Robot vacuum units are not new anymore, they have been around for quite a while, and their autonomous cleaning mode is what has made them extremely attractive in many homes. The robot vacuum cleaner is a vacuum operated by an autonomous software program that either map out the area for cleaning or uses a pre-defined path process that will enable it to traverse any room completely.
Robot vacuum units are best suited for pet owners and dusty environments, they work continuously between charges and just pick up dust, small debris and pet hairs on the go. Essentially, they are a great little item to have around, unless you have toddlers, and then they become the vacuum units become endangered species.
Essentially what is robot vacuum? A robot vacuum is the combination of a standard household vacuum unit compressed into a small circular tablet shaped body. This body is complemented with software for mapping and operating the navigation of the unit over different surfaces, and the hardware to detect the physical boundaries, and virtual ones set by the operator.
When choosing a robot vacuum unit, you need to consider the battery life as well as the surface cleaning capabilities. The more versatile the unit, the more expensive it will become, and you can add to this the IoT integration as another feature that will raise the price.
Let’s look at the best robot vacuum units we tested for 2018.
iRobot Roomba 980
This is a pricey unit, but a great one to own. It is one of the few vacuum units that is powerful enough to work on carpeting, and as such, is a great boon in any pet featured house. This model comes with a carpet agitator that enables it to pick up dirt and hairs that are lodged in the toughest of surfaces.
The Roomba features a mapping system that uses their “virtual wall program,” so while it is the best in cleaning, it is defiantly the most expensive and unfortunately also quite loud too.
Neato Robotics Botvac Connected
This is a commercial robot vacuum unit; it is great for larger spaces and even commercial floors. This model comes with a very powerful suction feature, the mapping software is excellent, and it has a longer lasting battery to match the larger surfaces it is used to clean. On the downside, this unit will sometimes “crash” into future, and that can be slightly frightening to kids and pets, on the upper side it has manual control and comes with a Facebook chatbot feature which is quite nifty.
Samsung: Powerbot R7065
In terms of design, this Korean robot is superb. It is also useful since you can see when the unit is full due to its transparent casing. This model comes with an upward camera; this means it can navigate around people, pets, and furniture legs. The suction is powerful enough to work on some carpeting, and this is what makes it an exceptional product. However, on the downside is its low battery life, and doesn’t have a dirt detector sensor. Had this unit come with a more powerful and longer lasting power pack then the R7065 would be a contender for number one.
iRobot Roomba 690
There are some midrange robot units that perform exceptionally well, and the Roomba 690 is one of them. It comes in under $400 and performs as well as the 980 models but for a much lower cost. While it does compete with the 980 in terms of battery life, and the invisible wall barrier system, this unit does not have the AeroForce cleaning technology that makes the 980 so robust. This unit comes with a standard AeroVac system and carpet agitator. The bottom line is that this is a great unit for basic vacuum and simple carpet cleaning.
Ecovacs Deebot M81 Pro
This is a budget-friendly botvac that comes with WIFI capabilities. It also comes with an additional software package making it manually controlled, and you can set schedules and choose different floor surfaces for cleaning. You can attach a wet mop to this device too, and it performs admirably in small areas. All in all, this is a great semi-hybrid bot for different floor surfaces with a comfortable price.
Eufy Robovac 11+
When it comes to budget-friendly and Econo-efficient robots, this is a great choice. This under $300 unit gives you WIFI capabilities and different cleaning modes. On the downside, it doesn’t have a physical barrier program. The bottom line is that this is a great small area, light vacuum unit. The price is what makes it more attractive than its features.
Buying Tips
When choosing a robot vacuum unit look out for these features:
- Battery life; how long will this unit run before you need to recharge it, and how long does a full recharge take?
- Surface Coverage; what surfaces will it vacuum, and what extra features does each surface cleaning unit comes with that will sufficiently clean the specific surface.
- Is the unit a focused vacuum unit, or is it a hybrid or semi-hybrid?
- What is detection software included?
- Does this unit have WIFI capability, including IoT?
Take into consideration the size of the rooms you want to clean; how messy does it get? Do you have pets and children running around? Do you live in a dusty environment or a wet and muddy one? Also, remember that these units do not yet fully replace the need for human touch. They are great for on the go maintenance of your floor, but you will still need to perform the occasional full human sweep.
