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Do Robot Vacuums Work in Small Spaces? 3 Things To Know

Do Robot Vacuums Work In Small Spaces

Robot vacuums are convenient little tools. Once you set one up, it passively vacuums around your house. But do robot vacuums work in small spaces?

In general, robot vacuums work in small spaces. These cute vacuums are a modern and convenient way to reduce dust, debris, and hair in your home. Use them effectively in spacious areas with minimal furniture, but if you have too much stuff in your small apartment, it might not suffice.

Read on as I explain a few important things you should know about using robot vacuums in small spaces.

I’m also including some of the best robot vacuums I think you might like.


Things To Know About Using Robot Vacuums in Small Spaces


Before getting a robot vacuum for your studio apartment, there are a few things to consider.

Depending on your furniture, a robot vacuum can be an excellent tool or a completely useless one. So, let’s see what they’re all about.

1. Robot Vacuums Are Convenient but Not Ideal

Most people get robot vacuums for their convenience. You set it up once, and you forget about it. You come home from work to see a clean house.

A 2018 study explains that robot vacuums are efficient, compact, and convenient.

They don’t require a lot of maintenance either. You set them up once, and that’s it.

The only thing you have to do is replace the brushes occasionally. Or maybe you want to use a different attachment to clean your hardwood flooring.

This is all fine and dandy if you have a large area to vacuum. But do robot vacuums work well in small spaces, too?

A few people on Quora have shared their experiences. Some say that robot vacuums are great for small areas. Others say that they don’t do that good of a job.

Robot vacuums seem only to remove surface dust. So, the consensus is that you need a high-quality robot vacuum.

But even if a robot vacuum isn’t a replacement for a regular one, it’s still convenient.

Vacuuming a semi-clean apartment is still easier. Or perhaps you only need to clean a few spots that the robot missed.

If you fancy the convenience of a robot vacuum, get one. And if you have a pet, it’s even better. Robot vacuums can pick up excess pet hair.

2. You’ll Still Need To Vacuum

While the idea of having a robot do your house chores is nice and all, you’ll still have to do vacuum regularly.

Consumer Reports tested a robot vacuum against an upright manual one. The upright vacuum picked up significantly more dust and debris.

But the robot vacuum cleaned, too. So, even if it only vacuums half as much, that still means there’s less work for you.

Create a schedule for your robot vacuum to do its job whenever you’re not at home.

And if you used to vacuum twice a week, you could now do it only once a week. You’ll save a lot of time. Plus, your home will be cleaner than ever.

Check out: Roomba Not Picking Up Dirt: 7 Ways To Fix It Now

3. Consider Your Room Layout Before Getting a Robot Vacuum

Not all small apartments are equal. Some are much more suitable for robot vacuums than others.

For example, if you have enough space under your bed, the robot vacuum can get under it and clean the area.

But if your bed is only a few inches away from the floor like mine, the vacuum cleaner can’t clean below it.

But a robot vacuum still makes sense if that’s your only problem.

Robot vacuums work best when there’s not too much furniture and confined spaces. Note that virtually every corner in your room won’t get cleaned.

So, the more corners you have, the more you have to vacuum manually.

If a robot vacuum is a dream gadget for you, it makes sense that you optimize your apartment.

Space is a valuable resource in small homes. Get rid of any furniture you don’t need. Don’t leave clothes or other items on the floor.

Also, make use of the vertical space in your home. Instead of storing your stuff at random places, use wall-mounted shelves.

I recommend the Amada Wall Mounted Shelves (available on Amazon.com).

They come in black or white, and you get a set of three at this affordable price. They’re easy to mount and can hold 20 lb. (9.07 kg.).

These shelves make more space for your robot vacuum to work with.

And if you have bumps that the robot vacuum has to go over, make ramps for them. This requires some trial and error, but you’ll get it eventually.

The rug material also matters. Hardwood is generally much easier to clean than carpets.

Robot vacuums work best on low-pile carpets.

You might also like: Why is my Roomba not cleaning all the rooms?

Best Robot Vacuums for Small Spaces

Best Robot Vacuum For Small Spaces

You can’t use any robot vacuum for a small apartment. Some vacuum cleaners are too tall and too large to clean the corners of your cozy room.

So, get a vacuum cleaner that can get under your bed and table.

In general, larger robot vacuums are more efficient and more powerful than smaller ones.

However, for your usage case, you want the opposite. Get the smallest robot vacuum that still makes sense and has good reviews.

Note that some robot vacuums come with bases for charging and trash disposal. However, these bases take up a lot of additional space.

I’ve picked a few of the best robot vacuums for small spaces. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Here are the vacuums that are available on Amazon.com:

iRobot Roomba 675 

It’s hard to talk about robot vacuums without mentioning an iRobot Roomba.

The 675 is one of the smallest models in the lineup. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in functionality.

It takes care of all dirt, lint, and pet hair on your carpets and hardwood flooring.

It’s equipped with sensors to find dirty areas and pay extra attention to them. And it works with Amazon Alexa voice control.

eufy RoboVac 11S Max 

Eufy is Anker’s highly successful smart home gadget brand. The RoboVac lineup has a few high-quality robot vacuums.

The 11S Max is no exception. It’s a small robot vacuum perfect for hard floors and carpets.

The BoostIQ technology allows it to recognize the dirtiest areas and focus on them.

It’s a super-slim model, so getting into confined spaces is its specialty. It can even vacuum the dirt and dust below your low-rise furniture.

Shark ION AV753 

If you’re looking for a durable and portable robot vacuum, the AV753 is for you.

This robot vacuum works with the SharkClean app. Use the app to create a cleaning schedule.

I recommend that you set it up to clean an hour before you arrive from work.

The AV753 works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands.

It has a battery life of around 2 hours. That’s enough time to clean your whole studio apartment.

Final Thoughts

Robot vacuums are some of the most useful smart home gadgets. And for a good reason, too.

You can use a robot vacuum in small spaces, but they’re still better in large, open areas.

Try to optimize your home as much as possible. Leave as much space on your carpet as possible.

The robot vacuum can still do a great job in small rooms.

But note that you’ll still have to vacuum sometimes. However, the robot can reduce how long and how often you clean.

Read next: How Often Should You Run Your Robot Vacuum? 5 Facts