Robot vacuum or cordless — which fits your home?

Answer five questions about your home and get a straight recommendation with the reasoning.

Why these five questions

Most buying advice starts from price or brand. The decision actually turns on your home:

• Flooring — a robot on thick carpet is wasted; a cordless on bare tile is more effort than needed
• Number of floors — a robot must be physically carried between levels, which people underestimate
• Pet hair — cordless units pick up embedded hair a robot's brush roll leaves behind
• Clutter — robots need clear floor to navigate; dense obstacles mean constant rescues
• Your actual complaint — "I do it too often" and "it never gets properly clean" have opposite answers

The honest answer for most homes

If you can only buy one, start with the cordless. It is more flexible, works on every surface, handles stairs and edges, and does not need clear floor space. A robot is a convenience upgrade you add later once the daily routine is what bothers you most.

The exception is a single-level home with mostly hard flooring and no heavy pet hair — there, a robot genuinely removes the chore rather than making it easier.