✔️ Battery life and dust cup: Let the size of your home guide you. If you live in a small apartment, you can consider a corded vacuum or one that doesn’t need as much battery life; if you have multiple floors, you'll want a longer run time and a bigger dust cup. If you have stairs, you’ll need a vacuum that can easily go up and down each step all while picking up dirt and dust.

We'll dig into the app and gauge how well-designed, usable and intuitive it is, and how much control it offers. We'll also test any specific performance claims made by the manufacturer, as well as checking out any special features like built-in voice assistants and camera surveillance.

We were particularly impressed by the effectiveness of its row-cleaning pattern — it thoroughly picked up fur and debris even if it blew or knocked them to the sides on an initial passthrough.

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.

❌ You're on a budget: The Deebot T30S Combo is one of the more expensive robot vacuums in my guide, and if you're willing to make a few compromises on performance or features then there are plenty more affordable alternatives.

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.

All the robot vacuums in this ranking have been rigorously tested, either by one of the TechRadar Homes team or an experienced reviewer. Meet some of the expert reviewers who tested the robovacs that feature in this guide.

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 Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners different suction settings to clean everything from delicate drapes and lampshades to plush, high-pile carpets.

Carolyn selected all of the picks for this round-up and advised the Cleaning Lab's former reviews analyst, Jodhaira Rodriguez, during the testing of wet-dry vacuum and mop combo devices, one of which was included in this list of the best vacuums.

Plus, when the battery is running low, the vacuum returns to its charging base, empties into a sealed large-capacity bag for mess-free disposal and resumes cleaning where it left off.

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.

You are looking for a lightweight, quick picker-upper for bare floors and low-pile rugs. The cleaning performance of this type of vacuum is getting better and better, and it may be the only vac some homes require.

100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more. The best robot vacuums complement regular vacuuming and require little attention, though their built-in smarts raise privacy concerns.

✔️ Bag or bagless: Both types clean well in our Cleaning Lab tests. Bagless models come with a dust cup and filter that needs frequent emptying and cleaning. The advantage is that you don’t have to stock up on bags or ever worry about running out of them. They can be messy to clean and empty, though, and may not be the best choice for those with dust allergies.