Why we love it: Its extra-large dust cup is super easy to remove and the HEPA filter minimizes allergens emitted while vacuuming.

It also struggled to lift everything, so our experts had to clear out remnants manually. This somewhat detracts from its practicality, but you shouldn't have to worry about capacity too often as the dock is designed to hold weeks' worth of dirt.

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It can adjust its suction to suit the floor type it’s tackling, and testers found it reliable on both carpet and hard flooring, noting that it didn’t spread any dust or debris around. It reached the edges of rooms well too but struggled in corners.

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.

Why we love it: Powerful and versatile, this model has a motorized power nozzle to deep clean carpets, a mini motorized brush tool to lift pet hair from upholstery and a floor brush to gather fur on hardwoods and other bare floors. Bonus: All attachments except the power nozzle can be stored right on the vacuum.

Pet hair wasn’t much of a challenge for it and it navigated obstacles well, reaching nicely into awkward spaces, but it struggled at room edges, especially Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners on carpet.

Looking after all this is our homes editor, Hannah Mendelsohn, who finds the must-try products and writes up our product reviews – including all our vacuum content.

One of the best roomba iRobot makes, the combo j7 is a robot vacuum cleaner with an intelligent mopping function that switches modes automatically when it moves from hard floors to rugs and carpets.

You're looking for a vacuum that is easier to maneuver into tight spaces and use on stairs than uprights are. The canister and motor can be placed out of the way, making it easier to carry and use. Plus, all have hoses and attachments for dusting, upholstery and crevices.

Onboard dustbins tend to be small, so if you're dealing with lots of dust or hair then I'd recommend prioritizing a self-empty dock. However, be aware that the more functions you add, the bigger the dock will be – the ones with water tanks can be pretty massive.

Many of today's best robot vacuums are pretty pricey, but if you're on a tighter budget, check out the Narwal Freo X Plus. Where it really shines is its vacuuming performance. It packs 7,800Pa of suction, which is more in line with what I'd expect in a much pricier model than one on the cusp between budget and mid-range.

On test, we found it did a fantastic job of clearing spillages. We were also impressed with the comprehensive docking station, which helps ease the burden of the maintenance tasks involved with mopping robot vacuums.

And this design from Eufy definitely falls into that category. It’s the first one to have a dual water tank within the robot, which means it collects dirty water and cleans the mop as it goes.