# What to look for in a robot vacuum: seven questions before you buy

> Seven questions decide which robot vacuum fits: your floors, pets and hair, mopping, upkeep, thresholds and clearance, clutter on the floor and your budget. Models on sale today: 172. The advisor asks the same questions and turns them into a shortlist.

Edited by Martin Kilarski. Published on 4 October 2026, updated on 4 October 2026. Founder and editor of Best at Best, with ten years in web development and a focus on search, conversion and data analysis.

## Which floors do you have?

With carpet and rugs the robot must lift or drop its mop, or the rug gets wet. A mop lift lets a robot mop the hard floor and vacuum the carpet in one run, [as Vacuum Wars puts it](https://vacuumwars.com/robot-vacuum-buyers-guide/).

On hard floors alone this question settles little, so go on to the next one. With a lot of carpet, look in a model’s specifications for its mop lift.

## Do you have pets or long hair?

Hair wraps around the brush. An anti-tangle brush prevents that. According to [Vacuum Wars](https://vacuumwars.com/robot-vacuum-buyers-guide/), brushes with bristles loosen carpet fibres better than all-rubber ones. Vacuum Wars names two anti-tangle designs to look for: two brushes with a gap between them, and a single brush that tapers toward one end.

A small bin fills fast in a home with pets. Vacuum Wars calls a bin under 300 ml small for such a home. An auto-empty dock empties the bin for you. A camera that recognises droppings helps prevent the other well-known accident, though no system is foolproof, as the question on clutter covers.

## Should it mop too?

Mopping freshens the floor. A flat pad rarely shifts dried stains, while two spinning pads manage better. [Vacuum Wars](https://vacuumwars.com/robot-vacuum-buyers-guide/) distinguishes three designs:

- A flat pad suits light upkeep and lower prices.
- Two spinning pads are a strong all-round choice for routine mopping.
- A roller or track mop is most useful on wet spills.

## How much do you want to do yourself?

A station can empty the bin, wash and dry the mop and refill the water. We sort them into three tiers: a charging dock only, an auto-empty dock, and an all-in-one station that also washes and dries the mop. The more the station does, the bigger and dearer it is. This is how today’s models stand:

| Station | On sale | Median price | Cheapest | Cheapest in the ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| charging dock only | 34 | 158 € | Cecotec Conga M10 Advance Aqua Pro, 89 € at Amazon.de | [Roborock Q7 L5](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/roborock-q7-l5), 111 € at Amazon.de |
| auto-empty station | 25 | 249 € | Narwal Freo S, 169 € at Amazon.de | [Shark PowerDetect Self-Empty](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/shark-powerdetect-self-empty), 182 € at Amazon.de |
| all-in-one station | 112 | 596 € | Ecovacs Deebot T30e OMNI, 209 € at Amazon.de | [Ecovacs Deebot T90 Pro Omni](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/ecovacs-deebot-t90-pro-omni), 345 € at Amazon.de |

On sale today by tier: charging dock only 34, auto-empty 25, all-in-one 112. Median price of an all-in-one: 596 €.

## How high are your thresholds and your furniture?

Measure from the floor to the top of the threshold. Most robots cross 2 cm. According to [Vacuum Wars](https://vacuumwars.com/robot-vacuum-buyers-guide/), about 20 mm is the traditional limit for a single step. Higher thresholds need a climbing system.

Measure the clearance under your sofa too. According to Vacuum Wars a standard robot is about 102 mm tall and the lowest are about 80 mm, so a low robot still fits under furniture where a standard one gets stuck.

## Is there often something on the floor?

A robot with a camera recognises small items such as cables and toys and drives around them. Without a camera, simpler sensors avoid far fewer objects, so it often drives over them or gets stuck.

If something does turn up now and then, check the model’s test results.

## What do you want to spend?

We use today’s price, delivery included, at every shop that delivers to you, foreign ones included (an asterisk marks an estimate). Prices on 4 October 2026, the highest-ranked models on sale now:

| Ranking | Model | Station | Today's lowest price |
|---|---|---|---|
| number 1 in our ranking | [Narwal Freo 20](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/narwal-freo-20) | all-in-one station | 999 € at Amazon.de |
| number 6 in our ranking | [Roborock Qrevo Edge 2](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/roborock-qrevo-edge-2) | all-in-one station | 579 € at Amazon.de |
| number 7 in our ranking | [Narwal Flow](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/narwal-flow) | all-in-one station | 899 € at Amazon.de |
| number 8 in our ranking | [Narwal Flow 2](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/narwal-flow-2) | all-in-one station | 1,013 € at Amazon.de |
| number 9 in our ranking | [MOVA V50 Ultra Complete](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/mova-v50-ultra-complete) | all-in-one station | 521 € at Amazon.de |

On sale today: 172. Our [ranking](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums) puts them in order, the [deals page](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/deals) lists only real price drops and the [advisor](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums/advisor) turns your answers into a shortlist. Amazon Prime can pay off: [this guide](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/blog/amazon-prime-robot-vacuum) does the sums.

## Frequently asked questions

**Which robot vacuum is best?**

Highest-ranked of the models on sale today: Narwal Freo 20 (999 € at Amazon.de). The order changes with prices and tests, so the [ranking](https://bestatbest.com/de/en/robot-vacuums) has today’s.

**Do I need a station?**

Not necessarily. A charging dock only is the cheapest, but then you empty the bin yourself. An auto-empty dock does it for you and an all-in-one station also washes and dries the mop.

**How high a threshold can a robot vacuum cross?**

Most cross 2 cm. Higher thresholds need a climbing system, so measure yours first.

**Is a mopping robot worth it?**

Mopping freshens the floor, and dried stains come off better with two spinning pads than with a flat pad. It pays on hard floors you want to keep fresh, and with carpet you need a mop lift or a mop the robot can remove.

## Sources

- [Vacuum Wars: Robot Vacuum Buyers Guide](https://vacuumwars.com/robot-vacuum-buyers-guide/)

Page: https://bestatbest.com/de/en/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-robot-vacuum