others have a sensor that automatically cleans brushes to avoid the clogging.

Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools to aid them in navigating obstacles and learn your home. High-end models use sensors and cameras to detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords. Cheaper models may use boundary strips to mark areas that you don't wish it to go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with young children who throw toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it helps your robot nab these objects instead of scattering them.

Robots are increasingly equipped with mop heads. This is great for those with hard floors who need to mop frequently. These robots have water tanks built into the chassis or an extra piece you can swap in when it's time to mop. They may need to be refilled frequently, but are ideal for homes with hard floors that can't be cleaned easily with a vacuum.

These robots are packed with impressive technology, and they cost a lot less than you'd think. In fact, you can get a good one for under $200 that can do a decent job of removing pet hair and crumbs off hard floors, and also traversing the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. It is possible to schedule the robot to vacuum rooms every day, and it can be controlled remotely with the app or by pressing buttons on its side.