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.

I loved that the floor brush can be quickly attached with the press of a button. Some online reviewers said the hose was a bit short, but it didn't bother us during testing.

like traditional pleated HEPA filters and likely will trap some small particles, but they could miss the tiny, microscopic ones that can't escape a true HEPA filter. Vacuums with HEPA filters are generally more expensive.

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.

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And based on our tests of similar Bissell models with many of the same features, I think it makes a great basic, affordable vacuum for cleaning hard floors, carpets and other surfaces.

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.

That might feel like overkill, but if you're planning to use the L40 Ultra regularly then it's going to save you a significant amount of time and effort.

Previously in this slot we had the Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni, which offers hot water mopping that's great at tackling greasy spillages. There are some compromises you'll need to make with this model, but it's often on sale and significantly cheaper than this Eureka model.

Though we rated it highly across all of our testing categories, we did note that pet hair clung to the brush attachment. Its dust cup is small, but it empties from the bottom with the click of one button.

It Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners does come at a hefty price, and there are cheaper models such as the Shark PowerDetect, that can do a decent job. However, if you're after a splurge buy, and want top-notch results each time, we would recommend the investment.

When we first get the robot set up, we'll see how long it takes to create a map of the home, and how accurate that map is. For subsequent runs, we'll keep an eye on how the robot navigates the space; if takes a logical route through the house, if it repeats already-clean areas, and so on.

If you want to clean up smart (and never lift a finger!), the best robot vacuums are essential. And whether you're a newbie or want to upgrade your existing model, it can be tricky to find the right model for your home.

The iRobot Combo Roomba j9+ receives solid performance scores across the board in CR’s tests, earning an excellent score for cleaning bare floors and a very good score for carpet. It has smart mapping technology as well as avoidance technology to help it move around household obstacles like cords.