I know a thing or two about robot vacuums. I set up a new bot and test it a few times a month, and while each bot is a little different, they all have some common characteristics. While it's true that some bots are better and some aren't, a big factor in performance is actually you . How you set yourself and the robot up for success can make or break how clean your floors are, and therefore your continued enjoyment of your robot vacuum.
Segment based on traffic, not "rooms"
Newer robots will use lidar to map your space, then double-check with you to make sure they've found the right room. They're surprisingly accurate at determining space divisions, and you can then ask the robots to take care of a space or a combination of them, or set a schedule for them. But take the living room, for example: Do you need to vacuum and mop under the couch every day? Probably not. But how often do you need to sweep and mop high-traffic areas where people walk or where items fall under your feet? At least once a day, right? So divide the space according to how often you want to clean it. You can do this by editing the map, which usually allows you to divide or merge spaces. My living room now has two "rooms", one for high traffic areas and one for "yeah, let's be a responsible adult by cleaning up the dust bunnies once a week." You can do this for each Assign a name to each room so you can use your voice assistant to send the robot there to clean it. I send my robot down Blueberry's path of destruction at least three times a day to clear paw prints between the doggie door and the kitchen.
Don’t buy third-party cleaners and accessories
These floor robots require maintenance. Their rollers were shredded, the brooms needed replacing, and the vacuum bags needed replacing. Name brands are expensive; Amazon is full of third-party options that are always cheaper. While mileage will vary, I've found these aftermarket options to be very disappointing. On every bot I've purchased for third party packages, the bot doesn't recognize the new package and tells me to replace it every week. The quality of the rollers was never that high and they broke down faster. While I don't actually believe there's anything special about branded cleaning solutions, I wouldn't make my own or replace it with anything other than one made specifically for robot mops.
Keep maximum settings on
All robots now come with varying levels of mopping and vacuuming intensity. I've played them at all intensity levels and the only benefit they have is the lower noise output. Since it's never big enough for me to watch a movie or make a business call while the bot is running, this doesn't do much good. Of course, the robots also experience less wear and tear. But generally, when the robot is at a lower intensity level, I find myself needing to return it to a higher intensity position. My life becomes easier when I maintain max intensity all the time. Especially when mopping, I can't see any benefit beyond the highest intensity setting.
Turn off obstacle avoidance
The days of crashing robots are essentially over. The benefit is less scuff marks and knocked over tower fans. The downside is that the lidar is often more cautious about avoiding obstacles than I'd like. For example, most robots now have pet settings, so your robot will avoid possible piles of poop as well as your pet. I live in a poop-free area, and I've yet to find a pet that can allow itself to be eaten by a slow-moving robot, so I lose that benefit. I noticed that this setting meant more floors were not swept, so I turned it off. Then I got a little pissed off and turned off obstacle avoidance completely, and my floors went from 80% clean to 95% clean overnight. My robot doesn't hit things, but it becomes more aggressive around corners and tight spots, which is highly appreciated.
