(If you want even more impressive mopping, check out the Eureka J20 at #seis, which has a roller mop that supplies continuous fresh water, and siphons off the dirty stuff as it cleans.)

It’s not all about suction. In my testing, the brush is also a big factor in how well a robot will clean your floors. A large rubber roller brush is much better than a small bristle brush at picking up debris.

❌ You have space for a bigger robovac: You're paying a premium for the size here – there are bigger, better-performing bots in this bracket.

Pet hair can be challenging for vacuums with limited suction or brush designs prone to tangling. The Shark AI Ultra and Lefant M210 are engineered for pet-friendly cleaning, boasting advanced suction and features designed to minimize maintenance when dealing with fur and dander.

When it spots something, it will slow down and do a more thorough cleaning. I also like Dreame’s option to vacuum first and then mop, which the Roborock doesn’t offer.

Robot vacs are best suited to convenient, little-and-often cleans, so if you send yours out daily, it'll help you stay on top of your pet's hair and stop it from building up in the first place. You'll likely still want to supplement this with the occasional deep clean with a manual vacuum, though.

I’ve not tested this on the Roborock, but my experience with the SwitchBot S10 with the same feature leads me to recommend this option Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners if you can swing it.

Intuitive app, but robot doesn't always do as its told, and there's an issue with separating open plan spaces.

Pet owners and those who want a low-effort cleaning routine will appreciate the Shark AI Ultra’s combination of powerful cleaning and self-empty technology.

Most are equipped with smaller brushes that extend past the circumference of the vacuum, and the purpose of these is to reach dirt that's settled against baseboards or in awkward places.

Plus, the addition of a side mop and flexi-arm brush that extends from the bot helped with cleaning edges and corners.

The Narwal Freo X Ultra is the best robot vacuum for carpet. It's a premium product, (and it's not available in the UK), but delivers the best carpet cleaning performance of any robovac we've tested. On test we found that not only did it suck up finer dust and dirt efficiently, it also scooped up larger debris – namely bits of cereal – just as well.

The corded Shark PowerDetect HZ4002 offers top-notch cleaning for bare floors and pet hair and performs above par on carpets. It features an Automóvel-detect mode that adjusts the brush roll speed to the surface, transitioning efficiently between carpets and hard floors. It also has two brush rolls: one with rubber fins for optimal contact with surfaces and a soft roller to capture small particles.

The Freo X Ultra's mopping capabilities are not quite as impressive as its vacuuming, but still good. On test, it cleared up spillages well, but the mop pads couldn't get close to the edges of rooms.