Many of today's best robot vacuums are pretty pricey, but if you're on a tighter budget, check out the Narwal Freo X Plus. Where it really shines is its vacuuming performance. It packs 7,800Pa of suction, which is more in line with what I'd expect in a much pricier model than one on the cusp between budget and mid-range.

This combo vac-and-mop performs very well on both hard floor and carpet, and it's nice and easy to use thanks to a very well-designed app. It also takes care of emptying itself, meaning less intervention is required from you.

We'll also look at how the robot tackles the issue of switching between vacuuming and mopping – will it reliably detect floor type, and pick up its mop pad when moving from hard floor onto carpet, for example?

✅ You don't have much space: The SwitchBot is very tiny, and can get into tight spaces that others can't. The dock is also compact for a self-empty option.

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The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 offers the best of everything. It intelligently mops and vacuums your floors for up to 30 days. Just set a schedule and the robot returns to its base to empty the dustbin, wash the mop, and refill the tank automatically.

They rate the ease of removing the dust cups or bags and the ease of operating the vacuums’ controls. We also test any other features like battery charge indicators, brush roll control buttons and other tools and accessories.

It’s worth mentioning that the Eufy Robovac X8 earns only so-so marks for data security and even lower scores for data privacy. But as a brand, Eufy robot vacuums earn favorable marks for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in our member surveys. iRobot Roomba Combo i5

The j7+ comes with a cleaning base which is hard to fault. It can hold up to 60 days of debris and looks easy on the eye compared to other bases — plus it’s more compact too.

On the navigation front, we'll also test the robot vacuum's edge cleaning abilities – does it get right up to the edges of rooms, or leave a margin that needs manual cleaning.

This is so that it has adequate space to start cleaning and dock on re-entry, without any furniture getting in the way. Don’t forget that it needs access to a power socket as well.

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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✅ You want a hands-off dock: The dock will empty dust (into a larger than usual dock dustbin), refill water, dispense detergent and even wash and dry the mop pads, so there's minimal effort required from you.