The best vacuum cleaner setup is subjective, heavily hinging on how badly (or not) you want to do the vacuuming yourself, or if you'd rather a robot do it for you. But there's one universal factor ...

After testing 24 robot vacuums at CNET Labs to see how well they clean and avoid obstacles, we discovered an unusual relationship.

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Recently, robot vacuum cleaners have transformed from niche gadgets into almost-essential tools for modern-day living. Set it up only once, ...