robot vacuum cleaner

Best Robot Vacuum Cleaners in India for 2024 – Reviews & Buyers Guide

If you are looking for the best robot vacuum cleaner in India, then you are reading the right article. We have shortlisted some of the best robot vacuums in India and also prepared a buying guide which will make you understand the features of robot vacuums and guide you towards making an accurate choice that fits your requirements. 

In this age of a smart watch, where everything is just a few clicks away, rather a few verbal instructions away; do you think you still have to reach out to your sturdy, huge vacuum cleaners anymore? To the ones, who find it boring to sweep the floor and take a vacuum cleaner on a house tour and to the ones, who always keep a check on the cleanliness of the floor/carpet even while being away from home, a perfect solution for all is now here. The future of cleaning is already ruling a few houses. Have you given a shot at a Robot Vacuum Cleaner?

What exactly is a robot vacuum cleaner? Key aspects you need to know about it:

  • A robot vacuum cleaner is a smart cleaner equipped to carry out cleaning operations in your house without or minimal help of the user
  • It is powered by a rechargeable battery and uses a charging docket to recharge itself without requiring any or minimal human intervention
  • It can be smartly controlled via an application providing the user the comfort of operating the cleaner by using a smart phone
  • Scheduled Cleaning is an interesting feature but available only with a fewer models
  • Wi-Fi support in the latest models makes the robot vacuum cleaners even more advanced. You can schedule the cleaning from anywhere & anytime. Once the cleaning is complete or if the cleaner gets stuck during a cleaning process, you will receive a notification on the app in the same regards
  • Anti-collision, cliff sensors are some features that will intrigue you to have a hands-on experience of a robot vacuum cleaner

Reviews of Best Robot Vacuum Cleaners in 2024

1. Ecovacs Deebot 500 Robots Vacuum Cleaner

It is a no brainer to review the Ecovacs Deebot 500 as the list topper. This is an affordable cleaner with must have features at a very interesting price point. It is a wi-fi robot vacuum cleaner.

IA single charge lets the robot to work for approximately 110 minutes. It comes with a minimalistic remote control. Available in a jet-black colour, which maintains the pleasing aesthetics and appears pleasant even after cleaning, as dirt and dust may not be quite visible owing to its darker shade. The navigation is random and not based on any mapping techniques. If you have kids at home, they will surely fall in love with this new robot friend of them. It won’t be surprising if you too enjoy the presence of this cute little cleaner. It is equally effective on both hard floor and carpet.

  Features:

  • Self-Charging with a Charging dock
  • 3 Stage cleaning:
    1. Auto clean mode – to clean the entire space available in the room with no defined pathway 
    2. Spot cleaning mode- to clean in a concentrated area where dirt and dust is accumulated
    3. Edge mode- to move along the walls and edges to clean in the nicks and corners
  • Max mode- to clean with 2x suction power for vacuuming stubborn dust and dirt like pet hair ensuring deep cleaning. When an occasion is approaching, max mode is the one to pick and clean your home with
  • Side brushes with inward rotation to collect dust from a slightly outer periphery of the robot, leaving the rest to the vacuum to do the necessary
  • Dirt collection unit as large as 520ml with a 5-micron reusable filter
  • IR sensors are located across the body to ensure hassle free navigation
  • Anti-collision sensor to avoid bumping into an obstacle
  • Anti-drop sensors to avoid a fall off a stairwell or against a steep drop in case of a multi-storey house
  • Soft-cushion bumpers are provided all along robot to prevent any kind of damage to the robot’s body
  • Voice assist works perfectly using Google Assistant or Amazon Echo when connected to the same Wi-fi connection
  • App control – when far from home, you can simply use your smartphone to schedule the cleaning mode, start a cleaning operation or send the robot to the charging station. You can also control the suction speeds for effective cleaning
  • The upwards movement of the wheels allows the robot to climb carpet rugs without treating it as an obstacle and turning away
  • Quiet Cleaning

Specifications:

  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion battery is required
  • Dimensions: 33.2 x 33.2 x 7.9 cm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 4.75 kgs
  • In the box: Vacuum, Charging dock, Power adapter, Roller brush, 2 side brushes, Dustbin, User guide
  • Warranty: 1-year manufacturing warranty

  What’s Missing?

  • Mapping feature
  • Waste bin full notification 

2. 360 S6 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner:

360 S6 is a hybrid robot vacuum cleaner. Laden with impressive tech, this little beast will always serve you efficiently, given the cool features it comes with. White in colour, it garners an interesting facility to fit in the dust bin. Usually the waste bin is under the bot, but 360 S6 has it right on the top. A click on the bin pops it up and a 2-finger press on both sides puts it back in place. Each time you remove or install the bin, you’ll be notified with a voice prompt.

It serves both purposes, cleaning and mopping. This robot doesn’t come with a remote control. Cleans approximately for 120 minutes on a single charge. As the battery level falls to 20%, the robot automatically retreat and docks itself at the charging station. It comes powered with a 1800Pa super strong vacuum. Cleans carpet as efficiently as a hard floor.

