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Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes a bit of the hands-off work out of keeping your floors tidy. It can re-fill its own water tank, and self-empty its larger tower bin and swap the dust bag.
Advanced models can map your home and note furniture positioning. They also can detect obstacles and navigate around hazards such as loose charging cables and stray socks.
Object Avoidance
Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects like toys, cords, and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These are especially important if you have children or pets that are inclined to leave objects on the floor, which your robot will find them.
Depending on which model you choose the robot you choose may come with various sensors to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light across the room to identify things like doors and furniture legs. This technology is used by numerous robots available and you can see it in the top models that cost more than others.
Other technology for avoiding objects are typically found in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and identify obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance between them. These are less common but could be a great option for your robot if you're looking for extra peace of mind.
Most of the top-rated robotics can also clean your floors. Some robots come with own water tanks that enable them to clean up messes and spills. You'll have to empty your robot's dust bin and clean the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these chores should not take a lot of time.
Mapping
The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums as they enable them to keep track of your home's layout and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped by furniture, cords, or pet toys and end up removing less of your space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean your floors in fewer passes and save you time. Many of the top rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create zones that are not allowed, allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to enter.
Robots that have built-in LIDAR use this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. During our tests with the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my room into various areas and clean each independently, which was a huge improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which had the front bump sensor. This was a much more precise way to navigate my home and was simple to control using the app on the device.
While there are no robot vacuums that can scale stairs, the most effective models have mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools allow them to remove debris from low-pile and hard floors, and to avoid falling down the stairs. Some tools are equipped with sensors to make sure they don't fall over the edge of the stairs. Some have boundaries to keep them away.
Some robots come with a massive tower base that holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens that are released into your home. They can be kept for weeks or months without emptying and are particularly helpful if you suffer from allergies. Additionally, some models come with self-emptying systems that let you dump out their onboard dust bins without having to manually open or close them.
Wi-Fi enabled
Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi to their apps. This allows you to control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive however, they can save time since you can schedule cleaning sessions every day, weekly, or even monthly. These models also allow you to edit floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning schedules.
The most advanced
robot cleaner vacuums employ dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can detect objects and avoid them, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to reach tight spaces, such as the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets or under your sofas. Other robots struggle with these spaces. They're also quicker to get around obstacles and have longer run times with bigger dust bins, making them ideal for larger homes than entry-level robots.
The best rated robot vacuums are swift, intelligent and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter, and other dirt. They can also be quiet which makes them a great choice for homes with children and pets. Many of the robot vacuum owners have told us that they appreciate the ease of having their floor cleaned with minimal effort. This is particularly true when they are used regularly. With proper 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 guide that offers some useful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.
Larger Dust Bags
Although a
robot vacuum cleaner vacuum may not be as efficient as a canister or upright model, it is great in removing dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick repairs to floors, and it can also navigate through cords and other obstacles in the home. You can employ a robot to clean your floors on a schedule when you don't have the time to do it yourself.
Some of the top-rated robot vacuums come with big, easy to empty dust bags that can hold more dirt than a room. This can save you time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on many models, including our top choice which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac has an excellent performance rating and has self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and a streamlined navigation. It's a close contest between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac is more expensive but has a bigger capacity.
The two models differ in the way they handle long hair, which may become tangled in the rollers of a few robots. The best-performing models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores along with fantastic path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The Eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also great options, with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but not as much planning for paths or auto empty.
The latest robots are equipped with sensors that can identify dirt and other debris on carpets and they are better at removing pet hair. Some have a mopping mode that can use the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is essential for families with pets as well as children.
Maintenance
A
robot vacuum cleaner vacuum can be a huge aid in keeping a close eye on your home. While no robot is able to replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest models are rated to remove pet hair, lint, and other dirt that accumulates on hard floors and low-pile carpets which can pick up more than you can with a vacuum. They have navigational features that help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.
According to the model, you can schedule a robot vacuum to run multiple times per day, or watch it in action using an app. These machines are useful but they also be clogged and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the dust bin onboard (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin), checking brushes for tangled fur, and periodically rinsing the filters and drying them according to the specifications of the manufacturer.
Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a good robot vacuum should last three to five years or more if it receives regular maintenance and care. She recommends emptying the bin and brush roll often, cutting free hairs that get caught in the brushes, and regularly cleaning and drying the filter if your robot is a mop as well. It's a good idea clean the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock with an easy clean cloth every now and then. Then, simply recharge and refill the robot whenever you need to for the next time you clean.