CREATE NETBOT LS80 (robot vacuum cleaner Mopping robot compatible with Alexa): our review

The rug beside the sofa can collect an impressive amount of everyday life, from toast crumbs to whatever came in on your slippers. With suction specified at 8000 Pa, the NETBOT LS80 sits among the stronger advertised ratings, giving carpet owners a reason to consider it. Carpet asks more than that. Manufacturers measure pressure differently, and embedded dirt also demands effective cleaning beyond a strong suction rating.

We like the emphasis on suction for routine floor care. Coming home to fewer crumbs underfoot is a useful ambition, especially when the alternative is fetching the vacuum before you have even taken your coat off. The suction figure earns it a place on your shortlist; it cannot settle the carpet question by itself.

The brush arrangement includes 1 side brush, relevant to the crumbs that gather around room edges. Filtration is specified as HEPA H11/H12. That identifies the filter class; we would stop short of promising allergy relief from the complete machine. For everyday ownership, keep replacement filters and brushes in mind alongside the headline suction figure.

A stated cleaning duration of 160 min gives this robot scope to work through several rooms. Think of the kitchen after breakfast, the passage through to the sitting room and the floor beneath the dining table. Longer runtime gives your routine more flexibility. How far it gets will depend on the cleaning settings and the rooms involved.

That endurance comes from the gentlest setting. Stronger suction or mopping shortens the session, so a demanding carpet clean will draw on the allowance differently from a gentle pass over hard flooring.

With recharge and resume, an interrupted job can carry on once the battery has been replenished. That helps when the cleaning outlasts the available charge, although the household schedule needs room for the pause. A Saturday morning with less vacuuming is an appealing prospect; a hurried clean just before guests knock calls for more modest expectations. Give the robot time to do its job.

There is a particular disappointment in taking your shoes off after work and finding the kitchen floor still needs attention. The mopping function adds damp floor care to the LS80's vacuuming brief. We would treat it as regular upkeep for suitable hard floors, with the aim of keeping everyday grime from becoming another evening job.

A damp pass has limits. Expecting vigorous scrubbing would be a stretch, so dried sauce beneath the cooker may still demand your attention. Dinner seems remarkably unwilling to clean up after itself.

For unfinished, waxed or poorly sealed wooden flooring, manufacturers advise checking that the surface tolerates moisture before using a mop. Make that decision before adding wet cleaning to your routine. For kitchen tiles that need regular attention between more thorough cleans, the function has a sensible role. We would still keep a conventional mop available for the sticky aftermath of an ambitious supper.

The maximum coverage of 160 m² puts a house with several living spaces within the intended brief. That allowance can involve charging stops, potentially repeated, rather than uninterrupted cleaning. A full recharge takes 5 h, making a daily routine more convincing than a quick turnaround between demanding sessions.

No-go zones let you leave selected areas outside the cleaning route. Alexa compatibility offers voice control; before ordering, check that your router provides a Wi-Fi network compatible with the LS80. Manufacturers advise clearing cables, small objects and socks before a run. You still have a small supporting role.

The 250 mL dustbin is small and needs frequent emptying when pet hair builds up. That chore matters if your aim is less daily involvement. The model has no pet-friendly designation, which further weakens its case for a household centred around shedding animals. For prepared rooms with more ordinary dust and crumbs, the combination of coverage and room controls makes better sense.

The LS80 is well placed overall in our scores, but household size and cleaning schedules can point elsewhere. Choose around the routine you actually want. A robot that fits a flat's daily rhythm may be a less convincing match for a sprawling house.

The Cecotec Conga Y60 Pearl is better suited to a large house, with higher maximum coverage of 200 m², leaving more scope for several living spaces within its stated coverage. The Cecotec Conga Y60 Pearl also has a higher dustbin capacity of 350 mL, providing more room for collected debris between emptying.

The DJI Romo A is better suited if you want to cover the whole home in one go, with higher battery life of 180 min providing a longer cleaning window. The DJI Romo A has a lower charging time of 2.5 h, shortening the wait before another session. Leave room in your schedule for stronger suction or mopping to shorten those advertised cleaning times.