A robot vacuum cleaner sounds ideal, if like me you don't have bags of time to do the cleaning. We've tried robot vacuums that need so much supervision you might as well have done the cleaning by hand and others that just fail to pick up much dirt.
In fact depending on the types of obstacles in your home then an 800-pound model may end up being no more helpful than an expensive toy. Before you throw out your old vac be aware that robot cleaners don't claim to match traditional models for cleaning power, so you'll still have to dig out your main vacuum from time to time. The best robot backs will keep your floor's looking smart between deep cleans about the quality varies. An impressive sounding navigation system doesn't always mean better results. We've tried some premium robots that still manage to get stranded under or on furniture.
Robots use a variety of methods to navigate around your home. Some cover the floor systematically, some move around randomly and some look like they're moving randomly, but actually remember where the obstacles are.
We've even seen robots that map the room using the ceiling. In some cases we've noticed that a random approach can provide better coverage than systemic cleaning.
Robot vacuum cleaners range from simple models costing around 200 pounds like this buy leader all the way up to models costing around 700 pounds like this Miele which has a high-tech navigation system.
We've taken robots of all price ranges for a test drive and learned that spending more doesn't guarantee you a cleaner floor, in fact the right vacuum for you depends on the layout of your home and not just the technology under the bonnet.
Before you buy, consider how self-sufficient you want your robot to be as that will affect how much you need to spend. Some robots need to be plugged into the wall to charge, which means if they run out of battery when you aren't around, or you forget to unplug them your house won't get cleaned. More expensive models have a docking station allowing them to automatically recharge and then carry on cleaning. Pricier robots have sophisticated mapping systems, including virtual walls to block off certain areas, dust sensors and remote controls you can use to direct the robot to a particularly dirty spot. Other models merely change direction when they hit an obstacle cleaning in a random pattern. The newest robots have Wi-Fi capabilities, so you can control them with your phone, enabling you to set up cleaning schedules and commanding them to clean, even when you're out and about. They might have impressive specs but it's impossible to know how well a robot vacuum will clean until you get it home.
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