Introduction to Robotic Vacuum Cleaners
Vacuum cleaners have become important home appliances. Vacuum cleaners are vital to house cleaning as they are used to absorb dust, debris and pet hair. They are also helpful for removing dirt from floor coverings like rugs, fabrics, and furniture.
In the 21st century, thanks to the advancement of the vacuum cleaner technology, the robotic vacuum cleaner was born. With a robotic vacuum cleaner, you will be able to clean carpets, floors, debris, and dirt with a minimal amount of effort.
Robotic vacuum cleaners have advanced features such as sensors that help detect boundaries and obstacles in its path. This function helps it to protect itself from potential damage and at the same time, helps avoid damaging furniture. Some models generate real-time maps and do not require any form of supervision.
Interested in getting one for your home? Read on to find out the robot vacuum cleaner Malaysia models we recommend!
Best Robot Vacuum Features
Other than the household, a robotic vacuum cleaner can be used to clean the internal surfaces of a car and achieve a clean and healthy space. Cars are personal spaces and no matter how careful you may be, the seats and the dashboard tend to attract dust. Hence, it should be cleaned on a regular basis. When making a purchase decision on vacuums, including car vacuums, you should not rush to purchase the most attractive model. Rather, you need to understand all features of a robotic vacuum cleaner.
How Do Robot Vacuum Cleaners Work?
As the owner of a robot vacuum, you don’t need to expend much effort at all. First off, these appliances have sensors that are used to navigate around the house. These vacuum cleaners use either lidar or self-generated lasers to move. You will also find some models with stereoscopic cameras. These sensors coordinate with the bumper sensors to detect when the device runs into a wall or furniture and infrared cliff sensors to detect when a vacuum is about to fall off a staircase.
Secondly, you will find two or more spinning brushes and rolling brushes. These brushes work together to suck big and small debris and deposit it to the device’s dust bin. All dirt, food remains, pet hair and everything else sucked by the vacuum is collected and deposited in the removable bin for later disposal.
Some robot vacuum cleaners can be programmed to operate at scheduled times using controls on the robotic vacuum itself or a smartphone app. Some robot vacuums even allow for Wi-Fi connectivity and are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Regardless of the type and model you choose to buy, you can be sure that robot vacuums will effectively pick up debris and clean your space, and maybe even your car. Since these appliances can be programmed to clean when you are away, they are convenient for people with hectic lifestyles. You can come home to a clean house every day.
How We Test Our Robot Vacuums
You can’t know the cleaning performance of a robot vacuum by just looking at its price or its size. We use different sizes of debris with different floor surfaces to test these products. The key is to wait until after the robot vac is done, then measure how much they managed to pick up (or how much is left behind). At the same time, we would also scatter pet hair and let it settle into a carpet and assess how well each robot can clean it up.
The truth is that even the best robotic vacuum cleaners can’t clean as thoroughly as the standard options such as the handheld vacuum cleaners. Some of the things we would test include dirt cleanup from hard bare floors, dirt cleanup from carpet, ability to clean edges and corners, ease of use, the ability of robot vacuums to navigate obstacles, and pet hair removal.
Dirt cleanup from hard floors: A specific amount of sand is spread evenly on a vinyl floor and the robot is activated to run for 25 minutes or until the cleaning process is completed. The collected dirt is then measured and this helps us judge its cleaning performance.
Dirt cleanup from carpet: Dirt and sand are spread evenly on a carpet then the robot vacuum is allowed to operate for a specific duration. The collected sand is weighed and recorded.
Ability to clean edges and corners: Dirt is spread on the round corners and room edges and the robot vacuum is switched to collect the dust. The collected dust is measured and recorded.
Ease of use: User-friendliness of the device
The ability of robot vacuum cleaners to navigate obstacles: Obstacles are intentionally placed to try and trip up the robot vac. The best robot vacuum will navigate the obstacles without trouble and continue cleaning. A good model rarely gets stuck. The worst will be tripped up on every obstacle and will require the intervention of the human to continue cleaning.
Pet hair removal: Pet hair gets stuck on the carpet and bare floors then the vacuum is switched on to pick it up. This criterion is tested based on the amount of fur left on the surface after.
What Should You Look Into Before Buying Robot Vacuums?
There are numerous models with different features in the market. This makes it more difficult for buyers to make a perfect decision for their cleaning needs. However, we have saved you the hustle and presented the key points that you should check before buying robot vacuums.
Power Rating
Power is an important factor to consider before deciding on the best vacuum cleaner. The design element in almost all vacuum cleaners is the 12 amps limit. This is because the average home circuit breaker is often rated at 15 amps or 1800 watts (15A X 120V).
