Homeowners: know which home robot fits your home — and which ones to skip.

A home robot is an expensive purchase to get wrong.

• Your yard isn't a test track. A robot mower might look fine in a product video but struggle with your slope, roots, or uneven edges.
• Every roundup seems to have a different winner. It's hard to tell which recommendations come from hands-on testing and which come from specifications or sponsorships.
• Your home has specific problems. Pet hair, muddy paws, thick carpet, narrow passages, and pool steps matter more than a generic feature list.
• Research takes time. When you're considering a $1,200 purchase, you want to understand the tradeoffs before you commit.

BotShelf has a simple editorial rule: if we tested it, we show you what happened. If we haven't tested it, we label the coverage as research-based. Our plan is to purchase one robot each month, use it in realistic conditions, film the test, and publish the test log alongside the review. No undocumented hands-on claims. No ratings invented to fill an empty page.

Start with the free Robot Buying Scorecard →

The category hubs

Every category separates Tested Reviews from Research Roundups. Tested reviews require documented hands-on testing with a published Test Log. Research roundups compare published specifications and buyer feedback, with sources clearly identified. Specifications quoted in a research roundup are manufacturer-stated figures — we label them that way because we have not measured them ourselves. At launch, category hubs begin with research roundups while the test program gets started. Each hub also carries a living comparison table: when a new test lands, the table changes, and the change is dated.

Not sure where to start? Score your shortlist with the free scorecard →

One robot a month. A published test plan. Results you can inspect.

1. We purchase the test unit. Our planned testing model uses retail purchases rather than manufacturer loans or conditional review units.

2. We run repeatable tests. Each category has a published test plan covering relevant conditions, such as pet-hair pickup, slope climbing, runtime, and obstacle avoidance. Products within a category face the same core checks.

3. We film the test and document what happened. Every monthly test is filmed — setup, failures, and cleanup included — and published as a long-form video. Reviews on this site include the raw test log. Failures stay in the review.

4. We separate testing from commissions. Affiliate payments are disclosed next to the links that earn them and do not determine review outcomes or rankings.

5. We label research clearly. If we haven't handled a product ourselves, we call the coverage research-based and show the sources. Specifications in research coverage are manufacturer-stated figures, attributed to the manufacturer — not measurements we took. We never present research as a hands-on test.

The purchase calendar (our published plan): the monthly purchase rotates with the buying seasons — robot mowers in late winter and spring (February–April), pool cleaners in spring into early summer (March–June), and robot vacuums in the fall (September–November). Between purchase windows, we publish research roundups and keep the comparison tables current. This site's job is the record: the Test Logs and the living ranking and comparison tables that the test videos point to.

Get the free scorecard and score your own shortlist →

How BotShelf makes money

BotShelf may earn a commission when you purchase through affiliate links on this site, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions help fund our testing program. They do not determine our recommendations or rankings. We do not accept payment to change a review.

This disclosure appears near the homepage hero, on review and comparison pages, and alongside affiliate links — not only here. Wherever a recommendation appears with a buy link, a short disclosure sits next to it. Research-based comparisons are labeled as such, and we never claim hands-on testing without a documented Test Log.

At launch, our affiliate programs are still being approved, so the buy-link slots on this page are marked placeholders. A slot only becomes a live link after its program is approved, with its disclosure already beside it.

Pick My Robot — a written recommendation, done for you

Some shortlists don't settle themselves. If you've scored your options and you're still stuck between two or three robots, we will do the research legwork and give you a straight answer in writing.

What it is: a research-based recommendation. We work from your home profile, published specifications, documented test results, and buyer feedback. It is honestly labeled research-based — it is not a hands-on test of the robots on your list, and we will never present it as one.

How it works:

1. You check out. The confirmation page tells you to email your home profile and the robots you're considering to chiticohq+botshelf@zohomail.com. That email is the intake — fixed contents, so nothing gets missed.
2. We research your shortlist against your home — fit, tradeoffs, and the dealbreakers that matter for your floors, lawn, or pool.
3. Within 3 business days of your email arriving, you receive a written recommendation by email.

Fixed scope, both tiers:

• One written deliverable naming one pick and one runner-up per category, with the reasons and the tradeoffs stated plainly.
• A current price, stock, and support check on the pick, done as part of the research.
• No revisions and no follow-up thread. The deliverable is the written recommendation.
• No calls, ever. Everything is written and asynchronous.
• The affiliate relationship is disclosed again inside the deliverable itself, next to any buy link it contains.
• Refund term: if we cannot give you a clear recommendation for your home, we refund the full fee. No forms, no argument.

FAQ