Features:

  • Most striking feature is, it completes the cleaning job before starting the mopping operations providing a supreme quality cleaning experience
  • 360 Smart App to control the robot, which makes the model smart and fully advanced
  • Scheduled cleaning time is made possible using the smart app, no matter where you are
  • Set off-limit area- allows you to allocate a specified area from the entire room for cleaning 
  • It makes use of LDS LiDAR with AI for mapping & intelligently cleaning in real time
  • Support multi-level, multi-room mapping
  • 3 modes to pull off an efficient cleaning:

a. Standard mode to take care of regular cleaning

b. Quiet mode for silent operation

c. Powerful mode to increase the suction power

  • Block off- You can set an unlimited number of restricted zones for the robot. For instance, you don’t want the robot to go into the bedroom. Just draw the rectangle on your phone, and the S6 will not cross the zone. You can change the size and shape of the figure making it bigger or smaller as per your requirement.
  • Specify-This feature allows customizing a specific area where you want the 360 S6 to clean. This is achieved by drawing a rectangle on your phone screen. You can change the size of the rectangle, add as many zones as you want and choose how many times you’d want the robot to clean the selected area. 
  • IR detection- slows down the robot automatically on identifying the obstacle
  • Intelligent cliff identification- to avoid a fall from a stairwell or a steep drop
  • Super obstacle climbing- to climb an obstruction to not miss out on cleaning ahead of the obstacle
  • Intelligent recognition of carpets- automatically increasing the suction when it climbs upon a carpet
  • Robot positioning- to find the robot’s position in the house with a voice prompt using the 360 Smart app.
  • HEPA filter for efficiently taking care of animal hair, rusty carpets. A must have feature for Asthma patients and for the ones with a breathing issue
  • For mopping, a good quality microfibre is provided which is washable and reusable
  • The Smart app has a e-remote feature which lets you manually navigate the robot, in case you or little ones wish to have fun while cleaning the premise

Specifications:

  • 1800Pa suction power
  • Power source: Battery powered. 1 Lithium ion battery is needed
  • Wattage: 30 watts
  • Dimension:35 x 35 x 35 cm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 5.93 kgs
  • Tank Capacity: 0.4 L
  • Noise Level: 65 Decibels
  • In the box: Vacuum with a dustbin and filter, Charging-dock, power adaptor, mopping attachment, Cleaning tool, User guide

Warranty: 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects

What’s Missing?

  • Self-emptying bin would have worked as a boon, but at the price point it comes, you are already getting ample features to relax your life

3. ILIFE V5s Pro

ILIfe V5s Pro is from the ‘Beetles’ series of ILife. The two blue lights of the sides of the Clean button give us the impression of a round bug running around and cleaning up the house. 

Designed perfectly to deal with hard floors and with the pet situation. Side brushes are unusually long ensuring deep cleaning. Unlike 360 S6 and Deebot 500, it has a suction only port without a spinning brush role, preventing the entangling of hair while cleaning. 

It is a random navigation robot doing pretty well covering the entire space by purely utilising its sensor capabilities. Works with relatively less noise. 

Mopping:

The microfibre provided for mopping has to be manually tucked in the attachment provided. The dustbin has to be replaced by the provided water tank and vice versa every time you want to switch between cleaning and mopping operations

Features:

  • Can last up to 110 to 120 minutes on a single charge
  • Suction power of 23 CFM at high power setting and 16 CFM at low power setting, which is quite higher than rest of the competitors out there
  • Multiple modes:
  • Auto mode
  • Edge mode
  • Spot/spiral cleaning mode
  • Scheduled cleaning mode: schedules cleaning at your desired time even if you aren’t around
  • Sensors:
  1. Anti-collision
  2. Anti-drop
  • I-dropping technology to utilise water smartly from the water tank
  • Max Mode: for deep cleaning of debris and stubborn dirt
  • Anti-drop to avoid a fall off a stairwell and steep drops
  • HEPA Filter
  • Quiet operation at less than 50dB

Specifications:

  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion battery required
  • Dimensions: 29.97 x 29.97 x 7.62 cm
  • Weight: 2.22 kgs
  • Product Dimension: 30 x 30 x 7.6 cm (L x W x H)
  • Water tank capacity: 0.3 L
  • Dustbin capacity: 0.3 L
  • In the box: Vacuum, Dustbin, Water tank, 2 side brushes, HEPA Filter, Remote control, mopping attachment, 1+1 Mopping pad, Power Adapter, Charging dock, 2 Batteries

What’s Missing?

  • The missing brush role at the vacuum will impact the cleaning of carpets 
  • Cleaning and mopping operations cannot be done simultaneously as the water tank and dustbin needs to be switched every time
  • Mapping and Smart controls 

4. Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 30

The RoboVac 30 is popular, affordable, vacuum only vacuum. It is super slim, offering smart features, powerful suction and up to 100 minutes of cleaning on the standard mode. It has a simple design, with clean lines and a high glass top. It is easy to locate, clean and replace any of its cleaning components. 

It does come with a remote control and also with a Eufy Smart app. The robot has 3 power options for easy and deep cleaning. If you’ve got a pet, hard floor and medium pile carpet in your house, Eufy can simply do the job for you.

