How Do Robot Vacuum Cleaners Clean Corners?

The primary way that robot vacuums clean corners are by using side bristles that extend beyond the circumference of the robot. The side bristles will gather dust and pull it into the vacuum by spinning themselves fast. 

It’s also good to know that different robot vacuum models use slightly different tactics, and some tactics are better than others. 

Can robot vacuums clean corners?

Yes, robot vacuums can clean corners. In general, all robot vacuums can clean corners to some extent. From my own experience, I would say that no robot vacuums clean corners perfectly. There is always a little dirt left no matter the model or brand, but the amount differs a lot. 

I’ve chosen to focus on two major robot vacuum brands to show you how they clean corners. I’ve chosen the Roomba and Neato. Roomba covers almost all major robot vacuum designs on the market and has both round and d-shaped robot vacuums. I currently own a Neato robot vacuum and can show you first-hand how it cleans corners.

How do Roomba robot vacuums clean corners?

If you take a look at the picture below, this is a picture of the bottom of a Roomba. Notice the side bristle on the left, this is what it uses to clean the corners. 

I’ve drawn two red lines to indicate where the corner would be. Now the image is a bit skewed, so the brush would reach farther than it seems, but still, it will not reach all the way, and the longer the bristle is the weaker it’ll be at the tip. The longer the tip is the less dust it’ll pull in. It’ll just push the dust around instead. So the bristle will have to be the perfect length.

In the video above, you can see how a Roomba is cleaning a corner with its side bristle. 

It gets pretty deep, but still not all the way. 

Roomba vacuum cleaners also do have d-shaped vacuums, but they all also have side bristles, so they work much the same as round-shaped vacuums. The d-shape will give it a slight edge in how deep it can go into corners. 

How do Neato robot vacuums clean corners?

Neato has clean corners with its d-shaped design. The robot vacuum will go all the way into the corner and with its 90-degree angle, it’ll fit corners perfectly. 

Neato robot vacuums don’t have any side bristly to clean corners with. The D7 and D8 model have a side bristly, but that is not for cleaning corners but just to clean the sides better. 

The picture above is taken right before it tries to clean a corner. It usually goes along the edges bumping carefully into the wall. It’ll keep doing this until it was reached the corner. It’ll automatically try to fit itself as well as possible and then start to bump its way along the wall again. 

This tactic doesn’t seem clever, but it’s quite effective and practical. 

The bumping doesn’t ruin anything either, it’s very careful when navigating and bumping into things. 

The picture below shows you the corner and how much dirt is left. There is a little and it’s quite impressive how it reached that far without a side bristle.  

However, my conclusion is that a robot vacuum will be better at cleaning corners with a side bristle. My older Roomba did a slightly better job than this. 

Cleaning corners: side bristle vs d-shape only

I think both d-shaped and side bristles methods are working great. They do about 80% of the vacuum work and that’s fulfilling my expectations more than enough. I wouldn’t expect any robot vacuum to clean corners perfectly with the current technology.  

Side bristles seem to work slightly better, so if you are very concerned about not having to manually clean corners, you should go for a robot with side bristles. 

What is the best robot vacuum for cleaning corners?

I think combining the d-shape and bristle method, would give the optimal result. So an iRobot Roomba S9 would be a perfect choice. 

However, the Roomba S9 is a luxury model and is relatively expensive. So I wouldn’t buy a luxury model like this, for the sole purpose of it might clean corners better.