✅ You just want to do whole-home cleans: It can struggle with more specific instructions, but it has no problem with regular whole-home cleans.

Opertating this robovac is nice and straightforward too. We found the app easy to use, with useful customization options. And the bot itself mapped our reviewer's home quickly and accurately, then proved reliable at object avoidance on test, too.

Why we love it: While it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of pricier vacuums, like multiple suction levels, a HEPA filter or a brush roll that can be turned off, it does have five height options ranging from bare floors to high pile carpets, an 8-foot hose for cleaning above the floor and a large, easy-to-empty dust cup.

Forget those clunky old models from years ago, which would wander around aimlessly, sucking up anything and everything in their way. The latest models can map out your home and design intelligent cleaning paths and schedules.

There are caveats, though. Robovacs can't deal with stairs, so their usefulness in multi-floor homes is far more limited. They're also not capable of proper deep cleans, so if you're dealing with lots of hair or dirt, they might not cut it.

On test, we were wowed by this robovac's mopping abilities. The mop pads assert downwards pressure as they rotate, leaving our tester's floors shining and spotless. In contrast, the vacuuming was good but not outstanding.

✔️ Battery life and dust cup: Let the size of your home guide you. If you live in a small apartment, you can consider a corded vacuum or one that doesn’t need as much battery life; if you have multiple floors, you'll want a longer run time and a bigger dust Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners cup. If you have stairs, you’ll need a vacuum that can easily go up and down each step all while picking up dirt and dust.

✔️ Cord or cordless: Decide whether you want a vacuum with a cord, which can limit how far you can vacuum until you need to find another outlet, or if you prefer cordless, which has a battery life you'll need to monitor.

Premium, but there are very few alternatives with this roller mop system. Plus you're paying for the comprehensive dock.

It's realistically far more often than I would drag a manual vac out of the cupboard, so my apartment is cleaner than usual, and my dust allergy symptoms have calmed down too.

Ruth is a Homes Editor at TechRadar, and has been reviewing consumer tech for over three years. She's spent the past year focusing on home appliances, and floor cleaners in particular.

Our tester ran it in a house with two French Bulldogs and four adult humans, and found it got the floors impressively clean, picking up everything from fine dust to larger debris, and tackling hair very well too. Two side brushes mean it's able to pick up debris on either side of it, too.

So if you just want a capable robot vacuum and are happy to empty it yourself, you'll be able to shop mostly in the budget and lower mid-range brackets.

While the Roomba was once synonymous with robot vacuum cleaners, today the brand faces stiff competition from the likes of Eufy, Tapo and Samsung, which, like Roomba, offer vacuums to suit every budget and every living situation.