How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home

You'll need to perform some work in order to keep your robot's house in good order. That means clearing out debris, tidying up loose cords and tangled rugs.

Look for a model with a self-emptying bin. This will make it easier to clean up spills and dirt. You might want to consider two-in-one vacuums and mops.

Features

Based on the needs of your home, you can choose the best robot vacuum for vinyl plank floors robot cleaner with intelligent features. Some models are designed to plan your home and create floor plans, while others come with a built-in camera that provides live footage of your space. These cameras can also be used to identify obstacles and help with problem-solving. Some robots feature a feature where you can schedule cleaning sessions or alter the frequency.

If you want a robot that can also mop and vacuum, look for a model that has an automatic emptying dustbin. Ecovacs' Deebot Pro is one of our top picks since it offers both features for a reasonable price. It has a tiny suction opening, similar to those on upright vacuums, which helps to collect debris more effectively than other robots. It also uses side brushes with three bristles to push dirt and hair into the path of the robot. This model is among the top in its category for numerous reasons, including its efficient mopping capabilities, its navigation capability, and its low cost.

The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that can last for weeks without needing to be emptied. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, an ultra-high-end robotic vacuum cleaner, with self-emptying dust bins and smart vacuum features that provide an unhands-free cleaning experience is a perfect example. It has a small mopping pad that scrubs away stuck-on dirt and Best Robot Cleaner can glide over lightweight rugs and mats that cause problems for other robots. Its sensors can help you find the areas that are prone to dirt, and it is able to mop and vacuum at the same time, making it perfect for keeping your home clean.

Eufy Clean X10, with its easy-to-use app, is another great choice. Its options for customization are simple and quick to set up. Its lidar mapping technology is fast and precise. It also lets you divide rooms easily for a thorough clean. It has great object avoidance technology that sucks up Cheerios and avoids fake dog poop. However, it struggled with stairs. The square-front design of the robot helped it to get into corners more easily than other robots we've tested. It's also capable of bending its edges and sweeping along baseboards with ease.

Cleaning performance

While robots can't get deep into carpets or clean up ground-in dirt as well as a real vacuum cleaner, they are capable of removing fine particles like baking soda and dust as well as larger debris like pet hair and metal screws. They can also remove spills and crumbs. Maintaining your robot with regular maintenance, such as emptying the dustbin, cleaning or changing the filter and cleaning the cameras and sensors will ensure that it will last for the longest time possible.

The most effective robots are adept in removing fine particles from hard carpets and floors that have low pile. They also excel at removing orzo sand, and wood shavings. They can also clean up cat litter and metal screws, though they tend to struggle with heavier items such as coffee grounds or baked flour. They're less impressive when climbing stairs, and they do not always grab everything that is on the edges.

Some models excel at cleaning as well. The iRoborock Roomba 900, for instance, is a model that can do an excellent job of cleaning hardwood floors. It can remove coffee spills and other liquids as well as dried or sticky food messes. Its intelligent spot and zone cleaning modes let you set up an area for the robot to focus on, so it won't take too long to vacuum areas that are already clean. The Dreame X40 also does a good mopping job but it has a distinct advantage over the Roborock. It can vacuum first and then mop to clean up spills and stains that are on high-pile rugs.

Another top mopping machine is the Dyson V8 Absolute. It's a little more expensive than the Roomba however it comes with superior suction and is able to handle more floor types and textures. It also returns to the charging station once it's out of water, allowing it to continue cleaning the area where it left off. The app provides a variety of other conveniences as well with a feature that automatically schedules recurring cleaning sessions. It's also extremely quiet and a good choice for homes with kids or pets.

Cost

The best robot cleaners perform well at a low cost and a lot of them have intelligent features that will help you save money in the long run. Take into consideration the amount you'll need for an air cleaner and a mop to get the most value for your money. Certain models have features you might not need but will be useful. For example the self-emptying trash container or navigation that is efficient.

The most cost-effective option is to invest in a model which can do both mops and vacuums. It is important to remember that the robot vacuum is only as good as the dirt it collects therefore it's not recommended to avoid manual vacuuming in favor of using a robot cleaner.

It is possible to pay around $500 on a robot that can do both vacuuming as well as mopping, such as 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 also has a user-friendly application that lets you view its cleaning route and create zones that are not allowed to be used. Jaclyn discovered that the mopping feature could be improved, as it relies on gentle pressure and a dragging motion, rather than scrubbing.

If you're on a tight budget, you can still find a bargain on a top-rated robotic vacuum that can do just one task, like the Eufy 11S. Its slim and quiet design excels at cleaning hardwood floors, tiles, and low pile carpets. It also proved very efficient at picking up pet hair, and litter.

A few robotics with a budget-friendly price tag have basic bump navigation that doesn't generate a map of coverage, and is more likely to fall on furniture or miss certain areas. These robots can still clean your floors but they are not as efficient or capable of navigate around obstacles that are common to household use.

Another alternative is the budget-friendly Shark IQ XL, which received high marks for its cleaning capabilities and price-to-value ratio. It's not as sophisticated as the Combo J9+, but it is simple to use and works well on floors with carpets and even bare floors. It's also fairly light and can be moved under furniture without getting caught.

Maintenance

A robot cleaner is an excellent method of keeping your home clean, especially when you have pets or children. It will require some care to keep it in good condition. Making sure you are keeping up with routine cleaning tasks, like emptying the trash bin, washing or replacing the filter, and wiping off cameras and sensors can prolong the longevity of your robot.

Vacuums require more frequent maintenance than mopping robots, but you can extend the life of your vacuum by following the instructions from the manufacturer for emptying and cleaning the brush roll, dust bin and filter. Clean the charging contacts on the robot's sensor with a damp rag to avoid them becoming blocked.

This model is a great option if you're looking for a robust, intelligent robot that is also simple to use. It features a sleek slim design that allows it to slip underneath sofas and ottomans to nab hidden dirt. The app lets you schedule a cleaning and select rooms. You can also create zones of no-go areas, and alter the intensity of cleaning.

This model is a little more expensive than the other models on this list, but it has numerous features that will make up for it. Its mapping speed is quick, and it can store four maps of your home in 2D or 3D. It's also one of the quieter robots we tested and its battery will last about three hours on charge.

The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum cleaner that can work well against walls. In our tests, it was able to clean up to 1.3 inch away from the wall. This is higher than any of the other robots we tried. It has a number of useful smart features, like the ability to clean up spots and an auto-boost mode. It also uses random navigation, which means it doesn't clean the same spots over and over.

This robot has one disadvantage It is unable to recognize bare flooring and is easily confused by carpets and rug. It's perfect for small apartments or homes that have narrow hallways with lots of furniture and narrow hallways.