Five Top Robot Vacuum Lessons From The Pros
Top Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
While robots aren't able to replace a conventional vacuum in picking up dirt-in particles like metal screws or chunks of orzo pasta, they're excellent in sweeping dust, crumbs and pet hair. The best models are equipped with intelligent navigation technology that can help them avoid cords, toys, and other household obstacles.
1. iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO is a great robot vacuum that has a variety of smart features that make it more easy to maintain than most competing models. The automatic bin emptying feature is one of the most useful features we've seen on an iRobot and it is compatible with hard floors as well as carpets. The app guides you through the entire process. It's also simple to use and set up. Its ability to resume the same place it left off during our tests is another impressive feature. It was able to do this for 77 minutes in one cleaning before the battery died.
In contrast to other robovacs we evaluated, the i3+ EVO has a self-emptying bin that dumps debris into an external dirt compartment on the base of its charging when it's full. The i3+ EVO can be kept from overfilling thanks to a self-emptying container. However it must be manually emptied at the end of each cleaning session. The i3+ EVO's built-in dust bin can hold 2.4L of trash and is more than enough to last several cleaning sessions before you need to replace it.
Similar to the i7, this model is equipped with state-of-the-art floor tracking sensors to create maps and navigate neat rows. The i3+ EVO can only store one map, while the i7 is able to store multiple. The i7's map can be used to create virtual barriers and no-go zones but not the i3+ EVO.
The i3+ EVO does a better job of removing debris from the surface compared to some other robovacs that we have reviewed, but it is not the best at cleaning corners and edges. It's also less gentle on furniture, despite being fairly quiet. robotic vacuum cleaners pushed chairs away from walls and caused some collisions with the sides of our bed, and also became stuck on cords and toys during testing.
2. Black & Decker Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro is an excellent choice for expanding your robot vacuum collection or just starting out. It features an elegant design with powerful navigation and effective automation at a reasonable price. It's the most efficient pound-for pound model on sale right now and even beats some of Roborock's more expensive models in several ways.
This robot does a great job of cleaning floors that are not clean, and its avoidance technology helps it steer clear of furniture legs and other obstacles. It also excels on carpets, and earns the highest score on our navigation tests. The only snag is that it's a little noisier than many other models we test and doesn't perform as well in our owner satisfaction and predicted reliability tests.
The Q5 Pro comes with a large dust container of 770ml, which means that you won't need to empty it as often as other 2-in-1 robots. The 240-minute runtime is very generous compared to others we've tested. If the battery is depleted, it returns to its dock and recharges before continuing cleaning where it left off. You can control the Q5 Pro using the app or voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
This is one of the first robots we've seen to incorporate 3D mapping. This, along with other innovations made it perform extremely well in our vacuuming tests and mopping test. You can schedule cleanings and set up no-go zones. You can also see the battery's status. The app is easy to use, even though it does not support Apple HomeKit; that feature is expected to be available by 2025. Apple updated its website's footnote in the beginning of November to reflect that the feature was delayed until 2025. Some other robots won't work with HomeKit However, many of them work with Siri Shortcuts.
3. TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus
The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus robot vacuum cleaner is a great option if you're looking for a vacuum that can also mop and is affordable. It comes with a plethora of features at a reasonable cost and features a stylish design. You can control it using the buttons on the machine using the app, or even with voice commands. The device has an extended battery life and the vacuum container can be automatically empty.
The TP-Link RV30 Plus is a ideal vacuum cleaner for everyday messy messes. It can also be used to mop lightly on hard floors. It comes with a sweeping brush replacement and mopping cloth as well being a HEPA-filter. It can be combined with a smart home hub like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for convenient voice control. The TP-Link RV30 Plus can be easily set up, and connected to various floor surfaces with the automatic mode. This assures that the best results are achieved for each room and type of flooring.
You can choose from three cleaning options to meet your needs. The vacuuming mode uses the smart sensor for detection of obstacles like furniture, stairs and edges. The mopping mode is utilized to automatically clean floors or remove stubborn liquid spills and stains. You can combine the two features to provide the most thorough and thorough cleaning.
The TP Link RV30 Plus features a powerful suction, 3 settings for dry mopping and can quickly remove dust, pet hairs, crumbs and other debris from floors of any kind. It can clean carpets without damaging it due to specially-designed mops.
During its first mapping session, TP-Link RV30 Plus scans your home and saves it with its dual navigation system of LiDAR and Gyro. You can edit the map within the app and merge or split rooms based on your preference. You can also design virtual walls and no-go zones to stop the RV30 Plus from wandering into areas you do not want.
4. Eufy iMop
The Eufy iMop robot vacuum and mop is among the top fully-featured robots for flooring made of hard wood. It features a high-tech navigation system that does a great job of mapping your home even across multiple floor levels. And the extremely well-designed base station virtually automates the cleaning process. It is a great obstacle avoidance system and navigation.
This model uses an internal dToF LiDAR sensor to map your home and create efficient cleaning routes. The iMop was highly rated for its accuracy and navigation. It also did a great job of avoiding obstacles such as furniture. It also has the ability to find its way back to the base station, which is a great benefit in the event it runs out of battery during cleaning.
The spot cleaning mode lets you to clean a particular area of your floor. It can also be programmed to follow a specific path, which is useful if you have narrow hallways or stairs. It did a decent job of cleaning carpets in our carpet cleaning evaluation, but it struggled with longer pile carpets and rugs. It is able to raise the mop pad when it comes in contact with carpet. This is an excellent feature for those who want to avoid having to mop their carpets.
The iMop comes with an onboard dust bin and an water tank that empties and refills at the end of each cleaning session. The dust bin that is onboard can hold up to 2.5 liters of debris and will only require emptying after a few cleaning cycles. The water tank can handle about a dozen mopping sessions before it gets dry. The iMop is easier to maintain and clean than the typical robot cleaner, which could be an important selling point for busy households.
The iMop smartphone app is simple to use and comes with a variety of configuration options. It has multiple suction modes, mopping settings and also scheduling. It also lets you design virtual walls and no-go zones, to ensure that the robot doesn't wander into rooms that aren't allowed. The app also allows access to iMop status and error messages.