Features:

  • Eufy Home App for smart connect
  • Maximum suction power is 1500Pa
  • Voice assist- simply talking to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa sets the robot into operation
  • Boundary Strips: If the robot has an issue maneuvering across a specific area or you want the robot to stay away from pet food or kid’s toys, simple mark the area with the provided 13 ft boundary strips. These strips will mark a no-go zone for the robot
  • 2.85” tall to reach underneath the furniture with low clearance heights for effective cleaning
  • Power modes:
  • Standard: for regular cleaning at default suction power
  • BoostIQ: On detecting a carpet, the robot automatically increases the vacuuming power in 1.5 seconds
  • Maximum power: To ensure deep cleaning of stained carpet rugs and pet hair
  • Easy Scheduling
  • Quiet cleaning, spot cleaning, edge cleaning can be controlled using the remote control as well as with the smart app
  • Equipped with anti-drop, anti-collision sensors to ensure hassle free cleaning throughout the room
  • Anti-scratch tempered glass-top cover for protection

Specifications:

  • Dustbin Capacity: 0.6 L
  • Batteries: 1 AAA battery required
  • Dimensions: 32.5 x 7.25 x 32.5 cm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 2.64 kgs
  • Inside the box: RoboVac 30, 13 ft Boundary Strips, remote control (2 AAA batteries included), charging base, AC power adapter, cleaning tool, extra set of high-performance filters, 4 side brushes, 5 cable ties, welcome guide
  • Warranty: 12 months manufacturing warranty

What’s Missing?

  • Mapping technology
  • Dustbin full indicator or notification

5. iRobot Roomba i7 (i7156)

The Roomba i7 is equipped with Imprint Smart Mapping. It allows the robot to learn, map and adapt to your home using this mapping technology. You can initiate the cleaning operations using Voice Commands via Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The top of the body has a few buttons to start/stop cleaning, home button, Spot clean indicator, LED indicator. 

It is a vacuum only cleaner. First 2 or 3 runs will successfully map your floor layout on the smart app. It can store multiple maps for multiple rooms. So, it is convenient to be used in a multi-storey house. iRobot i7 is designed to easily manoeuvre from one floor type to another. This robot vacuum cleaner is priced at the top of the mid-range but, it is worth every penny that you’ll be spending to get iRobot Roomba i7.

Features:

  • Wi-fi enabled
  • Imprint smart mapping: This smart vacuum cleaner just knows from your living room to your bedroom. Allowing you to control which room you need to clean first and in which order
  • VSLAM technology to map your house accurately and with precision by gathering over 230,400 data points every second utilized by a 1.3Ghz quad core processor
  • 3-stage cleaning system: It uses the specially designed Edge-sweeping brush, Dual-multi surface rubber brushes and power lifting suction attack with 10x suction for efficiently taking care of all the dirt and dust
  • Dirt detection: to automatically detect and clean the dirt using sensors 
  • Keep out zones: The floor layout needs to be created/mapped on the app to select the ‘keep out zones’, by simply selecting a zone on the map using the smart app.
  • Virtual wall barriers: If the mapping isn’t created on the app, you can place the virtual wall barrier to mark virtual boundaries and create no-go zones for the robot
  • Sensors: Comes equipped with anti-drop and anti-collision sensors based on IR
  • HEPA filter to filter out 99% of dirt, allergens
  • Voice Assist
  • Decent dustbin size
  • Can clean for around 100 minutes on a single charge which is a decent battery life

Specifications:

  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion battery required
  • Dimensions: 34.2 x 34 x 9.3 cm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 3.38 kgs
  • In the box: 1 extra side brush, 1 extra filter, 1Dual mode Virtual wall barrier, 2 AA Batteries, Charging Dock, Power Chord, Product manual, Quick setup guide, warranty booklet
  • Warranty: 2-years manufacturing warranty

What’s Missing?

  • Mopping facility
  • Self-emptying bin
  • Quiet mode

6. Milagrow Seagull

Milagrow Seagull is just about 31cms in diameter, weighing only 2 kilograms. It claims to be one of thinnest robot vacuum cleaners by standing tall at just 7.2 centimeters. Dry vacuuming or slight wet mopping, you name it and Milagrow Seagull does it all for you. It uses Gyro-Mapping technology, which uses earth’s gravitational force for determining the orientation.

It comes powered by a 2600mAh battery which makes it last for an approximately 150 minutes on a single charge. It can easily cross door seals of height up to 2cms. It is designed to clean most of the surfaces like concrete, tiles, glass linoleum, wood, marble and many more owing to good quality anti-slip tyres.

Mopping: It comes with a decent quality microfiber. Which needs to be moistened and manually attached on the facility provided 

Warranty is an important aspect you may come across at the end of the review of this product.

