Robot vacuum cleaner

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I have a friend with some mobility issues and they are considering buying a robot vacuum cleaner. They have a mix of hard floors and short pile carpet. There is a Robot Vacuum cleaner coming up in Lidl. Does anyone have any experience of their vacuum cleaner or any other make of Robot Vacuum cleaner?

saajan_12

We have one that works well between different surface types, it mops hard flooring and vacuums carpets, and manages to get over the small strip between the two. The robot goes back to its 'home' which is much bigger and heavier to deposit the dust and clean the mops.

However my biggest pain is managing different floors. We currently have to take the whole home machine upstairs half way through the week and back down at the end of the week. It doesn't work well by jsut moving the small robot as the dust collection is tiny. This could be difficult for someone with mobility issues. I suppose the alternative could be separate units per floor but these feels excessive to me.

[It also doesn't vacuum behind couches and on the stairs, but I expected that]

NoaandIndie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81881474#Comment_81881474

Sorry not my thread but could I ask which make/model you have? I'm looking for something exactly like this for my flat.

saajan_12

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81881532#Comment_81881532

One of the Eufy X10 machines, I don't remember exactly but it was £500.

Its great for sorting daily messes so I don't constantly have the dustpan or vacuum out. Still have to clean properly behind furniture and sometimes between chair legs as in can't move chairs, but that's much less frequent now. The home device is pretty big, meaning very infrequent changing water / emptying dust collector (though a pain when you stairs).

Also its pretty loud for a couple of hours drying its mops after vacuuming. So I'd suggest scheduling it to run when at work or out of the house.

No1_Anorak

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6655021/robot-vacuum-cleaner

Personally, I do think they are just a gimmick and if your friend with mobility issues does not live in either a bungalow or an apartment all on one floor then they are still faced with the problem of carrying the robot cleaner up/down stairs.

I would actually recommend they look at lightweight hand held rechargeable vacuum cleaners, as I think they would be more useful.

If they are really intent on getting a robot cleaner then I'm pretty sure that Lidl offer a 28 day money back guarantee if the product is deemed not suitable [as long as you retunr it in the box with the receipt, so they could try it and return if they do not think it meets their needs? Also if you/they had a Lidl plus card it is being sold at the even cheaper price of £74.99 [rather than £89.99] between 19/02/2026-25/02/2026.

Lidl electrical goods also come [normally] with a 3 year guarantee as standard [as long as you keep the receipt and box]

MeteredOut

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882219#Comment_81882219

Which model have you had to be so convinced it's a gimmick?

There are huge differences in price and features of different models, so people do need to research and find one that works for them. They need to consider (amongst other things) their floor types (eg, carpet, tile, wood, rugs), room makeup (eg, number floors) and lifestyle (eg, pets, children, do they work from home etc)

Savvy_Sue

We have a Roomba, basic model and we're on our 3rd battery. But the chap in our local vacuum cleaner shop stopped stocking them because he couldn't get the spares himself - and he no longer rated them as the best.

Lifestyle: it doesn't vacuum as thoroughly as I would. Sometimes you even wonder where it's been because it seems to have missed bits, then you watch it go over them again and it still doesn't look a lot better. BUT it is prepared to vacuum more frequently than I am.

You do have to prep the floor a bit first - move trailing cables, for example, because it 'eats' phone charging cables.

We mostly use it in the bedroom. DH has asthma and eczema which means I should vacuum daily. Not a hope …

twopenny

Reading because I've had injuries that go on and vaccuming can be a pain, literally.

It depends on the mobility issues but the long handled vacs rechargeable are much lighter and easier to move around. Thin enough to get under furniture.

gplion55

I can highly recommend the TAPO RV 30 and also the EUFY G50

cannugec5

I have an Eufy X10 SES downstairs. It is the version without the mop function. It vacuums the porcelain kitchen tiles, laminate wood flooring in my office and the living room carpet. It is set on a schedule so goes round at 1am four nights a week. It empties into its docking station and that has a dust bag that lasts a month or so. It cuts the dog hair from the roller brush after each use .

We have a downstairs bedroom and I get the Eufy to clean the carpet in there about once a week.

Upstairs we have a different model. It was our first robot vacuum and is a Bagotte. It’s now old and doesn’t cope well with pet hair. Hence when we got a dog we relegated it to the upstairs guest bedrooms which have less use.
I agree with other comments about needing to move furniture for additional occasional cleaning but I would definitely recommend a robot vacuum for everyday use.

mvk0016

The Roomba I bought my 80 year old mom 5 years ago has changed her life. Then I bought one for me. Then I bought another one for my mom, for her summer house. I'm a total convert, I'm allergic to dust so would never vacuum (the OH would vacuum = would also never vacuum). We did a test with all 3 Roombas in all 3 houses, and after doing a thorough vacuum clean, run the Roomba. The amount of dust it gathered in a "completely vacuumed" house is the proof in the pudding. Will never go back!