Why picking up a robot vacuum cleaner should be a top priority

Robot vacuum cleaners and robot floor mops have been on the market for quite a few years, but it took me until earlier this year to really get on the robot train and start using one every day.

Before I picked one up, I had the same worry everyone else might have. Will it really clean my floors as well as a hand held vacuum cleaner, and won’t I have to pick up everything on the floor before I let it clean?

Thankfully, as robot vacuum technology has evolved, any concerns I had have gone by the wayside because the latest robot vacuums are high suction, smart vacuums that basically take the entire job of keeping your floors clean and do it for you. And they do their job at the same level, every single day.

If you’re thinking of upgrading your vacuum or you’d like to add a robot vacuum to your wish list, here’s a few reasons why you’ll love having one.

Robot vacuums make cleaning convenient

In my house I could vacuum three or four times a day. I’ve got kids, cats, and dogs that roam the house, not to mention the dirt that comes in from outside. If I couldn’t vacuum as often as I’d like, my house would be a disaster.

That’s why robot vacuums are one the handiest small appliances you can bring home. Even if you don’t have the time to vacuum as often as you’d like, your robot vacuum will take over and clean on a schedule you can set from your smart phone.

They clean quickly, effectively, and they really do pick up a lot of pet hair and dander. Having one in your home is almost like having a back up housekeeper, because you’ll be able to walk into clean floors every day.

Robot vacuums clean around objects

For a robot vacuum, my floor would be an obstacle course. My children seem to enjoy tossing their socks off the second they get home from school, and I find them everywhere. Same thing goes for toys, and that’s just the kids. The dogs leave bits and pieces everywhere too.

The latest robot vacuums have built-in clean maps or vision systems, and that means they can navigate around everything you forgot or don’t have time to pick up. When it’s done you might still have a sock or two on the floor, but that floor will be clean.

They have great suction

If your vacuum seems to glide over debris but doesn’t pick it all up, it probably has a problem with suction. That can happen if your hose gets plugged or if your vacuum just isn’t powerful enough to do the job.

The latest robot vacuums are designed to have amazing suction. The iRobot Roomba 980 has a 3-stage cleaning system and adjusts to all of your floor surfaces so it can pick up everything, while the Dyson 360 Eye has the same Radical Root technology Dyson uses in their full sized vacuums. No matter which you choose, both robot vacuums will leave no piece of dirt or dust bunny un-turned.

They rid your home of allergens while you’re out

The best part of a robot vacuum is the fact that you don’t have to clean your floors; the robot vacuum will do it for you. Designed to map out your floors and glide over each area, robot vacuums will cover your floor plan and pick up dirt, debris, and even allergens.

If you’re someone who can’t vacuum because it raises the dust level or allergen in your home and you’re allergic to dust, you’ll love being able to let your robot vacuum loose while you’re not even home. iRobot robot vacuums have an AeroForce high-efficiency filter that will capture 99% of allergens and pollen in your air, so when you walk in you’re not hit by a dust cloud stirred up by your vacuum.

Types of robot vacuums you can buy

Robot vacuums have come a long way over the past few years, and there quite a few different types of robot vacuums you can choose.

iRobot Roomba 980

iRobot, the first company to come out with a robot vacuum, has been improved the suction, design, and features on their robot vacuums year after year. The latest iRobot model, the iRobot Roomba 980 Wi-Fi Connected Vacuuming robot, gives you two hours of continuous cleaning per charge, lets you schedule your vacuum to clean 7 times per week so you always come home to clean floors, and works with the iRobot HOME app so you can use your phone to customize your cleaning. It will even show you a cleaning map so you can see exactly where it cleaned during that session.

Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum

Dyson is well known in the vacuum world, and it’s no surprise they’ve hit the market with an amazing robot vacuum. The Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum has a 360-degree vision system built in, and that means it can navigate your carpets and floors with ease.

It moves around any obstacles and has tank tracks that will let it roll over different types of surfaces, and when it needs a recharge, it heads straight for its docking station. It only takes 40 minutes and your Dyson is back on track, heading to the exact spot it left off. The Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum also works with the Dyson app so you can schedule and access your robot vacuum via your smart phone.

Neato Robotics Botvac

Neato robotics has been making robot vacuums almost as long as iRobot, and the Neato Botvac is a favorite among robot vacuum enthusiasts. It has D-shape design so it can fit into your corners, and with LastSmart mapping it can scan the room and figure out the best course.

There’s no bag on this robot vacuum. You just empty the large container when it’s full, and it can capture particles as small as 0.3 microns so dust and dander are no match for this vacuum.

The bottom line on robot vacuums

I’ve had people ask me if a robot vacuum can replace a canister vacuum, and the answer to that is that it depends. I’ve found that if you set a robot vacuum on a schedule and let it clean every day, there’s no reason to haul out your canister vacuum unless you have a huge explosion of dirt or debris in one area on the floor.

Something like a huge amount of pine needles from your Christmas tree or a pile of dirt shaken off of boots at the back door might fill up the dust bin and give your robot vacuum a challenge, so having a back up for situations like may be necessary.

For overall cleaning every day, your robot vacuum will be more than enough vacuum for your home.

You can take a look at all of the robot vacuums available right now on Bestbuy.ca.