Articles by Derek Adams

Derek Adams has been in consumer tech journalism since joining London listings magazine Time Out in the early ‘80s. He’s an experienced reviewer of cordless vacs and robot vacs, indeed anything that runs on batteries or has a plug attached. Derek also writes extensively for TechRadar’s sister site T3.com between playing drums and guitar with his bandmates in Red Box.

Articles by: Derek Adams

Dreame V20 Pro vacuum on its stand in a room corner

Dreame's new cordless vacuum is nimble, powerful, and delivers the best edge cleaning I've seen

By Derek Adams published 27 December 25

Throw away that Crevice tool – the V20 Pro has an ingenious way to get your room edges clean all on its own.

Dreame Matrix10 Ultra dock with door open to show spare mop pads lined up

Dreame's new mop-swapping robot vacuum is the most innovative and ambitious robovac I've ever tested

By Derek Adams published 4 December 25

The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra might be the perfect bot for big, complex homes or even commercial properties.

Person using Roborock F25 Ace Combo mop in a home with dogs running around

What is a wet-and-dry vacuum, and do I actually need one?

By Derek Adams published 12 October 25

For certain households, a wet-dry vacuum can be a game-changer – here's what to expect, plus alternatives to consider.

Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA on tester's lawn

Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA review: efficient cutting spoiled by temperamental behavior

By Derek Adams published 10 September 25

The Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA is an efficient mower with excellent edge cutting, but it's also temperamental and confusing to use.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

Reliable, neat and user-friendly, the Anthbot Genie lawn mower is a wish come true

By Derek Adams published 31 July 25

If you're after an intelligent lawnbot that doesn't take a degree in IT to operate, step right this way.

iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor robot vacuum review: a crushing disappointment

By Derek Adams published 15 July 25

The iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo's intriguing space-saving design is let down by poor execution.

Is my garden suitable for a robot lawn mower?

By Derek Adams published 28 June 25

Steep incline? Overgrown grass? Lumps and bumps? We look at the obstacles that could pose a problem for the wrong lawnbot.

Robot lawn mower with Smart Home Week graphic

How to prepare your lawn for a robot lawn mower

By Derek Adams published 25 June 25

Smart home week Lawnbots can be a major effort-saver when it comes to yardcare – here's how to get your lawn ready.

Roborock robot vacuum on carpet next to Smart Home Week graphic

6 settings you should be changing on your robovac (but probably aren't)

By Derek Adams published 23 June 25

Shifting away from the defaults can transform your robot vacuum from basic home helper to tailored cleaning assistant.

Eufy E15 robot lawn mower mowing tester's lawn in neat stripes

I tested the Eufy E15 robot lawn mower, and it's so easy to use even technophobes will love it

By Derek Adams published 14 June 25

Recommended

I've tested plenty of lawnbots, but Eufy's debut effort blew me away with its accurate full self-drive tech.

Samsung Jet 85 Pet vacuum cleaner in reviewer's living room

Samsung Jet 85 Pet vacuum cleaner review: high-powered cleaning for pet-owners

By Derek Adams last updated 5 June 25

How does the Samsung Jet 85 Pet match up to the opposition?

Roborock Saros 10R and Saros 10 robot vacuums side by side in reviewer's house

Roborock Saros 10 and Saros 10R: which should I buy?

By Derek Adams published 12 May 25

I tested Roborock's Saros 10 and 10R side by side – here's how they matched up.

Dreame R20 cordless vacuum in reviewer's home

Dreame R20 cordless vacuum review

By Derek Adams last updated 9 May 25

The Dreame R20 packs a slew of useful features, not to mention incredible cleaning power, for a wallet-friendly price.

Roborock Qrevo Master robot vacuum with side brush kicked out

Roborock Qrevo Master review: hassle-free cleaning from the king of robot vacuums

By Derek Adams published 11 April 25

It's not the very newest Roborock, but it's still a supremely capable bot and there are some strong deals to be had.

Roborock Q5 Pro+ robot vacuum review: an affordable bot with strong suction

By Derek Adams published 15 March 25

It might be one of the cheapest Roborocks around, but the excellent suction makes it worthy of consideration, even if the mop underwhelms.

Tineco Pure One A50S cordless stick vacuum with wand bent forwards

Tineco Pure One A50S cordless vacuum review: superb suction but a flawed design

By Derek Adams published 1 March 25

The Tineco Pure One A50S offers excellent cleaning power and long battery life, but a clunky design lets it down a little.

Close up of camera on iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max (left) and close up of LiDAR navigation puck on Roborock robot vacuum

LiDAR vs vSLAM: which robot vacuum navigation technology is better?

By Ruth Hamilton published 16 January 25

vSLAM and LiDAR will both help your robovac find its way around, but one is better than the other.

Dreame L40 Ultra (left) and D-shaped Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuums (right)

5 overdue robot vacuum innovations I want to see in 2025

By Derek Adams last updated 30 December 24

From D-shaped bots to better-looking docks, here's what's on my robovac wishlist for the new year.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum in reviewer's home

How do robot vacuums navigate?

By Derek Adams published 10 December 24

Here's exactly how robovacs find their way around, without crashing down stairs, running slipshod over toys and cables, or bumping into furniture.

Close up of camera on iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max review

By Derek Adams published 7 December 24

iRobot's range-topping Roomba Combo 10 Max is well-built and looks good, but has a few too many design and usability issues.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum in a village hall

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum review

By Derek Adams published 20 November 24

If you can handle the large and ugly dock, the Dreame L40 Ultra is an almost-perfect hybrid robot vacuum.

Roborock Qrevo Curv review: the crème de la crème of robot vacuums

By Derek Adams published 17 November 24

If you're looking for a truly hands-off cleaning experience, the Qrevo Curv will deliver.

The Gtech ProLite on a kitchen counter with oatmeal scattered in front of it

Gtech ProLite cordless handheld vacuum cleaner review

By Derek Adams published 11 September 24

The Gtech ProLite is a featherweight handheld vacuum that's perfect for little clean-ups, but not much more.

Xiaomi X20+ robot vac review

By Derek Adams published 10 September 24

The Xiaomi X20+ is a brilliant, budget-friendly robot vacuum and mop that can do almost everything pricier models can.

Gtech AirRam 3 vacuum cleaner in reviewer's home

Gtech AirRam 3 cordless upright vacuum cleaner review

By Derek Adams published 9 August 24

Recommended

A superbly designed cordless upright vac that cleans right to the edge.