Start by considering your flooring: a wet-dry vacuum is best suited to fresh marks on hard floors, while embedded hair in rugs and upholstery calls for a vacuum with a suitable brush. If your home has a mix of surfaces, you may need to vacuum and mop separately. Tests by UFC-Que Choisir indicate that floor cleaners are designed primarily for hard floors and may struggle with stubborn stains.
If fresh paw prints keep appearing on your tiles or another hard floor suitable for wet cleaning, you may want to vacuum and wash in one go, without having to make several passes. Always check that your flooring is suitable before wet cleaning.
If hair gets caught in rugs, carpets, sofas or corners, start by checking the vacuum’s brushes and attachments. A hard-floor washing function alone won’t clean these surfaces.
A robot vacuum can take care of some routine cleaning if your home’s layout is suitable. However, you’ll still need to maintain the brushes and bins, and, depending on the model, the dock too. You’ll also need another solution for hard-to-reach areas.
In a home with pets, think about hard-floor wet cleaning, removing hair from upholstery and how much time you want to spend on cleaning and maintaining the appliance.
Consider it if: fresh marks keep appearing mainly on hard floors suitable for wet cleaning.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to deal with the water and roller after use. UFC-Que Choisir notes that stubborn stains can remain.
Consider it if: you want to pick up hair regularly from different surfaces and in corners.
Bear in mind: without a suitable washing attachment, you’ll need another step to clean up wet marks.
Consider it if: rugs and carpets make up a large part of your home and you want a mains-powered vacuum with a suitable brush.
Bear in mind: hard floors will still need to be washed separately; bags and filters vary by model.
Consider it if: you’d like to hand over some of the frequent cleaning between more thorough cleans.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to check for obstacles and rugs, and maintain the dock regularly.
Consider it if: your home has rugs or upholstery covered in pet hair, as well as hard floors marked by paw prints.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to tackle the two tasks separately.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who this applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh marks on hard floors | Flooring compatibility and how to maintain the tanks and roller. | Paw prints come back quickly and I’d like to avoid vacuuming before washing the floor. Around 33% of consumers put this need for wet cleaning first. |
| Hair on rugs and upholstery | A suitable brush for rugs and an upholstery attachment, both actually included with the model. | Hair stays caught in the carpet or sofa, where floor washing won’t help. For around 27% of consumers, picking up pet hair is the priority. |
| Handing over frequent cleaning | How the robot handles rugs and what maintenance its dock requires. | When hair reappears between thorough cleans, I’d rather hand over some of the cleaning. This is the main reason around 20% of consumers choose automation. |
| Appliance maintenance | Access to brushes, filters and bins, as well as compatible consumables. | I want to be able to remove trapped hair easily and empty the appliance after use. Around 20% of consumers prioritise easy maintenance. |
The floor cleaners tested by UFC-Que Choisir are designed primarily for hard floors. A hybrid appliance may need a separate brush to vacuum rugs and carpets.
Make a note of your floor types, then check compatibility and which accessories are included. If they aren’t suitable, plan to vacuum separately.
Rugs may require a dedicated brush or a separate vacuum cleaner.
Tests by UFC-Que Choisir point to limited cleaning performance on stubborn stains.
If paw prints have dried, be prepared to clean them by hand when needed rather than relying on the appliance alone.
Hair and fur can build up in a brush, and a wet-cleaning appliance also has parts that need emptying and cleaning.
Check the instructions for your chosen model to find out how to remove the roller, empty the tanks and maintain the filters.
Depending on the appliance, rollers, filters, bags or cleaning products may also be consumables to budget for.
Rug detection and protection for the wet-cleaning module vary by model. For example, Dreame describes roller protection on its Aqua10 Roller, but this doesn’t apply to every robot mop.
Check which features are advertised for the model you’re considering and how it handles the type of rug you have at home.
Bosch offers wet-dry appliances for hard floors and cordless stick vacuums that can use a separate brush for rugs.
Dyson offers cordless stick vacuums with brushes designed to pick up pet hair and, on some models, a separate wet-cleaning head for hard floors.
The Guard M1 Cat & Dog Flex is an example of a cylinder vacuum suited to homes with lots of rugs and carpets.
Dreame offers robot vacuum-mops designed to automate some everyday cleaning.
These appliances cover two needs: robot vacuums to take care of some regular cleaning, a wet-dry vacuum for hard floors and a cordless stick vacuum for picking up pet hair. Your choice will depend in part on how many rugs you have and how much maintenance you’re happy to do.
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Worth considering if you’d like to hand over some regular vacuuming and washing. Its product name mentions the OZMO Roller, ZeroTangle 3.0 system and an Omni station with hot-water washing and hot-air drying. Check how it handles rugs while washing, dried-on marks and station maintenance.
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Consider it if you’d like to automate some vacuuming and washing. Its product name mentions anti-tangle technology, liquid detection with brush lift and 75 °C hot-water cleaning. Check separately how it handles the mop on your rugs and how to maintain the wet components.
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Worth looking at if you want to schedule regular cleans when pet hair and dust build up quickly. Its product name mentions an anti-tangle brush and app control. Before choosing it for a home with rugs, check how the wet-cleaning module works, and ask for details of its suction performance and maintenance requirements.
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Worth considering for frequent marks on hard floors that are suitable for wet cleaning. Its product name mentions a self-cleaning system, but check how to empty the tanks and maintain the roller. If you have rugs and carpets, check what uses are approved before relying on this appliance as your only solution.
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Worth a look if your priority is picking up hair from different surfaces and upholstery. Its product name mentions a flexible hose and pet brush; check which accessories are included for your rugs. This vacuum won’t wash away paw prints, so you’ll need to tackle those separately. Ask for details of its suction performance before buying.
Not necessarily if you have rugs, carpets or upholstery covered in pet hair. UFC-Que Choisir describes floor cleaners as designed primarily for hard floors and notes that they can struggle with stubborn stains. For other surfaces, check whether the appliance includes a suitable brush or keep a separate vacuum cleaner.
Check how to remove and clean the brush, even if the model advertises an anti-tangle feature. Dyson says that pet hair, human hair and debris caught in its brushes need regular maintenance. Also check the maintenance instructions for the appliance you’re considering.
No. It may automate some of the cleaning, but what you still need to do depends on the model. Check the manual to find out how to deal with dirty water, the roller or pads, and the filters after use.
If a score is provided for the product you’re considering, it can help you compare how repairable it is, but it won’t tell you how well it picks up pet hair. Separately, check the brush and attachments for your surfaces, as well as the availability of spare parts and consumables.