When customers buy a robot vacuum cleaner, they pay particular attention to the following things: suction power, docking station functions, and battery life. If you were to scrutinize the product pages of individual robot vacuum cleaners on Amazon and similar online sites, there is no one to blame for this. The suction power or how long the robot vacuum cleaner lasts on a single charge are written in bold letters. But very few people know this: Manufacturers make up some claims to encourage customers to buy them.

An Optimistic Claim with No Real Value

Robot vacuum cleaners are supposed to do two things above all: vacuum and mop. Whether the smart appliance is equipped with a docking station is optional. The decisive factor for such automated helpers is the battery life. Who hasn’t seen the boldly labeled technical data on Amazon and the like: “up to 180 minutes running time”. Frankly, I wish I could run for that long. But even with vacuum and mopping robot vacuum cleaners, this information contains only half the truth at best.

Ein weißer Roboterstaubsauger auf einem Holzboden, mit einer Ladestation im Hintergrund.
The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller offers great suction power with good battery life Image source: nextpit

This is because manufacturer specifications are usually calculated on the optimistic end of the scale — most of them performed under perfect laboratory conditions, i.e. a smooth floor, an empty dust container, no carpets, no obstacles, and above all: using the lowest power levels. As soon as suction power is increased, battery consumption increases rapidly. As usual, the battery ageing plays a decisive role. After a few hundred charging cycles, the overall capacity continues to decrease.

Across various tests, robot vacuum cleaners from Dreame, Mova, and Roborock have proven themselves to offer the longest endurance.

This is How You Wring Out the Maximum from the Battery

Nevertheless, there are a few ways to extend the battery life. The word “charge cycles” comes up again here, as your robot vacuum cycles does not always need to be charged to 100 percent. Of course, maintaining your robot vacuum cleaner plays a crucial role. Replace the side brush regularly, change the filters, and empty the dust bag.