5 things to think about before you buy a robot vacuum

If you’ve been dreaming of having a robot vac puttering around your house, ticking a job off your to-do list as it goes, here are some things to consider first.

A little research before you shop will ensure your new bot is collecting dust in the way you intended in the years to come – and not from sitting unused.

1. How much carpet you have

Hard floors are easy work for most robot vacs – most of the models we’ve tested score above 90 out of 100 for this. But robot vacs still struggle to do a good job on carpet. Our robot vacuum expert Bryan Wall says even the Consumer Recommended ones haven’t got particularly good scores for carpet cleaning.

“All these new ones coming out have these massive suction claims but take it with a pinch of salt,” Bryan says. The highest score we’ve given a robot vacuum for carpet cleaning is 59 out of 100. “Meanwhile there are some models that get more than 90 for carpet cleaning in our standard vacuum test results.”

2. If you have pets

If you’ve got pet hair to think about, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying a model that can actually pick it up.

Bryan says, “Some can but some are just terrible at it. You might think buying one of the more expensive ones will mean you’re getting one that can tackle pet hair, but that’s no guarantee. A $1,300 Miele was one of two models to score just 20 out of 100 in our test for removing pet hair.”

3. How much space you want to cover in one charge

All robot vacs will take themselves back to the charger when their battery runs low, and when they do, they’re likely to be there recharging for quite a while. That can be annoying if you just want the job to be ticked off.

Some of the models with the longest runtimes are also the ones that don’t score highly, though, so it’s not as simple as just getting the one that’ll go the longest. Bryan advises finding a bot that ticks all your other boxes, then checking how long our test results say it’ll last to make sure it’s not one of the short-lived ones.

4. Can you give it the space to do its job

You might find a robot vac turns you into a tidier person, as you’ll have to make sure the floor is clear of obstacles if you want it to do its job. If you’re a parent to young kids, be aware that a rogue piece of Lego or a Barbie accessory can be devoured, and any long curtains or cables can also get stuck.

Consider whether you really want to have to do a sweep of the house first, before you use your robot vac each time?

5. Do you have stairs?

You don’t need to worry about a robot vac falling downstairs – all the models we’ve tested have a stair detection feature. But if you have stairs, you’re going to need a back-up vac. If you currently have stairs and a corded vacuum, you might like to consider whether a stick vacuum is all you need to make life easier.

A recommended robot vacuum for less than $300