Which robot? A buying guide

Which robot? What the spec sheet tells you, and what it does not

Every robot on this site has its manufacturer’s specification on the page, and the comparison page puts any two side by side. This guide is about how to read those rows. It is general advice; it is not a claim that one brand is better than the other.

1. Decide what the dock should do for you

This is the row that changes the price most. An auto-empty dock pulls the robot’s bin into a sealed bag, so you empty it every month or two; on a combo robot you still rinse the mop pad yourself. A self-washing dock also washes and dries the mop and refills the water tank — that is the kind you can leave alone for weeks. Roborock’s multifunctional docks and iRobot’s AutoWash™ docks are both self-washing; iRobot’s AutoEmpty™ dock and Roborock’s Auto-Empty docks empty only. A robot with a charging dock only (the Roomba 205, the Q7 M5, the Q7 L5) costs the least and asks the most of you.

2. Rugs: read the “Mop lift” row

If you have rugs and want to mop, the question is what happens to the wet mop when the robot drives onto a rug. The answers on the spec sheets are: the mop lifts (by a stated number of millimetres), the mop is covered, the robot leaves the mop at the dock, or the robot simply avoids carpet while mopping. Any of these keeps rugs dry; a robot whose sheet says nothing here should be assumed to have no lift.

3. Clutter: navigation and obstacle avoidance are two different rows

Navigation is how the robot builds the map — LiDAR on almost every current model. Obstacle avoidance is how it sees what is on the floor: a camera, structured light, or both. If the floor is usually clear, navigation is what matters. If there are cables, socks, pet bowls and toys, look at the obstacle row and at whether the manufacturer names the objects it recognises.

4. Suction: do not compare the numbers across brands

Roborock publishes suction in pascals. iRobot publishes a multiple of its own earlier robots (“70× the 600 series”, “4× the 105”). Neither figure converts into the other, so the comparison shows each exactly as stated and leaves it at that. Within a brand the numbers do rank the models; between brands they do not.

5. Thresholds and low furniture

The “Threshold climbing” row is only filled where the manufacturer states a height; a blank means it was not stated, not that the robot cannot cross a door bar. The robot’s height in the size row tells you whether it fits under a sofa — measure the gap before you buy.

6. Parts: match the model name, not the picture

Bags, filters, brushes and pads are model-specific. Every part on this site lists the models its manufacturer states it fits. The model name is printed on the underside of the robot; match that to the listing. If your model is not named, the part is not stated to fit it, and we would rather you asked than guessed.

What the spec sheet cannot tell you

How loud it is in your hallway, how often the mop needs a proper wash by hand, whether the app suits you. That is what the 30-day return window is for: robots and vacuums may be unboxed and tested and still returned, as long as they come back complete, clean and dry.

ModenHouseHub is an independent retailer. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Roborock or iRobot. Brand and model names on this site identify the products and what a part fits. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.