Robotic cleaners have been the dream of science fiction writers since the 50s. Androids with brooms, invented by many authors, seemed like a pipe dream for housewives, and even in incredible stories remained the lot of the highest spheres.
But in the 21st century everything has changed, and today everyone can afford them. Modern robot vacuum cleaners do not look like the humanoid hulks from Star Wars. Compact and nimble, they are gaining more and more fans every day.
What modern robot vacuum cleaners can do
Despite the affordable prices, especially from Chinese brands, many robotic vacuum cleaners have learned to clean rooms so effectively that they are ready to compete with professional cleaning.
All such devices are similar to ordinary vacuum cleaners, to which a control module has been added. The main part consists of a suction motor and a waste container. For more efficient cleaning, the robot vacuum cleaner, like a regular one, is equipped with brushes for sweeping debris into the collecting nozzle.
The simplest and cheapest Chinese robots offer simple fixed brushes that sweep away dust directly in front of them. Brushes, like large vacuum cleaners, can be of different types to collect completely different pollutants. More advanced models are equipped with rotating brushes that deliver debris even from corners that the vacuum cleaner itself cannot reach. They can be supplemented with special turbo brushes for collecting wool.
Thanks to a large selection of brushes, modern vacuum cleaners do an excellent job of removing dirt on any type of floor covering. Some even filter the air using HEPA filters to remove excess dust.
Some robot vacuum cleaners are equipped with a water container and a set of floor cleaning products. Of course, they cannot replace full-fledged wet cleaning in case of severe contamination. But any washing robot vacuum cleaner copes with the daily refreshing collection of dust - and this seriously affects human health. No dust, no viruses - no flu and ARVI.
The control functions for home cleaning robots also offer a fairly wide selection. Some models are controlled using an infrared control panel and a touch display on the body. For others, you can use a smartphone instead of a remote control, as for the Chinese robot vacuum cleaner Alfawise X5. The proprietary application works with both iPhone and Android.
The advanced “brains” of modern robotic vacuum cleaners can not only send the device for cleaning right now, but also set them the time and even the place of cleaning. The latter is relevant for the most modern models of robotic vacuum cleaners from China, such as Xiaomi Robot Vacuum and iRobot Roomba 694 - these create their own layout of the room in which they are cleaning, and actively go around the saved ones obstacles.
Simpler models of robotic vacuum cleaners (especially Chinese ones) avoid obstacles in real time, guided by signals from sensors. Or they just drive along the intended trajectory, waiting to hit an obstacle.
One way or another, all modern robotic cleaners are able to move around any room without any damage to surrounding things. The exception is clothing, toys and various small items - cheap models without a set of sensors love to attack them, trip over them and stop the cleaning process.
What characteristics of a robot vacuum cleaner should you pay attention to?
Choosing a home assistant is not easy. Not only do prices and brand names differ; even a specialist can easily get confused in the huge list of characteristics.
The most important characteristic of any robot vacuum cleaner is its suction power. The higher it is, the more effective the cleaning is. For high-quality robots it exceeds 20 W — it is this threshold that we should focus on.
But power determines the quality of cleaning indirectly, since the design of the dust collector and the type of battery also play a role. Speaking of the latter: there are models on the market with Ni-Cd and Li-Po batteries. All other things being equal, the second is much more preferable, since it lives longer and works more efficiently. Yes, and it charges faster.
In any case, for large rooms its capacity should be no less 1000 mAh and higher. For a private house, apartment with children or animals, it is highly desirable if it turns out to be larger 2000 mAh, like some models of Chinese home electronics brand Alfawise.
The weight and dimensions of the vacuum cleaner do not play any role. However, its height is important - a robot that is too tall will not be able to crawl under a sofa or bed. Therefore, the recommended optimum is from 6 to 12 cm.
Another important characteristic is overcoming obstacles. Even if there are no high thresholds in the house, to ensure high-quality cleaning, the robot must be able to overcome heights of more than 1.5 centimeters, like the most popular Chinese robot vacuum cleaner iLife A6. Otherwise, there is a chance that the device will get stuck in small things that fall on the floor.
The volume of the waste container depends on the area of the room in which the cleaning will be carried out. For a one- or two-room apartment with an area of up to 50 square meters, a container for 0,3 liters If the area is from 50 to 80 square meters - without 0,5A liter container is no longer enough. Unfortunately, the maximum volume of the garbage container does not exceed 1 liter - but such a capacity is enough to clean a huge house for 150 squares. Among the budget models, iLife A6 is designed for such an area, and among the expensive ones, the well-known Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum.
In accordance with the volume of the garbage disposal and the area of the room, you need to choose washing vacuum cleaners. The volume of a liquid container of less than 300 milliliters is only enough for a small, one- or two-room apartment. A 500 ml tank is sufficient for almost any apartment.
What functions are necessary for quality cleaning?
Regardless of the type and purpose of the vacuum cleaner, it needs a delayed start function. Starting it manually every time is inconvenient. The start timer allows you to use the robot vacuum cleaner every day in the absence of the owners. This is how the greatest comfort and cleaning efficiency is achieved - by cleaning a little day after day, even the most low-power vacuum cleaner can cope with average household dirt.
The navigation system plays a small role, although high expectations are placed on it. In fact, when cleaning simple apartments, battery capacity is much more important. But in the case of complex terrain and a large area, it is still worth paying attention to a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a function for building a map of the room, as well as laser sensors or a camera. This will guarantee that the robot will not stop in the middle of the apartment while cleaning.
