To help you find the best vacuums, I've gathered a list of top-performing vacuums from our tests. In the Lab, we put all types of vacuums through extensive testing based on ASTM International industry-standard methods and use a custom-built machine to quantify the amount of embedded dirt that the vacuum cleaners remove from medium-pile carpeting. In addition, we assess bare floor cleaning, pet hair pick up, ease of use and more.

Many of today's best robot vacuums are also able to mop floors. This can be useful if you have a mix of hard floors and carpet, but be aware that robovac mopping tends not to clean as well as good old manual mopping.

Why we love it: While it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of pricier vacuums, like multiple suction levels, a HEPA filter or a brush roll that can be turned off, it does have five height options ranging from bare floors to high pile carpets, an oito-foot hose for cleaning above the floor and a large, easy-to-empty dust cup.

✅ You want a hands-off option: The dock takes care of a lot of mop maintenance, including emptying and refilling tanks, and cleaning the mop pads.

Uprights can weigh anywhere from 10 to over 20 pounds, which can be heavy to carry up and down stairs. If your home has more than one level and you prefer an upright, consider keeping one on each floor.

No matter which one you choose, pretty much all of them will integrate with your smart home setup, meaning you can use Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant to set schedules or activate cleaning with a voice command, even when you’re not at home.

Some models come with docking stations that double as a disposal unit too, automatically emptying their canisters when they return to the station.

Who it's best for: Vacuum mops is an excellent floor-cleaning innovation for those who have small storage spaces and want to clean all different floors and messes with one tool.

). It uses them to get over small barriers up to 6cm (like carpet transition strips), but who knows what they'll be able to climb over in future? Read our full review of this innovative new cleaner below.

We tested each robot vacuum cleaner over many months and in different homes (some with pets), paying close attention to how each robot performed in new surroundings.

The Worx cordless cube ran for 23 minutes on low speed in our Lab tests but can run for longer with a higher-capacity battery from the brand. Although it's a little heavier than other handheld vacuums, you don't need to hold it to use it. It's quiet and all of its tools store on board.

It does create a lot Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners of dirty water though, and is a little slow because it'll wash its mop pads multiple times per cleaning session. Elsewhere, it boasts an excellent app and the vacuuming is strong, too.

✅ You have tall thresholds: The Curv is great at scaling tall steps, and on test it very rarely got stuck.

This bot was previously our top pick for hard floors, thanks to hot water mopping that's more than a match for greasy spillages.