The best robot vacuums

For most homes, yes, as long as you see them as a daily maintenance clean rather than a replacement for a deep clean. They work best on hard floors and low-pile carpet, and they make the biggest difference in homes with pets or lots of foot traffic. You will still need a stick or barrel vacuum for stairs, corners and couches.

Most handle low and medium-pile carpet well, but thick shag and rugs with tassels can trap them or tangle the brush. Models that lift their mops, like the Saros 20 and T90 Pro Omni, can clean carpet and hard floor in one run without wetting your rugs. Set no-go zones in the app for anything they struggle with.

Expect to replace dust bags, filters, side brushes and mop pads or rollers every few months, plus cleaning solution for docks that dose it automatically. Self-emptying docks use disposable bags, so check the price and availability of bags in your country before you buy.

LiDAR maps rooms accurately and works in the dark, while cameras are better at recognising small objects like socks, cables and pet mess. Most premium robots now combine both. Budget robots like the Q7 M5 usually have LiDAR mapping but little or no obstacle recognition, so tidy the floor before each run.