Robot Vacuum Expert Buyer's

Robot vacuums have continued to surge in popularity for consumers that want an AI-powered, low-maintenance experience without sacrificing the actual thoroughness of ongoing cleanings around their homes. A robot vacuum differs from traditional vacuum models in that it can offer you a hands-free experience. Additionally, for ultimate convenience, a robot vacuum can even be controlled and adjusted by using an app or the remote that comes with your robot vacuum. Robot vacuums are versatile as and can operate efficiently across surfaces like hard floors and carpets. You can even configure your robot vacuum so that it’s scheduled to clean pre-designated areas of your home on certain days or hours.

We'll take a closer look at the different floor types that robot vacuums are designed to clean, how a robot vacuum/mop hybrid works, the average run time of a robot vacuum before it needs to recharge, the average suction power of a robot vacuum and why this matters, the high-tech, built-in features that allow your robot vacuum to smoothly navigate your home, how your robot vacuum self-charges, the benefits of using the app that comes with your robot vacuum, why your robot vacuum comes with a dust bin, the average noise level of a robot vacuum, and how the water tank feature works with a robot vacuum/mop hybrid.

Floor Types

Robot vacuums are designed with specialized transitioning technology that allows them to smoothly navigate carpet and hard floor surfaces that include tile, hardwood, and laminate. Your robot vacuum will be able to adapt to each surface by adjusting its suction power and customizing its cleaning route.

Hard Floors: Most robot vacuums are designed to easily clean hard, flat surfaces like hardwood and tile floors. Additionally, many robot vacuums come with rubber wheels and rubber brushes that ensure they don't scratch your floors during each cleaning session. Carpet: Robot vacuums can effectively clean low and medium-pile floors, but you should note that your robot vacuum will have a significantly harder time when working to clean thicker rugs. Your best bet is to use your robot vacuum for your low and medium-pile carpets as well as any hard floors that you need cleaned, and then to use your upright vacuum for any thicker rugs or carpets that need to be cleaned. There are numerous robot vacuums available that can clean both hard floors and carpeted floors. Simply, assess your living space and identify what kind of robot vacuum you'll need to clean your home with its different rooms. If you have thicker floors throughout your living space, you'll want to invest in a robot vacuum that has higher suction power.

Mop

A robot vacuum with mopping functionality can be an especially worthwhile investment. Most often, you’ll simply attach a disposable or reusable cleaning pad to your robot vacuum, fill the robot vacuum’s tiny reservoir with water (or cleaning solution when applicable), place your robot vacuum near the edge of the room that you want to be cleaned, press the start button, and then your robot vacuum will handle the rest of the cleaning process.

Run Time

The total runtime for your robot vacuum will vary from model to model, but a good average run time to reference for is anywhere between 75-240 minutes. Additionally, many robot vacuums are designed with technology that allows for them to be self-charging, thereby sparing you the additional time and effort of repeatedly having to recharge your robot vacuum manually. Generally, you can assume that robot vacuums with a higher run time will also have higher price points.

Charging

Most robot vacuums these days are designed with cutting-edge technology that allows them to return to their charging docks when their batteries are running low. Additionally, you could also manually program your robot vacuum to recharge whenever you see fit.

Recharge & Resume: If your robot vacuum’s batteries are running low during its cleaning cycle, it will know that it’s time to return to its charging base to recharge, all by itself. As soon as your robot vacuum has successfully recharged, it will then resume cleaning where it left off. Self-Charging: While some robot vacuums include a recharge & resume feature, a self-charging vacuum alone may be sufficient for smaller spaces. Depending on the model of your robot vacuum, you may have the option to manually send it back to its charging base with your phone by using the robot vacuum’s app, or by simply pressing the home button on the robot vacuum. Your robot vacuum may also return to its charging base if it has completed its cleaning cycle, or if it detects that its battery is running low. With built-in features like recharge & resume functionality, as well as a self-charging function, modern robot vacuums are easier than ever to add to your household as a powerful and effective cleaning tool.

Smart Tech

Floor Mapping

Navigation tech is a common built-in feature for most robot vacuums, and the main feature that's included in this navigation tech is floor mapping. Robot vacuums are able to map the floors of your home by gathering data on the various room sizes in your home as well as any obstacles in these rooms. Robot vacuums will then clean your home in efficient and systematically straight lines, making sure to detect unique areas that have been identified as “markers.” Your robot vacuum will remember those markers so that it can properly orient itself every time it begins a cleaning session. Through object perception and collision avoidance, your robot vacuum’s LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology will be able to assist your robot vacuum in its navigation process as it works through cleaning the rooms that you’ve designated as needing cleaning. These LiDAR sensors will provide your robot vacuum with real-time information about its surroundings, such as nearby walls, doors, people, and any other household items that are in its path.

No-Go Zones

No-Go zones provide you with the ability to customize your floor plan so that your robot vacuum is able to efficiently address your cleaning needs. You’ll be able to pre-designate areas around your home where your robot vacuum should avoid cleaning. This could include particular rooms with thicker rugs, your pet’s eating area, or around any fragile household items that shouldn’t be bumped into. Some robot vacuum models will require you to place tape around areas in your home that you don't want it to clean, while the higher-end robot vacuums can be configured to navigate your home's no-go zones without any need of tape being placed.

