Robot Vacuum Calculator: What Do You Actually Need?
Enter your home size, floors and pets. The calculator tells you how much battery runtime you need and which features are worth paying for — and which ones you can skip.
These are general rules of thumb, not measurements of specific models. Check each model's runtime and features on the manufacturer's page.
How the calculator decides
- Runtime: about 15–20 sq ft of floor per minute per pass, slower on carpet, plus a 20% margin for docking and edges.
- Navigation: larger homes, many rooms or several levels need mapping (LiDAR or camera) to clean efficiently and to target single rooms.
- Self-emptying dock: shedding pets and daily runs fill a small bin fast.
- Mopping: worth it only with enough hard floor; with rugs, the mop should lift or be removable.
- Obstacle avoidance: matters when cords, socks and pet toys are often on the floor.
Ready to compare models? Start with our robot vacuum guides, the best robot vacuums for pet hair and vacuum and mop combos.
Questions
How much battery life does a robot vacuum need?
A robot vacuum cleans very roughly 15–20 square feet per minute, so a 1,000 sq ft home takes about an hour per full pass. Add a margin for carpet (higher suction drains the battery faster). If the runtime you need is longer than the robot's battery, pick one with recharge-and-resume, which docks, charges and continues where it stopped.
Do I need LiDAR navigation?
For a small open apartment, a camera or gyroscope robot is usually fine. For larger homes, several rooms or more than one floor, LiDAR or good camera mapping cleans in neat lines, remembers maps and lets you send the robot to one room or set no-go zones.
Is a self-emptying dock worth it?
It is most useful with shedding pets, large homes or if you run the robot daily: the small onboard bin fills quickly with hair. The dock empties it into a bag you change every few weeks. Without pets in a small home, emptying the bin by hand is fine.
Should I get a vacuum and mop combo?
Only if a good share of your floors is hard flooring. Robot mopping is best for light daily grime, not deep cleaning. On mostly carpeted floors, look for a model that lifts the mop pad or skip mopping and put the money into suction and navigation.
What matters for pet hair?
Rubber or anti-tangle rollers (hair wraps around bristle brushes), strong carpet suction, a larger bin or self-emptying dock, and easy-to-clean brushes. Obstacle avoidance also helps if pets leave toys — or accidents — on the floor.