Unfortunately, there isn’t a single, universal vacuum that’s perfect for everyone, but there are some things to consider to help you make the best decision.

A HEPA filter is a special high-performance filter that traps 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size — too small to see with the naked eye, but not too small to be felt by allergy sufferers. A HEPA filter on a vacuum cleaner is best located on the exhaust, where the air blows out of the vacuum and back into the room.

We’ve been waiting for Shark to enter the robot vacuum chat for a while, and we weren’t disappointed.

With help from friends and colleagues, who generously offer their floors up for testing, he’s able to measure each robovac’s true performance in different types of homes.

James has tested robot vacuums of all sorts from the most basic models to the ones so feature-packed that they can be used as a security camera. He appreciates models that can suck up all sorts of debris, clean the edges of rooms, and allow easy room partitioning in-app.

Lastly, we test associated apps and try out voice control, to make sure it will integrate perfectly into your home.

Even the most advanced robot vacuum cleaners we’ve tested can’t handle stairs and steps, so these helpful gadgets are Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners best suited to flats and apartments. With that in mind, keep reading to find out which robot vacuum cleaner will reign supreme in 2025.

Robot vacuums have a series of brushes on the underside of the machine that work together to collect dirt and dust that they come in contact with. The dirt is then sucked into the dust cup, which is fitted into the vacuum's body.

✔️ Attachments: The handy attachments that come along with your vacuum are equally important. A motorized power nozzle can help you clean carpets and rugs more efficiently, while a crevice tool can help you reach tough spots that tend to collect dust, such as behind a couch or dresser.

You can also opt for a robot vacuum, which does the cleaning for you and goes back to recharge on its own when it’s time, but the charging base must remain connected to a power outlet and should not be moved so the robot knows how to get back to it after cleaning.

The robot even sends you pictures of anything it’s avoided, so you can clear the space and send it around again (or, if you’re lazy, like us, dismiss the notification and promise you’ll get around to it later).

Robot vacuums and mops are some of the most advanced appliances we test here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, so we have high expectations, but even we’re still sometimes surprised by the innovations.

Tackling an entire room from start to finish took 14 minutes, and the robot collected an average of 95 per cent of debris – just a few biscuit crumbs were left behind. However, it struggled on our dust-specific test, only removing the very top layer on carpet.

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.