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Early models were like errant hockey pucks that bounced around the room, but today’s robotic floor cleaners use sensors, IR, and lasers to navigate obstacles and track their progress, making sure every nook gets cleaned. They’re still no substitute for a thorough manual vacuuming, but they’re great at keeping daily dirt and dust bunnies under control.
Buying Advice
Wattage labels correlate to the amount of electricity consumed, not sucking power. That depends on other variables like the distance from cleaning head to motor. But in general, if you’ve got deep shag rugs, look for machines over 1,000 watts or 8 amps. Uprights are convenient, but they require more storage space. Apartment dwellers are better off with canisters (the motor is housed in a separate, wheeled unit), which are more portable (hello, grubby car mats!) and easy to disassemble. Pets? Make sure you’ve got a flexible hose, rotating brushes, and a wand for pulling fur off upholstery.
Source: Wired News