I recently had the chance to review the Roborock Dyad Pro, my first smart vacuum that isn’t a robot. That concept might be unfamiliar to some people, so prompted by others at Android Authority, I’m sharing my experiences with both cleaning options — weighing their pros and cons for people who’ve tried one or neither.

Let’s clear things up immediately: a robot vacuum is capable of fully autonomous cleaning, or at least operating without being directly guided by your hands. Control is handled through a mobile app, or if you’ve got one, a smart speaker or display. Some robots come with docks that automatically empty debris into a bin, or even change out dirty water if the robot has mopping functions.