For everyday floor care between deep cleans, choose a robot if you want to schedule frequent runs and can clear the areas it needs to clean. Choose a stick vacuum if you need to clean straight away, especially on stairs or in cluttered areas. Pairing a robot with another vacuum lets you separate routine upkeep from occasional, more thorough cleaning, as long as you’re happy to maintain and store two appliances.
A robot can take care of routine floor cleaning if you can clear the main walkways and take the time to prepare its routes. Scheduling and mapping are most useful when you want to organise cleaning room by room, rather than tackle a mess as soon as it appears.
Compare performance on the floor coverings in your home, then check for cables, small items and carpet fringes that could get in the robot’s way. A model’s advertised obstacle avoidance doesn’t mean you can skip clearing the floor or maintaining its brushes.
A cordless stick vacuum lets you tackle crumbs, stairs or areas that are hard for a robot to reach. UFC-Que Choisir describes it more as a supplementary cleaning appliance, so check its battery life in the mode you’ll use, as well as its weight and how easy the bin is to empty.
Start with your floors and the areas you need to clean, then decide whether you’d rather schedule cleaning runs or do the cleaning yourself. The appliance’s maintenance requirements can help you make the final choice.
| Consideration | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and dirt | Look at test results for your types of flooring and dirt, rather than judging performance by the advertised power alone. Also check how it handles edges and corners, and how easy the brushes are to maintain if you have pet hair to deal with. | I have carpets, hard floors or pet hair to pick up, so how well it performs on these surfaces matters more to me than any single specification. UFC-Que Choisir tests robot vacuums separately on different floor coverings and around the edges of rooms. |
| Cleaning runs and obstacles | For a robot, check its mapping and scheduling features, and how it deals with cables, carpets and thresholds. Find out what you’ll need to put away before each cleaning run. | I’d prefer scheduled cleaning runs if I can keep the floor reasonably clear. If items are often left in its path, the preparation involved will influence my decision. |
| Spot cleaning | For a stick vacuum, compare battery life in the mode and with the brush you’ll use, charging time, weight, and how easy it is to clean stairs and tight spaces. UFC-Que Choisir measures battery life and ease of use in its stick vacuum tests. | When crumbs are spilled or the stairs need cleaning, I want to be able to grab the appliance and tackle the area without starting a full cleaning cycle. |
| Emptying and washing | Check the bin, brushes and filters. For a dock, also factor in any bags and the space it takes up. If the robot has a mopping function, check the guidance for your flooring and how to maintain the mop pads and tanks. | I’d like to minimise the work between cleaning runs, but I can spend time maintaining the dock. For mopping, I want to know whether it’s suitable for my particular floors. |
| App and long-term use | Check the manual to see which controls work without an app, how updates are installed and which parts are available for the model you’re considering. If the robot is sold in France, also check the repairability index shown for that model. | The features I need must be practical for the way I use Wi-Fi and my phone. I also want to be able to find the parts I need to maintain the appliance. |
Cables, objects and fringed carpets can get in the way, and vacuuming performance also varies depending on the floor. iRobot’s support guidance recommends removing obstacles and excessive clutter before cleaning.
Check for thresholds, carpets, low furniture and areas where pet hair builds up in your home, then compare them with the manual and test results for the model you’re considering.
A dock can take care of some tasks, but it needs maintaining too. Ecovacs’ support information describes maintenance for models with a dock, including the dust bag, brushes and water tanks.
Check the list of maintenance tasks in the model’s manual and make sure you can easily access the dock and its tanks.
Depending on the model, you may also need to handle bags, filters or mop pads, and clean the washing tray.
The advertised battery life may not reflect how long the vacuum runs with the brush and power level you need. UFC-Que Choisir separately measures battery life, charging time and ease of use in its stick vacuum tests.
Compare battery life in a mode suited to your floors, then check charging time, weight and how the battery can be replaced.
Connected settings and update procedures vary by model. Ecovacs’ published procedure for the models concerned requires the robot to be connected to the app and online.
Check which controls work without a phone, how updates are installed, and which consumables and parts are available for the model you’re considering. In France, check the repairability index shown for the robot in question.
These brands illustrate features and practical considerations to check for each model. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean every model in their ranges has the same features.
The Roomba range includes connected robots, with navigation, emptying and mopping features that vary by model.
Rowenta offers X-Plorer robots and stick vacuums. Compare the two types of appliance based on whether you prefer scheduled cleaning runs or cleaning on demand.
The DEEBOT range includes models with mapping and mopping, as well as docks that take care of some maintenance tasks.
Roborock offers robots with manuals and an app that lets you manage maps and cleaning zones on compatible models.
These robot vacuums come with navigation and a dock, and are designed to help you organise routine floor care. If you mainly need to clean stairs or tackle a specific area straight away, compare them with a stick vacuum too. A dock doesn’t replace deep cleaning.
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Designed to help you schedule cleaning by room, this model combines LiDAR navigation, a mopping function and an emptying dock. Its product listing states 8 000 Pa and 200 minutes of run time. Mapping and scheduling are managed via an app and a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. Check its performance on your floors and carpets, as well as which controls work without the app. The bin, filters and brushes still need maintaining.
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This robot may suit a household looking to schedule cleaning runs across several floors and use a dock for some maintenance tasks. The product listing describes TrueMapping 2.0 mapping, carpet detection, mopping and an OMNI dock that empties the dust, washes and dries the mop pads. It also states 25 000 Pa and mop-pad washing at 75 °C. Settings are managed through the ECOVACS Home app, while the tanks, brushes and filters still need attention. Check the guidance for your floor coverings and which features work without the app.
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LiDAR navigation and an emptying dock make this a good fit if you prefer scheduled cleaning runs rather than starting a cycle whenever dirt appears. The product listing states that it has a mopping function, an anti-tangle brush system and 8 000 Pa of suction power. Scheduling and no-go zones are managed through the app. Check its performance on your floor coverings, which controls work without the app, and the maintenance tasks outlined in the manual.
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This model combines mapping, 3D obstacle detection and an emptying dock for regular cleaning runs in homes where objects on the floor are an important consideration. Its product listing states 8 000 Pa and up to 180 minutes of run time. It also describes a 10 mm mop lift on carpets. Settings are configured via an app and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Check how it performs on your carpets and the regular maintenance required for the dock, brushes and filters.
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This robot combines mapping, roller mopping and an OMNI dock for households looking to schedule vacuuming and mopping on compatible floors. The product listing states 16 600 Pa and describes a dock that empties the dust, then washes and dries the mop. Setup is managed through the ECOVACS Home app and Wi-Fi. You’ll still need to refill the clean-water tank, empty the dirty-water tank, and maintain the brushes and filters. Check its performance on your floor coverings and which controls work without the app.
Not in every home. UFC-Que Choisir tests how robots perform on different floors, as well as in corners and along edges. If you also need to clean stairs, heavily soiled carpets or cluttered areas, keep a suitable appliance for those tasks as well.
Yes, it’s best to clear the areas where it will travel. Even if some models claim to avoid obstacles, iRobot’s support guidance recommends removing obstacles and excessive clutter. Also check the instructions for your chosen robot, particularly for fringed carpets and small objects.
No. Check the guidance for your flooring and the robot before using water. UFC-Que Choisir says its mopping tests cover tiles and advises against using the function on solid wood in this context. Mopping results also vary by model.
It depends on the controls available on the specific model. Check the manual to see which functions are available for starting a clean, scheduling and managing maps. Also check how updates are installed, as some Ecovacs procedures require a connection to the app.