Along with my top picks, I have options to fit specific needs, such as mopping or besting pet hair. The good news is there are a lot of great options.

Most smart robot vacuums can map-out your home using sensors, so they can remember any obstacles, such as the stairs, and let you identify specific rooms/multiple floors.

The standout feature on the J20 is an innovative mop pad, set on a roller like the wheels of a tank, which works extremely well. It's very much a premium option, but the performance is excellent.

Pet owners might want to look for a model that is able to recognize their pet and either avoid it (if it's spooked by the addition of a sentient appliance to the household) or seek it out to check up on it while you're out of the house.

Some robot vacuums also have a mopping function, so you can more effectively clean your hardwood floors and tiles without needing one of the best robot mops. More importantly, it will save you the back-breaking chore of using a traditional mop and bucket!

She has been in consumer journalism since 2020, reviewing and writing about everything from outdoor kit to mattresses and wellness gadgets, with stints on Tom's Guide and T3.

According to some on-line reviewers, its small wheels can get caught when pulling the vacuum along, and it clocks in at over 20 pounds making carrying it upstairs difficult for some.

In our Lab tests: This Miele model comes equipped with a parquet floor brush, sturdy metal telescoping wands and a motorized brush roll with headlights. And it offers five different suction settings to clean everything from delicate drapes and lampshades to plush, high-pile carpets.

✅ You want a stylish dock: The Freo X has a space-age, curvy dock that I wouldn't mind having on display.

Robot vacs are best suited to convenient, little-and-often cleans, so if you send yours out daily, it'll help you stay on top of your pet's hair and stop it from building up in the first place. You'll likely still want to supplement this with the occasional deep clean with a manual vacuum, though.

A big bin means you don’t need to empty it as often. The largest I’ve seen is 800ml, but anything over 500ml is decent. With many bots now pulling double duty as mopping robots, plus the popularity of self-empty dock / charging bases, it’s getting harder to find small robot vacs with big bins.

Like most stick vacuums, this Dyson converts to a hand vacuum, though at over 6 pounds, it's heavier than others Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners we've tested, and all this fancy technology comes at a bit of a steep price.

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This prevents any water from dripping onto fabrics. But for the price it is a hassle to have to manually remove and wash the mop after each cleaning session.