Robot Vacuums: Are They Worth It? Pros and Cons

Let's talk about robot vacuum cleaners, or Robovacs, while it might seem for some people that they are a new and very modern invention, that’s really not the case, the first model, the Electrolux Trilobite, came out to the public in 2001, and more than twenty years later, these devices have certainly improved from that early-century models and are now being purchased by more households than ever before.

But since you probably still have doubts and questions about them, and are wondering if it's a good idea to replace your conventional vacuum with a robot one, allow us to inform you about some of the different options available in the market for these devices, and on the benefits and the downsides to owning them. 

Battery & Charge 

So, one of the first things you should consider is the battery situation, that includes both its power and capabilities and how it behaves when it's needing a charge. There are three tiers that separate all the models of robovacs, for the cheaper vacs, the charge will usually last for around 60 minutes of continuous cleaning, while the mid-range models average 75 minutes before needing to be recharged, and the high-end up to 90 minutes of work. 

Now, another important battery aspect to keep in mind is how the robot behaves when it needs to recharge, for instance, the cheaper models will simply turn off wherever they are at the moment the battery dies, so you have to manually take them to the charging station so they can get charged and ready to start again. The mid-range models will save you time and trouble of picking them up when out of battery by independently hustling back to the charging station when running out of power, but will start the process from the beginning again. Lastly, high-end vacs will not only automatically go back to the charging station to power up, but will return and resume their work exactly at the place where they stopped before, becoming way more efficient.

Filtration System

To begin, let’s get to know the term HEPA (High-Efficiency Particle Arrestance), it basically means that a vacuum is capable of trapping within its body all airborne pollutants down to a size of 0.3 microns. For a vacuum to qualify for a true HEPA rating, it must trap at least 99.97% of these particles. 0.3 microns are way too small for humans to see with their eyes, but they can easily be inhaled and get stuck in your lungs. So, if you want to breathe fresher, cleaner air, don’t forget to check the overall efficiency of the filtration system of whatever vacuum you’re looking to purchase.

Dimensions of your home

Different models of robovacs will fulfill your needs in a better way depending on the size of your home, for instance, if you are fortunate enough to live in a big house, you should probably go all out for a high-end model, superior battery, auto recharging, large dust containers, top navigation and mapping make them ideal for big houses.

Overall Performance

Probably the most important thing to know about these machines is actually how good they are at doing their job, which is cleaning, so it must be said that if what you’re expecting from them is a deep and profound cleanse on par with a regular vacuum, get ready to spend some money because you’ll only accomplish that with the more expensive models. Now, if you can only afford to buy a mid-range robovac, that’s fine too, the overall cleaning should be excellent as well, although you might need to intervene when it comes to the edges and to add finishing touches. Lastly cheaper vacuums, they will perform really well as cleaning assistant, but expect to periodically grab your regular vacuum in order to keep everything as clean as possible.

Connectivity

Robot vacuums nowadays are able to connect to your WiFi network and be controlled by an app that allows you to schedule the times for cleaning, visualize a map of your house and even establish some restricted areas for the robovac. Worth mentioning that there are also cheaper and older models that are controlled by a remote only. 

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Save time and effort
• Programmable
• Less noise
• Deep clean every time
• Space savers

Cons:

• More expensive
• Can’t clean certain areas (e.g: Stairs, curtains)
• Snags with some carpet patterns

Conclusion

A robot vacuum cleaner is a great addition to your home and provides you with more time to do the things you enjoy most – that is unless your thing is vacuuming! Robot vacuums are compact and will not take up too much additional space in your home and are a great addition to your home cleaning arsenal. They’re not quite advanced enough to replace your upright or cylinder vacuum yet but our bet is it won’t be long until they can.

And just maybe, one of the Robot Vacuums available at Irwins could be the perfect model for you to try out.