How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home
You'll need to put some effort into your robot's home maintenance. This means clearing out clutter, tangled rugs and loose cords.
Choose a model that has an auto-emptying container. This makes it easier to clean up spills and mess. You may also want an all-in-one that vacuums and mops.
Features
Depending on your home needs depending on your home's needs, you can select a robot cleaner with advanced features. Certain models are designed to draw a map of your home and make floor plans, while others have built-in cameras that provide live video feeds of your space. These cameras can be used to detect obstructions and assist in problem solving. Certain robots come with the ability to program cleaning sessions or change the frequency.
Choose a model with self-emptying dustbins for those who want it to to mop and vacuum. The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Pro is one the top options we've tested because it offers both features at an affordable cost. It has a suction opening that is similar to upright vacuums. This allows it to get rid of debris faster than other robots. It also comes with side brushes with three bristles to push hair and dirt into the robot's path. This model is the best of its kind for a variety reasons such as its mopping capability, efficient navigation and affordable price.
The Best Robovac robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that last for several weeks without having to be empty. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, a high-end robotic vacuum cleaner, with self-emptying dustbins and smart features that provide a hands-free cleaning experience, is a great example. It comes with a small mopping mat that can remove dirt that has been stuck to the floor. It can also glide across mats and rug that are too lightweight for other robots. Its sensors help locate areas that are more prone to dirt and it can mop and vacuum at the same time, making it perfect for keeping your home clean.
Eufy Clean X10, with its simple-to-use application is another excellent choice. Its options for customization are quick and easy to install. Its lidar-powered mapping is quick and accurate, and it easily divides rooms to ensure a thorough cleaning. It's got great object avoidance technology that sucks up Cheerios and evades fake dog poop. However, it struggled a bit with stairs. The square-front design of the robot helped it to get into corners more efficiently than the majority of robots we've tested. It can also edge-hug, which helps it to effortlessly sweep along baseboards.
Cleaning performance
While robots can't get deep into carpets or sweep up dirt from the ground like a real vacuum, they do an impressive job of removing fine particles such as baking soda and dust, as well as heavier debris such as pet hair and metal screws. They can also sweep up crumbs and spills. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance, like emptying the dust bin and cleaning or replacing the filter and wiping down sensors and cameras can help you enjoy the longest life possible from your robot.
The best robots are great at picking up fine particles from hard floors and low pile carpets. They are also adept in removing orzo, sand, and wood shavings. They can even take cat litter and screws made of metal, though they tend to struggle with slower items such as coffee grounds or baked flour. They're not as impressive on stairs and aren't always able to catch everything around the edges of furniture.
Some models are also fantastic at sweeping. The iRoborock Roomba 900 is one of them, and it is a fantastic tool for removing spills of liquids and coffee as well as sticky or dried-on food messes from hardwood. The robot's smart spot and area cleaning modes allow you to create an area for it to focus on. This way, the robot won't spend its time cleaning areas which are already clean. The Dreame X40 is another bot which does a great job of mopping, and has a distinct advantage over the Roborock: the option to first vacuum and then mop makes it better at cleaning up spills from high-pile rugs.
Another top mopping robot is the Dyson V8 Absolute. It's more expensive than Roomba but it has superior suction. It's also able to handle a greater variety of floor types and textures. It's smart enough to return to the charging dock when running out of water and resume cleaning from the point it left off. The app also has a variety of options, including the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also quiet, making it an ideal choice for homes that have children or pets.
Cost
The best robot cleaners are inexpensive and offer many smart features that will allow you to save money over time. Take into consideration the amount you'll need for the vacuum cleaner and mop to ensure you get the most value for your money. Some models also have extra features that you may not require but could be useful, like the self-emptying bin or effective navigation.
A model that is able to do both vacuums and mops is the most economical option. It's important to keep in mind that a robot vacuum is only as effective as the dirt it picks up therefore it's not recommended to skip regular manual vacuuming in favor of using your robot cleaner.
Spending $500 on a robot capable of vacuuming and mopping is reasonable. One example is the iRobot Combo j9+. This robot scored excellent marks in CR's tests and can clean both bare floors and carpets. It also has an intuitive app that allows you to view its cleaning route and set no-go zones. Jaclyn discovered that the mopping function could be improved, as it is based on gentle pressure and a dragging movement rather than scrubbering.
If you're on the budget, you can find a great deal for a robot vacuum that is highly rated and can only do one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its sleek and quiet design excels in cleaning hardwood floors, tiles, and low pile carpets. It was also extremely effective in removing pet hair, litter, and other particles.
A few robotics with a budget-friendly price tag have basic bump navigation that doesn't generate a map of coverage, and is more likely to get caught on furniture or miss certain areas. Although these robots can clean your floors however, they're not as efficient and aren't capable of navigating around household obstacles.
Another alternative is the budget-friendly Shark IQ XL, which received high marks for its cleaning performance and price-to-value ratio. It's not as efficient as the Combo J9+, but it is a breeze to use and performs well on floors that are carpeted or bare. It's also relatively lightweight and can be easily pushed under furniture without getting caught.
Maintenance
A robot cleaner is a fantastic way to keep your home tidy, especially in the case of children or pets. It will require some maintenance in order to keep it in top condition. Regular cleaning, such as emptying the dust bins washing or changing filters and wiping sensors and cameras, can extend the life span of your robot.
Vacuums require more frequent maintenance than mopping robots, but you can prolong the life of your vacuum by following the manufacturer's guidelines for emptying and cleaning the brush roll, dust bin and filter. Also, you should clean the robot's sensor and charging contacts with a damp cloth to prevent them from getting clogged by dirt.
This model from Eufy is a great option to get a smart robust and durable robot that's simple to use. It features a sleek slim design that allows it to slip underneath couches and ottomans in order to get rid of dirt. The app allows you to choose rooms and plan a cleaning, and also set no-go zones and alter cleaning intensity.
Although it's a little more expensive than the other models on this list, this robot has many features that make up for the extra cost. Its mapping is quick and it can save four maps of your house in 3-D or 2D. It's also one of the quieter robots we tested, and its battery will last about three hours per charge.
The Romba 11s is an extremely versatile vacuum cleaner that can work well against walls. In our tests, it cleared up to 1.3 inches away from the wall. This is more than any of the other robots we test. It has many smart features, including a spot cleaning feature as well as an automatic boost mode. It makes use of random navigation to ensure that it doesn't have to clean the same spots on a regular basis.
The only issue with this robot is that it lacks the ability to discern bare floors and can be confused by large carpets or rugs. It's perfect for small apartments or single-family homes with narrow hallways with lots of furniture and narrow hallways.