The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.
How we test carpets
How well the robot vacuum cleaner sucks up fine dust from wilton carpet. The best can suck up half of the ground in dust in the carpet, the worst a pitiful 4%
How we test maintenance
How easy the vacuum cleaner is to maintain, including cleaning hair from the brush bar, changing filters and emptying the dust container.
How we test pet hair
As well as fine dust and larger debris we also put each robot through its paces when sucking up matted and combed in pet hair. Some robots can barely manage it at all, while others will leave your carpets fluff free.
How we test cleaning speed
Important if you have guests coming round and you want your robot to be finished in a hurry. Some robots take less than half an hour to almost completely cover a room, others can take longer than an hour.
How we test navigating obstacles
Coming home to find your robot entangled in a pile of cables or stuck in a rug can be an all too familiar sight with some robots. Picking a robot with a high score here minimises this type of scenario.
How we test assembling and dismantling
How easy it is to assemble the robot vacuum cleaner out of the box.