Features:

  • Supports smart wireless connectivity 
  • Can be operated by a mobile app- Smart Life through your smart phone from anywhere in the world
  • Self-scheduling takes away the efforts of using the smart app and makes life more easy
  • You can also manually navigate the robot using the same smart app
  • Real type mapping using Gyro-mapping and SLAM for constructing and updating the maps
  • Smart AI and path planning automatically adjusts the suction speed and cleaning modes for efficient and deep cleaning
  • 2 power settings: 800Pa for regular cleaning and 1500Pa for deep cleaning which can be automatically adjusted by detecting the floor type using the 6th sense ability of the robot
  • Equipped with a NIDEC brushless motor which offers a strong suction power of up to 1500Pa
  • Spot cleaning, edge detection, stair detection, wall detection is available for efficient cleaning
  • Self-diagnosis is an interesting ability of this robot as it troubleshoots itself with disentanglement of hair or wires into its rotor
  • 7.2 centimeters of height allows it to clean under the low hanging furniture with ease
  • HEPA-6 filter with a cleaning efficiency of 99.97% up to 0.3-micron particulate matter
  • Alexa and Google voice enabled
  • Cleans at lower decibel levels without disturbing the surroundings

Specifications:

  • Dustbin size: 650ml large dustbin
  • 1 Lithium ion battery required to power the robot
  • In the box: Micro fiber mop, Side brushes 2+2, HEPA filter 1+1, dustbin, Charging Dock, Rechargeable battery pack, charging cord, Instruction manual, Milagrow Seagull 
  • Warranty: 5 years warranty on suction motor, 2 years on robot and 6 months on battery

What’s Missing? 

  • Self-emptying bin would have made it fully automated, almost without human intervention
  • Mopping function could have be automated

7. Trifo Ironpie m6+ Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Water Tank

This 3 in 1 robot vacuum cleaner will intrigue you to understand how can such a small robot serve so purposes in 1 unit. The answer lies ahead.

A nice black vacuum with a matt finish on top, looks stunning and appealing to the eye. It performs sweeping, vacuuming and mopping leaving you nothing to worry about. Programmed for smart navigation and intelligent mapping, it is powered with 2 cleaning modes and 3 different suction levels to efficiently take care of all kinds of dust, stubborn dirt, pet hair and stains. It can operate for around 100 minutes on a single charge and comes equipped with an app control. The Home monitoring feature is something new to look forward into.

This robot vacuum cleaner comes equipped with Bionic Mopping System for efficient mopping operations. Sweeping and mopping operations are carried out simultaneously. The water tank needs to be switched with the dustbin manually while opting to use the mopping function and vice versa.

Features:

  • Wi-fi enabled
  • Low profile design of 2.9 inches ensures easy access under the low hanging furniture where cleaning is a bit of task otherwise
  • Can easily climb/cross doorsills and carpets up to 20 mm which makes it an easy maneuvering robot
  • With the camera installed in the robot, you can monitor activities inside your house from any part of the world using the smart app, Trifo Home App
  • Trifo Home App allows you to schedule, initiate cleaning, manually control the robot’s navigation, change modes and suction power as required and allows you to monitor your home 24/7.
  • Smart navigation and intelligent mapping ensure accurate laying out of a 3D map of your home or any space you intend to clean using the robot
  • The maximum suction power is 1800Pa for clearing stubborn dirt, heavy debris and pet hair 
  • Smart Navigation mode and Spiral cleaning mode for deep and efficient cleaning operations
  • Anti-drop sensor saves it from any kind of a fall 
  • Rubber finished bumpers are provided for soft impacts while navigating
  • You can command your robot to perform operations using Alexa and Google Assistant
  • The camera on the robot can serve as a security camera as well
  • The cleaning tool is provided with a cutter to cut off entangled hair
  • Suitable to clean both hard flooring and carpets

Specifications:

  • Dustbin capacity: 600 ml
  • Water tank capacity: 350 ml
  • In the box: vacuum, cleaning tool, 2+2 brushes, 1 extra filter, 1 extra mopping pad, charging dock, power adapter, mopping attachment

What’s Missing?

  • LiDAR, as camera-based mapping requires good lighting condition to map accurately

8. Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO 950

This model from Ecovacs is a hybrid robot vacuum cleaner, powered with a 5200mAh battery under the hood to last long for around 3 hours and plus. The factor of energy saving is been taken into consideration by using a brushless fan ensuring higher speeds, longer life and lower noise while in operation. This robot is powered by a SMART NAVI 3.0 for intelligent navigation and mapping.

OZMO Mopping technology is the standout feature on this model. The vacuuming and mopping are carried out simultaneously, removing 99.26% of bacteria on floors.

Features:

  • ECOVACS Home app for smart controls
  • The water level for mopping can be adjusted using the ECOVACS Home app 
  • The SMART NAVI 3.0 ensures accurate navigation and mapping of the floor plans using laser technology
  • Multi-floor mapping, proves very effective for multi-story homes
  • You can set unlimited virtual boundaries and set no-go zones for the robot
  • Custom mode- allows you to select specific cleaning areas or no-cleaning areas by simply selecting the areas on the smart app
  • Power mode- 3 levels of suction, Normal, Max and Max plus to ensure deep and efficient cleaning. The Max Plus mode runs the vacuum at 1500Pa ensuring no stubborn dirt, pet hair is missed out while cleaning
  • Carpet Detection- While the robot is set to mop, it intelligently detects carpet and avoids climbing onto it
  • Quiet operation with 66dB at max plus mode
  • Suitable for both Hard flooring and Carpets
  • Mopping pads provided are of high quality. They are washable and reusable
  • Decent bin size and water tank size
  • Voice assist

Specifications:

  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required
  • Weight: 4.75 kgs
  • In the box: Vacuum, Charging Dock, Power adapter, 1+1 filter, 2+2 side brushes, 2 mopping pads, mopping pad attachment, water tank, dustbin, Instruction manual
  • Warranty: 1 year

What’s Missing?

