A robot vacuum cleaner can take care of regular cleaning between your more thorough manual cleans, without necessarily replacing your upright or cylinder vacuum. UFC-Que Choisir notes that results vary between models and floor surfaces. Choose a mopping function if your hard floors would benefit from it, and a docking station if going longer between emptying the bin matters more to you than the space and maintenance it requires.
If you have a mix of tiles, wooden floors and rugs, compare how well each model vacuums each surface, as well as along walls and in corners. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these areas separately: a feature listed by the manufacturer doesn’t tell you how well the robot will clean throughout your home.
Scheduled cleaning or a self-emptying station could help. However, you’ll need to find room for the station and factor in the model’s maintenance requirements. For example, iRobot’s instructions also include cleaning components of its Clean Base station.
Cables, toys, pet bowls, hair and narrow spaces all affect which features matter. Measure the clearance beneath your furniture, check how the model you’re considering navigates, and remember to pick up anything that could get in its way.
Start with your flooring and the areas you want to automate, then decide whether mopping or a docking station would take care of a task you genuinely want to delegate. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests look at factors including performance on different floors and navigation around obstacles.
| What matters to you | What to check before buying | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and rugs | Check the model’s results on your flooring, along walls and in corners; compare its ability to cross obstacles with the thresholds in your home. | With wooden floors and rugs, I want to clean both without assuming the results will be the same everywhere; around 33% of consumers rank suitability for different surfaces as their top priority. |
| Mopping hard floors | Look at mopping performance and, if you have rugs, check how the specific model detects them and manages its mop. | If hard floors make up a large part of my home, I’d like to add regular mopping without getting the rugs wet; this is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Emptying and maintenance | Compare the tasks you’ll still need to do with and without a station, the consumables required and the space needed to install it. | When I schedule frequent cleans, emptying the bin less often matters to me, even if the station still needs maintenance; around 25% of consumers prioritise reducing these chores. |
| Obstacles and access | Measure the clearance beneath your furniture and check the navigation features listed for the model, without relying on them as a substitute for tidying the floor. | With toys, pet bowls or low furniture, I want to know where the robot will actually be able to go; around 17% of consumers prioritise managing these constraints. |
Good results on tiles don’t necessarily mean it will vacuum rugs or clean corners just as well. UFC-Que Choisir tests different flooring types and areas of a room separately.
Make a note of your floors, rugs, thresholds and hard-to-reach areas, then look for test results covering the exact model and the surfaces that matter in your home.
A station can mean you need to empty the robot less often, but its own components also need looking after. For its Clean Base station, iRobot’s instructions include maintaining the vacuum channel and pre-filter.
Check the instructions for the station you’re considering, including cleaning tasks, consumables and installation requirements.
Allow for the possible cost of replacement consumables and time to clean the station’s components.
Mop management varies by model. Thick rugs and thresholds can also restrict the robot’s access, even if it’s advertised as having a mop-lifting feature.
Check the instructions to see whether the robot detects or avoids rugs, lifts the mop or requires you to remove it while mopping.
Choosing a new robot doesn’t remove the need to consider spare parts and consumables, or what to do with the appliance it replaces. ADEME lists repair, donation and collection among the options for an old vacuum cleaner.
Check the repairability information for the model you choose, and find out about suitable take-back or collection options for your old appliance.
It’s worth comparing the vacuum-only Roomba and Combo ranges, depending on whether you want to vacuum, mop or use a station.
The X-Plorer range includes robot vacuum mops and models with a station. Compare their features individually.
Compare its robot vacuums and vacuum mops based on your rugs, the station and the instructions for use.
Depending on the model, DEEBOT robots offer mopping, an OMNI station and features designed for rugs or obstacles.
Its robot vacuum mop ranges include models with multifunction stations.
These Joybuy models are designed for frequent cleaning and include robot vacuums, mainly vacuum mops, as well as stations. Choose according to your flooring, the features that will be useful in your home and how much space you can spare for the appliance.
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Worth considering if you want to vacuum and mop during regular cleans. The product title lists an OZMO Roller, an Omni station that washes the mop pads in hot water and dries them with hot air, and advertised suction of 16 600 Pa. Compare cleaning results on your floors separately, and check how much space the station needs.
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Consider this model if mopping hard floors and washing mop pads at the station are important to you. The product title mentions OZMO Turbo 2.0, an Omni station with 75 °C washing and advertised suction of 25 000 Pa. If you have rugs, check the instructions to see how the mop behaves and what’s required for installation.
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If you’re considering this robot for frequent cleaning, compare its vacuuming, mopping and maintenance features with the chores you usually do. Before choosing this version, also check that it can fit under your furniture and that you have enough room for the station.
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Worth comparing if you want to vacuum and mop regularly in a home where hair or pet fur makes brush maintenance more difficult. The product title lists anti-tangle technology, a brush-lifting feature and cleaning with hot water at 75 °C. These features don’t mean you can skip checking the brush or how well it cleans your floors.
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Worth considering if you want to schedule vacuuming and empty the bin less often with a station. The product title lists suction of 8 000 Pa and 3D obstacle avoidance; however, you should still move cables and small objects out of its way. Before choosing this version, check the instructions to confirm which type of consumable the station uses.
Not necessarily. A robot is mainly designed to clean on its own between more thorough cleans. UFC-Que Choisir points out that its results vary depending on the surface. Keep a manual cleaning option for localised dirt, areas the robot can’t reach or more demanding cleaning tasks.
Yes. In particular, remove cables and small objects that could get in its way. A manufacturer’s obstacle avoidance claims depend on the model and don’t guarantee that the robot will avoid every obstacle. UFC-Que Choisir also assesses navigation in its tests.
Yes. It can mean you need to empty the robot’s bin less often, but it won’t eliminate all maintenance. For its Clean Base station, iRobot’s instructions include cleaning the vacuum channel and pre-filter. Check the maintenance schedule for the station you choose.
Follow the clearance requirements in your model’s instructions. For a Rowenta station with reference SS-2230002955, the brand specifies a position against a wall, near a power socket, with 0,5 m clear on each side and 1 m in front. These clearances don’t automatically apply to other stations.
No. Check the instructions for your model to see which products are approved before adding anything. In its support information for the Roborock S7, Roborock advises against using other brands’ cleaning products in the water tank because foam could clog the filter. This guidance doesn’t replace the instructions for another appliance.