Robot vacuum docks explained
Updated
Three kinds of dock
| Dock | What it does | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Charging base | Charges the robot. You empty the bin and clean the mop by hand. | 1 |
| Self emptying | Charges, and empties the robot bin into a bag in the dock. | 5 |
| Full service | Empties the bin, washes the mop and dries it. | 36 |
Full service docks make up 36 of 42 records. 36 of 42 records refill the robot's water tank from the dock, and 23 add detergent on their own.
How the finder checks the dock
The robot vacuum finder sorts each dock into one of the three levels from what the maker says it does, then compares that level with the one you ask for:
- Any dock accepts every model.
- Self emptying needs a dock that empties the bin. A full service dock passes too.
- Full service needs all three: emptying the bin, washing the mop and drying it. A dock that empties the bin and washes the mop but does not dry it counts as self emptying.
A dock that does less than you asked rules the model out, with the reason in the result. The finder starts from self emptying until you choose another level.
Measure the space before you choose
Docks grow with what they do. Self emptying docks that publish a height stand 259 mm (10.2 in) to 290 mm (11.42 in) tall, full service docks 432 mm (17.01 in) to 590 mm (23.23 in) (31 of 42 records publish a height). A tall full service dock may not fit under a counter or a shelf, where a charging base slides in.
- Pick the spot: against a wall, on a hard floor, near an outlet, with a clear run for the robot to drive in and out.
- Measure the width and the height free at that spot. Under a shelf, measure to its underside.
- Read the maker's manual for the clear space it asks for at the sides and in front of the dock.
- Enter the width and height under More checks in the finder.
Dock size is a warning, never a rule out
Few makers publish a dock width (10 of 42 records), and the published dimensions do not always say which one is the height. The finder warns when a known dock dimension is larger than your space and notes when it is not published. It never removes a model for its dock size alone.
Chores and running costs
- Dust bags. A self emptying dock collects dirt in a bag. Published bag sizes run from 1.6 to 4 liters (20 of 42 records). Bags are a repeat purchase.
- Water tanks. A full service dock holds a clean water tank you fill and a dirty water tank you empty, unless it connects to the plumbing. 7 of 42 records list a version or a kit that connects to a water supply and a drain.
- Hot water. 25 of 42 records state a mop wash temperature, from 75 °C (167 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F).
- Mop pads and filters. Both wear out. Check the price of spares on the maker's page before you buy.
Pets, carpet and the dock
With pets at home, the finder adds a note to every model whose dock does not empty the bin, because pet hair fills a small robot bin fast. It does not rule those models out. See the worked answer for homes with pets.
On carpet, the dock cannot help a wet mop. The question is whether the robot lifts the mop or leaves it at the dock. 25 of 41 mopping robots publish a lift height, from 7.9 mm (0.31 in) to 17 mm (0.67 in), and 13 detach the mop on their own. The answers for thick carpet and carpet with mopping compare them.