How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home
You'll need to perform some work in order to keep your robot's home in order. This involves getting rid of clutter, tangled rugs and loose cords.
Find a model that has self-emptying bins. This will make it easier to clean up spills. You might want to consider an all-in-one vacuum and mop.
Features
Depending on your home needs You can pick an automated cleaner that has advanced features. Some models are designed to draw a map of your home and make floor plans, while others have built-in cameras that provide live videos of your home. These cameras can be used to identify obstacles and assist in problem solving. Some robots even have an option to schedule cleaning sessions and adjust the frequency.
Look for a robot with a self emptying dustbin if you want it to to mop and vacuum. Ecovacs Deebot Pro is one of our top choices because it comes with both features at an affordable price. It has a small suction opening similar to those found on upright vacuums, allowing to collect debris better than other robots. It is equipped with side brushes that have 3 bristles that force hair and dirt into the robot's path. This model is the top in its class for many reasons, including its effective navigation, mopping capability and the low price.
The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that can go several weeks without having to be emptied. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, the top-of-the-line robotic vacuum cleaner, with a self emptying dustbin and smart features that allow for a hands-free cleaning experience, is a perfect example. It comes with a small mopping mat that removes dirt that is stuck to the floor. It can also glide over mats and rugs that are too light for other robots. Its sensors help it find areas that are more prone to dirt, and it can also vacuum and mop simultaneously.
Eufy Clean X10, with its easy-to-use app is a great alternative. The options for customization are quick and easy to install. Its lidar-powered mapping is quick and precise and allows you to easily divide rooms for a thorough clean. It has a great anti-object system that can consume Cheerios, and even dodge fake dog poop. However, it did have some trouble with stairs. Its square-front design allowed it to maneuver around corners more efficiently than the majority of robots we've tried. It also has the ability to edge-hug, which helps it to sweep along baseboards easily.
Cleaning performance
While robots can't clean deep into carpets or clean up dirt from the ground like a real vacuum cleaner, they are capable of picking up fine particles like baking soda and dust as well as larger debris like pet hair and metal screws. They also can sweep up spills and crumbs. Maintaining a routine of maintenance, like emptying the dust bin and cleaning or replacing the filter, and cleaning cameras and sensors will ensure that you get the longest life possible from your robot.
The most effective robots are capable of removing fine particles from carpets with low piles and hard floors and are particularly adept at sweeping up orzo pasta, sand and wood shavings. They can pick up metal screws 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 in the corners.
Some models are also fantastic at mopping. The iRoborock Roomba 900, for example is a model that does excellent job cleaning hardwood flooring. It is able to remove coffee spills, liquids, and dry or sticky food mess. Robot Vacuum Mops and spot cleaning modes let you set up a specific area that the robot will focus on, so it won't take too long to vacuum areas that are already clean. The Dreame X40 is another bot which does a great job of mopping, and has a distinct advantage over the Roborock one: the option to first vacuum and then mop makes it better at cleaning up spills from high-pile rug.
The Dyson V8 Absolute is another top mopping robot. It's more expensive than Roomba but it has superior suction. It can also handle a wider range of flooring types and textures. It can also return to the charging station once it's out of water, allowing it to continue cleaning the area where it began. Its app has many other features, such as the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also very quiet, making it a good choice for homes with kids or pets.
Cost
The best robot cleaners perform well at a low cost, and many offer intelligent features that will help you save money in the long run. Consider how much you'll need for an air cleaner and a mop in order to get the best bang for your money. Some models also have extra features you might not need but can find useful, like the self-emptying bin or effective navigation.
The most cost-effective choice is to invest in one that is able to do both mops and vacuums. It is important to remember that a robot cleaner can only be as good as the dirt they remove.
You should expect to pay about $500 for a robot that can do both vacuuming and mopping, like the iRobot Combo j9+. This robot received excellent scores in the tests conducted by CR and is able to clean both bare floors and carpets. It comes with a user-friendly app which allows you to track its cleaning routes, and to set no-go areas. Jaclyn discovered that the mopping feature could be improved as it is based on light pressure and a dragging motion, rather than scrubbing.
If you're on the budget, you can find a great deal for robot vacuums that are highly rated and only does one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its sleek design is slim and quiet and it excelled on hardwood floors, tile and carpets with low pile. It also proved very efficient in removing pet hair, and litter.
Some robots that are budget-friendly have basic bump navigation systems that fail to generate a coverage map and are more likely to be stuck on furniture or miss spots. These robots are still able to clean your floors but they are not as efficient or able navigate around household obstacles.
Shark IQ XL is another alternative. It's a budget-friendly machine that has been praised for its cleaning performance and price-to-value ratio. It's not as sophisticated as the Combo j9+, however it's easy to use and does a great job on both bare floors and carpets. It's also fairly light and can be moved under furniture without getting stuck.
Maintenance
A robot cleaner is an excellent method to keep your home tidy, especially if you have children or pets. It will require some maintenance in order to keep it in good condition. Keeping up with regular cleaning tasks like emptying the dust bin, washing or replacing the filter, and wiping off cameras and sensors can extend the lifespan of your robot.
Vacuums require more frequent maintenance than robot mopping machines but you can extend the life of your vacuum if you follow the manufacturer's instructions for emptying and cleaning the dustbin, brush roller, and filter. Wipe down the robot's charging contacts and sensor with a damp rag to avoid them becoming clogged.
This model is an excellent choice if you're looking for a durable, smart robot that's easy to use. It has a sleek ultra-slim design that enables it to slip underneath couches and ottomans in order to get rid of dirt. The app makes it simple to select 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 on this list, but it has many features that will make up for it. Its mapping is fast and it has the capacity to store four maps of your home in 3D or 2D. It's also among the quieter robots that we tested, and its battery lasts about three hours on charge.
The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum with a stunningly high performance on walls. In our tests, it cleared up to 1.3 inch away from the wall. This is more than any other robots we tried. It has many helpful smart features, including a spot-cleaning feature and an auto-boost mode. It also makes use of random navigation, so it doesn't re-clean the same spots repeatedly.
This robot has one drawback: it can't detect bare flooring and is easily confused by thick carpets and rug. It's perfect for small apartments or single-family homes with narrow hallways, lots of furniture and narrow hallways.