But they're not just for people who are busy – they're also a great help to anyone with shedding pets, young children, the elderly or those with a physical restriction.

After cleaning, we calculate the pickup percentage by weighing the dustbin to determine how much debris was captured.

We've been impressed with all of Roborock's recent launches, and most pack similarly advanced features and reliable performance. If you have low-sitting furniture, the Roborock Saros 10R or Roborock Qrevo Slim would be a better choice as both use an innovative new navigation system that doesn't require a raised puck.

There are some downsides, though. The suction power is low for the price bracket – in fact, generally, you're paying a premium for the small size here.

While it lacks mopping or self-emptying capabilities, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is a compact, reliable option for anyone prioritizing high-end vacuum performance. By focusing on the essentials, it saves space without sacrificing premium features like voice control, automatic suction adjustment and scheduled cleaning.

There are a few caveats when purchasing a robot vacuum this cheap. For starters, the iLife V3s Pro is slow, taking more than 90 minutes on average to clean a 5x5-foot test space — others took less than 30 minutes.

Although this does mean it will likely require more clearance space and will protrude further out from the wall as well. Make sure you have a space in mind for your robot vacuum’s dock before you make a purchase, otherwise you might have to move some furniture around.

It has advanced mapping which our top pick overall lacks, so it can record and remember a blueprint of multiple floors of your house after just a few trips; you can then label individual rooms, and tell the s9+ to clean specific rooms on specific days.

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Sounds silly, but yes, they do need to be emptied, and most likely on a more regular basis than your average hoovers.

【Safe and Pelo-stop Cleaning】Sensitive anti-collision and drop-sensing sensors prevent robot vacuum from colliding furniture and tumbling down stairs, suitable for a variety of home environments.

Alistair is a London-based journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. He has tested numerous robovacs over the years for Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners TechRadar, from brands like iRobot, Eufy and Roborock. His favourites match intelligent navigation with smart design.

❌ You're dealing with high levels of dirt: This robovac doesn't self-empty dust, and while the onboard bin will compress dust so it can hold a surprisingly large amount, you'll still have to empty it more than you would a traditional self-empty model.

A robot that doesn't map will just bump around the objects in your home as it cleans and may miss spots or even entire rooms. You won’t be able to view the robot’s cleaning route, send the robot to clean a specific room or spot (more on that below) or set up no-go zones.