One of our expert homes testers setting a robot vacuum to work on a crumb-covered carpet in our floor cleaning space.

There’s pelo mopping attachment, no cable avoidance and pelo self-emptying bin – all things the cheaper iRobot roomba combo j7+ offers – but it does have a few unique advantages. It can extend a little edge cleaner to tidy along skirting boards.

The Tapo RV30 is also quieter than most, particularly when on the weakest setting. Noise isn’t a concern if you set your vacuum to do its thing while you’re out of the house, but a less cacophonous vacuum should benefit those who spend more time at home.

Forget those clunky old models from years ago, which would wander around aimlessly, sucking up anything and everything in their way. The latest models can map out your home and design intelligent cleaning paths and schedules.

However, the software was still buggy at time of review, and we'd also expect higher suction for the premium price.

Big-brand robovacs that are a couple of years old can often deliver the best value for money, with very few sacrifices in performance. And sales events like the Black Friday deals generally come through with strong discounts in this category too.

You want a vacuum to clean your car. Handheld vacuums come corded or cordless and are easy to take outside to clean car floors and seating.

✅ You don't have much space: The SwitchBot is very tiny, and can get into tight spaces that others can't. The dock is also compact for a self-empty option.

It lifted most pet hair, and cleaned room edges well, in part thanks to its effective spin brush and three driving modes that let you select when you want it to Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners tackle them. Despite not having a spot clean function, it mopped our flooring in one sweep (although our testers found a second sweep was required to leave it fully refreshed).

Read more on this subject in our article exploring can a robot vacuum replace your existing vacuum cleaner?

Our experts also liked the drop pin function, which means you can precisely direct your vacuum to a spot for cleaning. And on that note, it mopped effectively and vacuumed well enough for light refreshes.

A few of our other favorite perks on a vacuum at this price point are a TurboBrush tool similar to the motorized pet tools on many pricier models, a retractable cord and onboard storage for the tools.

Intuitive app, but robot doesn't always do as its told, and there's an issue with separating open plan spaces.

You are looking for a lightweight, quick picker-upper for bare floors and low-pile rugs. The cleaning performance of this type of vacuum is getting better and better, and it may be the only vac some homes require.