Home & Kitchen · Updated June 2026
Robot Vacuums for Small UK Homes
Terraced houses, narrow hallways and stair gates break most robot vacuums. Three models coped.
Mapping quality matters far more than suction figures in a compact flat.
What we liked
- Reliable room mapping
- Slim enough for low sofas
- Sensible app permissions
What we did not
- Self-empty docks are loud
- Hair tangles on brush bars
Each unit ran a fixed 40-square-metre course containing rugs, cables and a doorway threshold, repeated daily for two weeks.
Two models repeatedly stranded themselves on a 22mm threshold, which is a common height in older UK housing stock.
Consider dock footprint carefully. A self-emptying base needs roughly half a metre of clear wall, which is a real cost in a small flat.
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