Take the hassle out of hoovering: The best robot vacuum cleaners for your home

At first, a robot vacuum cleaner can sound like an extravagance (particularly when you can pick up the more familiar version for a knockdown price – some of the best vacuum cleaners are under £100). However, in a world where everyone is just getting busier, it makes sense to spend a bit more and reclaim some valuable time by introducing a little automation into things. But they're not just for people who are busy – they're also a great help to anyone with shedding pets, young children, the elderly or those with a physical restriction.

They're seriously smart gadgets. By utilising sensors, the robots avoid drops and obstacles. The user selects a cleaning course type, be it room, edge or spot clean, and off it goes. The rounded shape means that they won’t snag or catch, and they have no sharp corners to damage any of your prized possessions. The low profile lets them pass under furniture to clean where you cannot. These are all standard features.

The best robot vacuums of 2024 at a glance:

• Best overall: SwitchBot K10+ Pro – View on Amazon
• Best budget: Venga! Robot Vacuum Cleaner – View on Amazon
• Best robot vacuum and mop: Proscenic 850T – View on Amazon
• Best for pet hair: Roomba j7+ – View on iRobot
• Best for hardwood floors: Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision – View on John Lewis

There are a lot of helpful robots out there, across different price ranges and boasting different abilities. To help you out, we've brought together a selection of the best robot vacuum cleaners.

The best robot vacuum cleaners 2024

All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.

Is it worth getting a robot vacuum?

Yes, yes and yes again, robot vacuums are honestly worth every penny. You'll have floors that have never been so clean and with minimal effort, what's not to love?

Of course, coughing up the heavy sum of cash can be daunting at first, but the efficiency, speed and basically zero effort, means you can spend more time doing the things you love instead of hoovering.

While the robot does most of the work for you, there may still be areas that it misses, like under sofas or corners it can't reach. Just like this, there are other factors to consider before splashing the cash, so let’s take a look.

What you need to know before investing in a robot vacuum:

They need to be emptied

Sounds silly, but yes, they do need to be emptied, and most likely on a more regular basis than your average hoovers.

Some robot vacuums do however feature self-emptying functions, where dirt and debris are emptied into their charging base/ home point, which again will need to be emptied but on a less regular basis.

They can get stuck

It happens, even with all their sensors and crazy abilities, your robot vacuum can get stuck sometimes on their route.

Issues like this can be avoided after the first few trips around the house, if you identify problem areas your robot vacuum typically encounters, simply block them off.

They need clear space

Your robot vacuum will go for any cables, loose shoelaces and cords if they're out and in their route of cleaning. No permanent damage will be done, but you will have to clear these away to avoid the issue occurring again.

There are newer features and models that were created to avoid this, some now come with mapping tape so you can square off areas you want them to clean, others feature detailed floor-scanning, which will detect cables and areas to avoid.

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Read more about why you should trust us.

William Austin-Lobley is the Editor for What's The Best. Here, he oversees, curates and researches listicles and reviews as many products as his home office can handle.

He has spent nearly five years writing about tech, audio, outdoors and fitness and has reviewed everything from smartphones to ice baths. In addition, he's well-versed in sniffing out the best deals and savings the internet offers.

When not at his desk writing, reviewing or deal-hunting, he'll be relaxing with Japanese crime novels, bingeing some classic anime, strolling the countryside or at the gym listening to the heaviest metal Spotify has to offer.

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