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 the mess, tangled rug and loose cords.
Select a model with an auto-emptying container. This will make it easier for you to clean up spills. You may also want a 2-in-1 that vacuums and mop.
Features
Depending on your home needs You can pick the best robot cleaner with intelligent features. Certain models are designed to map your home and create floor plans, whereas others have an integrated camera that can provide live footage of your space. These cameras can be used to identify obstacles and assist in problem solving. Certain robots come with the ability to program cleaning sessions or change the frequency.
If you want a robot that can also mop and vacuum, look for a model that has a self-emptying dustbin. The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Pro is one of the top choices we've tried because it has both features for a low cost. It has a tiny suction opening that is similar to those on upright vacuums, which lets it to remove debris better than other robots. It is equipped with side brushes that have three bristles that force hair and dirt into the path of the robot. This model is the top of its kind for a variety reasons such as its mopping capability as well as its efficient navigation and the low cost.
The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that last for several weeks without having to be emptied. The Narwal Freo X Ultra is an excellent example of a top-quality robot with a self-emptying dustbin and intelligent features to provide an unrestricted hands-free experience. It comes with a tiny mopping mat that is able to remove dirt that has gotten stuck to the floor. It can also glide across mats and rugs that are too light for other robots. Its sensors help it find dirtier areas, and it can also mop and vacuum simultaneously.
The Eufy Clean X10 is another excellent choice, and its app comes with a simple interface which makes setting up customized options simple and quick. Its lidar-powered mapping is fast and accurate, and it easily divides rooms to ensure a thorough cleaning. It's got great technology for avoiding objects that suckers up Cheerios and avoids fake dog poop. However, it struggled a bit with stairs. Its square-front design allowed it to get into corners more easily than other robots that we've tested. It can also edge-hug, which helps it to sweep along baseboards easily.
Cleaning performance
While robots can't clean deep into carpets or clean up ground-in dirt as well as a real vacuum, they are capable of picking up fine particles such as baking soda and dust as well as heavier debris such as metal screws and pet hair. They also remove spills and crumbs. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance, like emptying the dust bin, cleaning or replacing the filter, and cleaning sensors and cameras will ensure that you get the longest life possible from your robot.
The most effective robots do a great job of removing fine particles from carpets with low pile and hard floors and are particularly adept at sweeping up orzo, sand, and wood shavings. They can pick up screws made of metal and cat litter, however they struggle with slower items like coffee grounds or baked flour. They're not as impressive on stairs, and they do not always grab everything that is around the edges.
Some models are also fantastic in mopping. The iRoborock Roomba 900, for instance is a model that does excellent job cleaning hardwood flooring. It is able to remove coffee spills and other liquids as well as dried or sticky food messes. The robot's spot and area cleaning options allow you to set up an area for it to focus on. This means that the robot won't be wasting time vacuuming areas which are already clean. The Dreame X40 is another bot which does a great job of mopping. It has an extra advantage over the Roborock one: the option to first vacuum before you mop makes it better at cleaning up spills on high pile carpets.
Another top mopping machine is the Dyson V8 Absolute. It's a little more expensive than the Roomba but it's got superior suction and is able to handle a wider range of flooring types and textures. It is also able to return to the charging station once it's out of water to continue cleaning the area where it began. Its app comes with a myriad of options, including the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also extremely quiet, which makes it a great choice for homes that have children or pets.
Cost
The best robot cleaners perform well for a reasonable cost and a lot of them have clever features that can help you save money in the end. Think about how much you'll pay for an air cleaner and a mop to ensure you get the most value for your buck. Certain models have features you don't need but will be useful. For example the self-emptying trash container or a navigation system that is efficient.
The most cost-effective option is to purchase a model which can do both mops as well as vacuums. It is important to remember that a robot cleaner will only be as good as the dirt they pick up.
Spending $500 on a robot capable of vacuuming and mopping is not unreasonable. An example would be the iRobot Combo j9+. This robot scored highly in CR's testing, and it can clean floors, carpets, and even bare floors. It comes with a user-friendly app which allows you to view its cleaning route and also set no-go zones. Jaclyn Turner discovered that the mopping function could use improvement, as it uses a dragging mechanism with a light pressure, rather than real scrubbing.
If you're on the budget, you can find a bargain for an electric vacuum that is highly rated and only does one thing, such as the Eufy 11S. Its sleek design is slim and quiet, and it performed well on hardwood floors, tile, and low-pile carpets. It was also very effective in removing pet hair, and litter.
A few robotics with a budget-friendly price tag have basic bump navigation that doesn't produce a map of coverage, and is more likely to get caught on furniture or miss specific spots. While these robots can still clean your floors however, they're not as efficient and aren't capable of navigating around household obstacles.
Another option is the less expensive Shark IQ XL, which received high marks for its cleaning capabilities and price-to-value ratio. It's not as smart as the Combo j9+, however it's a breeze to use and does an excellent job on floors that are not bare and carpets. It's also light and can be easily pushed under furniture without getting stuck.
Maintenance
A robot vacuum cleaner can be a great way to keep your house in order, especially if it has pets or children. However, it requires some maintenance to stay in top condition. Making sure you are keeping up with routine cleaning tasks like emptying the trash bin washing or changing the filter and wiping down sensors and cameras can extend the life of your robot.
Vacuums require more frequent maintenance than mopping robots. However, you can extend the life of your vacuum by following the guidelines from the manufacturer on emptying and cleaning the brush roll, dust bin and filter. Clean the robot's charging contacts and sensor with a damp cloth to avoid them becoming clogged.
This model is a great choice if you're looking for an efficient, durable robot that's also easy to use. It has a sleek, ultra-slim design that allows it to slip underneath low ottomans and couches to nab hidden dirt. The app makes it simple to pick rooms and schedule cleaning and also set areas that are not allowed to be cleaned and adjust the cleaning intensity.
This model is a little more costly than the other models in this list, however it has many features which make up for that. Its mapping is fast, and it can store four maps of your home in 2D or 3D. 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 works well on walls. In our tests, it was able to clean up to 1.3 inches away from the wall. This is higher than any other robots we test. It has a number of helpful smart features, including the ability to clean up spots and an auto-boost mode. It also uses random navigation, so it doesn't re-clean the same spots repeatedly.
The only downside to this robot is that it lacks the ability to detect bare floors and can be confused by thick carpets or rugs. It's an excellent choice when you live in a tiny apartment or a single-family house with narrow hallways and plenty of furniture.