Buy for interaction and presence, not for household work. The decisive questions are whether it needs a subscription, what happens to it if the manufacturer stops supporting the service, and what its cameras and microphones send off the device.
Be clear about what you are buying
Companion robots recognise people, respond, move around and provide presence. None of them does useful physical housework. Satisfaction depends almost entirely on whether the interaction stays engaging past the first few weeks, which is a question about software quality rather than hardware.
Subscription and shutdown risk
Many depend on cloud services to function at all. Ask what the robot still does with no internet and no subscription. This category has a track record of products losing features or ceasing to work when a company withdraws support, and a robot that becomes an ornament is an expensive one.
Cameras and microphones in living spaces
These devices are designed to sit where you spend time and to watch and listen. Check where processing happens, what is retained, who can access a remote view, and whether recordings can be deleted. That matters more here than in any other robot category.
Questions people ask
Will it help an older relative?
Some provide reminders, video calling and a sense of presence, which people do value. Do not treat any of them as a care or safety device unless it is explicitly certified as one.
Is the novelty lasting?
That is the honest risk. Engagement depends on how good the software is and how often it is updated. Buy from a maker with a visible update record.
What happens if the company folds?
Frequently the robot loses most of its functionality. Ask what works offline before buying, and weight that answer heavily.