Which robot vacuum is right for your home?

Worth it if your home is over ~80 m² or you have shedding pets — the dock empties the robot’s bin into a bag you change every 1-2 months instead of every run. For a 50 m² flat without pets, a standard charging dock is fine and saves €200-400. The hidden cost is replacement bags (€10-20 each); still cheaper than your time if you vacuum daily.

Marketing Pa numbers are peak values on a bare floor — real pickup on carpet is lower. Rule of thumb: 2,500-4,000 Pa covers hard floors in a pet-free home; pets, thick rugs or long hair want 5,000 Pa+. Above 6,000 Pa you’re paying for margin, not magic. More important than the headline number: a rubberized main brush that doesn’t tangle hair, and a brush design that reaches edges.

Mopping pads help on sealed hardwood, laminate and tile — they lift fine dust suction misses. Skip it if carpet and rugs cover most of the floor: the pad drags, the carpet stays wet-looking, and you pay for a feature you disable. Combo robots also need their own water tank maintenance. If you already mop by hand weekly, vacuum-only plus occasional manual mop is often the better split.

Yes, if you buy for hair: ≥5,000 Pa, a tangle-resistant rubber brush, and ideally a self-empty base so fur doesn’t pack the bin mid-run. Long-haired breeds also wrap hair around the brush bearings — budget for spare brushes and plan a 2-minute clean after heavy shedding days. AI obstacle avoidance helps with pets lying on the floor, but no robot replaces teaching the dog to move when it beeps.