For the circuit breaker to function safely for progressive load (more than 3 hours), the breaker is often capped at 80% of the peak load to mitigate overloading and possible blackout. While searching for the best robotic vacuum cleaner, look for those with 12 amps limit to avoid tripping the circuit breaker; in case you are operating another appliance in the same circuit. Robot vacuum cleaners with higher wattage will consume more electricity.
Storage Bin Volume
The size of the robotic vacuum cleaners is measured in liters and this varies between models, ranging from 0.25-1 liter. If you have small children and multiple pets, you will need a large storage volume. Small storage size means limited room cleaning capacity. For the 0.25-liter bin volume, you will need to empty it regularly before it completes cleaning the whole room or car. Since the small volumes require frequent emptying, you cannot program it to do the job while you are not at home. Therefore, it advisable to go for large bin volumes for big rooms.
Reliability
There is no doubt that robot vacuum cleaners cannot replace traditional vacuum appliances such as a portable handheld vacuum cleaner, upright vacuum cleaners, cylinder vacuums, or cordless vacuums. Rather, it reduces the need to get the other vacuum types and gives more time to focus on other things. They use sensors to detect furniture and maps to ensure no area is neglected in the room. But this doesn’t mean all models have all these features.
The reliability of a robotic vacuum includes its ability to maneuver around the house and navigate obstacles without the help of humans. Good robot cleaners will be able to clean hard floors, carpets, pet hair, and all other types of debris without much effort. You can also set no-go zones in the house or block rooms you don’t want the robot to access. Therefore, it is important to check if the robot vac can eliminate the standard debris, pet hair, and if it can access corners of the room.
Accessories Inclusion
Most robotic vacuum cleaners come installed with different accessories to facilitate the cleaning process. Some models will include a space roller brush, magnetic strip, AirClean filters, replacement side brushes, sealing lip, among other accessories. Therefore, the best robotic vacuum comes with spare accessories. If a particular model doesn’t come with spare parts, its accessories should be sold separately and be easily accessible in the market.
Other Features That Are Nice to Have
Additional features that you need to consider when buying a robot vacuum cleaner are the noise level and the battery life. The noise level may not be a big deal during the daytime but imagine if you want the robot to operate at night when you sleep! Not every robot vacuum brand functions on loud noise but there are some which produce noise levels of between 60 to 70 decibels which are above the average level for a quiet vacuum robot. At the same time, you should be aware that a silent robot vac does not mean that it is the most efficient.
When you decide on a vacuum with a powerful battery, you can rest assured that it will work for a longer time without recharging or replacing the battery. If a robot vacuum can clean for more than an hour and successfully cleans all rooms in the house in one cleaning session, then it is a good option.
Ideally you want to know that your space will be clean by the time your robot vac runs out of battery so you don’t have to set it up to recharge. At the same time, this aspect also depends on the type of floors your robot vac is cleaning. Vacuuming hair and fiber will reduce the battery performance much faster because the brush motor works harder and would require more power.
Read the Reviews
Reviews can help you learn what a user’s first-hand experience with the robot vac will be like. Through reviews, you will be able to assess the company’s credibility and evaluate all the available options. Therefore, you should dedicate some time to research reviews from customers before buying a robotic vacuum in Malaysia.
Choose the Delivery Wisely
Many home appliances have been damaged while being transported from the shop to the delivery destination. This is because some delivery companies might damage the product as a result of poor handling. Therefore, we often advise that you choose companies with reputable and trusted delivery options. This will provide timely and safe delivery.
Brand
The brand is also a factor to consider when buying a robot vac. This is because different brands come with different quality and features. If you do the research, you will realize that some brands come with unique technologies and accessories (whether included or sold separately).
We took the liberty to compile a list of the best robot vacuum cleaners for 2021.
The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner Malaysia Models
NEATSVOR X600 Pro Multifunctional Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
The NEATSVOR X600 Pro Multifunctional Robotic Vacuum Cleaner comes with LDS navigation and SLAM algorithm which helps locate exact features in the room for smarter planning and cleaning process. There is also an app control feature that enables you to connect the device to a smartphone. You can use the app to control how the device should go about cleaning and which spaces it should not access. The Nswitch system helps switch between the dust box mode which cleans and vacuums while the water tank option is used to clean and mop the floor.
