Guide to Home Robot Vacuums: Robovac 101

Robot vacuums have transformed the way we approach household cleaning. These compact, autonomous devices navigate your home, sucking up dust, pet hair, and debris while you attend to other tasks or simply relax.

If you’re considering adding one to your cleaning arsenal, here’s what you should know.

Robot vacuums use sensors and programming to navigate your living space, cleaning floors with minimal human intervention, in theory.

Most models return automatically to their charging stations when batteries run low and can be scheduled to clean at specific times.

The technology has evolved significantly since the first Roomba was introduced in 2002, with today’s models offering impressive capabilities at various price points.

The primary appeal of robot vacuums is convenience. They handle routine floor cleaning with little oversight, freeing you from the chore of regular vacuuming.

For busy professionals, parents, elderly individuals, or anyone who values their time, this automation is invaluable.

Many users report that their floors stay consistently cleaner once they adopt a robot vacuum, simply because cleaning happens more frequently than when relying solely on manual methods.

Most robot vacuums work well on hard floors and short-pile carpets, making them suitable for modern homes with varied flooring. Many newer models can detect floor types and adjust suction power accordingly.

They excel at maintenance cleaning picking up everyday dust and debris before it accumulates, though they typically don’t replace deep cleaning that traditional vacuums provide.

Navigation technology has evolved significantly over time. Older robot vacuums relied solely on bump navigation, moving in a straight line until hitting an obstacle, then turning and starting in a new direction.

Newer budget models like the Roomba Combo Essential use bumping and gyro sensors to create a temporary map as they work.

However, without collecting detailed reference points or visual data, these temporary internal maps are easily confused.

The Roomba Combo Essential sometimes gets lost after bumping into furniture and starts cleaning the same area again from a slightly different angle, thinking it’s in a new location.

Higher end more expensive robot vacuum models allowing them to remember a map of where they’ve cleaned in a room before, moving in more systematic rows for more efficient cleaning and avoiding banned areas that the owner has set.

Setting realistic expectations is essential when choosing a robot vacuum.

Entry-level models like the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential require significant manual intervention.

You’ll need to empty the dust bin, refill the mop tank, and regularly attach, detach, and wash the mop pad yourself.

After each combination vacuum-mop run, you’re advised to empty the water tank of any unused water, rinse the mop pad, and leave it to dry.

Spares mop pads are available to purchase from iRobot, alongside other replacement parts like the filter. The microfibre mop pad is machine-washable for occasional deeper cleaning.

The Combo Essential supports three levels of suction via its app, defaulting to medium, but can be set to maximum for better cleaning performance. I was actually surprised at how well it vacuumed up dust etc that wasn’t obvious on the floor to my eyes.

Basic robot vacuums work best on uncluttered floor surfaces. You’ll need to pick up loose objects, especially small ones, before running the vacuum. This pre-cleaning step is essential but reduces the “set it and forget it” convenience many buyers expect.

The iRobot app also offers a “Clean While I’m Away” automation option, where the Combo Essential automatically starts cleaning when you leave the house.

I recommend supervision or pre removing all the clutter and carpet/mats from a room given the navigation limitations of this robovac.

The lack of a “Banned Zones” option in more basic models like the Combo Essential means you’ll also need to manually block off carpet, mat and any other no go areas when running a combination vacuum-mop run, or the robovac will attempt to mop your carpets!

Many more expensive robot vacuums offer auto-empty docks, but this isn’t available with the Combo Essential.

You’ll need to manually empty the dust bin after cleaning sessions. On the positive side, the small charging-only dock takes up a fraction of the space of an auto-empty dock, making it more suitable for homes and small apartments with limited space.

It’s important to understand that no robot vacuum will do as good a job of mopping as a manual mop.

They’re really just for light cleaning between proper cleans, for this purpose the Roomba Combo Essential is more than adequate.

For many households, the ideal approach combines occasional deep cleaning every week or two using traditional manual vacuum and mop methods combined with the regular maintenance auto cleaning that robot vacuums provide.

Cost represents another important consideration.

Entry-level models like the Combo Essential start around $400, while advanced units with mapping capabilities, stronger suction and specialized features can cost up to several $1,000.

When evaluating this investment, consider how much you value the time saved and the benefit of more frequent floor cleaning to home hygiene.

Before purchasing, assess your home’s layout and needs. Consider floor types, furniture arrangement, presence of small children/pets and the amount of clutter typically on your floors. Are you willing to de clutter before each robo vac usage?

These factors will help determine which features matter most for your situation and whether buying a robot vacuum will be a time saver or money waster for your family.

Overall I think that more basic robovacs like Roomba Combo Essential offer good value for money to keep your home cleaner, as long as you understand their limitations and are prepared to do the manual tasks to make sure it works well.