  • Just nothing

9. iRobot Roomba i7+ (7556)

iRobot ROOMBA i7+ is exactly the same vacuum as iRobot ROOMBA i7. The only and major difference is, the plus in this model stands for the extra attractive feature that adds up to this model. It comes equipped with self-emptying bin for disposal of collected waste in the small dustbin fitted to the robot. 

After completing the cleaning operation, the robot docks itself at the charging station to which a 30 times larger dustbin is provided. The Roomba i7+ vacuum automatically empties into a disposable Allergen Lock bag. Which makes this robot vacuum cleaner a fully automated with just no human intervention. Unlike other models, where the dustbins on the robot are required to be emptied at regular intervals, here, you just are averted from doing that. While the remaining operations can be taken care using a smart app and scheduled cleaning, thus justifying the point for it being a fully automated robot.

Features:

  • Wi-fi enabled
  • Imprint smart mapping: This smart vacuum cleaner just knows from your living room to your bedroom. Allowing you to control which room you need to clean first and in which order
  • VSLAM technology to map your house accurately and with precision by gathering over 230,400 data points every second utilized by a 1.3Ghz quad core processor
  • 3-stage cleaning system: It uses the specially designed Edge-sweeping brush, Dual-multi surface rubber brushes and power lifting suction attack with 10x suction for efficiently taking care of all the dirt and dust
  • Dirt detection: to automatically detect and clean the dirt using sensors 
  • Keep out zones: The floor layout needs to be created/mapped on the app to select the ‘keep out zones’, by simply selecting a zone on the map using the smart app.
  • Virtual wall barriers: If the mapping isn’t created on the app, you can place the virtual wall barrier to mark virtual boundaries and create no-go zones for the robot
  • Sensors: Comes equipped with anti-drop and anti-collision sensors based on IR
  • HEPA filter to filter out 99% of dirt, allergens
  • Voice Assist
  • Decent dustbin size
  • Can clean for around 100 minutes on a single charge which is a decent battery life

Specifications:

  • Batteries: 1 Lithium ion battery required
  • Dimensions: 34.2 x 34 x 9.3 cm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 3.38 kgs
  • In the box: 1 extra side brush, 1 extra filter, 1Dual mode Virtual wall barrier, 2 AA Batteries, Charging Dock, Power Chord, Product manual, Quick setup guide, warranty booklet
  • Warranty: 2-years manufacturing warranty

What’s Missing?

  • Mopping facility

These are a few best models of robot vacuum cleaners equipped with distinguished features yet serving the purpose to the user’s satisfaction. You must know a few things once you grab the robot vacuum cleaners of your choice and start using it.

How to Buy a Robot Vacuum Cleaner in India – Buyer’s Guide

Important things to check before buying a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner:

Before you consider various factors, you must first narrow down your thoughts on which type of robot vacuum cleaner you are actually looking to buy. 

  1. Floor cleaning robot 
  2. Window/glass cleaning robot
  3. Lawn cleaning robot/grass cutting
  4. Pool cleaning robot

If you are looking forward to buying a floor cleaning robot, then you are in the right space reading this and you are about to have an in-dept understanding of the factors you may look forward to have in your robot vacuum cleaner. 

Types of robot vacuum cleaners

Vacuum only:  

Vacuum only robots can be with brush models or without brush models.

The with brush models are equipped with front main brush or with a combination of main brush and side brush. 

If maximum area is covered with a carpet, you may prefer the models having dual main brush as dual brushes are known to deal better when it comes to carpets. A single main brush cleaner will work well if the maximum area in your house is a hard floor and less covered with carpet.

If you only have a hard floor to deal with, a without brush model with a good suction power is good to go with. It will more efficiently take care of the pet hair, hair or dry dust.

But always remember, the robots with a front main brush are always capable of cleaning the floor much better as compared to the bots without a brush.

If going for a vacuum only robot, make sure the suction power is > 15 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), which is available in the mid-range robots. If you are planning to spend a tad more, make sure you can choose the models with a suction power of > 20 CFM.

Mopping only: 

A mopping only robot carries out mopping operations more efficiently than a hybrid robot. 

There are 3 different kinds of mopping robots available..

  • First in which you have to manually tuck a wet microfibre cloth to the bottom of the robot
  • A water tank is fitted to the bottom which moistens the microfibre cloth at regular intervals 
  • In the third type, the robot sprays the water of the floor prior to mopping

 You may choose one based on your requirements while keeping the cost in check. Before taking the final call, do check the size of the water tank and whether the microfibre is provided or not.

Hybrid robot: 

Hybrid robot is the one which serves both purposes, that of a vacuum robot and of a mopping robot. It is likely to cost more than a vacuum only and a mopping only robot.

Other factors to consider are based on the surface area of the house/floor/premise you are planning to clean using the robot. For a larger surface area, you would require a cleaner that will clean the entire surface in one go and without facing difficulties while carrying out the cleaning operations, which leads us to our next factors,

Height: You won’t be changing your existing furniture to allow access to the cleaner under it for cleaning! Hence it is important to take the clearance height of your furniture into consideration. A robot vacuum cleaner can be as tall as 4.75 inches or more, or could be 3 inches or shorter. Consider this aspect thoroughly before shortlisting one to get for you.