SPECS
- Navigation: Laser
- Power (W): 21-30W
- Voltage (V): 14.4V
- Battery: 5200 mAh
- Suction Power: 6000 Pa
- Function: Mopping / Sweeping / Suction Type
- Dust Storage Type: Dust Box
- Dust Box Capacity (L): 0.6L
- Water Tank Capacity: 350 ml
- Battery Life: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Decibel: 55 dB
PROS
- Has laser navigation vacuum cleaner
- Has app control
- Breakpoint resume
- Has scheduled cleaning
- Has wet mopping
- You can save cleaning map
CONS
- Has no remote control
Ecovacs Ozmo950 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
The Ecovacs Ozmo950 comes with unique features such as a pressure-retention system, Floating brush 2.0, multi-floor mapping, and intelligent controlled large water reservoir. The pressure retention system optimizes energy efficiency and helps achieve high vacuum pressure and low noise levels. The floating brush is the latest technology that can clean up to 4 mm deep cracks.
There is also app control to help clean your homes from anywhere and anytime. Through the app, you will be able to clean and monitor your home all from the palm. It also has a high-efficiency air filter, voice reporting, Anti-Collision System, and continuous clean technology which allows it to continue the cleaning process after recharge.
SPECS
- Navigation Type-Smart Navi 3.0
- Has carpet detection
- Suction Power: 1500Pa
- 430 (ml) Dust Bin Capacity
- Has Dust Bin Detection
- Has map generated by App
- Noise Value (dBA)-66
- Battery Specifications (Type, mAh): Li-ion 5200mAH
- Working Time (min): 200
- Charging Time (H): ca. 5
- Rated Power of Robot (W): 40
- Working Voltage of Robot (V): 14.4
PROS
- Automatic Charging feature
- The Vacuums and mops in one go
- Multi-floor mapping
- Has mobile APP
CONS
- No remote control
- Slightly high noise levels
iSweep Robot Vacuum Cleaner S210 3-In-1
iSweep Robot Vacuum Cleaner S210 has some amazing features for an affordable price. The main features include auto cleaning, brushless motor, wet mopping, a slim body, and 1 cm climbing. It has a sweep suction mopping feature that performs 3 functions and is easy to control, saving more time and energy. The three cleaning modes are Auto, Spot, and Edge. When you buy this product, you will get additional accessories such as a side brush, a cleaning brush, and a mop.
SPECS
- Battery: 3.7V/1200mAh
- Noise: 45db
- Runtime: 75mins
- Charging time: 3.5H
- Function: sweep/suction/mopping
- Application: Wooden floor, hard floor, hard ground
- Suction Power: 500 Pa
- Power Consumption: 5 W
PROS
- Stable powerful suction removes both big particles and small dust
- Easy-empty dustbin design that supports longer cleaning sessions
- 6CM SLIM BODY
- Longer side brush to clean larger cleaning area
CONS
- No mobile APP
- No remote control
- Low battery capacity
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with TrueDetect 3D & TrueMapping Technology
The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner comes with a cutting-edge TrueDetect 3D feature that can instantly detect and avoid furniture and wall during the cleaning process. It has the modern TrueMapping technology which can map the home with 4 times the accuracy. The TrueDetect 3D technology identifies precisely obstacles and avoids them instantly. There is also a long-lasting battery life to enable you to schedule the cleaning process even when away from home.
SPECS
- Navigation Type: TrueMapping Advanced Laser
- Cleaning Mode: Auto, Area, Custom
- Vacuum Components: Main Brush
- Has carpet detection
- Noise Value (dBA): 67
- Battery Specifications (Type, mAh): Li-ion 5200mAH
- Working Time: Up to 3 hours
- Charging Time (H): 6.5 hours
- Dust Bin Capacity (ml): 420
PROS
- Has App Control
- Has HEPA Filter
- Has continuous cleaning feature
- Has water level adjustment
- Has voice reporting
CONS
- Has no remote control which makes it difficult to control without a mobile app
iSweep Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner S550 with High Suction Power 1200PA
Isweep Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner S550 comes with one of the most powerful suction capacities (of up to 1200PA). You don’t have to install an app to control the device because it comes with an independent wireless remote control. It also has 4 cleaning modes, water tanks, and a self-recharge feature. The robotic vacuum cleaner will always return to the charging socket when the battery is low or after finishing every cleaning session.
When fully charged, it can clean for 100 minutes. The 4 cleaning modes include Zigzag cleaning, edge, spot, and max vacuuming. There is also an indicator to notify you when the box is full. When you make a purchase, it will come with additional accessories such as a side brush, charger, mop, and remote control.
