Price
Expand to view more details.This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price at the time of testing, but shop around to see if you can find a better deal.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 99 and 2899
Recommended products
Member only
This test score is for members only. Join now to unlock our expert results.
Join nowAlready a member? Log in now
Dirt removal from carpet score
We sprinkle sand evenly into a section of carpet and let the robot run for a set period of time on the carpeted area. The sand collected is weighed and recorded.
enter value/s in increments of i between 4 and 71
Hard floor dirt pick-up performance score
We scatter a measured amount of sand evenly over a vinyl floor area and let the robot run for 25 minutes, or until the vacuum completes its cleaning cycle, measuring the dirt pick-up at intervals throughout. Objects like chairs and benches are placed around the room to make the set-up look similar to a home.
enter value/s in increments of i between 30 and 99
Mopping feature
Whether the robot vacuum can double up as a mopping robot.
Shop Ethical rating
Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. The rating ranks from A (highest) to F (lowest); N/A means there is no rating for that company.
Cleaning corners and edges score
Sand is spread into a right-angled corner, and the robot vacuum cleaners are assessed to see how close to the corner each one is able to pick up dirt.
enter value/s in increments of i between 20 and 80
Pet hair removal score
We embed cat hair into the carpet and allow the robot vacuum cleaner to run for six minutes. We rate the vacs based on how much cat hair is left behind after the test.
enter value/s in increments of i between 10 and 90
Battery life, measured (min)
How long the battery will last for without a charge, measured in minutes. We've noticed some models that seem to have a 'cleaning' mode and 'searching for home' mode. In these cases we measure battery life until the motor stops running (i.e cleaning has stopped).
enter value/s in increments of i between 19 and 193
Ease of Wi-Fi connection
How easy it is to connect the the app to the robot and your home Wi-Fi network.
enter value/s in increments of i between 40 and 85
App
Whether the vacuum comes with an app you can download to your phone to operate the machine.
Virtual wall
This feature is used to create an invisible barrier to block off open doorways or other areas you don't want the robot to enter. Some come in the form of infrared towers (which may be an optional extra), but increasingly the barriers are defined using apps on your smart device.
Stairs detection
Whether the vacuum can detect if it's near stairs.
Programmable time
Programmable times allow you to set times of the day or week to run the robot. For instance, you could set it to run only while you're out of the house.
Remote control
Most robot vacuums are remotely controlled using an app on your smart device, but some still come with physical remote controls.
Availability
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find them on second-hand websites, or in second-hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
Included in this review
- CHOICE Expert Rating
- Hard floor dirt pick-up performance score
- Dirt removal from carpet score
- Cleaning corners and edges score
- Pet hair removal score
- Ease of emptying score
- Ease of use score
- Ease of Wi-Fi connection
- App score
- Overall mopping score
- Mopping performance score
- Mopping ease of use score
- Saves room mapping
- Recommended
- Brand reliability score
- Owner satisfaction score
- Noise measured on carpet/hard floor (dBA)
- Battery life, measured (min)
- Does it hit objects?
- Good points
- Bad points
- Shop Ethical rating
- Account required for app
- Mopping feature
- Mopping tank volume (L)
- Height (cm)
- Width (cm)
- Length (cm)
- Dimensions when docked with station (cm, H x W x L)
- Price
- Brush
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- App
- Side brush
- Remote control
- Virtual wall
- Stairs detection
- Low battery indicator
- Automatic return to charger
- Programmable time
- Day of the week setting
- Battery type
- Charge time (min)
- Weight (kg)
- Country of origin
- Warranty (years)
- Items supplied with vac