A docking station is where your robot vacuum lives between runs

A docking station is the plastic tower that lives against your wall with a power outlet — it’s where your robot vacuum returns when the battery runs low or when a cleaning run finishes. Basic docks just charge, but the modern self-cleaning docks also empty the dustbin, refill the water tank, wash the mop pad, and sometimes even dry everything so nothing gets musty. The jump from a basic charger to a full-service dock is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade you can make with a robot vacuum.