✔️ Weight: Lastly, the weight of a vacuum makes all the difference when lifting it up and down the stairs and around the house. A heavier, larger option may be great for power and durability, but it's not ideal if you live in a multi-level home or want to vacuum hard-to-reach places.

There’s pelo mopping attachment, no cable avoidance and no self-emptying bin – all things the cheaper iRobot roomba combo j7+ offers – but it does have a few unique advantages. It can extend a little edge cleaner to tidy along skirting boards.

This pint-sized but powerful robovac is perfect for small homes – and it just dropped to less than half price

This L10s combination robot vacuums and mops floors all in one cleaning session. And rather than using just plain water, it comes with the brand's own cleaning solution, which fits inside the charging base and dispenses automatically.

While the app is intuitive, and the mapping good, there is a major issue for anyone with an open plan living space. Namely, you can't separate it into different zones. It won't be a problem for everyone, but if you live in an open plan home, you'll probably want to opt for a different brand.

While an effective helper around the home, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra’s docking space is larger than expected, measuring around 45cm on every side to house its dual dust and water buckets.

It’s heavier as a result, but it wowed our testers who said it didn’t smear any ketchup beyond the already stained area when cleaning – something rarely seen in the lab. Its vacuuming was also methodical and effective, lifting an average of 83 per cent of dust and dirt across the different test room floors.

Dirt sensors help the robots detect which areas of your floor to pay more attention to, while the iRobot J7+ and S9+ take pictures of areas they couldn’t tackle, sending them to the app so you can address them when you next clean.

If you have cash to splash and Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners want the best of the best, Roborock is the brand to browse, and we rate the Roborock Qrevo Curv as the best premium robot vacuum you can buy right now. This hybrid robot vacuum-and-mop offers outstanding vacuuming, soaring through all our suction tests and proving more than a match for our reviewer's pet hair-covered carpets.

❌ You're on a budget: The Deebot T30S Combo is one of the more expensive robot vacuums in my guide, and if you're willing to make a few compromises on performance or features then there are plenty more affordable alternatives.

The Worx cordless cube ran for 23 minutes on low speed in our Lab tests but can run for longer with a higher-capacity battery from the brand. Although it's a little heavier than other handheld vacuums, you don't need to hold it to use it. It's quiet and all of its tools store on board.

Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims.

Like most stick vacuums, this Dyson converts to a hand vacuum, though at over 6 pounds, it's heavier than others we've tested, and all this fancy technology comes at a bit of a steep price.

They also praised its height for easier access – meaning if they wanted to access on-machine controls, they didn’t need to bend over or kneel down. The app was intuitive too.