Battery Life: The average battery life of a robot vacuum cleaner is around 60 minutes on a single charge. The battery usage is based on the operations that the robot is made to carryout.. For instance, the robot tends to consume more battery while working at maximum suction speed as compared to working at low suction speed.

Budget: There are many brands offering their versions of robot vacuum cleaners. The pricing is based on numerous factors, viz, brand value, features provided, motor capacity, battery capacity etc. The budget may vary considerably depending on what features you would want in your robot vacuum cleaner. Cooler the features, more the money you’ll be shedding from your wallet. But make sure you don’t miss out on the cool, convenient & necessary features while trying to save a few bucks.

Aesthetics: If you are someone who takes pride in how your gadgets’ look & feel, then colour and appearance is something you need to be carefully choosing before placing the order. What you choose also reflects your style statement and hints at what kind of a person you are. Choosing a darker shade for your robot’s colour is recommended so that your robot doesn’t appear dusty and unpleasant after cleaning operations.

Shape: The majority of the robot vacuum cleaners you’ll find would be round in shape. But not necessarily you’ll be buying one just for the sake of it. If your house or work premise has 90-degree corners, then a D-shaped, square shaped or rectangle shaped vacuum cleaners would prove to be a boon by cleaning efficiently along the edges. The reason being, their well-designed side brushes are designed to work efficiently in the corners and at the edges as the dust is most likely to be deposited there.

Filter Types: The High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air filter is a type of filter that removes 99.97% dust particles of size 0.3-micron particle from the air passing through it. For people with Asthma or any other breathing problems, you must look for the models which have a HEPA filter in its vacuum cleaner.

Bin Capacity: When you plan on getting a robot vacuum cleaner, you surely expect a fully automated experience with no or minimal human help. The bin capacity plays a part in deciding this experience for you. Higher the bin capacity, less frequently you are required to empty the bin. Lesser the capacity, the cleaning capacity of the room decreases automatically. Also, the bin capacity will have an impact on the size of the cleaner and also on the budget to some extent. The bin capacity is measured in ‘litre’. The capacity ranges from approximately 0.3 litres to 1 litre.

Noise: This factor is very subjective to the owner choice and preference. The robot vacuum cleaner equipped to carry out noiseless operations is likely to cost more. If you plan to schedule the cleaning when the house is idle or you plan to step out, the noisy operations should not be a major concern. Also, it will go easy on your pocket.

Brand: As the ever-growing competition that persists in every sector of every industry in every single field out there across the globe, you may come across plethora of brands manufacturing a robot vacuum cleaner. As wise as a lay man once said, ‘Spend wisely, because it’s your bl@#*y hard earned money’, you really should be cautious on the subject of choosing a brand. You may find many new entrants in the market offering the robot vacuum cleaners at cheaper rates. When we purchase from such brands, what’s the guarantee of receiving replacement parts & technical assistance if and when required! Before you make a purchase from a lesser known brand, make sure you check for the availability of replacement parts and all the essential services you might need in the future. On the contrary, big brands/known brands are known for providing their prompt services and also you can be rest assured with the availability of replacement parts and a customer support facility.

Warranty: Warranty becomes one of the most crucial points in choosing a known brand. A trusted and a known brand offers you a good warranty and post sales service. Most of the robot vacuum cleaners usually come with a 1-year warranty. You can always check with the seller for an extended warranty option. Higher the warranty period, more is the device secured.

Having considered all the factors mentioned above, one thing that remains is the choice of the sneaky features you are look forward to have in your robot vacuum cleaner. ‘Features’ is the most intriguing factor to be considered; which might lure you into grabbing one of those robot vacuum cleaners from the e-commerce platforms.

Features of a Robot Vacuum Cleaner:

