15 Reasons You Shouldn't Be Ignoring Best Rated Robot Vacuum

Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors clean. It can refill its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change its dust bag.

More advanced models are able to draw a map of your home and take note of the location of furniture. They can also identify hazards and navigate around them, like loose charging cables or stray socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid running into things like power cords, toys and clothes that can be caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly important if your family has children or pets that may leave objects on the floor for your robot to find.

Based on the model you select depending on the model you select, your robot could have several sensor options to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most well-known include crossed IR sensor beams that are focused infrared lights that scan across the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. This technology is widely used by numerous robots that are available and you can find it in flagship models that cost more than other models.

Other technology for avoiding objects are typically found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors which emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance to them. These are less common but could be a great option for your robot if you're looking for extra peace of mind.

In addition to picking up dust and debris on floors that are hard, most of the best-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some even have their own water tanks that allow them to wash away water-based spills and messes.  robot vacuum cleaner best 'll need to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums as they enable them to keep track of your home's layout and avoid hitting things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up removing less of your space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean the floor in fewer passes and save you time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create no-go zones, which allows you to designate areas that you do not want the robot to get into.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to map out your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot made use of this feature to divide my room into different areas and clean each one independently it was a major improvement over the lesser models we tested, which utilized a front bump sensor. This was a much more accurate way of navigating my home and was simple to control using the app on the device.

Although no robot vacuum has the ability to climb stairs yet, most of the best rated models come with good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and prevent falling down stairs. Some tools are equipped with sensors to prevent them falling over the edge of the stairs. Others have boundary strips to keep them away.

Some robots come with an enormous base tower that can collect dirt. This decreases the amount of dust or allergens that are released within your home. They can be left for weeks or even months without having to be cleaned and are particularly helpful when you suffer from allergies. Some models come with self-emptying dust bins that you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi to their apps. This allows you to control them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to a physical remote. These models are more expensive, but they help you save time by allowing you to schedule cleaning sessions on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. These models also allow you to modify floor maps and save them, as well as provide alternate cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are utilized by the most advanced robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and avoid objects, even when they're hidden beneath furniture or power cables. These features allow your robot to reach tight areas, such as the space under your kitchen cabinets or under your sofas. Some robots have difficulty in these spaces. They also are faster to navigate around obstacles, and have longer run times and larger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for homes with large spaces compared to entry-level robots.

The top rated robot vacuums tend to be quick, efficient and effective and can clean up all kinds of floor debris, such as pet hair, cat litter, and other dirt. They are also quiet making them a good option for homes with young kids and pets. Most robot vacuum owners we've interviewed say they appreciate the ease of keeping their floors cleaned with little effort, particularly if they use it often. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld offers a helpful guide that covers some important techniques to keep yours running efficiently for many long time to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not clean as well as an upright or canister model, it is excellent in removing dust and debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick retouching of floors and can also navigate around cords or other household obstacles. You can use a robot to clean your floors on a schedule if you don't have time to do it yourself.

The top rated robot vacuums have large, easy-to-empty dust bags that hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This will save you time and money on new bags. This feature is available on several models, including our top choice, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a top-performing robovac that includes a self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and an efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has smart mapping and avoidance technology. This model is more expensive but has more capacity.

The two models also differ in their handling of long hair, which may become tangled in the rollers of some robots. The best-performing models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores with great path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also good choices with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoiding, but not as much planning for paths or auto empty.

The newest robots have sensors that can detect dirt and debris on the carpet, and they're better at picking up hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some models even have a mopping mode that uses the reservoir of water to eliminate spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is a must-have for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum is a great aid in keeping up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the best models are rated to remove pet hair, lint, and other dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets and pick up more than you would find with a vacuum. They also have navigational features to keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.

According to the model, you can schedule a robot vacuum to run multiple times per day, or watch it in action using an app. However, these handy machines are also susceptible to clogging, and require regular maintenance, such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's larger dust bin in some cases), checking brushes for hair that is tangled, and periodically rinsing and letting the filters dry as recommended by the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing. She claims that a robot vacuum can last for three to five years if it is properly maintenance. She recommends regularly emptying the bin and brush roll, cutting out any hair that is tangled in the brushes, and regularly cleaning and drying the filter, if your robot also acts as mop. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot often with a soft, clean cloth. Then, refill and recharge your robot prior to the next clean-up session.