Robot Vacuum Cleaners

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Robot vacuums reached Apple Home through Matter, and the honest summary is that Apple Home gets the switch and the manufacturer’s app keeps everything else.

In the Home app you can start and stop a clean, send the robot back to its dock, see whether it is running, and put all of that in scenes and automations — “leave the house, start the vacuum” is the automation people want and it works.

What stays in the manufacturer’s app is the map, the room and zone selection, the no-go lines, the suction and water settings, and the cleaning history. Nothing in Apple Home replaces that, and you should expect to set the robot up in its own app first and then add it to Apple Home for the automation layer.

That is a smaller feature than it sounds and a more useful one than it sounds. A vacuum that runs because everybody left the house is a vacuum that runs.

The three in the directory

All three here are flagship machines with self-emptying, self-washing docks. This is not a category with a budget end — a Matter robot vacuum is a premium robot vacuum.

Square front, into the corners: ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI

The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI has a square front rather than the usual round body, and that is a functional choice rather than a styling one: a square corner reaches into the corner of a room, where a round robot always leaves a curved gap. The OMNI station empties the bin and washes the mop.

Check price on Amazon UK

The dock that dries the pad: iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max

The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max pairs the robot with the AutoWash dock, which empties the bin, washes the mop pad and then dries it with warm air. A damp pad left in a cupboard between cleans is the thing that makes mopping robots smell, and drying it is the fix. The robot lifts its pad onto its body when it moves onto carpet.

Check price on Amazon UK

The extending arm: roborock S8 MaxV Ultra

The roborock S8 MaxV Ultra comes with the RockDock Ultra, which empties, washes with hot water, dries and refills. Its distinguishing feature is an extending arm: a side brush and the mop pad reach out beyond the body, so it cleans closer to edges and into corners than its shape would otherwise allow.

We have no verified Amazon UK listing for this exact model — the results under the name are refurbished units and other S8 variants, which are different purchases. Buy from roborock or a named retailer.

What to check before you buy

That it is a Matter model. This is the whole requirement, and it is not implied by the brand. Manufacturers ship Matter on flagship models and not on the range below, and an otherwise identical machine may have no Apple Home support at all. Look for Matter on the box, not for the brand in this directory.

A Matter controller. A HomePod or an Apple TV has to be at home to commission and run a Matter accessory. As with everything else here, no hub, no automation.

Dock size. Self-emptying docks are large — considerably larger than the robot — and they need a flat wall, a socket, and clearance either side. People measure the robot and not the dock, and the dock is what has to live somewhere for years.

Consumables and what they cost. Dust bags, filters, brushes and mop pads are the running cost, and on a self-emptying dock the bags are not optional. Check the price and availability of them for the specific model before you buy the machine.

Whether you want mopping at all. A vacuum-and-mop is more machine, more maintenance and more money. On carpet it is a vacuum with a feature you never use.

The full list of HomeKit and Matter robot vacuums in the directory is below.