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We test all vacuums on both hardwood floors and carpet.
How we test robot vacuums
Our approach to evaluating robot vacuums is straightforward, but daunting. There are two types of tests that we run. The first test is to determine how well a robot covers the floor while cleaning. We have established an industry standard test content set by International Electrotechnical Commission only for this purpose. IEC is an international standards body responsible for managing robot vacuum test methods, etc., for vacuum manufacturers.
Welcome to our robot vacuum test room. Inside it were things that were a little strange. They are designed to mimic the furniture and obstacles a robot would encounter in the real world.
Inside this room there are objects designed to simulate the typical obstacles that the robot vac encounters for navigation while it is cleaning. These obstacles include wall edges, table and chair legs, sofas and other furniture, etc., including hollow tiles and hardwood floors, as well as carpet. We mount LED lights on top of each vacuum cleaner. The dimensions of the lights correspond to the measured width of the nozzle of each particular robot vacuum we tested.
As the robots move around the room while cleaning, an overhead camera captures a long exposure image of the entire room in low light. That photo then has a light trail, created by LEDs, that shows the exact places where the robot traveled (and the position of the nozzle) during its run. We can also see areas of the floor where the vacuum may be missing or stuck. You can see the navigation results of all the robot vacuums in our test group in the gallery below.
The second type of test reveals exactly how much physical debris a vacuum can remove from the floor. To simulate dirt at a smaller particle size, we use a mix of play sand and landscaping sand. For larger particle soil, we use grains of uncooked black rice. The robots then run in straight-line mode on three types of floors (low-pile carpet, medium-pile carpet and hardwood floor without carpet).
More on our robot vacuum testing setup.
We control the specific nozzle width of each vacuum, too. We built an adjustable soiling device on our test floor. It allowed us to place a strip on a precise spot on the ground to match the nozzle dimensions for each robot. The land mass is also not chosen randomly. We measure a proportional amount related to the material of the floor, type of debris, in addition to the width of the nozzle of each vacuum.
We perform three cleaning runs (at least) on each type of floor. We also performed cleaning tests using sand and rice separately. That comes to at least 18 attempts per robot vac. We weigh the robot’s dust bin before and after each run. From there we can calculate the percentage of debris pickup in each cleaning run and the average amount of soil the machine can remove. Additionally we run anecdotal (visual) pet hair tests for each robot, on all three floor types.
Our rice-based, medium-size particle test didn’t show much difference between each cleaner, saying they could all handle larger particles without a problem. For hair removal for pet owners, we judge anecdotally.
How we test cordless vacuums
We ran tests in a straight line on all three floor types.
Putting cordless vacuums through their paces isn’t that complicated test a robot vacuum cleaner, but it still takes a lot of time and careful effort to find the best cordless vacuum. We run each vacuum on a straight line across three different surfaces (hardwood, low pile carpet, midpile carpet). In all three test beds, the test area is the same height (30.25 inches).
We tested the vacuum’s ability to clean sand and rice.
As with robot tests, the width of the test bed is the same as the width of the vacuum nozzle. We measure this width ourselves. We also used the width of the nozzle, including the type of floor, to calculate the density of the soil for each test, according to IEC guidelines. We also use the same soil types here; sand, rice and pet hair. We do three runs (at least) on each floor type. We also tested the suction power using sand and rice separately. That comes to at least 18 tests per vacuum. We weigh the dust bin in the vacuum before and after each run.
From there we can calculate the percentage of dirt and debris pickup in each run and the average amount of soil removed by the vacuum. In addition, we run anecdotal (visual) pet hair tests for each vacuum, on all three floor types to help us choose the best cordless vacuum.
