What Makes a Good Robot Vacuum?

A high-quality robot vacuum will save you time and effort when it comes to cleaning your home on a regular basis. But what makes a good one?

The more expensive features such as mopping and hazard detection in real-time systems can make your robot cleaner work longer. We’ll talk about the most effective maintenance and cleaning practices, including emptying the dust bin after every use and cleaning the debris regularly.

Object Detection

A quality robot vacuum will be adept at navigating and identifying obstacles. The best robot vacuums use cameras, sensors and lasers to move through your home, sucking up pet fur, crumbs, and dirt from hard surfaces such as wood, tile and low-pile area rugs. The best models include mopping capabilities that allow them to sweep mop pads across the flooring boards to get rid of dried coffee spills as well as pet urine. It is important to select one with Wi-Fi connectivity to allow you to create cleaning schedules and manage the machine from your smartphone. Look for a model that has an onboard dustbin that empties into an even larger bin at the bottom. It also washes and dries it’s own filter after every cleaning.

If you’re willing to pay more than $500, the most expensive robots come with advanced features like home mapping and enhanced obstacle detection. The top-end iRobot j7 uses sensors to map out your home while it cleans and assigns specific rooms or areas for cleaning. It also features a fall detection sensor to keep the robot from falling down stairs. Other features of high-end models include self-emptying charging docks as well as the ability to wash your robot’s mop pads.

Other models, such as the Eufy X10, have smart mapping that recognizes furniture, walls and other objects. Its sensor system can differentiate between soft and hard surfaces which prevents it from damaging or scratching your flooring. It is also able to detect changes in the height (like a sofa or stair) and the edges of carpets. And it can use lidar, which makes use of lasers to make a real-time map of its surroundings that is able to work in darkness.

Other aspects to look for in a robot vacuum or mop include the size of the dustbin as well as the battery’s lifespan and charging time. A larger bin will require less trips to empty, while a longer battery life and quicker charging times will permit more cleaning sessions. The suction power of a robot vacuum is measured in Pascal (Pa) and higher numbers indicating more powerful machines. Select a model with a high Pa rating and is compatible with the flooring you have.

Bases that Self-Empty

A self-emptying base adds an abundance of value and convenience to the robot vacuum that is compatible with it. It takes away the need to empty the onboard bin at the end of each run, and the debris is transferred to a larger bin in the base instead. This helps reduce the chance of reintroduction to the environment that houses dust and allergens. It is especially beneficial for those with sensitive family members.

This feature lets you make use of the robot cleaner more frequently because you won’t be hesitant to use it again, knowing that you don’t need to empty it several times during each cleaning session. If you’re looking for the best robot vacuum that has this feature, you should look for one that comes with a big dust bin -- at minimum 400ml.

Robot vacuums can be a game changer for those who have large homes and want to simplify their cleaning routine. They’re great for tackling daily vacuuming and, more recently mopping, too. You’ll be able to spend more time doing other things when you have a robot vacuum at home. Many owners are surprised by how clean their floors look after a regular use.

The initial cost of a robot vacuum could be expensive however the investment will be worthwhile for those with the financial means to make the investment. The best robot vacuums can be utilized on a regular basis for next-to-no effort, and they’re easy to set up to clean when you’re at work or away from your home. Some robot vacuums can be programmed to run on autopilot.

Robot vacuums are great additions to any home however, they’re not ideal. They still need some manual maintenance. If you don’t care for them properly, they can be clogged with hair or other debris, which can hinder the machine’s performance.

It’s not difficult to maintain your equipment but it takes some time and effort. You should carefully follow the guidelines given by the majority of manufacturers on how to maintain their products. Outside of scheduled maintenance, you should also periodically check the robot vacuum’s brushroll, making sure that it’s not clogged with pet hair or other particles.

Lidar Navigation

Lidar uses lasers for mapping and navigation, in contrast to optical sensors that rely on light from the surrounding. This is the reason why robots equipped with this technology are better in avoiding obstacles and cleaning tight areas than those that don’t have it.

You can use the app to browse the maps, or make use of the built-in feature which lets you create specific room selections or zones that are not allowed to enter, like “clean the living room and the kitchen”. Larger or more complex houses may take longer. You’ll also want to ensure that your robot does not detect any mirrors from floor to ceiling, which will reflect the laser and cause it to miss perceive a space or even hit itself. Before you begin mapping your home, it’s best to cover them with drapes or paper.

A good robot vacuum will also be smart enough to avoid tangled or trapped objects--even if they’re hidden behind furniture. If the vacuum detects an untidy cable in its path, it will automatically shift direction and take to take a different route. If it finds a trip hazard the vacuum will stop and notify you either via an app or device alarm.

While not all robots can do this, the top models are able to do it often. The IRobot Roomba 694, for instance, was one of our most reliable robots, picking up all the coffee grounds and hairs it could reach on hardwood flooring. It also performed admirably on carpet, cleaning all but some flour grains from corners it could reach.

It can’t quite match the performance of our top model which is the Roborock Q5 Max+ However, it’s an excellent value. Like the pricier model, it’s easy to map rooms and is easily navigateable, with easy-to-use options for creating areas that aren’t allowed to be visited and for making a specific room selection. The bin is spacious, which means it doesn’t need to go back to the self-emptying base often and it can cover a larger area before needing to refill.

Mopping

The best robot vacuums offer an excellent level of performance for the money. They are great at cleaning floors with no floor and picking up dust and debris that toys, furniture, and other obstacles have been able to push into carpets. However they aren’t able to suck up dirt embedded in carpets and rugs. They also tend to leave dust near baseboards and other edges. For this reason, most people opt to augment their main robot vacuum with a specific robot mop for more thorough midweek cleaning.

There are many kinds of robot mops available on the market, ranging from mop-only mops to hybrid vacuum-and-mop designs that include a dustbin and an water tank. If you’re shopping for a robot mop, look for one with an auto-emptying base that dumps the dirty water into a clean bin following every cleaning cycle. This means they are less maintenance-intensive than robo-vacs which require you to empty their tiny dustbins into a larger self-emptying container yourself after every use.

Also, you’ll need mops with pads that can tell carpets and raise them up enough to prevent the floor from getting wet. Look for a mop that can be programmed to ensure it can draw a map and identify areas that require special attention such as the stairs or kitchen. Many vacuum and mop models have side brushes that remove edges and corners more thoroughly.

A robot mop’s suction power is a further factor to consider. Many manufacturers offer Pascal (Pa) and the higher the Pa the stronger suction. Certain models come with a Max setting for stubborn dirt.

In terms of ease of use in terms of ease of use, the iRobot Braava Jet X8 Hybrid is our top pick for mop and robot vacuum combination. It quickly creates a map of our test homes and makes no-go areas for rugs and hardwood floors. It also automatically empties the bins that are dirty and clean in its self-emptying Dock following every mopping session. Its only flaw is that it didn’t get all the way underneath our kitchen’s baseboards. This is a limitation that most robotic vacuums and mops also have.