Robot Vacuum Cleaner: 10 Things I'd Like To Have Known Sooner

Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner UK

If you don't want to get your hands dirty then robot vacuum cleaners are a great choice. They are more efficient than manual vacuum cleaners and are ideal for flats and single-storey houses.

Smart features are a benefit. They include mapping technology that remembers your home's layout, and avoiding furniture and rugs and avoiding those nipples beneath furniture that larger robots have to contend with.

iRobot Roomba J7+

The iRobot Roomba J7+ is an upgrade over the previous model of the company and incorporates new technology to make it more effective in preventing pet waste. It makes use of intelligent navigation and mapping to create maps of floors and rooms and tries to avoid obstacles like furniture, charging cords and shoes. It can also identify dirt and clean areas that are heavily filthy. This is a major improvement over earlier models that sometimes ignore the dirtiest spots or only clean them for a brief time.

The robot vacuum comes with a self-emptying base station, which can deposit debris from the dustbin into its own 2.4L dirt disposal bag. iRobot's claims this can hold up to 60 days worth of debris and means you only need to empty and replace the bag once every three months. The base station can also be used to store a spare bag for quick replacements.

It's easy to set-up and use the Roomba that is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and can be controlled via the iRobot Genius app. You can use the app to select when to start and stop the cleaning, how long it should spend on an individual task and also create a schedule.

In our tests in our lab, the iRobot Roomba J7+ was capable of cleaning hardwood and area rug surfaces without issue in the kitchen, foyer and family room. It was quiet and listened to us while it worked. The decibel meter recorded just 64 decibels during the operation. It took about 90 minutes to complete a single cleaning, and its battery required an hour and 58 minutes to recharge following the cleaning. The Combo j7 allows you to increase the size of your iRobot ecosystem by pairing it with the iRobot Mop M6. One can run while the other flits around the room.

Dyson 360 Viz Nav

The Dyson 360 Viz Nav is the best robot vacuum cleaner for anyone living in a multi-floor house. The model can create maps of different floors and save them to the app, making it easy to switch between different rooms without repeating the setup procedure. The robot can be controlled by voice commands, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Dyson's robot vacuum uses a combination of cameras, sensors and other technologies to identify obstacles. A panoramic camera mounted on the top of the robot, along with 26 other sensors, help to create a map of the space as it moves. This aids to avoid obstacles and furniture.

In our tests, we found that the Dyson 360 Vis Nav could reach up to baseboards as well as edges, and was able to navigate around furniture with tight corners. The robot vacuum best's suction is strong and can take in every dust particle, hair strand, and dried-out piece of Playdoh we threw its way. The auto vacuum and mop also took the bin out effortlessly and quickly, reducing cleanup time by half.

However, the Dyson 360 Viz Nav didn't do better than other robots in our tests of obstacle avoidance. It had trouble avoiding a temporary drying rack that it was unable to maneuver under. It eventually became stuck and halted the cleaning cycle. It also had difficulty getting around furniture pieces that are taller such as the chair or coffee table. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav also has difficulty climbing stairs which is a major issue for a lot of people who live in multi-story homes.

Roborock

Roborock robotic vacuum cleaners have high-end cleaning features that are a cut above the other. Dual mops are available that spin and lift stains when pressing down. They also lift automatically when vacuuming carpets, stopping streaks of dirt from forming and re-clogging vacuums. They have suction that is up to 5,500 Pa which is superior for dust and dirt removal. Additionally they also have an intelligent water flow control to ensure the correct amount of moisture for every flooring type.

Roborock's ability of mapping your entire home using laser technology is among its most impressive features. The LiDAR system on a Roborock robot constantly rotates, emitting laser beams and calculating the time it takes for them to bounce back against surrounding objects. This information is used to create a real-time map of your home, which allows the robot to move accurately and avoid obstacles.

Based on the model you choose depending on the model you select, you can modify your map to include no-go zones, furniture placements and cleaning for specific rooms. You can also select the option to only vacuum, mop only, or mop and vacuum, and schedule regular cleanings using an app-based cleaning routine that allows you to set it and forget it.

Roborock has a wide range of options, ranging from the budget-friendly S6MaxV to the top-of-the-line S7 MaxV Ultra. All models come with advanced mapping and a long-lasting battery and a large dustbin. The docking station offers many features, including charging and refilling the hot water tank. In the UK, they also come with a two-year warranty.

Beko RCV 5

The Beko RCV 5 is a relative newcomer to the robotic vacuum and mopping market and is already making waves due to its sleek design and decent price tag. This robot comes with a few tricks on its sleeves that distinguish it from its competitors, such as self-emptying and object recognition. It's also a breeze to setup and use, with an easy application that lets you customize many settings to your liking.

The model's navigation system makes use of sensors and mapping to guide you through your home. It does a good deal of avoiding obstacles. The app lets you modify the cleaning route to allow certain areas to be cleaned more frequently. The app is a bit confusing at first but once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to plan your cleaning schedule and monitor your robot's power levels easily.

Despite its impressive array of features however, the RCV 5 is not without its faults. It is a tiny water tank that can only hold 240 milliliters at any given time. While this is enough to get a basic wipe clean, it's not ideal to remove the most stubborn stains. The plate is also not equipped with a rotation or vibration function.

The battery life of an RCV 5 in this price range isn't the length one would expect. In actual fact the RCV 5 only lasts for approximately a third of the cleaning cycle before needing to recharge. This isn't a major issue but it's something to consider when you are looking for a new robot automatic vacuum and mop robot cleaner.

Karcher RCV 5

The German manufacturer Karcher is most well-known for its pressure washers. However, it's now entering the robotic vacuum market with a model that vacuums and mops. The RCV 5 offers an impressive variety of features, including great obstacle detection (with a dual laser system) and mapping that can be monitored in real-time using the app that is smart.

It also detects carpeted surfaces, which automatically initiates mopping mode when wet. It also has a spot cleaning function that intensely cleans a specific area of around 3 feet. It's also programmed to repeat every week. The RCV 5 is a good robot cleaner that has suction capacity of 2500 pascals. It can clean both hard and soft flooring and can get into tight corners and even under furniture that is low.

Like many modern robots, the RCV 5 has a smartphone-powered app known as Karcher Home Robots that can be used to start cleaning processes and to create and manage home maps. The RCV 5 can also create virtual walls and zones that it can't drive.

One drawback to the RCV 5 is that its dust bin can only hold about 1 liters and requires regular emptying, unlike models that have integrated disposal technologies built into their docking stations. It's also a bit heavier than other devices, making it less portable and requires a bit more space to place in its charging station. Nonetheless, testers found the RCV 5 user-friendly and rated its app control as high. It was a great performer in our tests, though some struggled to get the voice technology to work well and the docking station was difficult to place in an upright position.