This mid-tier robovac offers good vacuuming and mopping, the mapping is strong, and it copes well with pet hair. It's less good at getting up to the edges of rooms and the object avoidance can be unreliable, though.

It also struggled to lift everything, so our experts had to clear out remnants manually. This somewhat detracts from its practicality, but you shouldn't have to worry about capacity too often as the dock is designed to hold weeks' worth of dirt.

She is an active member of the ASTM Committee on vacuum cleaners and chairman of the consumer information sub-committee.

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.

Plus, when the battery is running low, the vacuum returns to its charging base, empties into a sealed large-capacity bag for mess-free disposal and resumes cleaning where it left off.

In our Lab tests: The Dreame H12 Pro is an updated version of a previously tested pick with many of the same capabilities and features. We sent it out to consumer testers who confirmed it was easy and effective to use.

Pet hair wasn’t much of a challenge for it and it navigated obstacles well, reaching nicely into awkward spaces, but it struggled at room edges, especially on carpet.

I like the clear LCD screen that shows battery life and the number and sizes of the particles being picked up.

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For those without this feature, be aware that due to their size, the dust canister will need to be emptied more frequently than a regular vacuum cleaner.

❌ You have an open plan home: The Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners Narwal app won't let you demarcate open plan spaces into 'rooms'.

It’s also fairly large, and there’s minimal information on how often to empty the dust bag. We suggest keeping an eye on it regularly to begin with until you get into your own routine.

❌ You're dealing with high levels of dirt: This robovac doesn't self-empty dust, and while the onboard bin will compress dust so it can hold a surprisingly large amount, you'll still have to empty it more than you would a traditional self-empty model.

That said, the functionality worked well in our lab tests with the robot recognising barriers and using its retractable legs to move over them.