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Robot vacuums are great for keeping your floors tidy but they are not a substitute for a traditional vacuum. Even the best robots can struggle to penetrate carpets or rugs, and can often get caught in cords and socks.

Your robot will last longer if you carry out regular maintenance. This includes replacing filters, removing hairs that are tangled from brushes, and emptying the dust bin.

Battery Life

The majority of robot vacuums are able to handle a couple of cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The runner-up of our top picks is the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo is that is designed to last for up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on a single charge. This amount of runtime will suffice for most small homes with carpets, hard floors and carpets with low pile or larger homes with rooms that are roughly the same size.

A longer battery life means that the robot can spend less time charging and can spend more time cleaning. It's a good idea to choose models that have a self-emptying dust bin, since those models are more efficient in cleaning up debris and returning to the dock for recharging. It is important to clean or replace the filters and wipe down sensors and camera on a regular schedule so they can see clearly.

Smart mapping technology is a useful feature to look for because it allows you to program your robot to clean certain rooms or avoid areas that it's likely to bump into furniture or other obstacles. It's also useful for ensuring that your Robot Vacuum Cleaner Industrial is able to go under and around sofas, beds and other tall furniture. Some cheap robovacs offer boundaries that you can place on the floor to block off certain areas, and other models with higher-end features use cameras and sensors for this purpose.

Even the best value robot vacuum robot vacuums can't replace a conventional vacuum when it comes to heavy-duty, large-pile dirt and debris. It's advisable to keep a standard power vac on standby to handle these chores and to schedule robot vacs regularly for light cleaning throughout the week.

Navigation

A robot should be able of moving around your home without getting caught or crashing into objects like metal screws pet hair, sand or. In our tests, we employ a tracking device to track the robot as it travels through a multi-room lab and shows its surroundings. We also examine the extent to which it can avoid obstacles like furniture legs, power cords and pet waste.

The most advanced robots can create several floors and identify landmarks, such as doors and windows. The most advanced ones, like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, come with a dual-sensor navigation device that utilizes an LIDAR sensor to map out the space and a structured lighting camera in front of the robot to identify objects in real-time. The S8 can avoid obstacles such as power cords as well as furniture legs. It also has the ability to store up to four floor maps.

More affordable models don't have this kind of detection and rely on bump sensors, which aren't as precise. In my tests they were able to detect dog poop through cords, as well as a pair of shoes placed in the middle. The most cost-effective choice, the Dreametech D10+, is an exception to this. It has excellent carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair and tangle pickup and an auto empty score.

A large onboard dustbin, which doesn't have to be manually empty, is also a feature that is essential. For models that sweep the floor, this tank is able to hold enough water to last for several weeks of cleaning. Karcher's RCV 5 is a good example of this. It has a wide enough footprint to fit under furniture but not too big that it is unable to fit into the nook between your toilet and bathtub.

Apps

Robot vacuums are like their upright counterparts and require lots of technology to keep them current. The result is a pretty mature market with plenty of options. Even the most advanced models require interaction from their users particularly when it comes to schedule cleanings, create a floor plan for your home and install virtual barriers.

To help reduce this kind of interaction, look for a model that has its own app to identify the design of your home and save these settings for the future. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it left off when it runs again, instead of having the mapping process restarted every time.

Also, consider models that offer zones or spot cleaning. You can tell the robot vacuum cleaner to focus on a specific area, such as under the table after a big family meal. You can typically do this using the app or via voice commands.

Avoidance of objects is a different option that is available on many models. It allows the robot when it spots something that is in its path, like a box of shoe or a crate with dog toys, to coach itself around. This prevents it from hitting objects which could harm its sensors or cause jams.

Some of the more expensive models we've tested have this feature. However, they typically rely on bump sensors for this and didn't always manage to avoid things in my test homes.

Pet Hair

When you're looking to remove pet hair, choose a model that's designed specifically to handle this type of debris. The best robot vacuum models have powerful suction capabilities and a brush that prevents the tangling and an emptying mechanism that will automatically empty hair into the bin when needed. Some models can also determine dirt levels and adjust the cleaning intensity in line with the level of dirt. They can also detect objects that aren't part your flooring at home, such as furniture, toys, and food bowls.

Certain robot vacuums have extra pet-friendly features. These include a water dispenser which is used to mop floors, and an HEPA filtration system that reduces allergens like pet dander. They may also have a quieter mode of operation to reduce the amount noise produced during cleaning sessions.

Robot vacuums with maps are a great option for pet owners, as they are designed to analyze your home and create a plan of attack based on the layout and obstacles in each room. For instance, the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Vacuum is a smart vacuum that has the impressive ability to map the room and navigate around furniture and other obstructions with accelerometer and gyroscope smart sensors that work together to learn the layout of your space.

Apps allow you to create zones that are not allowed. These are areas that the robot is not permitted, such as areas that contain fragile objects or pet feeding areas. This feature is particularly beneficial for families with a lot of activity, as it allows you to schedule cleaning time and make adjustments without having to be in the same room with the vacuum. Another feature that is extremely useful is spot cleaning that allows you to direct the vacuum to clean a particular area that is dirty or full of pet hair.

Dust Bin

If you don't want something small, consider a robot with a large bin or even a self-emptying trash bin. We recommend choosing a model that has a large bin, or even a dustbin that automatically emptys. The one will let you keep up with emptying your bin frequently enough to keep it functioning. The latter will save time and effort by automatically emptying the contents into an inside container after every cleaning.

Look for models that have smart mapping capabilities, which permit them to "learn" the layout of your home and devise more efficient routes. They also can detect and avoid objects that could hinder their travel (like shoelaces or tangled charging cables). Make sure you choose models with intelligent mapping capabilities. This allows them to "learn the structure of your home and design a more efficient route.

Certain models also offer spot cleaning, which allows you to choose specific areas of your home for thorough cleaning. We've found that most of the top performers in our tests are able to pick up fine particles like sand and baking soda, as well as heavier debris like oatmeal, orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair.

Depending on the brand, most robots will last for a long time and continue to perform as long as you are on top of maintenance, like cleaning out hair that is tangled from brushes and emptying the dust bin after each use and wiping down sensors and cameras when needed. The most reliable robots are more modular. This allows you to replace or repair parts like batteries and wheels, when they get worn out.