Smart Sensors

Smart sensors, or cliff sensors, are a general safety requirement for robot vacuums. Cliff sensors are able to use infrared light that is reflected from various objects in your home. Your household objects essentially send a signal back to the receiver that’s located in your robot vacuum. If your robot vacuum doesn’t receive a signal as it’s moving on a certain path, it knows that there are no obstacles in its way. The smart sensors that are built into certain robot vacuums have shock-absorbing bumpers that allow them to steer clear of any obstructions without ever being slowed down during the cleaning process. Whenever the bumper on a robot vacuum comes into contact with an object, the robot vacuum’s sensor is triggered, and the robot vacuum will know to turn and move until it finds a clear path.

Controller Type

Most robot vacuums come with apps that you can download to your mobile device. The apps themselves can be downloaded from the App Store, Google Play, or through the particular robot vacuum's company website. You’ll be able to register your robot vacuum through the app, name your robot vacuum, check the support site to address any questions you may have, and contact customer care if you need to. The notable advantages of using an app with your robot vacuum include being able to set a cleaning schedule, choosing a cleaning mode, and monitoring your robot vacuum’s cleaning progress when you’re not home. Additionally, some robot vacuum apps will even allow you to select “Spot Clean” mode for more rapid and deeper cleaning of small and dirty areas around your home, as well as the ability to set up invisible boundaries to ensure that your robot vacuum doesn’t try to clean areas in your home that you don’t want to be cleaned. The apps that come with robot vacuums will also allow you to change the language settings if need be.

Specs

Dust Bin

Many robot vacuums don't have dust bins but instead feature a self-emptying system that also serves as a charging dock for the robot vacuum. The robot vacuum will connect to various vacuums that are built into the dock, which then remove dirt and debris from the robot vacuum’s built-in collection facility, and place the dirt and debris in a larger storage bin while the robot vacuum is simultaneously charging.

Water Tank

Some robot vacuums are hybrid models and include a mopping functionality as well. For a robot vacuum/mop hybrid you will simply fill the tank with water to the identified cutoff point, and the water will then be dispensed as the robot vacuum/mop works its way across your floors, using a built-in cloth/cleaning pad to scrub the dirt off your floors. The water that can be stored in your robot vacuum/mop hybrid will be measured in liters, and the average amount of water that can be stored in a robot vacuum/mop's tank ranges between 1-5 L. Refer to your robot vacuum/mop’s instruction manual if you’re trying to determine whether or not you can use a cleaning solution in place of water.

Suction Power

The suction power for a robot vacuum works just like that of a standard vacuum. The robot vacuum’s motor will pull air up from underneath the vacuum to draw in all the dirt and debris. The air will then pass through a filter, and clean air will come out from the robot vacuum’s output vent in the sides or back of the robot vacuum. The general measurement in terms of the suction power for robot vacuums is measured in Pa, which is short for Pascal Pressure Unit. The higher the Pa number, the greater the suction power. The current market for robot vacuums features an average suction power that ranges between 1500-2000 Pa, with the notably higher end of the Pa spectrum being around 5000 Pa.

Noise Level

Most robot vacuums are designed such that they possess exceptional noise control when in operation. The noise output from robot vacuums is measured in Decibels (dB), and many robot vacuums will generate noise in the 60-70 dB (quiet) range, which can be compared to a low conversation or a dishwasher. Additionally, many upright vacuums can generate enough noise to fall within the 75-80 dB range, which indicates that a robot vacuum will be significantly quieter than an upright vacuum.

FAQS

How do I clean my robot vacuum?

When it comes to properly cleaning your robot vacuum you’ll need to carefully spray a small amount of cleaner or disinfectant on a sponge or wipe, and then wipe down the body of your robot vacuum to remove any dirt that’s present. Then, you’ll need to use a slightly damp melamine foam sponge to finish cleaning your robot vacuum, while making sure to avoid any smaller openings where water could get inside. When cleaning the sensors, use a microfiber cloth and no cleaning solution (although a cloth dampened with water will do for particularly tough spots on the sensors).

To empty your robot vacuum’s dust bin you’ll need to press the bin release button located on the back of your robot vacuum. You’ll then need to shake off any debris that is present by tapping the filter against your trash container. Next, replace the robot vacuum’s filter. You should note that the robot vacuum’s filters aren’t designed to be washed or come into contact with any liquid. Then, rinse out any extra debris with warm water and allow for the robot vacuum bin to dry. Make sure that the robot vacuum’s dust bin is completely dry. Place the filter back into the robot vacuum’s dust bin, slide the bin back into the bin slot, and secure it into place.

Finally, don't forget to clean the robot vacuum's brushes. For the roller brushes, pull them out and cut off anything wrapped around the brushes (such as hair). During this step, be sure to avoid cutting the brushes themselves. Then, remove any additional debris in the bristles of the brushes. Be sure to remove any debris from the robot vacuum's side brushes as well.

Does my robot vacuum work with voice commands?

Newer robot vacuum models include Google Home and/or Alexa as built-in features. This will allow you to direct your robot vacuum around your home with voice commands to stop cleaning, return to its charging base, or begin a new cleaning cycle.

Does my robot vacuum have multiple cleaning modes?

Yes, many robot vacuums feature multiple cleaning modes to provide a specialized, customizable cleaning experience. For instance, one cleaning mode may be dedicated to cleaning an entire room in a short amount of time (20-25 minutes), no matter the floor surface. Another cleaning mode may be focused on localized spot cleaning, in which your robot vacuum will often make precise spiral movements in a small area until the surface becomes completely clean.