Are self-emptying docks worth the extra money and floor space?

A self-emptying dock is a bet: pay more upfront and a larger footprint on your floor, in exchange for ignoring the robot for weeks. Without the dock you’re emptying a tiny bin every run or two; with it, you touch the debris container maybe once a month. The trade-off is real, but once you go self-emptying, it’s hard to go back.