For regular pick-ups of pet hair and crumbs, choose a robot whose navigation, brush and performance on your types of flooring suit your home, rather than relying on the advertised suction power alone. Mopping and a self-emptying station can reduce some of the work, but they also mean more maintenance and take up space. If you have rugs, thresholds or objects on the floor, check these practicalities before scheduling cleaning while you’re out.
If pet hair and crumbs soon build up again, scheduling can help keep your floors in good order between more thorough cleans. Mapping and obstacle handling are especially important when nobody is home to free a stuck robot.
Compare performance on the types of rugs you have, and check every transition between rooms. ECOVACS notes that even a threshold height quoted for a particular model may produce different results depending on the threshold’s shape and the approach angle.
A self-emptying station can mean less frequent emptying when pet hair builds up. However, you’ll still need to check the brushes, filters, bags and the station itself.
Start with your floors and the transitions between rooms, then consider what the robot needs to do without your help and how much maintenance you’re happy to take on.
| What to consider | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Pet hair and brushes | Check vacuuming performance on the floors in your home, the brush design and how easy it is to remove hair. Look at the maintenance frequency recommended for the model. | I want to pick up pet hair regularly without spending as much time untangling the brush as I do cleaning the floor. |
| Rugs and thresholds | Compare tests on thin or thick rugs, depending on what you have at home. Measure the height and check the shape of every threshold: ECOVACS says its laboratory measurements for climbing thresholds don’t guarantee the robot will pass in every set-up. | My rooms have rugs or thresholds; the robot needs to reach the areas I plan to set it to clean. |
| Navigation and time away | Check the mapping, areas you can schedule and how the robot handles cables and small objects. Clear the floor and observe several cleaning cycles before leaving it to run unsupervised. | When I start a cycle while I’m out, I want to minimise blockages caused by toys, cables or objects left on the floor. |
| Mopping | If you choose a robot mop, check how it handles mops on rugs, as well as the water tanks and how to clean them. Keep a way to deal with dirt that regular robot cleaning doesn’t remove. | Paw prints on my hard floors matter too, but I don’t want to overlook the extra maintenance involved in mopping. |
| Station and maintenance | Check how much space you need around the station, along with compatible bags, filters and brushes. A self-emptying station reduces some of the hands-on work, but you’ll still need to clean its components. | If the bin fills up quickly, I’d rather empty it less often, while knowing what other jobs still need doing. |
| Noise and pets | Compare noise measurements taken in similar modes, and see how your pet reacts before scheduling cleaning cycles. | My pet is sensitive to the robot; I want to choose a time and mode that work for everyone at home. |
A suction figure tells you nothing about how the robot handles your rugs, how it navigates or how easy its brushes are to clean. Les Numériques assesses flooring performance and movement as separate aspects of its tests.
Compare tests on the types of flooring you have, then check how the specific model handles obstacles and maintenance.
For its DEEBOT X1, ECOVACS says the 20 mm threshold measurement was taken in a laboratory. In practice, the threshold’s shape and width, as well as the approach angle, affect the result.
Measure your thresholds and check their profile as well as their height before relying on the robot to move between rooms.
Automatic emptying won’t remove hair caught in the brushes or clean every component for you.
Check which bags, filters, brushes and any mops are compatible, then consult the maintenance schedule for your chosen model.
You’ll still need to budget for these consumables and regular checks. For example, and specifically for the DEEBOT mini, ECOVACS recommends replacing its compatible bags every three months.
Cables and small objects can get in the way even when the robot has navigation features. ECOVACS also says that an animal touching a sensor can interfere with the navigation of the relevant DEEBOT.
Tidy away cables, toys and fragile items, then observe several cleaning cycles with your pet around before leaving the robot to run while you’re out.
Les Numériques includes the X40 Ultra Complete in its French round-up of robots with automatic emptying.
The DEEBOT range includes robot mops with stations and mapping features that vary by model.
The Roomba i4+ and j7+ illustrate two features to consider separately: brush maintenance when dealing with pet hair, and the j7+’s ability to detect certain obstacles.
These models are designed for regular floor care in homes with pets. They combine vacuuming with a station, and several also offer mopping. Compare their advertised features with your rugs and thresholds, and check how much room you have for the station.
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For regular cleaning when the bin fills with pet hair, this model combines a self-emptying station with advertised obstacle-avoidance features.
Its product listing states 8 000 Pa, DuoDetect AI navigation and up to 180 minutes of runtime. Check how it performs on your rugs and thresholds, and how much clearance you need in front of the station.
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This model combines vacuuming, mopping and automatic emptying for homes where you’d like to schedule floor cleaning.
Its name states 8 000 Pa, LiDAR navigation and a dual anti-tangle system. Check its performance on your rugs and its ability to cross your thresholds separately.
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This robot vacuum and mop with station is worth considering if you want to schedule frequent cleaning in areas where pet hair quickly builds up again.
Its name mentions ZeroTangle 3.0, OZMO Roller 2.0 and a claimed threshold clearance of 4 cm. This doesn’t guarantee it will cross every threshold, so check their shape and make sure you have room for the station.
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Worth considering if you want to combine pet-hair pick-up with floor mopping and station-based mop-pad maintenance.
The product listing states 16 200 Pa, an anti-tangle feature and hot-water cleaning at 75 °C. Before relying on cleaning cycles while you’re out, check the scheduling options and how it performs on your rugs and thresholds.
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This robot mop with station is designed for homes where you want to schedule vacuuming and mopping while emptying the bin less often by hand.
Its name states 25 000 Pa, ZeroTangle 3.0 and mop-pad washing at 75 °C. Check whether it can cross your thresholds, how much room the station takes up and which consumables are compatible.
It’s best to think of it as a way to keep accessible floors clean regularly. Keep another way to clean stairs, furniture, corners or concentrated clumps of pet hair, and check whether your thresholds let the robot move between rooms.
Measure their height, but also check their shape and width, and how much space the robot has to approach them. ECOVACS says that the 20 mm measurement published for its DEEBOT X1 comes from laboratory testing, and that these factors affect its ability to cross thresholds in real-world conditions.
Check the bin, brushes, filter and wheels regularly, following the model’s instructions. As an example specific to the Roomba Mini, iRobot recommends cleaning the main brush and filter twice a week in a home with pets. A self-emptying station doesn’t remove the need for these checks.
In France, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to a consumer, according to economie.gouv.fr. If the robot doesn’t match its description, keep the sales information and contact the seller to make a claim.
If it still works, consider donating it or passing it on for reuse. If it has reached the end of its life, ecosystem says that a robot vacuum can be sent to an appropriate recycling scheme.