How to Find the best vacuum robot mop Robot Vacuum
If you're able to live without advanced features such as mapping, and aren't worried about emptying the garbage bin every 60 days or so, a basic robot vacuum could be a good choice for you. Find an option that is clean and can work with voice assistants.
It is a pro at picking up dirt, clumps of pet hair and cat litter on tile floors, hardwood floors and low-pile carpeting better than any other robo vacuum we've tested. It can also map and set virtual no-go zones in rooms or areas.
- Powerful Suction
A robot vacuum can keep clean of the dust, pet hair and dander that build up on your floors on a day-to-day basis. It can also cut down on the frequency you have to clean your floors which will save you time and effort. The best models have powerful suction, which can tackle most messes with ease and leave your home clean.
You can take care of more space by using a robot vacuum as well as a mop, which is particularly useful if you have a large home. You can find a model with a tank for water either built into the chassis or as an extra piece that you can remove after vacuuming. It'll need to be emptied and refilled in order to complete the chore.
In a perfect world, you would clear your floors before using your robot vacuum to prevent it from hitting anything. In the majority of homes, however it's not feasible or desirable. Most robots allow you to make use of an app on your smartphone to create virtual barriers the robot can observe. Some include no-go zones, which you can use to mark areas that you don't want it enter, such as kids rooms or a stack of device cords in the corner.
If you're looking for a simple robot vacuum that doesn't have all the bells and bells, this model from networking company TP-Link is a good choice. It's quiet, it is able to work on hard floors and carpets with low pile and can be programmed using the app to vacuum and mop at your convenience. It's got a long battery life of around 180 minutes.
- Easy to Operate
Robot vacuums typically require very little effort from you. They utilize instruments for navigation, such as sensors, lasers, and cameras to move around and collect dust, pet hair and food crumbs from hard floors, tiles and hardwood. A lot of models come with boundary strips that allow them to remain in a room. More expensive models can be programmed to wake up at a specific time and start cleaning. Some models include fall detection technology that helps them avoid falling down stairs or becoming tangled in cords.
If you'd like to control your robot vacuum from the comfort of a couch, look for models that work with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can also look for Wi-Fi-connected models that allow you to start cleaning sessions from anywhere via an app. Depending on how big your house is, you may prefer one with a long-lasting battery and a large dust bin that doesn't have to be emptying frequently.
Some robot vacuums can double as mops, using water reservoirs to clean your floors. This is great for mopping, but not great for tough messes like pet poop and other spills. There are hybrids that come with a removable microfiber pad that can be used for mopping, or you can choose an auto-emptying model that lets you go 30 to 60 days without needing to empty the base.
- Smart Mapping
Certain robots utilize advanced mapping technology to build a detailed map as they clean. This allows them to avoid crashing into furniture and getting caught on cords or chairs. This feature is only available on the top models, but it allows your robot to get a complete understanding of your home's layout and know where to go when the battery runs out.
If you don't want your robot navigating into areas of your home that you'd rather it stay away from (like your kids' toys or the mess of device cords in the corner), most robots offer some way to create virtual barriers, either via their app or a set of physical boundary strips. You can block off areas that you don't want your robot to enter in order to concentrate on the areas that require the most attention.
A lot of robots are able to automatically navigate to different floors depending on the surface they're cleaning, whether that's switching between hard flooring and carpet or focusing on certain areas of your home, such as corners and baseboards. This feature proved to be helpful during our tests and helped improve the performance of the vacuum on both hardwood flooring and carpet flooring with low pile. It's nevertheless important to secure furniture and cords that are loose prior to using your robot vacuum to ensure that it doesn't get caught or run into something it shouldn't.
- Remote Control
Most robot vacuums have WiFi capabilities and can be controlled using voice commands, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri Shortcuts. Many connect to smart home systems and create an outline of your space after each cleaning session to "learn" your layout and plan more efficient routes for future trips. Some come with obstacle avoidance built in to prevent them from causing damage to furniture and getting stuck on things such as loose charging cables or pet hair.
The majority of robots come with a remote control that you can use to navigate them around your home. Most robots are operated by mobile applications that comes with more features. You can create multiple cleaning schedules, and create an inventory of your preferred rooms. You can also manually direct the robot with direction Arrows.
Certain models have no-go zones. These are virtual barriers you can set up in the app to stop the robot from entering certain areas (like toys for children or dog beds and dishes). Some apps allow you to create an image of your home and provide detailed information about the floors. The Roborock S7+ app has a number of useful features that can help you clean the house. However its interface isn't as polished as iRobot or Shark.
- Long Battery Life
Robotic vacs that can clean all over your home without stopping to recharge or empty their dust bins can save you time and energy. Some are compatible with smart home platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts to allow hands-free operation. They can also build a map of your space, allowing you to program them to clean specific areas or rooms, and to beware of obstacles.
The majority of robot vacuums detect objects, however the iRobot J7 has advanced features like "home mapping" and obstacle avoidance. These can make your life much easier (although one of our test bots did "eat" a couple of socks). If you're looking to push your home maintenance to the next level opt for a robotic mop with a tank of water that can be filled and then empty.
While none of the models we tested beat the dirt-picking power of a stand-up vacuum they all do a great job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. They excel at sweeping up food crumbs and tracked-in dirt. They also can handle metal screws and nuts and the stray cat litter. The top robot vacuums can clean edges and corners and can even work around furniture. Eufy 11S is a relatively basic and affordable model.
- Convenient Self-Charging
With the right setup, a robot vacuum can assist you in keeping your home looking and feeling fresh regularly, with minimal effort. You can schedule cleanings through the app and create zones that are not allowed to enter so that your robot won't trample your plants or your favorite chair. A majority of our top picks will also empty their dustbins and clean their docking station.
The top robot vacuums can be programmed to clean your floors on a regular basis for weeks or even months at a stretch, freeing you from the arduous task of manually sweeping and mopping your floors on a weekly or daily basis. This lets you spend more time on things you like and cuts down on the amount of time your floors need to be cleaned manually.
During testing the Q Revo was able to capture fine particles such as baking soda and oatmeal. It also grabbed heavier particles such as nails and screws made of steel, as well as fluffy hair. It does not have the smart mapping and object-avoiding features found in our top picks, but it is still a good choice for families with children.
The most impressive feature of the j7 is its ability to spot and avoid obstacles such as power cords and socks, shoes, and pet waste. This means that you don't need to tidy the room prior to running your robot, but messy rooms can mean that your bot may get stuck and not perform the job as well.