A robot vacuum can keep your floors clean on a regular basis while you get on with your day, provided it can navigate your rooms and is suitable for your floor coverings. Choose a mopping function only for compatible floors. A docking station can reduce how often you need to do certain tasks, but neither it nor the robot eliminates the need for manual cleaning and robot maintenance.
If you want to keep tiles or another hard floor clean between manual cleans, consider whether vacuuming alone will meet your needs. If you want to add a damp clean, first check that your floor is compatible and be prepared to maintain the mop. UFC-Que Choisir notes that mopping results vary depending on the conditions of use.
Measure the gaps between rooms and check any rugs along the route you have in mind. Getting over thresholds, navigating around obstacles and managing the mop on rugs are all important if you want to let the robot work without stepping in every time.
An auto-empty station can reduce how often you need to empty the bin. You will still need to make space for it and maintain the parts listed in the instructions. For example, iRobot support recommends periodic maintenance of the bin, brushes and filter.
Start by considering the robot’s actual route and your floor coverings, then decide whether mopping or a docking station will save you useful tasks. If the areas you need to clean are hard to reach or need targeted attention, you may still need an upright or cylinder vacuum as well as the robot, or instead of one.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Route around your home | Measure thresholds and the clearance beneath furniture; compare these with the specifications of the exact model and check how it handles your rugs. | If thresholds, rugs or low furniture interrupt the route, I want the robot to reach the rooms I have in mind without needing me to move it. Around 33% of consumers rank coverage of their home as their top need. |
| Mopping and floor coverings | Check the instructions for your flooring and the robot; look for no-mop zones and check whether it avoids rugs or lifts its mop. | To keep my hard floors clean between manual washes, I want a damp clean without exposing a water-sensitive floor covering to moisture. This is a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Docking station and maintenance | Compare the station’s specific functions, the space it needs and the maintenance required for the bin, brushes, filters and mopping components. | When the bin fills up often, I’d rather empty it less frequently, while still making time for regular maintenance. Around 25% of consumers say reducing these tasks is their main need. |
| Hands-on cleaning | Consider areas the robot cannot reach and test results for different floors, edges and corners before deciding whether you also need a manual appliance. | If I need to tackle awkward corners, obstacles or a specific spill, I want to deal with it directly rather than wait for an automatic clean. Around 17% of consumers prioritise hands-on control. |
For vacuuming, UFC-Que Choisir tests robots on different types of flooring, so a quoted suction power does not tell you how well a model will perform on rugs, hard floors, edges and corners. Nor does a mopping function guarantee the same results from one model to another.
In its test protocol for robot mops, UFC-Que Choisir limits mopping to tiled floors and advises against using it on wood, particularly solid wood. The flooring in each room matters more than simply having a mopping function.
Check the instructions from both your flooring manufacturer and the robot manufacturer. If compatibility is not confirmed, exclude the room from mopping or consider a robot without this function.
A robot may not be able to get over a threshold, could get stuck on a rug or might leave areas that are difficult to reach. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests also distinguish results by floor type and area cleaned.
Measure thresholds and the clearance beneath furniture, then check the model’s specifications and look for tests that assess rugs, hard floors, edges and corners separately.
Depending on its functions, a station may empty the bin or clean the mops. However, the robot, its tanks and the station still need the maintenance recommended by the manufacturer.
Before choosing a station, check how much space it needs and the model’s maintenance schedule, so you know which tasks it can actually reduce.
Depending on the model, you may also need to replace consumables such as bags, filters, brushes or mop pads, as well as maintain the tanks.
An app or camera means there are extra settings and data access considerations to bear in mind when using the robot.
Check the app’s features before buying. The DGCCRF recommends keeping connected devices up to date, changing their default passwords and restricting unnecessary access.
The Roomba range includes robot vacuums and models with mopping. The French support site provides guidance on thresholds and maintenance.
The range includes robot mops and models with multifunction stations; features vary by model.
The DEEBOT range includes robots for mixed flooring and, depending on the model, auto-empty or maintenance stations.
The French range features robot vacuums and mops, with navigation and station options varying by model.
These models combine automated vacuuming with a stated wet-cleaning function, and each comes with a station that performs different tasks. To choose between them, consider your floors, rugs and the route the robot needs to cover, then look at the station features you will actually use.
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Worth considering if you want to schedule vacuuming and mopping, with a station that handles several tasks related to the mops.
The product name lists a quoted suction power of 19 500 Pa, the OZMO Roller 2.0 system and a maximum threshold clearance of 4 cm. These quoted figures do not guarantee it will get over your thresholds or deliver particular results on your floors.
Check the instructions for compatible floor coverings, rug management and the space needed for the station.
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Consider it for scheduled cleaning on floors that are suitable for mopping, if the station’s functions meet your needs.
The product name lists a quoted suction power of 16 600 Pa, OZMO Roller and an Omni station that washes mops with hot water and dries them with hot air.
Check how it handles rugs and follow the instructions for each floor covering; the station and tanks still need maintenance.
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Worth considering if your cleaning route includes rugs and you want to combine vacuuming, mopping and mop-pad maintenance at the station.
The product name lists a quoted suction power of 25 000 Pa, OZMO Turbo 2.0, an Omni station and mop washing at 75 °C. These figures are not a measure of vacuuming or mopping results on your floors.
Measure your thresholds and check the conditions for rug detection, as well as whether mopping is suitable for your floor coverings.
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Consider it if you want to empty the bin less often and reduce some of the work involved in maintaining the mops during regular cleaning.
The product name lists a quoted suction power of 12 000 Pa, FlexiArm mops, obstacle avoidance and hot-air drying.
Before planning to mop, check the guidance for your floors and rugs. Also compare your thresholds and available space with the requirements of the model and its station.
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Worth considering if your priority is to schedule vacuuming and empty the bin less often.
The product name lists a quoted suction power of 8 000 Pa, LiDAR navigation, an auto-empty station and a wiping function.
Check exactly how the wiping function works before relying on it for mopping. Also check threshold clearance, access beneath furniture and station maintenance.
No. A hard floor is not automatically suitable for damp cleaning. In its test protocol, UFC-Que Choisir mops tiled floors and advises against using a robot mop on wood, particularly solid wood. Follow the instructions from your flooring manufacturer and the robot manufacturer. If the instructions are missing or contradictory, do not activate mopping in the affected area.
Measure your thresholds and check the rugs along the robot’s route, then compare them with the specifications for the exact model. iRobot France support, for example, states that Roomba models can get over thresholds up to 1.6 cm. This figure does not apply to other brands and does not, by itself, tell you how the robot will handle a rug. If you are choosing a robot mop, also check whether it avoids rugs or lifts its mops.
No. Depending on the model, a station may empty the bin and handle some stages of mop cleaning, but you will still need to maintain the brushes, filters, bins, sensors and station components as set out in the instructions. Check each automated task before making space for a station.
Before buying, check that the app is compatible with your phone, review its settings and find out how updates are handled. For connected devices, the DGCCRF recommends installing updates, changing default passwords and restricting unnecessary access. If the robot has a camera, also check its settings and data processing policy.