While robot vacuum cleaners may one day rule over humanity, for now they’re just handy gadgets keeping the floors in your home free of crumbs and dust. However, before you buy, there are things you need to know.
Things to consider are the size of your home, whether you have pets and children, the type of flooring, desired frequency of cleaning, and ease-of-use. Brand reliability and after-sales service are important factors to consider as well.
Some of the most frequent customer frustrations include having to scrub areas that the robot couldn’t clean (those pesky corners are a problem), intervening when a robot gets stuck, and constantly refilling and emptying water and trash compartments that are too small.
Scrubbing for the win
If you live in a home with pets or children, the most effective robotic vacuums to tackle stains are those with reciprocating mops. This means the mops move back and forth repeatedly (mimicking scrubbing) to remove stains.
Fixed mop pads don’t effectively remove stains and require more intervention. Look for a vacuum that sprays water or cleaning solution onto the floor ahead of mopping so that it loosens the dirt or stain.
If you have multiple floor types, such as hard floors with rugs, look for a robotic vacuum that has at least a 7mm auto-lift mop feature, which will allow your robot to seamlessly transition between surfaces.
Navigation and battery life
A set of good navigation skills is the difference between the robot vacuum getting lost, stuck or failling off stairs versus a completely hands-off experience. In the latter scenario, the robot maps and learns the best route to clean your home’s unique layout.
Look for a robot that has multi-sensor navigation, as opposed to just one or two sensors. This could keep your robot from taking a tumble or getting stuck underneath furniture.
The robot’s mapping functionality is another factor to consider. Many entry-level robots don’t have the ability to map and store information for future use. This is especially important for open-plan or larger living spaces where a robot may reach the end of its battery life on a single clean without having cleaned the entire floor.
The ability for a robot vacuum to pick up from where it left off is a feature more prominent in the middle to premium market vacuums.
Refilling and refuelling capabilities
The dustbin and water tank capacity will tell you how often you’ll need to refill water and empty the trash compartment if you don’t have an automatic cleaning-and-filling station for your vacuum.
Look for a water tank in the range of 300 ml, as well as a dustbin that can compact the dust, debris, and hair for more uninterrupted cleaning.
So, be sure to consider the above before making that robotic vacuum purchase so that you get the little helper you deserve.
