In a home with a dog that sheds and rugs, start by prioritising a robot with vacuuming results on rugs and fibres that meet your needs. Mopping is worth considering if you also need to clean hard floors marked by paw prints, provided you check how it handles rugs and are happy to take on the extra maintenance. Keep a traditional vacuum cleaner for areas your chosen robot doesn’t clean well enough.
If dog hair builds up on rugs as well as hard floors, check the test results for the specific model on rugs and fibres. UFC-Que Choisir tests vacuuming on different floor coverings, so a quoted power figure is no substitute for those results.
If paw prints on hard floors are an issue as well as dog hair, a robot mop may help with both tasks. However, check how it performs on your rugs and what maintenance its mop pads and dock require.
If you want to keep day-to-day upkeep to a minimum, compare what you’ll need to do to clean the brushes, tanks and dock. For a model sold in France, also check its repairability index and the stated availability of spare parts.
A robot vacuum is primarily designed to pick up dog hair and dust through regular cleaning. A robot vacuum and mop adds hard-floor cleaning, but also means looking after the mopping components. If the model you choose doesn’t perform well enough on rugs or along edges, keep a traditional vacuum cleaner for those areas.
Best if: picking up dog hair regularly is your priority and you don’t need to mop hard floors every time the robot runs.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to check the chosen model’s results on rugs, edges and corners. Without an auto-empty dock, you’ll also need to empty the bin regularly.
Best if: you also want to clean compatible hard floors where light paw marks appear.
Bear in mind: mopping won’t always replace a traditional mop. UFC-Que Choisir reports mixed mopping results across different robots, and a dock also means maintaining tanks and mop pads.
| Feature | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dog hair and fibres on rugs | Test results on rugs and fibres for the exact model; brush design and access. | If dog hair gets trapped in rugs, I want to know what the robot can pick up during regular cleaning. Around 33% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Room coverage | Room-by-room mapping and documented performance around your home’s rugs, obstacles and thresholds. | If you need to clean several rooms without having to go over them repeatedly, missed areas matter just as much as cleaning the middle of the floor. Around 27% of consumers would prioritise this coverage. |
| Maintenance and repairability | Cleaning the brushes and dock; the repairability index for the model sold and the availability of spare parts. | I’d rather know what needs doing regularly and which parts are available before choosing a more automated dock. Around 27% of consumers would prioritise long-term maintenance. |
| Mopping and rug protection | Whether your hard floors are suitable for mopping and whether the robot has a clearly defined way to handle rugs during a mopping cycle. | If I’m cleaning light paw marks from hard floors, I don’t want the mop pads to wet my rugs. Around 13% of consumers would make mopping their main priority. |
A figure in pascals doesn’t tell you on its own how well a robot picks up dog hair and fibres from a rug. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing takes into account different types of floor, edges and corners.
Look for a test of the exact model number. Pay particular attention to its results on rugs and fibres, then check how easy it is to access the brush for cleaning.
Dog hair can still build up on the brushes, and a washing dock has parts that need cleaning too. For Roomba s series models, iRobot recommends checking the brushes twice a week if you have pets. Ecovacs support also explains how to rinse a washing tank by hand.
Check the manual for the model you’re considering to find out how to clean its brushes, tanks and mop pads.
Depending on the equipment, you may also need to replace bags, filters, brushes or mop pads.
UFC-Que Choisir reports mixed mopping results across different robots. Its tests also highlight specific precautions for wooden floors, particularly solid wood.
Use this feature only on flooring that’s suitable for it, and check the care instructions for both your floor and the robot before use.
ADEME says robot vacuums are among the appliances covered by France’s repairability index. However, the index doesn’t replace the need to check that the parts required for your chosen model are available.
Compare the displayed index, stated spare-part availability and the seller’s details. In France, if you buy from a business, you can make a claim under the legal guarantee of conformity through the seller if the product does not conform, as the Ministry of the Economy explains.
The Roomba range includes robot vacuums and, on some Combo models, mopping functions.
Depending on the model, DEEBOT robots combine vacuuming, mopping and a dock.
UFC-Que Choisir lists Roborock among the brands on the French robot vacuum market.
Dreame is also among the robot vacuum brands listed by UFC-Que Choisir.
These models combine vacuuming with mopping for regular cleaning in homes with dogs, rugs and hard floors. Compare how they say they handle rugs with the layout of your home. Their advertised features are no substitute for test results on dog hair and fibres.
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Worth considering if you want to vacuum up dog hair and mop hard floors as the robot cleans several rooms.
The product listing states that it has an anti-tangle feature, DuoDetect AI navigation and a 10 mm mop lift when a rug is detected. Check how this lift works on your rugs, as well as the type of dust collector and the dock’s consumables.
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Consider this if you need to tackle dog hair on rugs as well as marks on hard floors, and want a dock to handle emptying and mopping tasks.
The product listing mentions ZeroTangle 3.0, Carpet First, TrueMapping 2.0 mapping and a rug-lifting system. Check the instructions for your rugs, especially if they have a deep pile, and find out what maintenance the dock requires.
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Worth considering for cleaning a mix of floor types if you can set areas where mopping should be avoided.
The product listing states that it has a dual anti-tangle system and a washing and drying dock. It recommends setting no-go zones to avoid mopping deep-pile rugs, so check which settings are right for your home.
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Worth comparing if you want to pick up dog hair and mop hard floors across several rooms.
The product listing states that it has ZeroTangle 3.0, rug detection, TrueMapping 2.0 and a washing and drying dock. Check the instructions for using it on your rugs, and allow time to clean the brushes, mop pads and dirty water tank.
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Worth considering if you want regular vacuuming and mopping, and can clearly define how your rugs should be handled.
The product title mentions a dual anti-tangle system, LiDAR navigation and automatic emptying. Before using the mopping function, check how this model avoids wetting rugs and what settings you’ll need.
Not always. It depends on how the model performs on your rugs and around the edges of rooms. UFC-Que Choisir assesses several types of floor, edges and corners separately. Keep a second vacuum cleaner if the robot doesn’t meet your needs in these areas.
Choose a model that clearly explains how it handles rugs while mopping, then check its settings for your own rugs. Depending on the model, it may lift the mop pads or avoid the relevant areas. Don’t assume that a feature available on another appliance from the same brand will be included.
Check the brushes and their ends regularly to remove any built-up dog hair. For its Roomba s series, iRobot recommends checking the brushes twice a week if you have pets. Follow the schedule and instructions in your model’s manual, including for any washing dock.
Check the repairability index shown for the model and the stated availability of spare parts. ADEME says robot vacuums are among the appliances covered by this index. Also check the part numbers for brushes, filters and any other components you may need to replace.
For an item bought from a business in France, contact the seller to make a claim under the legal guarantee of conformity, as advised by the Ministry of the Economy. The brand may also offer a commercial warranty, but this doesn’t replace your statutory rights. Keep your proof of purchase and the product description.