Robot Vacuums

What it actually does and what it does not

A robot vacuum does not replace your vacuum — it changes its role. It handles daily upkeep so the home never reaches the point of needing a full clean.

In practice: pet hair, crumbs, dust in open areas. It does these daily, without you. The full clean — corners, stairs, upholstery, under heavy furniture — remains the job of a conventional vacuum.

The real benefit is not cleanliness as such. It is that you stop thinking about it.

Mapping: the one feature that changes everything

Older models moved at random until the battery ran out. They worked, but slowly and with gaps.

Current models with laser mapping build a plan of the home and move in organised lines. That gives you three things the old ones lacked: cleaning a specific room on demand, virtual walls for areas you want kept out of, and resuming where it stopped after recharging.

If you are comparing two models, that is the difference you will feel daily — more than suction power.

Before buying: four realistic checks

Height. Measure the gap under your sofa and bed. If the robot does not fit, you lose exactly the spots you never sweep yourself.

Thresholds. Check what obstacle height it can climb. A two-centimetre threshold stops quite a few models.

Rugs with fringes. The classic enemy — they wind around the brush. Some models recognise and avoid them.

Self-emptying dock. The robot empties itself into a bag in the dock, so you deal with it every two months instead of every two days. It is the feature that makes the real difference day to day — and it costs bags.

Mopping and maintenance

Most current models mop. Know what that means: it is a damp cloth passing over the surface, not scrubbing. It cleans fresh marks and dust; it does not lift dried stains.

And the maintenance you cannot avoid: hair on the brush every few weeks, the filter regularly, and the sensors with a dry cloth — a dirty sensor makes the robot get lost or fall down stairs.

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