Before you start shopping for a new robot vacuum, you should consider what you need from it and how much you’re happy to spend. Here are some of the most common features you can find in robot vacuums.

This combo vac-and-mop performs very well on both hard floor and carpet, and it's nice and easy to use thanks to a very well-designed app. It also takes care of emptying itself, meaning less intervention is required from you.

Investing in one of the best robot vacuums can revolutionize your cleaning routine. They're perfect for taking care of regular vacuuming (and increasingly, mopping too) with next-to-no effort from you, and you can set them to run when you're out of the house, for minimal disruption.

That might not be an issue if you're cleaning on one floor as the bot will just return to its dock to recharge as required, but it becomes more annoying if you're using it on multiple floors.

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You have minimal storage space. Most are slim enough to stash in a corner or closet for speedy clean-ups. They come corded or cordless, and in our Cleaning Lab tests, we’ve found rechargeable ones usually run up to one hour, so you’ll need to keep them plugged into an outlet to keep them fully charged and ready to go. Second batteries are also helpful so you always have a backup.

Even better, its onboard AI is smart enough to detect stains and scrub them harder, finding dirt to boost suction power for maximum performance.

✅ You have pets: This bot tackled the hair in our reviewer's pet-filled home incredibly well – and better than any other robovac they'd tested .

Because maneuverability can be different from one consumer to the next, we have consumer testers rate the vacuums’ maneuverability by running them on a bare floor and carpet, around corners and under furniture.

Finally, there's the Freo X Plus, which is significantly cheaper and more basic than the others in the range. It has mopping capabilities but the dock is just a simple charge dock.

Ease of use: This score is a combination of factors, such as the size of the dustbin, whether the vacuum has a handle for carrying it around your home, how easy it is to clean the brush roll, whether the vacuum scatters debris, and whether you can schedule it for routine cleaning.

Carolyn Forté has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, mops and other major (and minor) home appliances as executive director of the Home Care Lab. She oversees all testing done in the Cleaning Lab and Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners recently tested all of the handheld, stick, upright and canister vacuums that were submitted for consideration in the most recent Cleaning and Organizing Awards.

Human hair is embedded into the same section of the test carpet. Technicians time how long it takes for the vacuum to pick up the hair and weigh the amount that’s in the dustbin and the brush roll.

Robot vacuums have a series of brushes on the underside of the machine that work together to collect dirt and dust that they come in contact with. The dirt is then sucked into the dust cup, which is fitted into the vacuum's body.