We recommend robot vacuums with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 70% or more.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of hard floor dirt pick-up (20%), dirt removal from carpet (15%), cleaning corners and edges (10%), pet hair removal (10%), mopping performance (15%) and ease of use, including official apps (30%).

We scatter a measured amount of sand evenly over a vinyl floor area and let the robot run for 25 minutes, or until the vacuum completes its cleaning cycle, measuring the dirt pick-up at intervals throughout. Objects like chairs and benches are placed around the room to make the set-up look similar to a home.

We sprinkle sand evenly into a section of carpet and let the robot run for a set period of time on the carpeted area. The sand collected is weighed and recorded.

Tested on jam, espresso, soy sauce, red wine and mud after 12-16 hours. We also look at how the mop reacts to carpet and if/how you can program the vac to avoid it in mopping mode (automatic, manual, etc).

How easy it is to use the mopping function including attaching the mop bin and mop pad(s), filling the tank, mopping settings and controls, cleaning the mop bin and mop pad(s)

We embed cat hair into the carpet and allow the robot vacuum cleaner to run for six minutes. We rate the vacs based on how much cat hair is left behind after the test.

Sand is spread into a right-angled corner, and the robot vacuum cleaners are assessed to see how close to the corner each one is able to pick up dirt.

Available for all models tested from 2023 onwards. Includes ease of connecting and using the app, and ease of emptying the bin (or the self-emptying dock, if it has this feature).

Ease of connecting the robot to the app during intial setup.

Ease of using the app including: User interface; creating, saving and using maps; Details of jobs; creating schedules; changing settings and general controls.

Noise is measured at two metres. Even though most models produce similar sound readings, some emit a high-pitched whistle or various tones and alerts (even music!) that some people may find irritating.

How long the battery will last for without a charge, measured in minutes. We've noticed some models that seem to have a 'cleaning' mode and 'searching for home' mode. In these cases we measure battery life until the motor stops running (i.e cleaning has stopped).

Mopping tank's water volume as measured by out testers.

Robot vacuums bump objects as they find their way around, but good sensors and cameras can help them avoid frequent and/or heavy collisions.

Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. The rating ranks from A (highest) to F (lowest); N/A means there is no rating for that company.

We use the information received from members who took part in our reliability survey to rate the most popular brands for reliability. na means no/not enough responses were received for this brand.

In our reliability survey we asked owners what they think of their robot vacuum cleaner and got them to rate their vacuum ranging from excellent to terrible. We don't have enough responses from most brands.

The model has a claimed country of origin somewhere on it, but this ought to be taken with a grain of salt given it's rare that all the materials for a product come from the one country.

This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price at the time of testing, but shop around to see if you can find a better deal.

Oldest version of the Android smartphone/tablet operating system that supports the associated app.

Oldest version of the iOS (Apple) smartphone/tablet operating system that supports the associated app.

How long it takes for the robot vacuum to do a full charge, measured in minutes.

Whether the robot vacuum can double up as a mopping robot.

The robot charging station can prepare the mopping pads for cleaning, including water and soap (if available). After the job is complete it will clean, empty and dry the mopping pads.

Automatic dirt disposal unit on the charging base - when the robot returns to charge it empties the dust bin into a larger self-emptying tower.

App and robot vac can map rooms across multiple stories in a building.

This feature is used to create an invisible barrier to block off open doorways or other areas you don't want the robot to enter. Some come in the form of infrared towers (which may be an optional extra), but increasingly the barriers are defined using apps on your smart device.

Whether the vacuum has a rotating brush under the housing that pushes dirt into the receptacle.

The side brush helps to clean along edges. We note the number of brushes in brackets.

Most robot vacuums are remotely controlled using an app on your smart device, but some still come with physical remote controls.

All but the most basic robot vacuums have an official app for adjusting features, functions, controls and settings.

Programmable times allow you to set times of the day or week to run the robot. For instance, you could set it to run only while you're out of the house.

Some models can be programmed to clean the floor on certain days of the week.

Sometimes extra brushes and filters are provided. Other functions may include a self-emptying function or mop attachments.