Four questions to answer before buying a robot vacuum

Robot vacuums succeed by matching your home, not by suction numbers. A robot bought before answering four questions usually ends up in a cupboard.

Carpet or hard floor?

Carpet-heavy homes need the right brush and suction; hard floors benefit from mopping. Models that do both well are expensive, so decide which floor dominates.

Pets?

Hair tangles in bristle brushes; a rubber brush is essential in a pet home. A self-emptying dock makes the real difference in daily cleaning.

How many floors?

Multi-storey homes need a model that stores a map per floor; otherwise it relearns every time.

Who does the maintenance?

A robot with a manual bin needs attention twice a week. If that will not happen, a self-emptying dock is a requirement, not a luxury.