Free yourself from stick-pushing drudgery: the latest robot vacs are super-smart and super-powerful. But which one is for you?
VACS THE WAY I LIKE IT: WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Think about your own living space before you get hung up on features. A home with hard flooring throughout may demand a model with a robust mop feature, but for plush carpets you’ll be better off with a high-powered vacuum-only model.
If you have a furry friend or two, look for a vacuum with strong suction and brushes designed to cope with hair collection. The best also come with pet (and child) locks.
The ability to automate your cleaning routine, and therefore minimise your own involvement, is a real gamechanger – but it only works if the robo-vac you choose is clever enough. Look for features such as object recognition and obstacle detection.
If you’re on a budget, don’t make do with an old model – robot vacuums have evolved fast, and you’d do better to grab an affordable new model, such as the Ultenic and Tapo ones in this test.