Choose a robot vacuum cleaner based first on your flooring, rugs and any obstacles in your home, then on how much hands-on maintenance you’re still happy to do. An auto-emptying dock can mean less frequent emptying of the dust bin, while mopping is an extra feature for suitable floors. According to UFC-Que Choisir’s tests, results vary, so there’s no reason to give up manual cleaning altogether.
You’d like to schedule some floor cleaning while you get on with other things, and you’re happy to maintain the robot. UFC-Que Choisir notes that vacuuming results vary depending on factors such as flooring, so an autonomous clean won’t guarantee spotless floors throughout your home.
You’re looking to complement vacuuming with regular cleaning of tiles or another floor that the manufacturer says can be mopped. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests show that mopping results vary between robots, so keep the option of cleaning stubborn marks by hand.
Frequently emptying the dust bin, maintaining the mop pads or setting up an app could make your routine feel like a chore. Compare the tasks the dock actually handles, how easy it is to get replacement parts, and the connection requirements for the model you’re considering.
First, check that the robot can move around and clean your floors. Then decide whether a dock or mopping function will genuinely reduce the tasks you want to delegate. Connected features and any remaining maintenance matter just as much as the scheduled cleaning routine.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flooring and navigation | Compare the model’s test results on your flooring and rugs; measure thresholds and clearance under furniture. | If my rugs, corners or thresholds prevent the robot from cleaning effectively, scheduling alone won’t help much. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise compatibility with their home. |
| Maintenance still required | Distinguish between emptying dust and maintaining mop pads; check what needs doing and which consumables are required for the dock. | I want to delegate regular cleaning without having to empty a small dust bin after every use, while understanding that the dock needs maintenance too. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise reducing hands-on tasks. |
| Mopping hard floors | Make sure your flooring is suitable for wet cleaning and look for tests of the model’s mopping performance on the marks you’re concerned about. | For my compatible hard floor, I’m mainly looking for regular mopping as an extra, not a way to eliminate all manual cleaning. Around 21% of consumers would put this need first. |
| App and long-term use | Check your phone, Wi-Fi, account requirements and offline features, then look up the part numbers for wear-and-tear components. | A routine that relies on an incompatible phone or hard-to-find parts wouldn’t meet my needs in the long run. For around 14% of consumers, these would be the main criteria. |
A figure in pascals doesn’t tell you how well a robot cleans rugs, edges or corners. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these situations separately in its testing protocol.
Look for results for the exact model on the surfaces in your home, then compare its height and ability to cross obstacles with your home’s measurements.
UFC-Que Choisir finds that mopping results vary. Whether a floor can be cleaned with water also depends on the flooring; its mopping tests use tiles and advise against this use on solid wood floors.
Check the care instructions from both the flooring and robot manufacturers, as well as test results for the types of marks you’re concerned about.
Mop pads and water tanks still need looking after, while a washing dock has its own parts to clean.
A dock can collect dust from the robot, but not all docks handle water or mop pads. Brushes, filters and dock components still need maintenance, depending on the setup.
Check what the dock supplied with your chosen model can do, and what you’ll need to take care of between cleaning runs.
Depending on the model, you may also need to replace compatible bags, filters, brushes or mop pads.
Scheduling and room management may depend on the app. iRobot’s support information states that Wi-Fi band support varies between its own robot models.
Check the support information for the model you’re considering to confirm phone and network compatibility, account requirements, updates, data use and offline features.
The range includes models with navigation, mopping and a dock, depending on the product. Compare these features for the setup you’re interested in.
The Roomba range includes vacuum-only and vacuum-and-mop robots, with or without an auto-emptying base, depending on the model.
Dreame’s French range lets you compare robots with different levels of dock support.
The DEEBOT range includes vacuum-and-mop robots and docks that automate different tasks, depending on the model.
The X-Plorer range is worth considering if access to parts and long-term maintenance are important to you.
These models combine vacuuming with a mopping function and are aimed at households considering a dock to reduce some hands-on tasks. Before choosing, compare floor compatibility, available space and the maintenance still required.
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Worth considering if you’d like to schedule cleaning runs and empty the dust bin less often. Check which app features you’ll need for your routine, and how to maintain the brushes and filters.
The title lists LiDAR navigation, a rated suction power of 8 000 Pa and a claimed battery life of 200 minutes. These figures don’t indicate how well it will clean your floors.
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Worth considering if you want occasional mopping and fewer tasks involving the mop pads. Check how much space the dock needs, which consumables it uses and whether the app is compatible with your devices.
The title lists a rated suction power of 25 000 Pa, an OZMO Turbo 2.0 mopping system and mop-pad washing at a claimed 75 °C. These figures alone don’t tell you how well it removes marks.
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Worth considering if you want scheduled vacuuming and occasional mopping. Measure the space for the dock and check how the model performs on your rugs, edges and corners.
The title lists FlexiArm mop pads, hot-air drying and a rated suction power of 12 000 Pa. Check the app requirements and consumables before buying.
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Worth considering if you want less to do after mopping. Check the maintenance tasks, consumables and scheduling requirements to see how well they suit your routine.
The title lists a rated suction power of 16 200 Pa, liquid detection and cleaning with water at 75 °C. Check whether these features are useful for the flooring and dirt in your home.
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Worth considering if thresholds make it harder for the robot to move around. The 4 cm figure in the title shouldn’t be taken to mean it can cross a single threshold of that height. Check the limit for the thresholds in your home.
The title lists an Omni dock, an OZMO Roller 2.0 mopping system and a rated suction power of 19 500 Pa. Also check the dock’s maintenance requirements and the app requirements.
No. It’s mainly designed to take care of regular cleaning runs. UFC-Que Choisir notes that vacuuming results vary by floor type and mopping performance can be inconsistent. Keep a way to clean actively for stairs, hard-to-reach areas and localised dirt.
No. Before wet cleaning, check the flooring manufacturer’s instructions and the robot’s guidance. UFC-Que Choisir tests this function on tiled floors and advises against using it on wooden floors, particularly solid wood.
For the exact model, check phone compatibility, supported Wi-Fi bands, account requirements and which features work offline. For example, iRobot’s support information says that some of its models don’t support 5 GHz Wi-Fi; this doesn’t apply to all robot vacuums.
Compare the repairability score, if one is listed for the model you’re considering, then look up the part numbers for its brushes, filters, bags and mop pads. France’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition says that vacuum cleaners are among the products covered by this score. However, you should still check parts availability for each appliance.
In France, the legal guarantee of conformity may apply when a product sold by a trader to a consumer doesn’t match the seller’s description, subject to the conditions outlined by the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. Contact the seller, keeping a copy of the product description and proof of purchase. This guarantee is separate from a retailer’s returns policy for change of mind.