To keep your floors clean while you’re out, choose a robot whose scheduling, navigation and ability to return to its dock suit your home. First, check that its app is compatible with your phone and network. A docking station can reduce how often you need to empty the dustbin, but it still needs maintenance. Assess the mopping function separately, based on your flooring. As UFC-Que Choisir points out, vacuuming results vary depending on the floor and the model.
You want to set the robot going while you’re out and come home to find it back at its dock. Depending on the model, a saved map may also let you choose which rooms to clean. Check that these features are available in the app you plan to use.
How the robot moves around your home matters just as much as its scheduling features. Check how it handles your flooring and the height of your thresholds, and put away cables and small items before you leave, as iRobot Support recommends for mapping.
A self-emptying station can mean you need to empty the dustbin less often. You’ll still need to maintain the brushes, filters and station, and, if the model mops, look after the mop pads and water.
Start with anything that could interrupt a cleaning cycle while you’re out: how the robot moves around your home, its scheduling and whether it can return to its dock. Then consider the maintenance it needs and whether mopping is suitable for your floors.
| What matters | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation and scheduling | Check whether the robot can save a map, which schedules are available and whether it can return to its dock on its own. Also check that the app is compatible with your phone and network. | If I leave before the cleaning starts, I want the robot to clean the rooms I’ve selected without needing to guide it. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this kind of autonomous scheduling. |
| Floors, thresholds and obstacles | Compare the model’s stated capabilities with your rugs and thresholds, and identify anything you’ll need to move before each clean. | With rugs, thresholds or toys on the floor, my main concern is preventing a cycle from stopping while I’m out. For around 31% of consumers, adapting to the home is the top priority. |
| Emptying and maintenance | Find out what the station actually does, which consumables are needed and whether replacement parts are stated to be available. | I want to empty the dustbin less often, while still allowing time to maintain the brushes and station. Reducing hands-on maintenance is the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Mopping | Confirm that the flooring is compatible and check what’s involved in maintaining the mop pads and water tanks. | For a compatible floor, I want to know whether a light damp clean will meet my needs without making maintenance more complicated. Around 15% of consumers prioritise the mopping function. |
A cable, shoelace or item of clothing can stop a robot while you’re out. iRobot Support recommends clearing the floor before mapping; according to ECOVACS Support, the conditions during the first cleaning cycle can also affect whether a map is saved.
Stay home for the first clean, put away anything that could get caught and check that the robot returns to its dock on its own before scheduling a cycle while you’re out.
UFC-Que Choisir’s tests report that mopping results are often inadequate. In its test protocol, the consumer association advises against using this function on wooden floors, particularly solid wood.
Only choose this function for flooring that’s confirmed as compatible, and check what maintenance the mop pads require.
Depending on the station, you may also need to manage clean and dirty water and the mop pads.
Scheduling through an app may depend on your network and software version. Requirements vary: Roborock, for example, says its QV 35A supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, but not 5 GHz.
For the model you’re considering, check which app it works with, the required Wi-Fi band, whether updates are needed and which features work offline.
A docking station doesn’t remove the need to maintain or replace parts of the robot. France’s Ministry for Ecological Transition states that robot vacuums are among the appliances covered by the repairability index in France.
Check the index shown for the model you’re considering and find out whether brushes, filters, parts and station consumables are stated to be available.
The features mentioned below apply to specific ranges or models. Check them against the model you’re interested in before relying on it to clean while you’re out.
The range includes mapped robot vacuums and models with multifunction stations.
DEEBOT robots span a range of specifications, and mapping features vary by model.
The Roomba range lets you compare app and mapping features, as well as docking stations on some models.
The range includes robots advertised with mapping, some of which can be compared with models that come with a station.
These models are worth considering for regular floor cleaning, with scheduling or navigation designed to suit your home. Station and mopping features vary by model. Check that the robot can return to its dock before relying on it to clean while you’re out.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a robot vacuum and mop with a station for regular cleaning. Its product title lists 25 000 Pa suction, OZMO Turbo 2.0 mopping and an OMNI station. These specifications don’t guarantee how it will perform on your floors.
Before scheduling a clean while you’re out, check that the app and network are compatible, then observe a full cycle in your home. Also make sure the mopping function is suitable for your flooring and allow time to maintain the station.
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Worth considering if mapping and automatic emptying matter for your scheduled cleans. The product title mentions LiDAR navigation, a mopping function, a self-emptying station and stated suction of 8 000 Pa.
Check that the app and Wi-Fi are compatible with your set-up. Having a station doesn’t mean you can skip cleaning the robot; also check how it handles your rugs and thresholds.
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This model’s product title lists LiDAR navigation, app control, a mopping function and automatic emptying. Stated suction is 8 000 Pa, but this figure alone doesn’t tell you how well it will clean your rugs.
If you plan to use it while you’re out, test whether it returns to the station and check the app’s network requirements. If you want to use the mop, first confirm that it’s suitable for your floors.
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Worth considering if you want laser navigation, vacuuming and mopping in one appliance. The product title lists 8 150 Pa suction and hot-air drying, but these features don’t guarantee how well it will mop your flooring.
Before leaving this robot to run while you’re out, check its scheduling, return to the station and ability to move around obstacles in your home. Also allow time to maintain the station and mopping components.
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Worth comparing if you’re looking for app control and a brush described as helping to prevent hair tangles. The product title also mentions DuoDetect AI 3D obstacle avoidance, but this doesn’t tell you how it will perform in your home.
Check that it returns to its station automatically before scheduling cleans while you’re out. Also check the suction specification for this variant: the figures in its descriptions don’t match.
This depends on the model. Check its manual to see which controls are available without a connection. For iRobot Home app features, iRobot Support explains that the robot needs to connect to your home Wi-Fi network. Roborock says its QV 35A supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, but not 5 GHz.
Yes. Remove anything that could block the robot, including cables, shoelaces and clothing. iRobot Support recommends clearing the floor before mapping. You should also stay home for the first cycle to check its route and make sure it returns to its dock.
No. UFC-Que Choisir reports that mopping results vary and advises against using the function on wooden floors, particularly solid wood, in its test protocol. Check the guidance for your flooring and robot before using this function.
Check the permissions requested by the app, the data it processes and the options for managing your account. The CNIL recommends choosing connected features to suit your actual needs. You should also read the privacy policy for the manufacturer of the model you’re considering.