Should a Robovac Be Your Next Appliance?

Before you buy one, here are the features to consider and tips on how to use them

John R. Quain,

AARP

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Published January 21, 2025

a cat sits on top of a spinning robot vacuum

Animation: AARP; (Source: Getty Images (2))

The first time I saw a robovac at a press launch event over 20 years ago, I thought it was the most frivolous thing I'd ever seen: a spinning saucer that was better at providing a taxi service for cats than it was at cleaning carpets.

But thanks to a raft of technical improvements since then, robovacs have exploded in popularity — racking up sales of over $5.2 billion in 2023 — and can be a helpful resource for older adults who may have trouble bending, reaching or lifting furniture to get dirt and grime off the floor.

"Technologies such as robotic aids like the Roomba can off-load tasks like vacuuming that are physically demanding and challenging for many older adults especially those that have a chronic condition or functional impairment," says Sara J. Czaja, director of the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

Better navigation and obstacle avoidance using lidar and video sensors has made robovacs easier to manage, and with their low-profiles they can get into neglected places like under dressers and beds. They can even send you a live video picture as they sweep the floor — so you can see what that darn cat is up to.

How robovacs work

Most models are round, deep-dish pizza-shaped affairs with wheels and brushes underneath. Robovacs connect to your home Wi-Fi network and have sensors to prevent them from crashing down the basement stairs. And most models let you program and control them via a smart phone app, including sending them off to clean specific rooms indicated on a digital map that the robot creates.

What's the cost?

Czaja notes that to be of use to most seniors the technology has to be affordable.

Robotic vacuums and mops range in price from $180 to more than $1,400. So you want to consider if you need the features that make them more expensive. Basic models map out your home and vacuum everything into a small self-contained bin that you empty by hand. At the high end, full-featured robovacs empty themselves into a base station as well as wet mop hardwood and tile floors and apply extra suction to carpeted areas.

So what features do you really need? Here are some options

Suction power. The drawing power of vacuums is listed in pa, which stands for Pascal pressure units. Inexpensive, vacuum-only models may have a rating of 3,000 pa, which is adequate for a small apartment with hardwood floors, low-pile carpets, and no pets. For higher traffic homes, more expensive models are rated for over 10,000 pa, such as the Roborock Qrevo Curv (18,500 pa) and the Narwal Narwal Freo Z Ultra (12,000 pa).

Self-emptying. Machines with larger base stations often include an automatic emptying feature that pumps the dirt out of the vacuum and into a larger bag in the base, so you (or a caregiver) can go weeks without touching the vacuum. And they can do the same with the dirty water collected from mopping.

Wet mop. High-end models not only vacuum but can also mop tile and wood floors. That's key if you have different types of flooring in your home. These clean machines can tell the difference between carpet and hardwood or tile floors, and then automatically switch between vacuuming the living room and damp mopping the kitchen floor. It means the end of lifting heavy water buckets and mops.

Pet accident avoidance. According to a 2024 survey by the American Pet Products Association, 51% of all pet owners are either Gen Xers or Baby Boomers. And as we know, pets have ... accidents. Many robovac models use AI to identify and steer around Rover's bathroom mistakes. It's an important feature, because the last thing you want is for the vacuum to spread doggie doo doo around the house.

Sound rating. While not nearly as loud as the old canister vacuums we grew up with, robovacs still make noise. So having a quiet model can be important if it’s running around while you're home doing other things. The Narwal Freo Ultra, for example, is one of the quietest at just 53 decibals in basic cleaning mode, which is quieter than a normal spoken conversation.

Live video. Some robovacs use video cameras to assist with mapping and obstacle avoidance; those same cameras can also be accessed in some cases live over the Internet from a smart phone as an additional security feature — great if you're out or at work. Both Roborock and Narwal offer this feature, for example, with audible warnings to anyone at home that the camera is on. Some models intentionally don't include this feature to allay any privacy concerns.

Voice commands. As with most gadgets these days, the majority of robovacs can be connected to a Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa account to work with a handful of spoken commands. ome models go a step further and respond on their own to a set of pre-programmed commands, such as, "Rocky, clean the kitchen." So you literally don't have to lift a finger.

Battery life. Unlike mobile devices like smart phones, robotic vacuums spend most of their lives plugged into a base station. And since they will return to their stations automatically if they sense they are running out of power, how long they will last on a single charge isn't that critical. That being said, most models will run for between one and two hours before scurrying back to their chargers.

Tips and tricks

Before bringing your robovac home, you should prepare the house for your new adoption. Here 's some advice from longtime robovac users.

Put away cords. Sue Yeoh, a 50-plus owner of a robovac for the past five years, advises anyone getting one to put away any cords at home, especially thin cables: "If you leave an iPhone cord dangling, you're going to be spending a half hour untangling it from the brush later," says Yeoh who lives in Queens, New York.

Throw out throw rugs. If you can slip or trip on small rug, so can a robovac. I (also a robovac owner over 50) suggest getting rid of anything that's easily sucked up into a regular vacuum. It's an accident waiting to happen anyway.

Maps and apps. "We bought a new Roomba that mops and vacuums, to replace our slightly ancient Roomba, but it needs a phone app," says Karen Watson, 68, from Ottawa, Canada, and a robovac fan. So if you're still using a flip phone, it might be time to upgrade to a smart phone, which will give you remote access to the vacuum and provide alerts when it needs to be emptied or it's stuck in the bathroom.

Keep a hand vacuum. Certainly the autonomous vacuums can't get into every crevice and corner. Yeoh recommends getting rid of your old stand-up vacuum but keeping a small hand vac to do occasional touch ups and get int o nooks and crannies.

Anyone who hates to clean or vacuum will appreciate a robovac. Watson says her 9-year-old Roomba is like a member of the family. They call it Jérôme and joke that he "secretly watches cats-riding-Roombas-videos."

Yeoh agrees. "Of all the things I bought during the pandemic, this was a good one," says Yeoh. "You'll get your value out of it."

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John R. Quain is a contributing writer who covers personal technology, vehicle technology and privacy issues. His work also appears in The New York Times and PC Magazine and on CBS News.