How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home

You'll need to put a bit of effort in the home maintenance of your robot. This involves getting rid of clutter, tangled rugs and loose cords.

Choose a model that has self-emptying containers. This makes it easier for you to clean up spills. You may want a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop.

Features

You can pick a robot vacuum cleaner that has smart features that are suited to the needs of your home. Some models are built to draw a map of your home and make floor plans, while others have 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 an option to program cleaning sessions or change the frequency.

If you're looking for a machine that can also mop and vacuum, search for a model with an Automatic Floor Vacuum emptying dustbin. Ecovacs' Deebot Pro is one of our top choices because it offers both features for an affordable price. It features a suction opening similar to upright vacuums. This helps it pick up debris more efficiently than other robots. It uses side brushes with three bristles that push dirt and hair into the robot's path. This model is the top of its kind due to a variety of reasons, including its mopping ability as well as its efficient navigation and affordable price.

The most efficient robovacs have huge dust bins that last for weeks without needing to be empty. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, an ultra-high-end robotic vacuum cleaner commercial vacuum cleaner, with self-emptying dustbins and smart features that allow for a hands-free cleaning experience, is a great example. It comes with a small mopping pad that scrubs away stuck-on dirt and can glide over lightweight mats and rugs that make other robots stumble. The sensors it uses can help it locate areas that are more prone to dirt, and it can also mop and vacuum simultaneously.

Eufy Clean X10, with its user-friendly app is another excellent choice. The options for customization are easy and quick to install. Its lidar-powered mapping is fast and accurate, and it easily divides rooms to ensure a thorough cleaning. It has a great device for avoiding objects that can consume Cheerios and even dodge fake dog poop. However, it experienced some issues with stairs. The square front design, however, allowed it to reach corners more efficiently than most of the other robots we've tested. It's also capable of edge-hugging, helping it sweep along baseboards effortlessly.

Cleaning performance

While robots aren't able to clean deep into carpets or sweep up dirt that has been ground in, as a real vacuum, they are capable of picking up fine particles like bae cleaning the area where it began. The app comes with a lot of other conveniences also such as the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also very quiet, making it a great option for homes with children or pets.

Cost

The top robot cleaners work well for a reasonable cost and many come with intelligent features that will help you save money in the end. Consider how much you'll need for an air cleaner and a mop in order to get the most value for your buck. Certain models come with features that you don't need but find useful. For example the self-emptying trash bin or navigation that is efficient.

The most cost-effective choice is to buy an item that can perform both mops as well as vacuums robot. It is crucial to keep in mind that a robot cleaner can only be as good as the dirt they remove.

The cost of $500 for a robot capable of both vacuuming as well as mopping is a reasonable price. One example is the iRobot Combo j9+. The robot scored high in CR's tests and can clean both bare floors and carpets. It also comes with an intuitive application that lets you view its cleaning route and define zones that are not allowed to be used. Jaclyn discovered that the mopping process could be improved as it uses light pressure and a dragging movement rather than scrubbing.

If you're budget-conscious it's possible to find a great deal for a robot vacuum that is rated highly and does only one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its slim, quiet design excelled at cleaning hardwood floors, Automatic Floor Vacuum tiles and carpets with low pile. It also didn't miss a beat when it came to picking up 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. Although these robots can clean your floors however, they're not as efficient and aren't adept at navigating around home obstacles.

Another alternative is the budget-friendly Shark IQ XL, which has received high marks for its cleaning efficiency and price-to-value ratio. It's not as sophisticated as the Combo j9+, however it's user-friendly and does an excellent job on both bare floors and carpets. It's also fairly lightweight and can be moved underneath furniture without getting stuck.

Maintenance

A robot cleaner is an excellent way to keep your home tidy, especially if you have pets or children. It requires some maintenance in order to keep it in good condition. Regular cleaning, for example, emptying the dust bins washing or changing filters, and wiping sensors and cameras, can prolong the life of your robot.

Vacuums require more frequent maintenance than mopping robots, but you can prolong the life of your vacuum by observing manufacturer's guidelines for emptying and cleaning the dustbin, brush roll and filter. Wipe down the charging contacts on the robot's sensor using a damp rag to avoid them becoming clogged.

This model from Eufy is a great choice to get a smart, durable robot that's easy to use. It features a sleek ultra-slim design that enables it to slide under low ottomans and couches to nab hidden dirt. The app allows you to schedule a cleaning and select rooms. You can also set up no-go zones, and adjust the intensity of cleaning.

This model is a little more costly than the other models in this list, however it has many features that can make up for the cost. Its mapping is fast and it's able to save four maps of your house in 3-D or 2D. 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 cleaner that works well against walls. In our tests, it cleaned up to 1.3 inches away from the wall. This is more than any other robots we tried. It comes with a variety of smart features, including a spot cleaning feature as well as an automatic boost mode. It also makes use of random navigation, so it doesn't have to clean the same spots over and over.

The only drawback to this robot is that it doesn't have the ability to discern unfinished floors, and is easily confused by thick carpets or rugs. It's perfect for small apartments or homes that have narrow hallways as well as furniture that is a lot of narrow hallways.