Understand the limits before you buy
Headline specifications for robot vacuums can sound impressive, but real-world performance depends heavily on your home environment and floor types. Use this checklist to set realistic expectations and check whether a specific model fits your home.
Floor type checks
- Check your main floor types. Performance on hard floors differs significantly from deep-pile carpets.
- Hard floors often put more emphasis on suction and edge pickup, while carpets usually need stronger brush-roll design and power.
- Assess room transitions. Very high thresholds might block movement between rooms or between hard floors and rugs.
Final checks before comparing picks
- Recheck the exact model’s suction power and brush design.
- If you have mixed floors, consider models that can lift their mopping pads when on carpet.
- Review the required maintenance routine for the brush rolls, especially if you have carpets.