To keep your floors clean between manual cleans, first choose a robot that can follow the routes you want it to take around your home. Check its scheduling options, the areas it can clean and the thresholds it can cross. Add mopping if your hard floors would benefit from it, or a station if frequent emptying is a concern. These features won’t eliminate the need to maintain the robot or clean surfaces it can’t reach by hand.
If you want to keep tiles or wooden floors clean regularly between manual cleans, decide whether scheduled vacuuming is enough or whether you’ll also use a damp clean. If you choose the latter, factor in the care needed for the cloths or pads.
Measure your thresholds and note where your rugs are, whether they have fringes and where pet hair tends to gather. UFC-Que Choisir assesses suction on different floor types, among other things, so a feature listed on the box won’t tell you exactly how the robot will perform in every room.
If mapping and schedules determine when the robot cleans, check which app the exact model requires, whether it’s compatible with your phone and how updates work. To get the most out of it over time, also look into maintenance requirements and repairability information.
Start with the routes the robot will need to take, then consider the balance of hard floors and rugs in your home. Next, decide whether emptying the bin and other maintenance tasks make a station worthwhile.
| Feature | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation and scheduling | Check the mapping, scheduling by room or area, and whether the model’s app is compatible with your phone. | When different rooms need cleaning at different times, I want to organise the cycles without having to restart the robot each time. Around 31% of consumers prioritise navigation and scheduling. |
| Mopping hard floors | Look at the mopping system, how it handles rugs, and how to care for the cloths or pads. | If most of my floors are hard, I might want a damp clean between manual mops, as long as I’m happy to look after the mopping components. Around 31% of consumers put this need first. |
| Rugs, thresholds and obstacles | Compare your measured thresholds with the model’s stated climbing ability, and check how it performs on your rugs. | If I have rugs, thresholds or pet hair, I want to know where the robot can actually move around and clean without help. Around 23% of consumers consider this a priority. |
| Emptying and maintenance | Check how the station works, whether it needs consumables, and what spare parts and repairability rating are listed. | With frequent cleans, emptying a small bin often can become a chore; I also want to know what maintenance I’ll still need to do. Around 15% of consumers prioritise these considerations. |
A station helps with emptying the bin, but it doesn’t take care of every maintenance task. Mopping is designed for hard floors, and UFC-Que Choisir notes that results vary between systems. Keep another way to clean stairs, furniture and areas the robot can’t reach.
A damp clean is intended for hard floors and means dealing with water and the mopping components. UFC-Que Choisir notes that results vary from one system to another.
Make a note of where your rugs are and check the manual to see how the model handles them during a combined vacuum-and-mop cycle.
How well a robot can cross an obstacle depends on the model and the obstacle itself. A figure given for one model doesn’t tell you whether it can get over every threshold, cable or object on the floor.
Measure the routes between rooms and compare the height and shape of each threshold with the conditions specified for the robot you’re considering.
Automatic dust transfer means you’ll need to empty the robot’s bin less often, but the brushes, filters, sensors and any mopping components still need regular attention.
Check the manual to find out what tasks you’ll need to carry out and which consumables are compatible with the exact model.
Depending on the station, you may need to replace bags, filters, brushes or cloths.
Schedules, maps and some settings may depend on the app that works with the robot. Update requirements vary between models.
Before choosing a model for a particular feature, check which app it needs, which phones are compatible and what the update instructions say.
These ranges show the kinds of features to compare on specific models; they aren’t necessarily shared by every product from a brand.
The X-PLORER range includes robots with different navigation, connectivity and mopping features, and some models come with a station.
Some Roborock models combine LiDAR navigation, app settings and an emptying station. Mopping and obstacle-handling features depend on the model.
Mapping features and the app used with Roomba robots depend on compatibility.
Consider these robot vacuums if you’d like to schedule floor cleaning. Compare their mopping, dust collection and navigation features with the rugs and thresholds in your home, and the time you’re willing to spend on maintenance.
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Worth considering if you want to combine scheduled floor cleaning with bin emptying at the station.
The product name mentions LiDAR navigation and control via a Wi-Fi app. Check that the app is compatible with your phone, and see how the robot handles your rugs and thresholds.
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Worth considering if pet hair and objects on the floor are important factors for regular cleaning.
The product name mentions an anti-tangle brush, obstacle avoidance and app control. Check how it’s expected to handle your rugs and thresholds, and whether the app is compatible with your phone.
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Worth considering if you want scheduled cleaning with an emptying station.
The product name mentions LiDAR navigation, a mopping function and an anti-tangle system. Before running a wet-cleaning cycle, check how it handles rugs and whether the app is compatible with your phone.
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Worth considering if you want to schedule cleaning and leave some mopping tasks to the station.
The product name mentions laser navigation and hot-air drying. A station doesn’t remove the need to maintain the tanks, brushes or sensors; check that it can also cross your thresholds.
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Worth considering if scheduled cleaning, mopping and handling thresholds all factor into your decision.
The product name states a maximum threshold clearance of 4 cm, but that doesn’t guarantee it can cross every threshold. Compare their shape with the conditions specified for the model, too. The station still needs its tanks and dust collection system maintained.
No. It’s best to choose one for regular cleaning of accessible floors. UFC-Que Choisir compares performance on different surfaces and also looks at edges and corners. Stairs, furniture and more targeted cleaning still need a different approach.
Check which app the model requires, whether it’s compatible with your phone and whether it has the scheduling settings you need. Also read the update instructions: iRobot says that, for its wireless updates, the robot must be inactive and on its Home Base.
No. It can transfer dust from the robot’s bin, but you’ll still need to follow the care instructions for the brushes, filters and sensors, as well as the mopping components if the model has them. Check how much space the station takes up and which consumables it needs.
In France, the repairability rating gives an indication of how easy or difficult it is to repair the vacuum cleaners it covers, including robots, with a score out of 10. ADEME and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition recommend checking information about documentation and spare parts, among other things. The rating doesn’t measure cleaning performance.