As well as these standardized tests, my reviewers integrate these robovacs into their daily cleaning setup, to get a feel for how effective and user-friendly they are in general.

Combo models might also have mops that can kick out from the side of the vacuum to get closer to the sides of rooms.

We also found this robot vacuum would dock regularly for mop cleaning, which isn't necessarily an issue, but does extend overall cleaning times. It will automatically empty and refill its onboard water tank, and it can clean its own mop pads too.

We're constantly getting new samples in for testing, and as a member of ASTM International's F11 Vacuum Cleaner Committee, we meet twice yearly with engineers and technical representatives from all brands to help develop and shape the vacuum cleaner test standards we all use to assess performance, ease of use, durability and more.

This mopping, self-emptying robot vacuum comes from networking giant TP-Link – probably best known for its Net routers rather than its home appliances. The Tapo RV30 plus has the clean and fussless appearance of a wifi hub, but the performance and features of a top-end robot vacuum.

As you’re getting a three-in-one system with this robot vacuum, we also tested the stick and handheld vacuums. The stick vacuum excelled at lifting pet hair and dust on hard floors while the handheld worked best at collecting lingering crumbs.

(If you want even more impressive mopping, check out the Eureka J20 at #6, which has a roller mop that supplies continuous fresh water, and siphons off the dirty stuff as it cleans.)

Dirt sensors help the robots detect which areas Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners of your floor to pay more attention to, while the iRobot J7+ and S9+ take pictures of areas they couldn’t tackle, sending them to the app so you can address them when you next clean.

✔️ Attachments: The handy attachments that come along with your vacuum are equally important. A motorized power nozzle can help you clean carpets and rugs more efficiently, while a crevice tool can help you reach tough spots that tend to collect dust, such as behind a couch or dresser.

But this means you have to empty it a lot less often, and it traps dust particles in the system rather than releasing them back into the air – great for allergy sufferers.

You need to refill the water tank manually too (although the water level used when mopping is customisable) and there’s no indicator for when the dock waste bag needs emptying. Hoover advises doing this every 60 days.

Your home has lots of stairs and bare floors. Many full-size canister vacuums come with a power nozzle that has a rotating brush to mimic that of an upright.

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.

And this design from Eufy definitely falls into that category. It’s the first one to have a dual water tank within the robot, which means it collects dirty water and cleans the mop as it goes.