How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home

You'll need to perform some work in order to maintain your robot's house. This means getting rid of clutter, tangled rugs and loose cords.

Choose a model that has self-emptying containers. This makes it easier to clean up spills and messes. You might also consider an all-in-one that vacuums and mops.

Features

You can choose a robot vacuum cleaner that has smart features based on the needs of your home. Certain models are designed to draw a map of your home and make floor plans, whereas others have a built-in camera that provides live footage of your space. These cameras can be used to detect obstacles and assist in solving problems. Some robots have an option to schedule cleaning sessions and change the frequency.

If you want a robot that can also vacuum and mop, look for a model that has a self-emptying dustbin. Ecovacs' Deebot Pro is among our top picks because it comes with both features at reasonable prices. It has a suction opening that is similar to upright vacuums. This makes it able to get rid of debris faster than other robots. It is equipped with side brushes that have three bristles that push dirt and hair into the path of the robot. This model is the best in its category for many reasons, including its high-quality navigation, mopping capability and low price.

The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that can go weeks without needing to be empty. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, a high-end robotic vacuum cleaner that has self-emptying dustbins and intelligent features that offer an unhands-free cleaning experience is a great example. It comes with a small mopping mat that is able to remove dirt that is stuck to the floor. It can also glide across mats and carpets that are too heavy for other robots. Its sensors can help it locate dirtier areas. It can also mop and vacuum simultaneously.

Eufy Clean X10, with its simple-to-use application, is another great choice. The options for customization are quick and easy to set up. Its lidar-powered mapping is quick and accurate and it is able to divide rooms for a thorough clean. It is equipped with excellent object avoidance technology that sucks up Cheerios and evades fake dog poop, however it struggled a bit with stairs. Its square-front design allowed it get into corners more efficiently than the majority of robots we've tested. It also has the ability to edge-hug which allows it to sweep along baseboards easily.

Cleaning performance

While robots aren't able to clean deep into carpets or sweep up ground-in dirt as well as a real vacuum, they are capable of removing small particles like baking soda and dust as well as heavier debris like pet hair and metal screws. They can also clean up crumbs and spills. Keeping up with routine maintenance, such as emptying the dust bin, cleaning or replacing the filter and cleaning sensors and cameras, will help you get the longest possible life span from your robot.

The best robots are capable of picking up fine particles from carpets with low piles and hard floors They're particularly adept in sweeping up orzo pasta, sand and wood shavings. They can even clean up cat litter and screws made of metal however they often struggle with more sluggish items like coffee grounds or baked flour. They're not as impressive on stairs, and they don't always grab everything around the edges of furniture.

Some models excel at cleaning also. The iRoborock Roomba 900 is one of them, and it does an excellent job of getting rid of spills of liquids and coffee as well as sticky or dried-on food-related messes off of hardwood. Its smart zone and spot cleaning modes let you define a specific area that the robot will focus on, so that it doesn't waste time vacuuming 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 vacuum first and then mop makes it better at cleaning up spills on high-pile rugs.

The Dyson V8 Absolute is a different top mopping robot. It's more expensive than Roomba but it has superior suction. It also has the ability to handle a greater variety of floor types and textures. It is also able to return to the charging station once it's out of water and continues cleaning where it started. Its app comes with a myriad of options, including the ability to schedule recurring cleaning sessions. It's also quiet, making it a great choice for homes that have pets or children.

Cost

The best robot cleaners perform well for a reasonable cost and many come with clever features that can help you save money in the end. Consider how much you'll need for a vacuum cleaner and a mop to get the best bang for your money. Certain models come with features that you don't need but find useful. For instance, a self-emptying trash can or a navigation system that is efficient.

The most cost-effective option is to buy an item that can perform both mops as well as vacuums. It's important to keep in mind that a robot vacuum is only as good as the dirt it picks up therefore it's not recommended to skip regular manual vacuuming in favor of using a robot cleaner.

You can expect to spend around $500 for a machine that does both vacuuming and mopping, such as the iRobot Combo j9+. This robot scored highly in the CR's tests and can clean carpets and bare floors. It also has an intuitive app that allows you to examine its cleaning routes and define no-go zones. Jaclyn discovered that the mopping feature could be improved as it relies on gentle pressure and a dragging movement rather than scrubbering.

If you're on a tight budget, you can still find a great deal on a top-rated robot vacuum that does just one job, such as the Eufy 11S. Its sleek and quiet design excels at cleaning tiles, hardwood floors, and low pile carpets. It also proved very efficient in removing pet hair and litter.

A few robots with a budget-friendly price tag have basic bump navigation systems that do not create a coverage map and are more likely to be stuck on furniture or miss spots. These robots can still clean your floors, but they're not as efficient or capable of navigate around household obstacles.

Another option is the budget-friendly Shark IQ XL, which received high marks for its cleaning performance and price-to-value ratio. It's not quite as smart as the Combo J9+, however it is easy to use and works well on floors with carpets and even bare floors. It's also lightweight and can be moved under furniture without getting stuck.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum cleaner can be a great option to keep your home tidy, particularly if it has children or pets. However, it needs some care to keep it in top shape. Regular cleaning, for example, emptying bins of dust and washing filters, changing them, and wiping sensors and cameras, can prolong the life of your robot.

Vacuums Robot require more frequent maintenance than robot mopping machines, however, you can extend the life of your vacuum if you follow the manufacturer's instructions for emptying and cleaning its dustbin, brush roller and filter. You should also wipe down the robot's sensors and charging contacts with a damp cloth to keep them from being clogged by dirt.

This model is a great option to find a durable, smart robot that's easy to use. Its slim and sleek design allows it to fit under low couches and ottomans, allowing it to access dirt that's been hidden. The app allows you to organize a cleaning time and select rooms. You can also create no-go zones, and adjust the cleaning intensity.

This robot is a bit more costly than the other models in this list, but it has numerous features that make up for that. Its mapping speed is quick, and it can store four maps of your home in 3D or 2D. It's also one of the quieter robotic devices that we tested. The battery life is about three hours.

The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum cleaner that performs well on walls. In our tests, it was able to clean up to 1.3 inch away from the wall. This is more than any other robots we test. It has many smart features, including a spot cleaning feature and an automatic boost mode. It also utilizes random navigation, which means that it doesn't clean the same spots over and over.

The only drawback to this robot is that it lacks the ability to recognize unfinished floors, and is easily confused by thick carpets or rugs. It's great for small apartments or homes that have narrow hallways as well as furniture that is a lot of narrow hallways.