Choose a scheduled robot vacuum to suit your flooring, the obstacles on your floors and the space available for its docking station. The advertised suction power alone won’t tell you how well it will clean your home. A station can mean less frequent emptying, but it needs space and still requires maintenance; if you want mopping, check that your floors are compatible. Keep a manual cleaning option for stairs and areas the robot can’t reach.
A robot can take care of regular floor-cleaning cycles, provided its performance and navigation suit your home. It won’t clean stairs, furniture or skirting boards, as Les Numériques points out.
If you have tiles, wooden floors and rugs, compare how well the robot performs on each surface, as well as how it cleans along walls and in corners. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these surfaces and areas separately in its testing.
Pet hair and fibres make performance on rugs important; cables, toys and textiles can also interrupt a cleaning cycle. If your floors are often cluttered, look for obstacle-avoidance test results and plan to move anything that might get in the way.
A self-emptying station can mean fewer trips to empty the robot’s small dustbin. However, it needs a permanent spot, and the tanks or mopping components of a station with extra features still need looking after.
Start with your flooring and how easily the robot can move around your home, then decide which tasks you want the station to handle. Finally, check the app’s requirements and make sure parts are available for the exact model you’re considering.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and rugs | Compare test results on your flooring, including how the robot picks up fibres and crumbs, and how it cleans along edges and in corners. UFC-Que Choisir tests rugs, tiles and wooden floors separately. | I have several types of flooring and want to know where I’ll still need to do some cleaning by hand. |
| Navigation and obstacles | Check for room-by-room scheduling, no-go zones and tests showing how well it avoids cables and small objects. Also measure the clearance under any furniture you want it to clean beneath. | Toys or cables are sometimes left on the floor, so I’d like to be able to choose where it cleans and clear the most cluttered areas first. |
| Station and maintenance | Check whether the station only charges the robot, empties its dustbin or also maintains its mop pads. Measure the station and the space needed around it, then find out which tanks and consumables need attention. | I’d like to empty the dustbin less often, but I need room for the station near a plug socket and will have to maintain it regularly. |
| Mopping | Check which floor types are suitable and how the robot handles rugs. Look for mopping test results rather than relying on the fact that it comes with a mop pad; UFC-Que Choisir advises against mopping wooden floors, particularly solid wood. | I want to look after my hard floors without wetting unsuitable surfaces or expecting the robot to remove every stain. |
| App and parts | Check that your phone and Wi-Fi are compatible, and look into how updates work and what data settings are available. Search for filters, brushes and other parts using the robot’s full model number. | I want to schedule cleaning cycles and maintain the appliance over time, while understanding how the app uses my data. |
A suction figure on its own doesn’t tell you how well a robot picks up dirt from rugs, tiles or wooden floors. UFC-Que Choisir also assesses how it handles fibres, crumbs, edges and corners.
Compare tests that reflect your flooring, and keep a manual cleaner for stairs, furniture and touch-ups.
A cable, sock or toy can bring a cleaning cycle to a halt. Les Numériques notes that a robot’s performance in obstacle-avoidance tests doesn’t guarantee it will get the same results in every home.
Move anything that could get in the robot’s way, and check obstacle-avoidance test results if your floors are often cluttered.
Automatic emptying and mop-pad maintenance reduce some of the work, but you’ll still need to keep an eye on the tanks and mopping components. Les Numériques also highlights how much space all-in-one stations can take up.
Measure the space near a plug socket and check exactly what the station does for the model you’re considering.
Search for accessories and support information by model number: a page covering a product range may not describe every model.
Note down the full model number, look for matching filters, brushes and station parts, then check the update notes and software support information.
Information about a product range can help you plan what to check, but confirm the features and support available for the exact model you’re considering.
The X-Plorer range includes robots with different navigation and control features, depending on the model.
iRobot provides support documentation for connected Roomba robots and their updates.
Dreame France provides manuals for several robot series and an update page for the X40 Master.
The Deebot T90 Pro Omni features in a selection of tested robot vacuums published by Frandroid in September 2026.
These models combine scheduled cleaning cycles with a self-emptying station. If this setup suits your home, compare their advertised features, then check how much room the station needs, whether your floors are suitable for mopping and what’s required to use the app.
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If you want to run regular cleaning cycles with a self-emptying station, check that both the robot and its base can move around and fit comfortably in your home.
The product name lists 8 000 Pa, up to 180 minutes of run time, DuoDetect AI and 3D obstacle avoidance. These features don’t replace testing the robot on your own floors; if you have rugs, check how it handles the mop pad too.
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Its OMNI station and mopping function may appeal if you want to include maintenance of the dustbin and mop pads in your cleaning routine.
The product name lists 25 000 Pa, OZMO Turbo 2.0, ZeroTangle 3.0 and mop-pad washing at 75 °C. Check that mopping is suitable for each of your floor types, and make sure you have room for the station.
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LiDAR navigation and the app’s advertised custom cleaning may be worth looking into if you want to schedule cleaning for different areas.
The product name lists 8 000 Pa and 200 minutes of run time. Check that the app works with your Wi-Fi, that mopping is suitable for your floors and that you have room for the station.
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This model combines roller mopping with an all-in-one station, so make sure you have room for it and can maintain its water system.
The product name lists 16 600 Pa, OZMO Roller, ZeroTangle 3.0 and YIKO-GPT. Check the mopping instructions for your flooring before scheduling wet cleaning cycles.
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Its advertised LiDAR navigation and automatic emptying are suited to scheduled cleaning with less frequent emptying of the robot’s dustbin.
The product name lists 8 000 Pa and a dual anti-tangle system. If you have rugs, check what happens to the mop pad while it cleans them, and make sure you have room for the station.
No. Check which floor types are suitable and review the model’s settings before switching on the mop. UFC-Que Choisir tests this function on tiles and advises against using it on wooden floors, particularly solid wood. Mopping results also vary between robots.
No. It can empty the robot’s dustbin and, depending on its features, take care of some mop-pad maintenance. You’ll still need to make room for it and check the tanks, mopping components and consumables; a smaller base may only charge the robot.
Check the support page and release notes for the exact model. iRobot says its Wi-Fi robots can update automatically when they’re connected and on their Home Base. Its commitment to at least five years of security updates applies specifically to the Roomba j7 and j7+, from when they went on sale in the brand’s US online shop.
Check the permissions it requests, how it uses data, whether data may be shared and what account settings are available. The CNIL notes that a Wi-Fi robot joins your home network, and that users must be told why their data may be reused and whether it will be shared.