Robot Vacuums

Robot vacuums are a small, rechargeable vacuuming unit designed to clean automatically around the home guided by sensors and cameras. The generally have a small, low profile that allows them to vacuum underneath furniture.

Most robot vacuums can connect to a home, Wi-Fi network that makes them easy to track and program from your smart phone or tablet and allows them to download and install firmware updates for improved performance and features. You can also schedule robot vacuums to clean at certain times of the day or set up virtual cleaning boundaries to keep them cleaning in a specific area (or away from other areas).

Robot vacuums tend to be better as a supporting second vacuum, rather than a replacement for your stick, barrel or upright vacuum cleaner. They can help reduce the need for more frequent and thorough manual vacuuming by running daily in-between cleans. Although a robot vacuum will clean autonomously, you will still need to empty it, change the filter and clean the brushes.

In general, a robot vacuum will do a good job cleaning hard floors when running on a daily cleaning cycle. They are less efficient at cleaning in corners or along walls, so you will still need to clean these areas yourself even if your house mostly has hard flooring.

Robot vacuums can also clean on carpet, although their small size does not provide them with a lot of suction power. Even if the carpet looks clean, the lower suction power will probably only achieve a surface clean rather than a deeper clean. Over time, this can damage a carpet or rug, so much sure you still give your carpets and rugs a good clean with a barrel, stick or upright vacuum cleaner from time to time.

If you have pets around the house, some robot vacuums are great for cleaning up cat and dog fur. Of course, just because your robot vacuum can handle pet fur, does not mean that your pets will get along with it, so it may be worth testing it with them before leaving your robot vac and pets unsupervised together.

Robot vacuums incorporate a range of sophisticated technology like cameras, stair detectors, navigation software and Wi-Fi integration to help them navigate and clean in your home. Although they will likely bump into walls and tables when you first set them loose in your home, they will generally get better at avoiding obstacles over time. This is because robot vacuums can map the layout of each room as it cleans.

Most robot vacuums will send out a notification if it gets stuck, blocked or requires any other assistance. If it is Wi-Fi enabled, it can notify you directly on your smartphone through the manufacturers app. Robot vacuums will get stuck from time to time on stray shoelaces, rug tassels, charging cables and underneath lounges.

To avoid obstructions, it is a good idea to do a survey of the cleaning area to pick up and remove any potential hazards. Some robot vacuums get stuck moving from a hardwood floor to a rug or carpet, so test that out before leaving it unsupervised.

Most robot vacuums are smart home enabled, meaning that they can connect to and communicate with other devices over Wi-Fi. These can be controlled and programmed using an app on your smart phone or tablet, so you may want to check that the app is easy to use and includes all the features you want. You should be able to turn your robot vac on/off, pause it and program it to start cleaning at certain times. Cleaning maps, log, battery status and notifications are also useful.

You will want to make sure your robot vacuum has a large enough battery to clean your home without having to recharge too often. Automatic docking and stair detection features are standard across most models and will ensure your device is always charged and will avoid potentially damaging falls. Virtual walls will help keep the robot vac away from certain areas, like pet food bowls.

Some robot vacuums can automatically empty themselves into a special bin station, which will save you time on emptying them manually.