Robot Vacuum Cleaners
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FAQ
When you buy a robot vacuum, it’s important to consider which functions you need in your vacuum, how large the area of your home is and how easy the surfaces are to clean. If you have pets and thick rugs, you should prioritise good suction, while a model with a mop function can be a good priority if you don’t have rugs in your home.
The robot vacuum is powered by a smart navigation system that assists the vacuum in sensing obstacles in your home, such as furniture and walls. To make this possible, all you need to do is programme your robot vacuum to learn the layout of your home, and when you boot it up for the first time, it’s saved in the memory of the machine. Some models have a built-in camera to differentiate the obstacles in your home, but the most common way for the machine to navigate through the rooms is with a laser.
Robot vacuums can often cross thresholds, but it depends on how high they are. Today, most models can cross thresholds up to one centimetre in height. For some models, even two centimetres are okay to cross. If you have a threshold higher than this, however, it can prove more difficult. The robot vacuum might need several attempts to cross, which can lead to the machine getting stuck or not crossing at all.
If you don’t like vacuuming often, a robot vacuum is a good choice. Compared to a regular vacuum, it’s not as powerful, but it’s a good addition to a regular vacuum and reduces how often you need to do a bigger clean. Vacuuming crumbs and other dirt is easily done by most models, but the robot vacuum is generally not as good at vacuuming micro dust and smaller particles. Some models are fitted with a mop function, and this often helps with the cleaning of the micro dust.
If you have a pet in your home, some models of robot vacuums are better suited to clean up fur. These models usually don’t have the classic brushes but are instead fitted with rubber wheels. This stops the fur from getting stuck in the brushes. There are also models fitted with allergy-friendly filters, for example HEPA-filters. These filters are also especially good at capturing micro-particles in the air.
The price of a robot vacuum varies a lot and can cost anything from £20 to £1500. How much you wish to spend depends on your needs and what you expect from your vacuum. The average price for a robot vacuum is somewhere in the region of £300 to £500.
If you want to know which robot vacuum currently has the highest rating, you can read our big test of robot vacuums. The test was conducted by PriceRunners product experts with the aim to help you in your search for a new robot vacuum.
Three tips when buying a robot vacuum cleaner
Much of the joy and serenity that comes from no longer needing to vacuum will be ruined if you inadvertently buy a noisy robot vacuum cleaner. You may get some idea if you have the opportunity to try out the cleaner in store – otherwise look for comments about the noise level in product reviews and search for video reviews.
The size of your home affects what you should look for in a robot vacuum cleaner.
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Small homes If you live in a small flat or house, you can save money by choosing a vacuum cleaner with a shorter battery life and manual emptying. If your small home is very cluttered, it may be worth investing in a vacuum cleaner that’s good at navigating, so it can access all areas of your home.
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Large homes. If you live in a large home with a lot of open spaces, you’ll want a vacuum cleaner capable of cleaning for longer and which can hold more dirt or even empty the dirt automatically. Otherwise hunting down your robot vacuum cleaner and emptying it could very well turn into a new chore for you.
Robot vacuum cleaners are hugely popular with dog and cat owners. If you happen to be one of them, look for models that are good at the notoriously difficult task of vacuuming up pet hairs.
Vacuuming is just one part of keeping your home sanitary. Here you can find some tips for how to improve the air quality in your house.