Carrying the robot between floors works fine.

Yes, you can use a single-map robot vacuum on multiple floors — you just have to move it yourself.

Most robot vacuums that only support one map rely on you physically relocating the unit. Here’s the trick: run it on the first floor, let it finish and return to charge. Then pick up the robot and its charging base, move them to the second floor, and start a new mapping run. The robot will overwrite the old map with the new one. Next time you want the first floor, move it back and let it remap again — or if it has a “quick map” feature, use that to save time without a full cleaning run.

To avoid confusion, set up no-go zones or virtual walls on the current map to block off stairs or areas you don’t want cleaned on that floor. Some models let you label the current map (e.g., “upstairs” / “downstairs”) so you know which floor you’re on. If your robot doesn’t save multiple maps, this manual swap is the only way.

It’s not seamless, but it beats buying a second robot.