SPECS
- Auto, Remote Control, Self-Charging
- Power Source: 130 mAh Li-ion battery
- Floor Types: Carpet, Ceramic Tile, Marble Floor, Shag Carpet, Tile Floor, Wood Floor
- Dust Box Capacity: 400ML
- Water Tank Capacity: 50ML
- Suction Power: 2000pa
- Noise level 50dB
- Power: 17W
- Charging Time: about 5 hours
- Working Time: about 90 minutes
- Battery Capacity: 1300mAh
PROS
- Has a remote control
- Has 4 Cleaning Modes
- High detection accuracy
- Has high capacity (400ml)
CONS
- Noise level is slightly high (67 dBA)
- Has a low battery capacity 1300mAh
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8AIVI Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with AIVI™ Upgrade for smarter & Ozmo Pro™
The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8AIVI Robotic Vacuum Cleaner has a simultaneous vacuum and mop which covers more than 2000 square feet of moping area. The sensor will automatically distinguish the floor type and switch to the preferred navigation type. The AIVI technology identifies and automatically decides on how to clean your floor without the interference of an obstacle such as shoes and cables.
There is also a precision mapping navigation to help cover all areas of the floor. The virtual boundaries help keep the robot away from the area you don’t want it to go. The recharge and resume feature allows it to automatically return to the charging socket when on low battery then continues where it left after recharge.
SPECS
- Volume capacity: 420ml
- Run Time: 175mins
- HEPA Filter
- Multiple Cleaning Modes
- Smart Sensor
- AIVI technology
- Power Consumption: 40W
- Suction Power: 1500Pa
PROS
- Has intelligent object recognition
- Precision laser mapping and navigation
- Advanced custom cleaning
- Missed area notification
CONS
- No remote control
- Mapping function might need to be reset occasionally
Isweep Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner X3 App Control Robotic Vacuum
iSweep Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner X3 comes with unique and amazing features such as dry and wet mopping, an anti-fall sensor that helps prevent falling, an automatic recharge & resume sweep. When the battery is low, the robotic vacuum cleaner will create the shortest route to the charger and resume cleaning once the battery is full. When you buy the device, it will come with additional accessories such as a side brush and a clean brush.
SPECS
- Power (W): 25w
- Operation mode: Mopping, Sweeping, and Suction Type
- Dust Box Capacity: 0.5 L
- Suction Power: 2200 Pa
- Battery Life: 2 hours
- Remote Control: No
- Turbo Brush: YES
- Battery capacity: 2500mAh
PROS
- Has auto-recharge
- Has Z sweeping mode
- Has 13 sensors for accurate cleaning
CONS
- No remote control
Dibea D500-B Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
The Dibea D500-B Robotic Vacuum Cleaner has a wide range of advanced features to facilitate the cleaning process. It has an updated intelligent planning feature that will cover the whole house and allow a cleaning schedule even when you are away. It also has upgraded planning, upgraded navigation, voice intelligent control, and intelligent working. It also has a high sensitivity Gyroscope, two suction options, HEPA Filter, and Automatic Recharge.
SPECS
- Accurate automatic recharge
- Trapezoidal Vacuum Suction Port
- High-Frequency brushless motor, large suction
- App management
- Suction system: dry/water
- Power (Watts): 25
- Suction Power (PA): 1000
- Dust filter system: HEPA filter
- Dust capacity (liters): 0.4
PROS
- Perfect for pet hair
- Perfect for any floor
- Smart sensors keep it protected
- Has smart Apps
- Comes with a helpful mopping feature & accessories
- Has remote control
CONS
- Comes in only one color (white)
Conclusion
Robotic vacuum cleaners are excellent investments. With robot vacuum cleaners, you can easily schedule the cleaning process even when you are not at home. Robotic vacuum cleaners come with either a smartphone app or remote controls and can function without your physical presence. Now that you have an idea of what the robot vacuum is and the different features to consider before making a purchase, you can easily decide on the best robot vacuum cleaner.
If you are in search of a robotic vacuum with remote control, we recommend that you go for Isweep Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner S550. Other than the remote control it also comes with 4 cleaning modes and a self-recharge feature. This means that when the battery is low, it will find the shortest route to the charging socket and continue with the cleaning process once the charge is full. If you want one with the highest suction power possible, NEATSVOR X600 Pro Multifunctional Robotic Vacuum Cleaner will suit your needs. It has strong suction power (6000 Pa) and one of the most intelligent laser navigation systems to help deep clean your room.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often do you empty a robot vacuum?
Emptying the robot vacuum cleaner depends on the frequency of your cleaning and if there are children or pets in your house. Ideally, households with pets and children will require frequent cleaning. Therefore, if you are someone who vacuums daily, the robot vacuum should be emptied once after two days. Otherwise, it can take 4 days.
2. How long will a robotic vacuum cleaner last?
Durability depends on usage and maintenance. The expectation is that robotic vacuum cleaners should take 4 to 6 years. But with proper maintenance, it can hit 6 years or even more.
3. What should I look for when buying a robot vacuum?
Buying a robot vac can be difficult if you don’t understand. You should consider the sensor technology used, the control features, the suction strength, the noise levels, battery, and of course the budget.