  1. Charging Dock: A robot vacuum cleaner is useless without its charging dock. A charging dock comes packed with a power adaptor. Whenever the robot runs low on battery, it automatically parks itself on the dock to get recharged. You can manually command the robot to retreat to the dock for charging. The robot is programmed to retreat to its charging dock when the minimum battery limit is reached on a robot. The inbuilt sensors on the robot are responsible for reading the very low radio frequency emitted by the charging dock to help the robot find its way back. Even during an ongoing cleaning operation, if the robot runs low on battery, it is programmed to retreat to the charging dock, recharge and resume the cleaning from where it has left. The human intervention is absolutely kept away in these regards.
  2. Remote control: The traditional remote control still finds a part to play when it seems likely to be losing its existence to the smart controls made possible via a smart phone or a smart device. Some models are provided with a remote control. You may control the operations like start or stop the cleaning, change the suction power, navigate the robot manually using the navigation keys, access the cleaning modes which the cleaner comes equipped with. It also allows you to send to cleaner to the charging dock if battery gets low or simply because the cleaning operation has been successfully executed.
  3. Cleaning & operating modes: 
  1. Spot cleaning Mode: Cleans a specifically selected area where the dirt is maximum or concentrated in a single spot
  2. Turbo cleaning mode: Carries out the cleaning operations at a higher suction power.
  3. Carpet cleaning mode: Selecting this mode optimizes the robot to clean a carpet efficiently by increasing the suction power and activating the required set of brushes for deep clean
  4. Double cleaning mode: The robot cleans the desired/selected area twice
  5. Spiral mode: Best for cleaning in a concentrated area
  6. Wall mode: The robot will detect the walls and start cleaning along the wall
  7. Touch up mode: The robot will clean the desired area for 15 minutes time and return to the charging station
  8. Quick clean mode: The robot will clean the desired area for 30 minutes time and return to the charging station
  9. Robot mode: The robot will clean the desired area until the battery hits the set low battery percentage (15% to 20%). The robot will return to the charging station
  10. Single room mode: Best for cleaning one particular room. It’s best if you keep the door to that particular room shut to avoid the robot from entering another room
  11. Quiet mode: The robot performs the cleaning operations at considerable low decibel levels.
  12. Brush: As discussed earlier, a robot with a brush will only add up to the cleaning effectiveness. The brushes to have on your robot vacuum cleaner is to be decided considering the type of flooring in your house.
    1. Multi-floor brush for hard floor and carpet
    2. Dual spinning brush for deep cleaning of carpets
    3. Auto-adjusting brush to adjust the suction power and brush setting according to the floor to suit both, the hard floor and the carpet

The brush could be either a bristle brush or a rubber brush. Disadvantage of a bristle brush is that, the hair is likely to get entangled impacting the cleaning efficiency. In comparison, a rubber brush is better equipped to handle the hair and dust on the floor due to its interlocking design, which allows it to deal more efficiently with hair.

  1.  Self-emptying bin: This feature is available with a very few models. But it makes the robot vacuum cleaner almost a human intervention free device. The self-emptying is approximately 30 times larger than the bin on the robot and is located on the charging dock. Whenever the cleaning is complete, the robot can empty all the dust/waste collected into this bin. The user will now have to empty the dustbin attached to the charging dock once a month rather than emptying the limited capacity bin on the robot more frequently.
  2. App Control: You can access the map of your house to check which area has the robot cleaned by far. It allows you to schedule which room needs to cleaned and in which sequence. Also, you can pre-set the mode to clean a particular room based on the type of flooring in that particular room. Interestingly, you can also choose the area you don’t want to be cleaned in a particular room. You can pre-set all of these using the app control feature, provided your vacuum cleaner robot comes equipped with an App Control feature.
  3. Navigation: Robot vacuum cleaners make use of various sensors which make the navigation easy and hassle free while carrying out the cleaning operations. Whenever the robot comes across any obstacle or some hazard while navigating, the sensors trigger programmed behaviours that determines the response of the robot. More the sensors equipped by the robot, more advanced and efficient it is. But more the merrier comes with a cost. Carefully decide which sensors you would want your robot to be equipped with considering working surroundings it will be put in to use. Remember, models with cheap rates will mean you’ll be missing out on the sensors. Sensors come equipped with mid-range or expensive robot vacuum cleaners. Let’s check some of these sensors and what purpose do they serve.
  4. Cliff sensor: Cliff sensors measure the distance between the robot base and the floor. This is achieved by bouncing infra-red light off the floor. If you own a multi-storey house or your house has a stairwell or steep drops from which a robot is prone to fall off, make sure to have this feature on your robot. It is also termed as anti-drop sensor.
  5.  Bump sensor: As the name suggests, whenever the robot bumps into some obstacle on its way, the sensors trigger the robot to change its direction and find a clear path and continue to navigate. Usually, the change in direction is determined by where the bumper makes contact. For instance, if a contact is made on the left side of the robot, it will generally turn right as it has detected an obstacle on its left. It can also be termed as anti-collision system.
  6. Wall sensor: Unlike bump sensor, the wall sensor is triggered when the robot detects a wall using an infrared light. And instead of changing its course, it moves along the walls to clean the edges where the wall meets the floor without bumping into it or scuffing the wall. In models equipped with mapping feature, the wall sensors also help the robot to find an open doorway and discover new areas to clean. This sensor is also known by edge sensor.
  7. Mapping: Mapping is basically storage of floor plan into the robot’s database. The robots with an app control feature are most likely to have a mapping capability. There are multiple ways to create the map of the space(s), where the robot is supposed to perform its cleaning operations. You need to be sure if a single map or multiple maps can be stored in the database, if in case you have a multi-storey property.

When the robot moves around the property for the first time, it tends to start storing the map based on the navigation and the sensors’ responses.

The main technologies used for improved mapping are LiDAR (Light Detection and Rangingand VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Location and Mapping) Algorithms.

LiDAR is a laser-based navigation technique which is used for very congested households with lot of furniture. It is responsible for very fast and accurate mapping of the spaces.

VSLAM is a camera-based technology. If you have good lighting condition in the spaces you want to put the robot in use, only then the VSLAM based robot is recommended.

Once the mapping is successful, you can simply set to robot into action by selecting the room to be cleaned. 

