Pick by floor type and obstacles first, dock second, and suction last. Compare published cleaning tests, then decide whether dock automation, better obstacle avoidance or threshold climbing justifies paying more. Carpet, pets and door thresholds are what genuinely separate models.
Start with your floors, not the spec sheet
The single best predictor of whether you will be happy is the mix of surfaces in your home. Hard floors throughout is the easy case and almost any current model handles it. Deep carpet is harder: mopping robots need to lift or detach their pads to avoid dragging wet cloth across the pile, and that mechanism is what you pay for. Homes with raised thresholds between rooms are the hardest case of all, because a robot that cannot climb simply never cleans the far room.
- Mostly hard floors: almost any model works; spend the money on the dock instead
- Mixed carpet and hard floor: require mop lifting or detaching, not just "mop mode"
- Raised thresholds: check the published climb height against a tape measure
- Pets: prioritise anti-tangle brush design over headline suction
Suction numbers are the least useful figure on the page
Pascal ratings are the industry's favourite marketing number and the least comparable one, because manufacturers measure them differently and rarely publish the method. The range across current models is wide — we recorded 18,500Pa on the Roborock Qrevo S Pro, 22,000Pa on the Saros 10, 25,000Pa on the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro and 30,000Pa on the iRobot Roomba Max 775 Combo — but reviewers do not report cleaning results in that order. Brush design, pressure on the floor and how well the robot detects carpet matter more. Treat suction as a rough tier indicator and nothing finer.
The dock is what you are really buying
A full dock can empty the bin, wash and dry the mop pads, and refill the clean-water tank. Check the exact dock included in the offer: model names and bundles can look similar while omitting useful features. Compare pad washing, drying, dirty-water handling and tray access together. A high wash temperature alone does not prove better cleaning or remove the need to clean the dock.
- Self-empty only: still needs manual mop washing
- Wash and dry: the meaningful upgrade for anyone who mops regularly
- Removable wash tray: check how easy it is to clean by hand
- Every dock still needs bags, filters and its own periodic clean
Climbing and obstacle avoidance decide the frustrating days
A robot that gets stuck is a robot you stop using. Two mechanisms matter. The first is chassis lift: check single-step and double-step figures separately. Roborock's UK page specifies up to 4.5cm for a single step or 8.8cm for a double step on the Saros 20, under its test conditions. Measure the shape of your doorway as well as its height. The second is obstacle recognition, which is what keeps a robot from spreading a dropped sock or something worse across the floor. Camera-based recognition is better at this than LiDAR alone, at the cost of a camera in your home.
Compare the offer and what it includes
Use the offers on our comparison and product pages for each model’s latest recorded price, seller and check date. Compare the exact model, dock, accessory bundle, delivery and warranty. A lower headline price can refer to a different package or an unavailable listing; open the seller’s page before ordering.
Ignore the launch price, check the current one
Robot vacuum offers change frequently. A model that looks unaffordable in an older review may be in budget today, and an advertised discount may reflect a launch price rather than a recent selling price. Use a review for cleaning behaviour and the dated retailer offer for the price comparison.
Questions people ask
Is a robot hoover worth it if I have carpet throughout?
Yes, but buy for carpet specifically. You want strong carpet detection, an anti-tangle brush and, if you want mopping at all, a pad-lifting or detaching mechanism. A robot that drags a damp pad over carpet is worse than no mop at all.
How much should I spend?
Compare the listed prices of models with the features your home needs. For hard floors, reliable mapping and a useful dock are good priorities. For pets or mixed floors, look closely at brushes, obstacle recognition and mop lifting. Pay extra for climbing features only if your doorways need them.
Do I need the camera models?
Camera-based obstacle recognition genuinely avoids more hazards, especially pet accidents and cables. The trade-off is a connected camera mapping your home. If that matters to you, a LiDAR-only model still navigates well; it just recognises fewer specific objects.
What is the real ongoing cost?
Budget for dust bags, filters, mop pads, brushes and eventually a battery. A self-emptying dock reduces your effort but adds consumables. Parts availability over several years matters more than anything in a starter bundle.
Why do the same model's specs differ between websites?
Because they genuinely do. We found a current Dreame model listed as both 28,000Pa and 20,000Pa, and self-empty intervals quoted as both 100 and 75 days on pages from the same brand. Where sources disagree we leave the figure off the model's page rather than pick one.