Robotic Carpet Vacuum Cleaner: What's New? No One Is Discussing

Buying a Robotic Carpet Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums are fantastic at keeping floors spotless, but they're not perfect. Some people opt to keep a regular upright vacuum cleaner to clean up spills that the robot isn't able to reach.

When you are shopping for a robotic carpet vacuum cleaner, look for a model with powerful suction and a special capability to thoroughly clean carpets. You should consider putting virtual barriers to prevent accidental damage caused by strong suction.

Powerful Suction

The best robot vacuums feature powerful suction that can be used on a variety of floor surfaces, including carpet. They typically have brushes that dig into multiple pile heights, picking up dirt, hair and other particles that a weaker model might miss. They also have an automatic suction adjustment to provide a tailored clean, allowing you to adjust the power level based on your floors. Many of our top picks come with a self-emptying dock, which decreases the frequency that you have to empty your garbage.

Many of our picks feature smart mapping features that assist them in learning the layout of your home so that they can tidy up rooms and spaces with the click of a button. And some, like our top pick overall one, the iRobot Roomba S9+, can even detect carpets and automatically increase the suction to better pick up dirt and other debris that is embedded. It's not a must-have feature, but it can be a useful addition, especially if you have a mix of different flooring kinds.

A variety of robotic cleaners also mop, and some -- like our top pick overall, the Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8AIV --are especially effective on carpet. The mop pad is designed to raise when the cleaner comes into contact with carpet. This keeps the pad from causing damage by getting soaked. Some also have a sensor that stops the mop cleaner in the event that it comes in contact with something wet and sound an alarm.

Before you start your cleaning schedule, clean your floors of any toys, clothing cords, and other objects that could get caught in the brush or hinder the robot's movement. This will give your robot the smoothest, most thorough clean. Before beginning a cleaning session, check to see whether any of your floors need additional maintenance, like sanding or refinishing. Set the robot's preferred mode (vacuuming or mops) and let it work. It's important to note, however, that even the top robots are able to accomplish a certain amount. They can't remove every last particle of dust from crevices, corners and baseboards.

Virtual Barrier Function

A robotic vacuum cleaner could be a great tool to keep your home tidy for those who are busy and have limited time. However, before you purchase one, think about your lifestyle and the layout of your house. Are you living in an Victorian home with carpets that are high pile, for example? You'll require a model with powerful suction to pick up threads and pet hair that have accumulated in carpets. You'll also want one that recognizes different flooring materials so that it can switch to the correct cleaning mode.

Most Robot vacuum thick carpet vacuums and mops are intelligent. Equipped with lasers or cameras, they are able to "see" their ways around your home and, on their first run, create an extremely detailed map of your home. This feature of mapping allows the robot to move from room to without crashing into furniture or walls. You can also use the mapping feature to create virtual barriers and no-go zones through the robot's app.

If you'd like to be hands-free you can purchase an entry-level robot that has basic navigation capabilities. These machines have a lower suction power and are designed to divert hair and other debris to side brushes, not the main suction. These models are a little noisier than the smarter models, but they work great in minimalist homes that have bare floors or carpets.

Many older or cheap robot vacuums give you either manual or hardware options to block a particular area from being cleaned. This type of barrier typically is a physical strip of magnetic tape that you place along the areas you don't want your robot go. These strips are compatible with all robots, so long as the sensor can detect magnetism. For instance, the top-rated robotic vacuum with gyroscopic technology, the Lubluelu L20, has a Compass sensor that is able to recognize magnetic strips.

You can also find several smart home apps that allow you to set up and adjust boundaries using your smartphone or tablet. These can be used to set up virtual barriers or no-go zones, and some even work with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. These smart apps can be an excellent way to control your robot's settings as well as schedule wherever you have an internet connection.

Wool and Silk Rugs

While nearly any robot vacuum cleaner will do a fine job of cleaning hardwood floors or tile of the debris and dust that blows across them like tumbleweeds, it requires more power and airflow to get rid of debris in carpet. The most recent generation of robot vacuums can do this. Some even feature an option that allows them to set up virtual barriers that block the vacuum from gaining access to areas you don't want it to clean, which can be particularly beneficial in large spaces with carpets that are high-pile.

If it is made from silk or wool, a rug of this material will require special care to ensure that the fibers don't break down or turn discolored or stained. By regularly cleaning and maintaining a silk or wool rug, you can prolong its lifespan by keeping it clean and free of dirt, dust and other contaminates. This can also help preserve its beautiful luster. Additionally, it's recommended to regularly rotate the rug to ensure that all areas are exposed light and air.

Silk or wool rugs should be professionally cleaned by a certified rug cleaner who can utilize special methods to avoid damage and to restore its sheen, color and texture. A professional cleaner should use a dry cleaning method because excessive moisture could be harmful to both wool and silk. It is recommended to test the cleaning products on a small portion of your rug prior to deciding to use them.

If you're concerned about the ecological impact of purchasing silk or wool rug, you should consider buying one with a cotton base. These rugs are sustainable and won't break down as quickly as fake or synthetic silk rugs do. They're also usually made of jute, which is an absorbent plant fiber that will absorb and hold dirt, hair, pet dander and other pollutants until it's cleaned.

A cotton and silk rug is another option. These rugs are often cheaper than pure silk rugs but they still have the elegance and beauty of the more luxurious materials. If you want to be sure that the rug is a cotton and silk mix, look for a label from the manufacturer with details about its fiber content. You can tell whether the rug is a silk and cotton mix by observing how it reflects light, or by feeling its fibers. Silk that is genuine will feel soft and supple to the touch. Silk that is synthetic or fake, on the other hand will have a coarser texture.

Pet Hair

The filtering system of a robot vacuum can help remove pet hair and dust, but the best models have motors and filters that can handle pet hair and dander. These machines typically have a high suction capacity and use Powerful Self-Charging Robot Vacuum - Strong Suction Quiet brushes to break up hair and dander and then draw it into the filter. These machines also come with an anti-allergen filter and a special nozzle to sweep up pet hair or dander without spreading it throughout your home.

A quality robot vacuum cleaner is one that can be used on all flooring including tile, hardwood and carpets with low pile. Some models also have the added benefit of mopping, which can be beneficial if you've got many spills and wet messes.

Experts agree that robot vacuums, when used correctly and under supervision, won't harm your carpets or rugs. However, you may need to use a standard vacuum cleaner to protect yourself in areas with lots of dirt. The most effective robot vacuums can even remove difficult-to-reach debris, such as food particles or Lego pieces from your sofa, chairs and other furniture.

In our tests, we discovered that the iRobot Roomba J9 did a great job of removing dog hair, and other messes on both hardwood flooring and carpet. It removed about 99%. It also has an integrated dirt sensor that tells the robot which messes are important. It is also programmed to go back to the charger if its battery gets depleted.

Roborock S8+ is another great option. It's both an automated vacuum cleaner and a mop robot. It recognizes the flooring type and then automatically replaces its mop pads, ensuring that your floors are clean. It can also pause cleaning to avoid over-wetting of area rugs. It can also establish zones that you do not want your robot in.

When choosing a mop or robot vacuum be sure to consider your budget as well as the features you require. Some of the newest models come with app connectivity that allows you to plan cleaning times, change vacuum settings, and create no-go zones using your smartphone. They can also clean their charging bases and empty their dustbins. A well-designed robot is an investment worth the cost, especially because they're usually discounted during sales events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.