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Thankfully, it tends to be more straightforward with robot vacuums, since most brands will publish these specs.
In the mid-range, expect 5,000-7,000Pa of suction.
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo has a maximum suction of 11,000Pa
Lower than 5,000Pa is what I’d expect in a budget-friendly model.
For a deep clean, you’ll probably need to keep one of thebest manual vacuumsto hand.
Mopping functionality
Many of today’s best robot vacuums can also mop floors.
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo has a maximum suction of 11,000Pa
However, for regular, light cleans, a combo robot vacuum and mop can be effective.
In my experience, the latter tend to be more effective at cleaning.
Most robovacs can lift up their mop pads to avoid cross-contamination from hard floor to carpet.
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra has a semicircular mop pad, but also a small side mop
Combo models are generally more expensive than vacuum-only robots.
We’re yet to see a robot that can climb stairs.
This will be more useful if you have a large house with lots of hard floors.
The Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+ has two rotating mop pads
This method is limited in its effectiveness, often leading to debris being propelled right across the floor.
Beware also that long hair tends to tangle round these little spinners.
TheShark PowerDetect Robot Vacuumtakes a different tack, blasting out air to blow dirt rather than flicking it.
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo taking a methodical approach to mopping a wooden floor
This model also has an extending mop pad that can get closer to the edges of rooms.
And that, in a nutshell, is the issue with trying to predict edge-cleaning abilities.
This will be perfectly acceptable for some people’s needs.
More advanced models use various sensors and cameras to create a map of your space.
Related to navigation is obstacle avoidance.
Smart features
Robot vacuums will typically have a few physical buttons that set off basic tasks.
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra’s dock has clean and dirty water tanks, plus a larger dust bag
Price
Pricing for robot vacuums can range massively.
Bear in mind that features such as mopping, self-emptying, and self-cleaning will all result in price bumps.
Currently, the biggest brands seem to be launching a number of new models each year.
Often the differences between various models is minimal, and the ranges are confusing to navigate as a buyer.
In general, it isn’t hard to find deals on robot vacuums, and older models in particular.
Hair-tackling features
When I talk about hair-tackling features, I mean two things.
Robovacs such as the S8 MaxV Ultra can correctly identify a wide range of objects
The dual rubber brushrolls on Roborock robovacs, for example, have proven particularly good at hair pickup.
Spinning side brushes can prove much more of a challenge, however.
Generally, this is by training them to recognize and avoid it.
Onboard dustbins tend to be small
These are premium features, so don’t expect them on anything but the most expensive robot vacuums.
The dual rubber rollers on Roborock robovacs are great at gripping hair
The Dreame Tricut attachment has little blades to snip long hair
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra can go on a Pet Patrol to check on your pet
