Robot vacuum cleaners FAQs
Robot vacuum cleaner pros
- Time-saving: The best aspect of a robot vacuum cleaner is the fact that it cleans your home all by itself, saving you valuable time and leaving you one less chore to do yourself.
- Cleans while you’re out: You can schedule the robot to clean on specific days and at specific times. Schedule cleaning for when you’re out at work and enjoy the feeling of coming home to a clean house.
- Better reach: Thanks to their small size, robots can get under heavy furniture that you wouldn’t usually be able to clean yourself.
- Vacuum and mopping: Many of the newer robot cleaners are dual function, with mopping capabilities as well as vacuuming.
- Space saving: The compact and minimalistic design means robot cleaners take up much less space in your home than a traditional vacuum cleaner, plus they look a lot nicer.
- Control remotely: Wifi-enabled robot vacuums can be operated and controlled via a smartphone app, and many of these models feature voice control, which is normally compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
- Spot cleaning: Crumbs under the dining room table? Simply pick up the robot vacuum and put it next to the mess for a quick and easy spot clean.
Robot vacuum cleaner cons
- Small bin capacity: Robot vacuum cleaners are much smaller than traditional vacuums, which means they have a much smaller bin capacity. You’ll find you’ll need to empty the robot after every thorough clean.
- Price: Although they are becoming more affordable as the technology develops, robot vacs are more expensive than regular vacuum cleaners, making them a serious investment in your cleaning routine.
- Obstacles: Depending on the size of the model, robot vacuums can get stuck on objects or under furniture. You need to ensure the room is reasonably clear before the robot is scheduled to clean – don’t leave socks and cables lying about.
- Stairs and corners: Robot vacuum cleaners cannot navigate stairs, but they will stop short of a flight when cleaning, so you don’t have to worry about it falling down them. Most models cannot get into corners either, so you’ll still need another vacuum cleaner to clean these areas.
- Battery life: Most models last for at least 60 minutes, which won’t be enough time for a full clean if you have a large home. However, the robot will go back to the charging base when the battery is low and return to the area to resume cleaning once adequately charged.
Can robot vacuums be set to clean multiple rooms?
Basic robot vacuum cleaners will clean any area available to them – so if you leave the sitting room door open, it will navigate its way through and start cleaning the room. More advanced robot vacuums come with mapping technology. This means the robot can map your home layout using built-in cameras and smart sensor technology, remembering the different areas using its memory bank. The maps the robot creates will then show on your app, and you can usually change the boundaries of the map and assign each map a name – for example, “main bedroom”, “office”, or “dining room”. The robot will also note furniture placement, so it won’t bump into any of it when it next cleans.
Is it difficult to programme a robot vacuum cleaner?
This, of course, varies depending on the model, but robot vacuums are generally designed to be as simple as possible to set up. All robot cleaners come with a charging stand or “home”, and the robot will need to be left to charge for a short while so that you can then set it up to start cleaning. You’ll need to connect the robot to your wifi, and most cleaners have an app that you need to download to create a cleaning schedule for your vacuum. Here you can track your robot’s cleaning progress, and some apps will give you more in-depth information, such as the time it took for the robot to vacuum and the areas it successfully cleaned. Some will also send alerts to your phone if the bin needs emptying or the robot is stuck in a corner and needs your attention.
Are robot vacuum cleaners worth it?
While a rather costly purchase, a robot vacuum cleaner is a great addition to your home as it can complete day-to-day cleaning tasks without you having to pick up a vac yourself, saving you both time and energy. Plus, if you’re short on space, thanks to its compact size, it won’t take up too much room in your home.
Can a robot vacuum replace a normal vacuum?
If your living space is all on one level, a robot vacuum cleaner can clean your home for as long as it’s charged. However, robot vacs don’t have the ability to climb stairs, so they can’t (yet) replace a normal vacuum for a multi-floor home... unless you get two.
How do robot vacuum cleaners work?
There are two different ways for a robot vacuum cleaner to work. High-end models tend to use infrared lasers, while the more basic options use physical boundary stripes. Both mechanisms allow it to map your home, navigate your space on its own, dodge obstacles, and even know where your stairs are. Similarly, the sensors mean it can identify areas that it’s already cleaned and those it needs to move onto, as well as detect when it moves from hard floor to carpet.
The verdict: Robot vacuum cleaners
We find it hard to fault the iRobot roomba s9+. It’s powerful and gets the job done brilliantly. Perhaps the app isn’t quite as slick as some of the other models, but getting the floor clean is a more important factor in testing, and the s9+ performed the best. But we do acknowledge that it is expensive and probably won’t suit all budgets.
If you’re looking for something that’s less of a hit to the wallet, the Proscenic M8 pro and the Eufy X8 are decent options. The Proscenic will mop for you too.
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