Vonko S6 Pro (robot vacuum cleaner): our review

A pet can make the living room rug look ready for vacuuming before you have finished your morning tea. The S6 Pro has a stated suction rating of 8000 Pa, placing it among the stronger advertised ratings. That gives carpet owners a reason to consider it, particularly when hair is the chore they most want to hand over.

Keep some perspective, though. Manufacturers measure suction differently, so the figure positions this robot rather than promising a clean carpet. We like the emphasis on suction for a model aimed at homes with pets, but would not mistake that specification for proof of hair removal.

Is the rug where most of your vacuuming time disappears? This is a relevant strength to weigh up. Your pet is unlikely to contribute to the decision, beyond supplying more hair.

Moving from kitchen tiles to a rug makes a combined vacuum and mop more interesting than a machine with a damp cloth permanently against the floor. The S6 Pro has mop lifting, a useful feature to consider for households where hard flooring and carpet share the cleaning route.

That is a practical distinction, although lifting alone should not be taken as a promise that every thick rug will suit it. Keep expectations sensible: the mopping function offers help with damp floor care, rather than a reason to retire the manual mop when dried kitchen marks need elbow grease.

Think of the lighter upkeep between more thorough cleans. The appeal is less time devoted to routine floor care. For unfinished, waxed or poorly sealed wooden flooring, manufacturers advise checking that the surface can tolerate moisture before using a mop.

Returning from work to a floor that needs less attention is the attraction. Returning to another container that needs emptying is less appealing. An auto-empty station addresses that recurring job by giving the robot somewhere to transfer collected dirt, reducing your involvement in emptying its onboard bin.

Some housekeeping remains. Automatic emptying does not make collected dirt disappear from the house, and the mop and brushes still need care. Give the station a place in your room planning, too: it becomes part of the cleaning routine rather than something you put away with the vacuum.

LiDAR navigation adds to the appeal of delegating regular cleaning. Keep your side of the arrangement straightforward: as manufacturers instruct, collect socks, charging cables and small objects before a cleaning run. The robot can have the floor; the laundry still needs a human.

The Vonko S6 Pro makes most sense when your chores overlap: pet hair to collect, hard floors to damp mop and a dustbin you would rather empty less often. Those are connected reasons to choose it, with the lifting mop adding particular appeal where rugs interrupt stretches of hard flooring.

Would you use the mop regularly, or would it spend its life waiting for an invitation? If vacuuming is your entire brief, the mopping equipment matters less to your decision. If dried kitchen marks are the main frustration, we would put more emphasis on how much manual mopping you are prepared to keep doing.

Choose around the chore you actually resent. We would put it on the shortlist for pet owners who want help with everyday upkeep and will still clear the floor before it runs. Less vacuuming on Saturday morning is a persuasive aim without expecting every floor chore to vanish.