How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home
You'll need to do some work in order to keep your robot's house in good order. This means removing clutter, tidying up loose cords and knotted rugs.
Find a model that has a self-emptying bin. This makes it easier for you to clean up spills. You may want two-in-one vacuums and mops.
The following are some examples of
Based on your needs for your home, you can choose the best robot cleaner with advanced features. Certain models can are able to map your home's layout to create floor plans, while some have an integrated camera that shows live video feeds. These cameras can also be used to spot obstacles and help with problem-solving. Some robots have a feature that lets you schedule cleaning sessions and adjust the frequency.
If you're looking for a robot that can both vacuum and mop, look for a model with a self-emptying dustbin. The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Pro is one of the top options we've tested because it has both features at a reasonable price. It features a suction opening similar to upright vacuums. This helps it get rid of debris faster than other robots. It also has side brushes that have three bristles that move dirt and hair into the robot's path. This model is among the top in its class due to many reasons, including its effective navigation, mopping capability and its low cost.
The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that last for weeks without having to be cleaned. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, a high-end robotic vacuum cleaner, with self-emptying dustbins and smart features that allow for hands-free cleaning, is a fantastic example. It comes with a tiny mopping pad that scrubs away stuck-on dirt and is able to glide over light mats and rugs that make other robots stumble. Its sensors help locate dirtier areas and it can mop and vacuum at the same time making it the perfect choice to keep your home tidy.
Eufy Clean X10, with its easy-to-use app, is another great choice. Its customization options are simple and quick to set up. The lidar-powered mapping it uses is fast and precise, and it easily divides rooms to ensure a thorough cleaning. It is equipped with excellent technology for avoiding objects that suckers up Cheerios and dodges fake dog poop, but it struggled a bit with stairs. Its square-front design allowed it to get into corners more efficiently than the majority of robots that we've tested. It's also capable to edge-hugging, helping it sweep along baseboards effortlessly.
Cleaning performance
While robots aren't able to clean deep into carpets or clean up ground-in dirt as well as a vacuum cleaner, they do an impressive job of removing fine particles such as dust and baking soda and larger debris like pet hair and screws made of metal. They also clean up spills and crumbs. Maintaining a routine of maintenance, such as emptying the trash bin, cleaning or replacing the filter and cleaning sensors and cameras can help you enjoy the longest life possible from your robot.
The most effective robots are adept at picking up fine particles from hard carpets and floors with low pile. They are also adept at picking up orzo, sand and wood shavings. They can also clean up cat litter and screws made of metal, though they tend to struggle with more sluggish items like coffee grounds or baked flour. They're less impressive when climbing stairs, and don't always grab everything in the corners.
A few models excel at cleaning and mopping. The iRoborock Roomba 900 is one of them and does an excellent job of taking off coffee and other liquid spills as well as dried-on or sticky food messes from hardwood. The robot's intelligent spot and area cleaning options allow you to set up the area it is to focus on. This way, the robot won't be wasting time vacuuming areas which are already clean. The Dreame X40 also does a good mopping job but it has a distinct advantage over the Roborock. It can first vacuum and then mop to remove spills and stains that are on high-pile rugs.
Another top mopping machine is the Dyson V8 Absolute. It's more expensive than Roomba but it has superior suction. It can also handle a greater variety of floor types and textures. It's also smart enough to return to the charging dock when getting dry and then resume cleaning the point it began. Its app has many other features, including the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also extremely quiet and a good option for homes with children or pets.
Cost
The best robot cleaners perform well at a reasonable price, and many offer smart features that can help you save money over the long term. You should consider the price of a vacuum and a mop to get the best value for your money. Certain models come with additional features you might not require but could be useful, like a self-emptying bin or efficient navigation.
It is recommended to invest in a model that does both mops and vacuums is the most economical choice. It's important to note that a robot vacuum is only as effective as the dirt it sifts up, so it's not recommended to skip regular manual vacuuming to make room for using a robot cleaner.
It is possible to pay around $500 for a machine that does both vacuuming and mopping, like the iRobot Combo j9+. This robot scored highly in CR's testing, and it can clean carpets and bare floors. It also has an intuitive app that allows you to see its cleaning route and create zones that are not allowed to be used. Jaclyn Turner found that the mopping feature could use improvement, as it relies on a dragging mechanism with a light pressure, rather than real scrubbing.
If you're looking to save money it's possible to get a good deal on a robot vacuum that is highly rated and can only do one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its slim design is sleek and quiet and it excelled on tile floors, hardwood floors and carpets with low pile. It also proved very efficient in removing pet hair, and litter.
Some budget-friendly robots feature rudimentary bump navigation systems that do not provide a coverage map, and are more likely to be stuck on furniture or miss spots. While these robots can still clean your floors however, they're not as efficient and aren't able to navigate around household obstacles.
Another option is the budget-friendly 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+, but it's user-friendly and performs admirably on both floors that are unfinished and carpets. It's also lightweight and can be moved under furniture without getting stuck.
Maintenance
A robot cleaner is an ideal method to keep your home tidy, particularly if it has pets or children. It will require some maintenance in order to keep it in good condition. Regular cleaning, for example, emptying dust bins and washing filters, changing them and wiping sensors and cameras, can extend the life span 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 guidelines to empty and clean its dustbin, brush roller and filter. You should also wipe down the robot's sensor and charging contacts with a damp cloth in order to prevent them from being clogged by dirt.
This model is a great choice when you're looking for a durable, smart robot that's easy to use. Its ultra-slim, sleek design allows it to be placed under couches that are low and ottomans to collect dirt that's hidden. The app makes it simple to pick rooms and schedule cleaning as well as to set no-go zones and adjust cleaning intensity.
This model is a little more expensive than the other models in this list, but it comes with many features which can make up for the cost. Its mapping is quick and it's able to save four maps of your house in 2D or 3-D. It's also one of the quieter robots we tested, and its battery will last about three hours per charge.
The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum that has a remarkable performance when it comes to walls. It was able to clean up to 1.3 inches from the wall in our tests, which is far more than any other bot we tested. It comes with a variety of useful smart features, like spot-cleaning features and an auto-boost mode. It employs random navigation to ensure that it doesn't clean the same spots over and over.
The robot's drawback is It is unable to recognize the floor's surface and can be easily confused by thick carpets and rug. However, it's a great option if you have a small home or apartment with narrow hallways and plenty of furniture.