  1. Dirt detection & Auto-suction: The robot detects the dirt using its sensors and automatically adjusts the suction power depending on the dust it is cleaning and the type of floor it is cleaning upon. 
  2.  Scheduled cleaning/activation: You can schedule the start time, stop time, room to be cleaned, mode to be used for cleaning on a daily, weekly, monthly basis at any desired time. As the scheduled timeline approaches, the robot is self-activated and is set into action. In the latest models which are wi-fi compatible, you can schedule the cleaning using your smart phone. You’ll be notified on your smart phone when the robot starts cleaning, when it is done with cleaning and also if it encounters any issues while cleaning.
  3. Wi-Fi & Smart tech: As discussed above, the robot can be connected to the same wi-fi connection as of your smart phone so as to control the robot directly using your smart phone rather than using the traditional remote control. If you are using smart devices like Google Assistant or Amazon Echo, and if your robot supports voice commands, why even bother to use a smart phone to control the robot when you can do that by simply talking. But again, these features are subject to availability in the models you choose. If you are a tech-savvy individual. you must definitely go ahead with the wi-fi supported model.
  4. Voice Assist: A few models come equipped with voice assist feature. A third-party service like Google Assistant or Alexa can make your robot do the necessary tasks like start or stop charging, clean any particular room or use any specific mode for the cleaning operation.
  5.  Boundary makers: 

Hardware based: Navigation cube, a device to mark virtual boundary, is placed where you want to mark virtual boundaries. If you have an expensive antique or you want your robot to stay away from your pet’s food, you can place the cube near the antique or the pet food and the robot won’t enter that territory.

            Software based: Virtual no-go lines can be marked via the app where you don’t want your   

            robot to hinder. 

  1. UV light Disinfection: In the times of Pandemic, this feature tends to be a must have onboard feature. The robot emits UV light disinfectant while cleaning, killing the germs and viruses.
  2. Home Surveillance: Safeguarding your property by having a robot vacuum cleaner at home? If I was asked this question 5 of years ago, I would have rooted for a straight NO. But here it is, using the camera on the robot, which can be accessed on your smart device when away from home. This allows you to keep a tab on the activities at home. A motion sensor will send you an alarming signal on detecting motion.

Now that we’ve introduced ourselves to almost everything that a robot vacuum cleaner might come equipped with, you must have an opinion about the features you might want your robot vacuum cleaner to have. Keeping that in mind, now you may choose from various brands offering numerous models that are available on the e-commerce platform.

How does a Robot Vacuum Cleaner Work

Watch the video below to find how how robot vacuum cleaners work and if they are worth it.

Things to remember while using a Robot Vacuum Cleaner:

  • If you are on a cleaning spree and you know the battery might die out during clean, make sure the power adapter of the charging dock is always plugged into the switch and the switch is kept on. This will ensure the self-charging is not affected
  • If you plan on cleaning for limited time or won’t be around while cleaning, you can charge the robot overnight. This will allow you to set your robot into action anytime and you can control it from anywhere using the smart app (if a smart app feature is supported by your model).
  • Always place the charging station in an open space. 0.5metres on its right and left respectively and 1.5metres on its front needs to be kept vacant. This will allow the robot to retreat conveniently to the docking station by reading the IR signals emitted by the docking station
  • Do not let the robot operate on wet floors if your robot is a vacuum only robot as it is equipped with electronic parts
  • Before setting the robot into action, ensure the area to be cleaned is not cluttered with things like toys, keys, wires, which can create a hassle for the robot during cleaning and maneuvering 
  • If you are manually selecting the cleaning modes, make sure you select the most appropriate mode and suction power to ensure quick cleaning leading to saving battery by cutting short on working times
  • If your house has a steep drop or a stairwell, ensure the robot’s cliff-detection sensors are working perfectly to avoid a fall and damage to the robot
  • If you need your robot to stay away from any specific area like an expensive antique or something fragile, make sure to set virtual boundaries to prevent any kind of damage by accidental bumping 

How to Maintain a Robot Vacuum Cleaner:

  • Empty the dustbin on the robot vacuum cleaner frequently, usually after 1 or 2 cleaning operations
  • Clean the filter after every 2 to 4 cleaning operations. Do not use fingernails to scrub off the dust on the filter. Adhere to instructions given by the seller
  • Replace the filter pad every 8 to 10 months depending on the usage of the cleaner. You may check for seller’s advice in the same regards
  • The brushes, rollers and wheels should be regularly checked for dust and dirt accumulation. Keep it clean using a cleaning brush provided by the seller or any brush with you to get the job done
  • The rollers, wheels and brushes will face entangling of hair and pet hair. Make sure to use a cutter to get rid of it after a couple of cleaning operations. As entangling of hair tends to affect the suction power and rotation of the vacuum
  • While using a water tank, check for any leakage before placing in on the vacuum. Spillage of water into any part of the vacuum will damage the parts. And spills on the floor will only add more to the cleaning
  • The microfiber used as a mopping pad should be cleaned regularly as it will keep getting dirty and stained after every mopping operations

The Robot Vacuum Cleaners are a hint to what is coming ahead given the rapid technological advancements happening in the field of science and technology. With we giving them the control over little things which might save us some time and also look cool at the same time, these robots are surely making our lives easier. The future of hygiene and cleanliness is here to stay. It will be interesting to see, how many will embrace the technology and start accepting the fact that it’s safe if someone else does the job for us, and that someone is a robot!

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