Which magnets do I use for my robot vacuum?
Magnetic tapes can be used to create virtual walls for certain robotic vacuum models.
They tell the robot that it should not enter the area and must turn around.
We have compiled answers to the most important questions regarding the use of magnetic tapes for robot vacuums.
Important note:
Our magnetic tapes
and magnetic adhesive tapes
are not
suitable for robot vacuums and mopping robots.
Table of Contents
Robot vacuum cleaners and mopping robots are a growing trend.
These small robots hoover or mop your flat on their own and (mostly) quietly.
After a quick programming, the little household helper hoovers all corners of your home.
This is made possible by a built-in navigation system and reliable sensors.
With their help, the robotic vacuum cleaner can also free itself from a labyrinth of table and chair legs or other challenging situations.
Of course, for the robot vacuum to do its job unhindered, a tidy, not too crammed, robot-friendly flat would be best.
The only disadvantage of the robot: It simply doesn’t recognise "no-go areas" or "taboo zones".
It can get stuck on the deep-pile carpet, find its way into the "messy room", get tangled up in the cable clutter under the desk or knock over vases and other decorations.
The solution to prevent such traps: Magnetic tapes, also known as boundary tapes.
What is the purpose of magnetic robot vacuum tapes?
Magnetic tapes represent a barrier, i.e. virtual walls, for the robot vacuum. If the magnetic field sensors detect such a magnetic tape, the device stops and turns around. For the robotic vacuum cleaner to recognise the boundary tape and not simply drive over it, the tape must have a sufficiently strong magnetic field and therefore be of a certain height and width.Which robot vacuums react to magnetic tape?
Some robotic vacuum models use an app for navigation.
With the app, you can determine the areas your robot vacuum should avoid.
It eliminates the need for magnetic tapes for these models.
Using magnetic tapes makes sense especially for older models that do not use an app or those that navigate unreliably despite the chosen settings. For these tapes to work with your robot vacuum cleaner, it must have sensors that can recognise magnetic fields. If you are unsure, please check with the manufacturer. Magnetic tapes as boundary strips work with robot vacuums of all brands, be it Samsung, Miele, iRobot or Xiamoi, etc.
Using magnetic tapes makes sense especially for older models that do not use an app or those that navigate unreliably despite the chosen settings. For these tapes to work with your robot vacuum cleaner, it must have sensors that can recognise magnetic fields. If you are unsure, please check with the manufacturer. Magnetic tapes as boundary strips work with robot vacuums of all brands, be it Samsung, Miele, iRobot or Xiamoi, etc.
Which magnetic tape is suitable for robot vacuum?
If the sensors of your robotic vacuum cleaner are able to detect magnetic tapes, you can purchase suitable magnetic tapes from the manufacturer of your robot vacuum. However, it is often more expensive than regular magnetic tapes. So it is worth to explore more affordable alternatives.Important: When buying boundary tapes, pay attention to their magnetisation. The tape must be axially and, if possible, anisotropically magnetised so that its magnetic field can be easily recognised by robot vacuum cleaners. We would like to point out that we do not carry any tapes with axial magnetisation in our assortment.
How big and how thick should the magnetic robot vacuum tape be?
For the magnetic robot vacuum tape to be recognised by the sensors, the tape should have a sufficiently large magnetic field and be at least two centimetres wide and at least three millimetres high. The thicker the tape, the larger the magnetic field. In addition, larger magnetic tapes do not have to be attached to the floor with adhesive tape because you can simply place the heavy tapes where you want them and then remove them again. If you prefer to attach the magnetic tape to the floor, please use an adhesive that is also easy to remove. This will prevent unsightly adhesive residue on the floor.Where are boundary tapes used?
If you don’t want the robot vacuum to climb on a deep-pile carpet, knock over a valuable vase or enter a room, simply block off the area with magnetic boundary tape. Here are a few examples:- Create virtual walls. Attach a strip of boundary tape to the doorstep so the robot vacuum turns around even when the room door is open.
- Lay the magnetic tape for robot vacuums under the edge of the living room carpet. Part of the tape should still be visible. The carpet will slightly obscure the tape, and it won’t be too obvious. But keep in mind that very thick carpets will weaken the magnetic field. For that reason, deep-pile carpets should not completely cover the tape. In most cases, you can look up the recommended distance between magnetic tape and robot in the user manual.
- Shield a floor vase or other decorative items with magnetic boundary strips. It will prevent the robot vacuum from bumping into the objects and prevent valuable pieces from breaking.
- By adding magnetic robot vacuum tape at the top of staircases, you will protect your device from rough tumbles.