How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner Based on Your Space
Every year, companies producing robotic vacuum cleaners and mops release many new models; At the same time, new brands continue to enter the market, flooding you—the person who wants cleaner floors—with a plethora of options to consider and features to compare.
Over the past eighteen months, I’ve tested about forty robot vacuum cleaners in my own home, rather than on an obstacle course or in a testing lab. I’ve asked robots to tackle carpets, rugs, tiles and hardwood floors, overcoming every obstacle you can imagine, including low furniture, cords, dirty paw prints and curtains. I’ve talked to engineers at many of the companies whose robots I test to ask them questions about why technologies are replaced or what needs they’re responding to when they implement a new feature. I also went through the process of supporting many of these robots by watching the technicians answer help questions.
I’m often asked which model people should buy, and while I have my favorites, the real answer is that it largely depends on what type of household you run. (More on what to consider and what not to consider below.)