As for the mopping feature, we were especially pleased with how well the programming transitioned between hard floors and carpets. Impressively, the water usage was just enough for floors to feel clean, but without leaving pools of water behind.

❌ You have an open plan home: The Narwal app won't let you demarcate open plan spaces into 'rooms'.

The latest Matter spec, Matter 1.4, adds support for cleaning specific areas, so while you will still need the manufacturer app to set up a map, you will be able to use your smart home platform app and / or voice assistant to direct the robot to do things like clean the kitchen or clean downstairs.

Automatic vacuums are designed for minimal human intervention, but some basic upkeep is required. Here’s what to consider:

If you have cash to splash and 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.

It can be converted into a hand vac, which makes it easier to clean stairs and reach higher areas in your home. It also pulls apart for compact storage, allowing it to stand on its own and take up minimal space. In our member surveys, Shark corded vacuums earn a top-level mark Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners for predicted reliability and a near-top-level mark for owner satisfaction.

The mopping is also a cut above average. On test, we found the rotating pads very effective – great news if you're regularly dealing with muddy pawprints. The does-it-all dock will take care of refilling the bot's water tank, dispensing cleaning fluid, and cleaning and drying its mop pads, too, meaning minimal hands-on time from you.

✅ You want a hands-off option: The dock takes care of a lot of mop maintenance, including emptying and refilling tanks, and cleaning the mop pads.

Below is a comparison table summarizing standout models available on Amazon, each designed to suit various household needs:

Roborock’s app is also more stable and easier to use than Dreame’s, which often crashes and can take a while to load. While the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is my top pick overall, the Dreame X40 is a very good vacuum, and the two companies are neck and neck regarding innovative features.

Cleanestor.Usando is a digital publication and service provider specializing in pro cleaning advice and services crafted, curated, presented, and provided by what we called the "Cleaning Nestors".

While Roombas may have fallen behind the competition in terms of features and innovation, there’s one area in which they reign supreme, and that’s cleaning prowess. Their dual rubber roller brushes rotate in opposite directions to effectively dig up dirt from carpets, and they are by far the best at tackling pet hair on all surfaces.

The S8 MaxV Ultra also has a built-in voice assistant, which makes getting the bot to clean the mess your kid made after dinner as easy as saying, “Rocky, clean here.”

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.