Robot vacuum cleaners

Robot vacuums are clever, self-operating machines that make cleaning your home easier. They automatically vacuum your floors, and some models can also mop. We test these vacuums to see how well they perform on:

• Hard floor cleaning
• Carpet cleaning
• Pet hair removal
• Ease of use

In our detailed in-house trials of robot vacuums, we assess their performance, noting what they do well and where they fall short.

With so many robot vacuums on the market, choosing the right one can be tough. Check out our guide to find out what features to consider, key questions to ask, and how to pick the best model for your needs.

• Charging and runtime: All robots tested will return to the charging dock when the battery is low, but as it can take many hours for them to recharge it's worth paying attention to our recorded runtimes, so your vac has enough juice to do the rooms you want cleaned on a single charge.

• Size: Some vacs are bigger than others. Pay attention to the diameter measurements on our test results. Bigger vacs may not fit into tighter spaces, such as around furniture or next to your toilet.

• Mapping: Do you want a more customisable cleaning experience? Smarter models create a map of your home, which you can access via an app to select specific areas for cleaning.

No matter if you're tackling carpets, wooden floors, or pet fur, we explain which type of vacuum is right for your home.

Which type of vacuum is best for cleaning your home?

We look at the pros, cons, and cleaning test results for battery-operated stick vacuums, standard corded vacuums, and robot vacuum cleaners to help you decide which type to buy.

Many things can ruin a shopping experience – a pushy salesperson, the product you wanted not being in stock or having to fork out more than you intended. We asked consumers to tell us the best and worst. Become a member to see the best stores to purchase small appliances from.

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Robot vacuums should be able to clean any type of flooring. We test them on hard and soft flooring and around obstacles (chairs and a bench), so that the setup is similar to a home.

Our overall score combines test performance (how well the robot vacuum) with predicted reliability (how likely models from the brand are to remain free of faults) and owner satisfaction (how likely owners of the brand are to be very satisfied).

Learn more about our testing