Is a robot vacuum worth it for a small flat?
By Lukas · Last checked:
Yes, even on 30 to 60 m² it's worth it for most people, and an entry-level or mid-range model is often enough. If you otherwise vacuum twice a week and mop once, my calculator says you save between half an hour and almost a full hour a week. It's not for you if there's no room for the base station or you don't want to tidy up quickly before it starts.
How much time you save on 30 to 60 m²
For vacuuming, including getting ready, my calculator assumes about 5 minutes plus 0.2 minutes per m², and for mopping 8 minutes plus 0.25 minutes per m². It deducts 5 minutes a week for looking after the robot.
If you vacuum twice and mop once a week, you save around 33 minutes a week on 30 m² and around 52 minutes on 60 m². That's about 28 to 45 hours a year.
What the calculator doesn't show: with a schedule, the robot cleans while you're at work, every day if you like. Your flat is then clean more often than if you vacuum yourself twice a week.
“I've been using robot vacuums for 14 years and since then I've hardly ever had to vacuum or mop myself. The most important trick: set a schedule. Then it cleans while I'm at work, and I come home to a clean flat every evening.”
Lukas, author of this siteWhat even an inexpensive robot can do
For a small flat you don't need a top model. Laser navigation is available even in the lower price range: the robot creates a map and cleans in lanes. In the app you set the schedule, have individual rooms cleaned and block off areas, such as a delicate rug.
If you want to spend more, look out for two things above all. With a camera, a robot usually recognises cables, socks and shoes and drives around them. Without a camera it tends to drive over them or get stuck: in a test by smarthomeassistent.de, an inexpensive model recognised none of 53 obstacles. And if you want thorough mopping, choose a model whose base station also washes the mops or the roller.
How loud it is
While vacuuming, most robots are about 55 to 70 decibels, roughly like a normal conversation. A classic vacuum cleaner usually reaches 70 to 85 decibels. Only the base station gets really loud when it empties the robot: about 75 to 90 decibels, but only for a few seconds. In a small flat the schedule is therefore doubly worthwhile: let it run when you're not at home.
Space for the base station
A base station is often around 40 cm wide and up to 60 cm high. In front of it the robot needs room to drive in and dock: depending on the model, 0.8 to 1.5 m should be kept clear at the front and 5 to 50 cm at the sides. Measure this beforehand, especially in a hallway or a small room.
Will it fit under the sofa and bed?
Most robots are about 9 to 12 cm high, slim models around 8 cm. Measure how much space there is under your sofa, bed and cupboards, and allow a little extra. If it's only just enough, it won't reliably get underneath.
Rugs, fringes and cables
Deep-pile carpets and rugs with fringes push many robots to their limits: fringes wrap around the brush, and some get stuck on deep pile. Tuck the fringes under the rug or block it in the app. It's better to clear away cables and socks before it starts, especially with models without a camera.
How much electricity it uses
One cleaning run uses only a few hundredths of a kilowatt hour. The base station, which is plugged in around the clock, matters more: about 1 to 4 watts, so up to around 35 kWh a year. Example calculations put the robot and base station together at about 30 to 60 kWh a year.
When it comes to electricity, robots and corded vacuum cleaners are not far apart. So the robot saves you time, not electricity.
- There's no room for the base station: around 40 cm along the wall and 0.8 to 1.5 m clear in front of it.
- You have lots of deep-pile rugs or rugs with fringes that you don't want to tuck under or block off.
- There's often a lot lying around on your floor, and you don't want to tidy up quickly before it starts.
- Your furniture is so low that even a slim model of about 8 cm doesn't fit underneath, and that's exactly where you want to clean.
- Your door thresholds are higher than about 2 cm: usually only models with a climbing aid manage that.
- You only vacuum once a week, hardly ever mop and are happy with that: then, according to my calculator, it only saves you a few minutes a week on 30 m².