An important role is played by a set of sensors and methods of moving across the floor. Cheap models, as already mentioned, are equipped with a contact pad that turns the vacuum cleaner when it hits an obstacle. Such mechanical-electrical collision sensors, triggered by impacts against an obstacle, are ineffective. More expensive and efficient ones have a whole set of sensors, among which the minimum required set should include:
- falls,
- collisions,
- touch.
If there is a lot of furniture in the apartment, or small children (toys!), it is better to opt for a vacuum cleaner model equipped with ultrasonic or laser sensors.
The cleaning trajectory also determines its quality, since some types of pollution require a more serious approach. Regular cleaning perimeter or zigzag allows you to collect only basic garbage. Function cleaning corners forces the vacuum cleaner to slowly and efficiently clean baseboards or clean the floor around obstacles. Finally, mode spirals necessary for washing vacuum cleaners and serious dirt (moreover, it is important that the vacuum cleaner can turn it on itself - otherwise the presence of the owner will be required).
For high-quality cleaning, the vacuum cleaner must filter the air passing through it. Conventional filters are gradually giving way to multilayer filters HEPA filters. The presence of this system will ensure that there are no dirty marks behind the device and will allow it to be cleaned in one go. By the way, it is Chinese robotic vacuum cleaners that are famous for the best filters - this is due to the high level of gas pollution in the industrial centers of the Celestial Empire.
In addition, the robot vacuum cleaner can be equipped with a wide variety of features. Most of them do not affect the quality of cleaning in any way. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of brush and the presence of a water container. If there is a lot of carpet in the apartment, you need a vacuum cleaner with turban brush. If laminate or parquet is used as flooring, to avoid damage to the wood, you should use a regular vacuum cleaner. Well, linoleum and other synthetic materials can be safely trusted to a washing robot.
But you shouldn’t chase integration into a smart home system. Unless, of course, you have a huge private house or other premises larger than 100 meters. Here you cannot do without integration into the application of the Chinese industrial giant Xiaomi called Mi Home. Although, for example, Alfawise offers an excellent alternative - controlling the robot via Wi-Fi using Amazon Alexa.
Which robot vacuum cleaner should you choose for your apartment?
Almost any model of robot vacuum cleaner is suitable for an apartment. General recommendations:
- for an apartment with an area of less than 50 square meters - a 0.3 liter dust collector;
- for an apartment with an area of 50-80 square meters - a 0.5 liter dust collector;
- for an apartment with an area of more than 80 square meters - a dust collector of 0.8 or more liters.
The choice of type (for wet or dry cleaning) must be made according to the specific floor covering. Wet cleaning will kill laminate, parquet, and parquet boards.
The function of building a room map will be required for apartments larger than 80 square meters. If the area does not exceed 40 square meters, you can get by with the simplest robot model.
Which robot vacuum cleaner to choose for a private home?
Using a robot vacuum cleaner in your home comes with certain responsibilities. It is necessary to either limit the robot’s operating area or use models with a powerful battery and a computer vision system. As a last resort, the function of building a map of premises is suitable. Otherwise, the recommendations are the same as for large apartments.
In addition, if the house has a large area, it is worth paying attention to robots controlled from a smartphone through a companion application. Ideally, the cleaner will not use Bluetooth, but a Wi-Fi connection (as in iRoomba 684) and work through the home network. Like, for example, the famous Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner.
Washing robot vacuum cleaner
The choice of an automated cleaner with a washing function, or more precisely, wiping the floors, can be determined by several factors:
- allergies of one of the household members,
- smooth synthetic floor covering,
- pets with short hair,
- Small children.
You need to understand that such a vacuum cleaner collects dust a little worse and does not clean stubborn dirt very well. A regular mop can only be replaced by one that can independently switch to the “Spiral” mode for slow, methodical cleaning of a particularly dirty area. Or one that is equipped with an additional manual cleaning tool.
Vacuum cleaners from the Haier and XShuai T370 brands have performed well in this category.
Myths about robot vacuum cleaners
Robot vacuum cleaners don't clean well. You should not take the word for such an unfounded statement. Of course, even the highest quality robot cannot replace manual general cleaning. But this is not his strong point. Any model is designed for daily cleaning of the premises. If you perform it according to this scenario, manual cleaning of floors will be required no more than 2 times a month. Even in an apartment with animals.
Robot vacuum cleaners constantly stumble and interrupt cleaning. Cheap models still suffer from this drawback. But if you have small children in your home, you yourself often forget things on the floor - you can choose one of the vacuum cleaners with good cross-country ability and a set of sensors. A laser rangefinder and computer vision system make it easy to move around in any room.
Robot vacuum cleaners do not clean floors properly. And they shouldn't. The task of the washing device is to wipe the floors. The result of daily treatment will be clean, neatly washed floors. But you shouldn’t hope for a high-quality result if you produce a polisher once a month.
Robot vacuum cleaners are not intended for use in areas with animals. Modern models even cope with carpets full of dust - the rotary brush for collecting wool always works.
Robot vacuum cleaners are just an expensive toy. If you use a home assistant every day, you can forget about frequent cleaning. Despite the low power compared to manual units, the constant work of robotic cleaners replaces even manual labor.
Chinese robot vacuum cleaners are a waste of money. All electronics are made in China. Everyone has already heard about the quality of Xiaomi smartphones - home appliances are no worse. Other Chinese brands are trying to keep up, since competition with their famous counterpart is very high. Therefore, Chinese robot vacuum cleaners (bought in Chinese online stores, not offline for 2 prices) often turn out to be as good as the famous Roomba.