A robot vacuum cleaner is an intelligent automatic self-directing vacuum cleaner that will clean your floors and return to its charging station, once programmed, without any input from you. Program and forget. Sounds simple; but do they do the job?
They are low and circular and they can glide under most furniture and can work out the most effective way to get complete coverage of the area you have programmed it to clean. They have sensors to avoid obstacles and falling down stairs.
You may still need to haul out a barrel, upright or stick vacuum cleaner to do a thorough clean and get the corners and places the robot couldn’t go, especially if you have a lot of carpet, but this may only be fortnightly or monthly or for a spring clean.
- Convenient
- Programmable
- Good for people with disabilities of mobility issues
- Great for regular cleaning
- Great for hard floors
- Great for open uncluttered spaces
- Can clean under furniture
- Some have HEPA filters
- Not so good for carpet
- Small capacity
- Can get jammed under furniture
- Not good for cluttered areas
Featured Stick Vacuum Reviews
Performance
On hard floors such as hardwood tile or laminate these little vacuums will work as well as other larger vacuum cleaners. They will do a decent clean of low pile carpet, although, if it is in a heavy traffic areas, you may still have to grab a barrel or stick vacuum with a power head to get that deep down dirt out. Robotic vacuum cleaners are really not suited to deep pile carpet.
Some models have side brushes to clean the skirting boards and corners.
Technology
Robot vacuum cleaners can be programmed to clean certain areas at set times of the day or you can start a clean on command.
Over the last few years, the features and functionality of robot vacuum cleaner has rapidly increased. The newest and most expensive models have sophisticated systems to map out the areas you want cleaned and can show mapping of where they have cleaned. Newer models have Wi-Fi connectivity and you can use apps on your phone for control, although most have a battery powered remote controls. Some now have voice control for start / stop commands.
Manoeuvrability
Although they can manoeuvre in any direction and have obstacle sensors, they can still become stuck. Small articles on the floor such as toys, books, cables, rugs can strand the robot cleaner. Check the height of your couch and chairs.
Most allow you to create virtual walls to set the areas that you do and do not want the robot to clean.
Battery Life
Run time varies greatly with different models, from 60 minutes to 210 minutes, so consider how much cleaning you would require the cleaner to do in each session before you buy. All should return to their charge station to recharge when battery power is low, but some do not continue after charging and some models begin again from the start of their program.
Capacity
Robotic vacuum cleaners have small capacity, as little as 0.3 litres. Once the dustbin is full, the vacuum cleaner stops until it is emptied. So they are better suited to cleaning defined areas often. They are great for cleaning up pet hair but, depending on the amount of pet hair, should be run frequently. Long pet hair may clog the little wheels and brushes.
Should You Buy A Robot Vacuum Cleaner?
Robot vacuum cleaners offer a very convenient way to keep your home tidy, especially if you have hard floors and uncluttered areas. They are a great option if you want to maintain clean floors as you can set them to run every day, but if you have low furniture, large areas of carpet or lots of clutter such as cables from TVs, then they might not be the best option. Also the small capacity of the collection tank may be an issue if you have a high traffic area or pets.