For instant pick-ups of crumbs and dust, choose a cordless stick vacuum if you’re happy to vacuum manually. If you’d rather schedule regular cleaning, consider a robot vacuum, provided your home is suitable. A canister vacuum is still a good option if you also need one appliance for larger areas and more thorough cleans. Whichever type you choose, check how it performs on your floors and what maintenance it needs. Don’t rely solely on the stated battery life or a single power figure.
If you want to get your vacuum out and put it away quickly after a meal, a cordless stick vacuum is handy for quick manual clean-ups. UFC-Que Choisir highlights its manoeuvrability, but also the need to consider battery life and regularly clean the brush, filter and dust container.
A robot vacuum is ideal if you’d rather not guide the vacuum every time, as long as your floors and home layout are suitable. UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking how it performs on your flooring, how often the dust container needs emptying, and whether the app is compatible and receives updates.
If you want one appliance for a larger area or a more thorough clean, consider canister vacuums and their accessories. UFC-Que Choisir describes them as suitable for larger areas, while noting that they’re heavier and less manoeuvrable than stick vacuums.
Choose this if: you want to pick up small messes straight away and don’t mind guiding the vacuum yourself.
The trade-off: battery life depends on the mode you use; UFC-Que Choisir considers this format best suited to quick clean-ups.
Choose this if: you’d prefer to schedule regular cleaning in a home where it can move around easily.
The trade-off: scheduling doesn’t remove the need to clear cluttered areas or maintain the robot and, where applicable, its docking station.
Choose this if: you also need one vacuum for larger areas and more thorough cleaning.
The trade-off: its cord and bulk make it less convenient to get out for a few crumbs; UFC-Que Choisir describes it as less manoeuvrable than a stick vacuum.
| What to consider | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Run time | For a stick vacuum, compare battery life in the mode you’ll use with the charging time. UFC-Que Choisir notes that the maximum battery life claimed is generally measured at the lowest power setting. | I want to finish my usual clean without having to wait for the battery to recharge. |
| Routine maintenance | Check how easy it is to access the dust container, brush and filters, as well as which consumables the model needs. For a robot without an auto-empty station, UFC-Que Choisir notes that the dust container needs emptying very regularly. | After frequent cleans, I want to know what maintenance I’ll need to do and how often. |
| Flooring and types of dirt | Look for test results on your type of flooring and for crumbs, dust, edges and corners. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these separately; a single power figure doesn’t tell you everything. | In my home, dirt collects both in the middle of rooms and near skirting boards or on rugs. |
| Using a robot vacuum | Check whether it can move under furniture and around obstacles, then look at the model’s mapping features. Also check which phones are compatible, whether a connection is required, if the app receives updates and which replacement parts are available. | I want to schedule cleaning without later discovering that an area of my home or my phone prevents me from using it as intended. |
This figure is generally based on the lowest power setting. In its tests, UFC-Que Choisir records an average of around ten minutes at maximum power, but this doesn’t predict how long any individual model will run.
Estimate how long your usual clean takes, then compare battery life in the modes you plan to use, as well as charging time.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that performance varies depending on the floor, and that the dust container needs emptying very regularly if there’s no auto-empty station. Obstacles, edges and corners also matter when choosing a model.
Check clearance under your furniture, which areas need to be kept clear, and the maintenance required for the model and its station.
UFC-Que Choisir tests different floor types, kinds of dirt and certain hard-to-reach areas separately. With a canister vacuum, the design of the floor head matters too: motor power alone isn’t enough to judge performance.
Compare tests carried out on surfaces similar to yours and check which brushes or floor heads are included.
Depending on the type of vacuum, bags, filters, brushes and other parts may need cleaning or replacing. Whether they’re available for the exact model you’re considering can affect how practical it is over time.
Check the product codes for consumables and which parts are available before you buy. In France, also check the repairability index displayed for the product.
These ranges illustrate different features to consider for a specific model. They don’t guarantee how a product will perform on your floors, or mean that it’s among the products listed below.
Rowenta offers cordless stick vacuums, robot vacuums and canister vacuums. Its online shop lets you search for robot vacuum parts and accessories by model number.
Roborock offers connected robot vacuums. For example, the brand describes the QV 35A as featuring LiDAR navigation, obstacle avoidance and a multifunctional station.
Dreame offers robot vacuums, including some models that can be controlled using a mobile app.
These cordless stick vacuums are suited to quick manual clean-ups, while the robot vacuums are designed for people who want to schedule regular cleaning. For each one, compare the stated specifications with your floors and the maintenance you’re happy to take on.
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A cordless stick vacuum for picking up everyday messes by hand. Its product title states 27 kPa suction, an anti-tangle brush and a charging station with automatic emptying. Check the battery life in the mode you plan to use and which consumables the station needs.
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This cordless stick vacuum is designed for occasional manual clean-ups. Its product title states 55,000 Pa, 45 minutes of battery life, an anti-tangle brush and a freestanding design. Check which mode that run time refers to and look for performance results on your flooring.
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This cordless stick vacuum lets you clean without a cable. Its product title states up to 65 minutes of battery life, 60,000 Pa, an anti-tangle brush and a freestanding design. Check the run time for the setting you’ll use and how easy it is to handle for frequent clean-ups.
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This robot vacuum and mop with station is designed for scheduled cleaning rather than manually guided vacuuming. Its product title states 25,000 Pa and mop washing at 75 °C. Check app compatibility, the space needed for the station and how it performs on your floors.
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According to its product title, this robot vacuum and mop features laser navigation, obstacle recognition and an integrated station; stated suction is 8,150 Pa. For scheduled cleaning, check app and network compatibility, where the station will go and how to maintain the accessories.
Look for enough run time to complete your usual clean in the mode you’ll use, rather than aiming for the same figure as every other household. UFC-Que Choisir notes that the maximum battery life stated is generally based on the lowest power setting. In its tests, it records an average of around ten minutes at full power.
Not necessarily. A robot vacuum can clean regularly, but UFC-Que Choisir says performance varies depending on the floor and the areas to be cleaned. If you also need to vacuum larger areas or do a more thorough clean, compare canister vacuum performance and accessories for those jobs.
Check which phones are compatible, whether a connection is required, what features are available on the model you’re considering and how updates work. UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking app compatibility and ongoing support; a feature advertised for one robot doesn’t necessarily apply to the whole range.
In France, vacuum cleaners are among the product categories covered by this index. According to the ministry responsible for ecological transition, its score from 0 to 10 indicates how easy or difficult a product is to repair. Check the score for the model you’re considering, then separately check which parts and consumables are available.