Start with your floors and your habits, not the spec sheet. Hard floors, thick carpet, pets, kids’ toys on the ground, and how often you’ll empty a bin each point toward a different kind of robot.
This guide walks you through the decisions in order: navigation, cleaning type, dock, then budget. When it’s done you’ll know which hub page to go to next.
- Floor mix: hard floor, low-pile, high-pile, and thresholds over about 2 cm
- Clutter level and whether you’ll pick up before each run
- Vacuum-only vs vacuum-mop vs full mop-washing dock
- How much upkeep you’ll tolerate (emptying, rinsing pads, cleaning brushes)
- Privacy comfort with camera-based navigation
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