Eufy's robotic mop and vacuum is the top-rated product in its class. It takes a lot of the work out of cleaning your floors. It has the ability to refill its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change the dust bag it uses.
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 avoid them, such as loose charging cables or loose socks.
Object Avoidance
Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting things like toys, cords, and even clothes that might get caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly crucial if you have pets or children who may leave things on the floor for your robot to search.
Depending on the model you choose the robot you choose may come with various sensors to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that send focused beams of infrared lights across the room to spot things like doors and furniture legs. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you'll find it in the flagship models that cost more.
Other object avoidance technologies that can be found in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area and identify 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 between them. Although they aren't as common but they could be a great addition to your robot if you need extra peace of mind that it will avoid getting stuck on cords or socks when cleaning.
Most of the top-rated robotics are also able to mop your floors. Some robots come with own water tanks that allow them to clean up spills and messes. You'll need to empty the dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.
Mapping
Robot vacuums should be able to map. This lets them navigate your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. They may be tripped by pet toys, cords, or furniture without mapping. This results in them cleaning less space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean the floor in fewer steps and save you time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to create no-go areas.
Robots with a built-in LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home quickly and effectively. The Eufy Clean robot separated my room into different areas and cleaned each independently during our tests. This was a huge improvement over the cheaper models that only had sensors on the front of the vehicle. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home, and it was easy to control with the app that came with the device.
While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can climb stairs, the top models do come with obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to collect debris from low-pile and hard floors, and prevent falling down the stairs. Some tools have sensors that make sure they don't fall over the edge of the stairs. Some have boundary strips to keep them away.
Certain robots have a large base tower that can collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens released in your home. These bases can go several months or even weeks between emptying, which is especially useful if you suffer from allergies. Additionally, some models come with self-emptying systems that let you empty their dust bins without having to manually open and close them.
Wi-Fi enabled
Some robot vacuums use Wi-Fi to connect with their apps, allowing you to control them using your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. They are more expensive, but they can help you save time by letting you schedule cleaning sessions on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They can also allow users to edit and save floor maps and provide alternative cleaning routines.
The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, which combine the LIDAR system to map your space using a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. Those features make it easier for your robot to maneuver into narrow spaces such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, areas where other robots have trouble. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, which makes them better suited for large homes than entry-level robotics.
The best rated robot vacuums tend to be fast, smart and powerful, picking up most kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, cat litter, and other mess. They can also be quite quiet which makes them a great choice for homes with young children and pets. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've spoken to say they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly if they use it frequently. If you take care of maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping an eye on the parts that need replacement) robots can last longer than a traditional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a useful guide that provides techniques to keep your machine running smoothly for long time to come.
Dust Bags Larger
A robotic vacuum is not as effective in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it is great at picking up the dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to do quick touch-ups of bare floors and is able to maneuver around cords and other obstacles in your home. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot vacuum can be sent out to scour your floors on a regular basis.
The top-rated robot vacuums come with big easy to empty dust bags which can hold more dirt than a room. This will save time and money in the form of bags that are replaced. This feature is available on a variety of models, including our top choice which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac boasts an excellent performance score and includes self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and efficient navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This model has a greater capacity, but is slightly more expensive.
Another major difference between the two models is how well they deal with hair that is long and human, which can tangle in the rollers of certain robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best performing models. They both have excellent hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores, along with great auto empty performance and great path planning. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also excellent options, with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance but not as much path planning or auto empty.
The latest robots are equipped with sensors that can detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept in removing pet hair. Some even have a dedicated mopping mode that can use the reservoir of water to eliminate the stains and spills. This feature is a must for families with pets and children.
Maintenance
A robot vacuum can help you keep up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt that accumulates on carpets and floors with low pile which can pick up more than you could with a Broom. They come with navigational features that keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.
Based on the model, a highly rated robot vacuum is also able to run multiple times a day, or permit users to observe it at work via an app. These machines are useful but they also clog and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the onboard dust bin (or in certain cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for tangled fur and regularly washing the filters and allowing them to dry according to the specifications of the manufacturer.
Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing. She claims that a robot vacuum can last up to five years with proper care. She recommends regularly emptying the bin and brush roll, cutting out hair that's tangled up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter if your robot also acts as a mop. It's a good idea to wipe the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or robot with a soft clean cloth every now and then. You can refill and recharge your robot prior to the next cleaning session.
