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Why We Our Love For Robot Vacuum Best (And You Should Also!)
How to Keep a Robot Vacuum Clean

Robot vacuums can help keep your floors clean. Depending on the model they can also sweep or mop stairs.

Look for models that have intelligent features, like remote access and app control. Apps can be used to schedule cleaning time or keep track of progress. Certain apps even allow you to suspend and recharge, and then pick up where they left off.

1. Battery Life

With self-driving cars, drones that navigate the skies, and robot vacuums that nimbly maneuver around furniture, it's safe to claim that the future of home cleaning is here. But as with any technology it needs some care to keep it running efficiently.

The most important aspect in the life of your robot is the cycle of discharge and charge. Keeping the dust bin full and empty, checking for tangled hairs regularly and keeping the brushes from getting stuck will help your robot run more efficiently.

Another factor is the climate in which your robot is stored because extreme heat and cold can affect battery performance. You can extend the battery's life by ensuring it's fully charged prior to storage, keeping it in an environment that is cool and disconnecting it from sources of power when it is not in use. Furthermore, many smart devices receive periodic firmware updates that improve performance, such as battery optimization, so make sure to check your app for any available updates.

A robot vacuum is a fantastic alternative for those with lots of hard flooring. It can take away dirt and debris quickly and efficiently leaving your floors sparkling. If you're looking for more than a simple clean-up, look for a model that has superior navigation and obstacles avoidance.

Our top-rated robot is the Ecovacs Deebot T20, blends advanced navigation, a powerful suction and a wide range of mopping functions to provide an efficient, deep cleaning of your hard floors. It utilizes LiDAR cameras as well as sensors to create detailed maps of the home. This helps it keep its course and avoid getting stuck in furniture legs or power cables. It also can detect objects such as shoes and clutter to automatically clean them. And it's self-emptying, meaning you don't need to return the vacuum back to its base station to empty its bin every cleaning session.

2. Dust Bin

Robots are great for quick midweek cleaning, however, they lack the suction to replace a plug in vacuum cleaner for a thorough clean. Moreover, even the best robotic vacuums can get tangled in cords and toys, miss piles of dirt close to the baseboards, and struggle with crumbs under furniture. Their onboard dust bins fill up so quickly that they need to return to their charging docks to self-empty, which can take up to an hour for some models.

It is crucial to select a robot vacuum with a large trash bin that can be empty into the dock without needing to return to finish the job. You'll need to determine if you prefer bagged models or a one that doesn't have a bag. If you opt for the bagless model you'll need to know the amount of dust it can hold before you have to empty it.

In our tests, we placed 100 grams of sand onto the carpet's surface in a medium pile. We used a robot vacuum to clean the sand. The amount of sand that is weighed in the bin of dust onboard allows us to measure the amount of dirt that has been accumulated. A high amount means that the bin onboard could get fuller and cause your robot to stop cleaning.

The good news is that a lot of high-end robot vacuums have a large dust bin that is easily empty, and you can schedule them to empty into their bases at least once a day or more. Keep a bin filled with compressed air in your bag to blow away any hairs that are tangled in the rotating brush and to clean any filters in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity

The top robot vacuums offer various options for connecting to your home's WiFi network. This lets the robot update its software and provides you with the possibility of monitoring your robot through an app or using voice commands. This isn't a necessity, but it offers the convenience of customization and can enhance your robot's overall vacuuming experience.

To ensure they're operating at their best they require a certain level of maintenance. For example, emptying the dustbin and cleaning the brushroll. Monitoring consumable parts and following a regular schedule for cleaning and detachment can extend their life span too. Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin at University Vacuum & Sewing states that three to five years is the average lifespan of a robot vacuum, though this can vary significantly depending on how often you use it and if you take care of it in a proper manner.

To be able to function, a robot vacuum needs to be able to map your floors and navigate around obstacles. Advanced navigation systems incorporate cliff sensors that alert the robot to steep drops. They also have optical and laser sensors to help it "see" the arrangement of the room. Some robots also come with mopping functions that are specifically designed for them, which can be useful for maintaining floors in between deeper cleanings with a stand-up vacuum.

The best 2-in-1 robots can vacuum and mop and sweep, which means you can avoid the hassle of having to switch between two types of vacuum. A prime example is the iRobot Roomba 690, which is a powerful and highly efficient robot vacuum that is able to clean surfaces with its water tank and wash the mop pad in a way that is automatic. Its superior mapping and obstacle-avoidance capabilities have earned it the CR's top robot vacuum award, and an AVTech Editors' Choice award.

4. Cleaning Patterns

The top robot vacuums we tested have impressive pickup scores on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. They get rid of dirt, dust and pet hair. They also remove particles and crumbs along the baseboards and at the edges of rooms. They can't remove deep-seated dirt or tangles of plush shag fibers, like an upright or a canister. They are also unable to pick up spilled food and liquids or screws made of heavy metal, and they may miss a few areas of the home (including under furniture).


Many models come with smart features that make them more user-friendly. Many models come with an app that allows you to schedule cleaning times and remotely control the robot. They can be connected to your smart home system to allow voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Certain models come with multiple modes, allowing users to choose between mopping and sweeping, or vacuuming. They can recharge their docks and continue cleaning where they left off.

The technology for avoiding obstacles has advanced over the years, but it's still essential to get rid of cords, toys and any pet clutter before operating the robot. You'll also want to cover any floor-to-ceiling mirrors with cardboard before mapping out the space for the first time as the laser employed by certain models could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to hit a wall or floor.

best automatic vacuum Robot Vacuum Mops that are top of the line use lidar to create 3D maps of your space. This allows the robot to identify obstacles and create an efficient path around them. Some robots allow you to create no-go zones to ensure that the robot will avoid certain areas, such as your pet's bowls of food or a rug that is expensive.

5. App Control

Many robots allow you to set a schedule for cleaning and control them hands-free using an app, meaning you can take care of your home while you're working or away. Some robots will also empty their dust into a large bin at the base. This reduces dust release and is an excellent feature for people suffering from allergies.

Certain robots can detect objects on the ground and employ cameras as a guide to avoid obstacles like power cords, furniture leg or pet toys. This amazing feature is available on smaller models. However, it's essential to clean your robot's dustbin and check for tangled hairs when they begin to accumulate.

Some models can also create 3D representations. This is useful when you have multiple floors. You can pick certain rooms, and set digital "keep-out" zones to ensure your robot only cleans the areas you want.

Robots are great for routine midweek clean-ups, but they can't substitute for a full-sized plug-in vacuum, particularly on carpets. They are more adept at removing dirt from carpet than bare flooring, but they can not pick up piles close to baseboards and thresholds as well as knotted cords and socks. To get the most value from your robot, look for a model with spots and zone cleaning modes to target specific areas and reduce the need for cleaning. You can also find a model that recharges and then resumes the same place it left off, which is a major advantage in a big house.

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