11 Ways To Completely Revamp Your Good Robot Vacuum
What to Look For in a Good Robot Vacuum
A robot vacuum can keep you on top of pet hair and lint on a daily bases. Many robot vacuums have applications that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions. You can also set virtual boundaries or 'walls,' to keep the vacuum away from areas that you don't wish to be cleaned.
This smart vac-mop creates a map of your home's layout with its initial run. It then saves the space for future cleaning jobs. It has an extra-large dustbin that automatically emptys, as well as self-cleaning brush roll.
Object Detection
When choosing a robot vacuum, look for one that can pick up large objects, such as lamps and toys as well as fine dirt. This will help ensure they don't get snarled in the roller brush, and aren't left behind on your floors. This is particularly crucial if the robot will be regularly cleaned by children or pets.
A model with an engine that is powerful and lots of suction is also an excellent choice. This will make it more effective in removing pet hair, dust and lint from your hardwood and carpet floors.
Another important consideration is the size of your room. If you have a huge home, you may choose models with multiple cleaning zones that can clean the entire home in one go. Some models have mopping capabilities that can be utilized to keep floors clean and fresh.
Robot vacuums can last for a long time, but they'll need to be maintained and cleaned regularly. Cleaning the rotating brushes regularly and emptying the dust bin, and wiping the sensors will keep your robot running smoothly for a long time. Many of the owners of robot vacuums we chat with have owned the same machine for a period of 10 years or more (and have replaced motors, brushes and batteries as they went along).
A basic robot is less expensive than a full size vacuum cleaner. They'll still perform a great job of cleaning surface dirt, pet fur and lint. You can use them to clean your floors multiple times per day. They aren't as technologically advanced and are more susceptible to becoming jammed or requiring manual intervention.
Object Avoidance
The best robot vacs use sensors, lasers, or cameras to help them navigate your home without falling off or getting stuck on the staircase. Some models will return to their base or dock when their batteries are low. They can also stay clear of obstacles like furniture legs and cords. The ones that are more expensive usually have mapping capabilities that allow them to learn the layout of your home and reduce the amount of time you're hitting walls.
You don't have to spend an enormous amount of money on the most expensive robotic vacuums. There are models that do a fantastic job at picking up pet hair and dirt from hard surfaces such as tile, wood, and low-pile rugs. They also can handle larger particles like metal screws, rusty nails or discarded toys. Some have an automatic base that drains itself, which is ideal when you don't need to empty it after each cleaning session.
Most shark robotic vacuum cleaner vacs also offer advanced features that make your regular stick vacuum appear ancient, including schedules, zone targeting and the capability to control them using an app or a voice assistant such as Alexa. You can also set up cleaning zones and virtual walls to block off areas you don't want the robot to enter.
Some robotic vacs, such as the Eufy 11S and my former favorite Roborock S8 Roborock S8, have obstacle avoidance technology that stops them from derailing by running into furniture or getting caught in cords. Others, like the iRobot Roomba j7+, have more sophisticated AI obstacle avoidance, which uses sensors powered by processors to detect and avoid objects like shoes, lamp cords, socks and pet waste. It is a little bit more expensive than other bots I've tried, however it does a great job of avoiding obstacles, and never is stuck or tripped when working on my floor.
While the iRobot j7+ was a great obstacle avoidance bot, it didn't always do an excellent job of avoiding dust and crumbs from my rugs. It also tended to over-vacuum areas, which resulted in lots of dust in the filter, and an unclean home.
Smart Mapping
Some of the best robots vacuums have an app that allows you to alter cleaning modes, create schedules, and see the floor area covered by the machine. This is a handy feature that some competitors lack altogether. It is easy to create profiles that will automatically start your robot at specified times and keep it running on regularly, for example, cleaning the living room before dinner or every other day.
A good app will also allow you to control your commercial robot vacuum via voice commands. Some models support Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant and can work completely hands-free, so you can say "start a clean" or "change cleaning mode" without the need for an app.
For a truly hands-free experience, choose a model with a large dust bin that can accommodate numerous cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. There are models that are self-emptying, which takes some of the labor out of emptying the robot after each vacuuming run.
If you want a robot that is more than simply vacuum, you'll need to look into a model that can mop floors. These are typically larger than the robotic vacuums and have a water tank inside which can store several cleaning sessions worth of dirt and debris before having to be empty.
Robots that are more sophisticated can develop their own maps and remember the layout of your home from one cleaning session to the next, which prevents them from getting lost or stuck. This can make a huge difference in the efficiency of your robot vacuum since it won't have to return to where it started when it encounters furniture or walls.
Our test participants who utilized robots with this capability found it to be very efficient, and they could comfortably watch TV or complete other chores while the robot cleaned. Some models employ laser navigation and can make an exact map of your entire home, meaning 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'd like to alter the frequency at which the robot cleans your home and select a cleaning option you should choose one that is compatible with an app for mobile devices. Within the app, you can also check the status of your vacuum as well as its dust bin. Some of the top vacuums that are robotic can be controlled by Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri Shortcuts.
It is easy to maintain a robot equipped with the ability to wash the filter and a self-emptying container, especially when the filter can be easily removed and rinsed. A high-powered brush is another great feature that can reach into corners and along baseboards for removal of dirt and hair. Certain robots are better at avoiding chair leg than others. Others come with sensors that automatically clean brushes to prevent obstruction.
Some robot vacuums come with navigation tools that assist them in navigating around obstacles and learn your home. The top models come with sensors and cameras that detect obstacles such as furniture, stairs and cords, whereas cheaper models may use boundary strips that you put on the floor to mark areas where you don't want it to go. Avoidance of objects is crucial for families with children who throw toys and socks scattered throughout the house, as it assists your robot in capturing these items instead of scattering them.
More robots are equipped with mop heads. This is useful for those with hard floors who require to mop frequently. They have a reservoir of water built into their chassis or as a separate component that can be swapped in when ready to mop. They may require to be refilled more often than other types of robots, but they're ideal for homes with floors made of wood which aren't easy to clean using a vacuum.
These robots are loaded with some impressive technology, and they are priced significantly less than you'd expect. In fact, you can find a good one for under $200 that can do a decent job of getting rid of pet hair and crumbs off hard floors while also navigating the edges of lightweight carpets or area rugs. You can program the robot to vacuum rooms regularly and can be controlled remotely via the app or by pressing buttons on its side.