How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robot vacuum is a great deal. But beware that it may cost more than you expect in the maintenance department: untangling the fur from brushes, blocking inlets and emptying the tiny dust bins can quickly make your automated cleaning dream an exercise.
For a lot of people the most affordable robot is the iRobot Combo. It offers a similar hands-free experience, but at a fraction of its price.
Suction Power
Some models in this category are able to handle basic vacuuming. Others may require a handheld nozzle for deep cleaning. If you live in a house that has mostly hard flooring and a low-cost robot vacuum will likely suffice. If you have a variety of floors, rugs or pets that shed, you will be able to get the best results with the most powerful robot vacuum.
Some budget models come with mopping capabilities and a water tank, increasing their versatility. The Dyson R7050C comes with a large 770ml bin and excellent navigation scores, but is louder and does not have mopping capabilities. The more compact Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, however, is surprisingly quiet and has an auto-empty dock. It has a reservoir of water and a suction power of 5,500-pascals as well as a large bin you can fill with cleaning products to make it more efficient. The Q5 Pro can be controlled by the smart app that lets you mop or vacuum a room or sequence of rooms or a whole area. You can also set up no-go zones, and set suction settings to your preferences for each room.
The Shark ION is a good option for those seeking something affordable easy to use and reliable. It's not as advanced as other models, with a basic app and no-frills mapping capabilities, but has excellent navigation and cleaning abilities. It's also one of few robots that differentiate between hard flooring and carpets. The 300ml dustbin is only emptied once every 30 days.
Consider some of the premium models within this price range if you want something more advanced that can vacuum mop, sweep, and create maps for more effective obstacle-avoiding. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 have very strong suction power as well as a comb that is cleverly designed for pet hair and other dirt, as well as in-app scheduling and voice control using your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that has excellent cleaning capabilities for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A low-cost robot vacuum can be as effective as a higher-priced model as long as it is able to navigate your home and avoid obstacles. Our lab technicians utilized the tracking device in a multi-room test home to assess the robot's capability to navigate and find the rooms that it needed to clean within a specified time frame, while keeping away from obstacles like power cords, furniture, and rug. We also evaluate how fast a robot can traverse different terrains in a home, such as the floor and stairways.
The most affordable robot vacuums have navigation systems that allow them to efficiently clean a space without having to waste time or crashing into obstacles. They're all equipped with mapping capabilities, which are essential to complete house cleaning. However, even smart robot that do not have mapping can be used to effectively clean a room, so it's important to weigh the cost against the features you want for your home.
We also examine the ease with which robots can cross over thresholds in the home, for example the heights of a door sill and sofas. A budget-friendly robot should be able to pass over these obstacles, and some provide settings to adjust suction power for different flooring types. We also consider whether the robot is compatible with smart home technology and can be controlled remotely via an app or voice command.
The iLife V3s Pro is a great example of a budget robot that provides basic mapping capabilities and other smart features. It's also incredibly affordable. It can be controlled using the iRobot App and has an automatic return feature that returns the robot back to its base once the battery runs low and continues where it began.
The iLife V3s Pro does not have the advanced object-avoidance technology found on a lot of high-end robots. However, it does have live cameras that transmit a grainy stream to your smartphone so that you can watch it work. The cameras can also detect stairs and other obstacles and elicit an alert if the robot comes across them. However, the iLife uses random navigation rather than a method designed to keep objects from getting stuck against furniture legs, which means it may not be able around a leg of a chair or any other tight spot as a robot equipped with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When shopping for a robotic vacuum, you should balance the cost and performance. Some budget models don't have features, such as mapping, but they'll still do an excellent job of cleaning your home. Be aware of the size and capacity of the dust bin. You'll need enough room to accommodate all the waste that robots accumulate including hair, dirt, and pet dander.
You'll also need a robot vacuum that is able to remove stains from carpets. We test every model in the ZDNET chart to determine if it can remove hair and dirt from carpet. The best models have a brush that digs into fibers to pull out dirt.
Budget models are good at getting rid of small messes on flooring that is not covered with coverings but they aren't able to get rid of larger pet hairs and debris from carpets with higher pile. They typically have less powerful suction than models that are more expensive however, they still do a well at getting rid of debris from tight spaces such as corners and underneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro vacuum cleaner is the best vacuum for its price. It has a good score in our tests, and it can remove dirt and hair from carpets. It's also one of the quieter models we tested and is easy to use. It comes with a suction hole that is able to collect debris instead of pushing it through the brush bar. It can also adjust the power to match the surface. It also comes with a side-brush that has three bristles that push debris and hair into the path of the robot, but it doesn't do as good as it does in picking up fine dust.
Look for a model with mop and vacuum functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. This robot can simultaneously mop and vacuum, and you can customize the settings for each room. It's more expensive than the other robot vacuums we have in our chart, but it does have a camera in the front that allows for more precise mapping, and better obstacle avoidance of things like power cords and cat poop.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums are convenient however, they come at a cost. Regular maintenance is essential to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They may also get caught in cords and drop off the stairs, so they need to be monitored attentively.
The best budget robot vacuums minimize these hassles through requiring minimal oversight from the user. Top picks are equipped with navigation systems that allow them to avoid obstacles and avoid hazards such as electrical cords and food items that have been dropped. They use sensors to map rooms, and create maps that tell them where they've cleaned.
Don't let the cost of the higher-end models deter you. They can still do a great job if given a chance. Many of our top picks for budget come from leading OEMs, such as iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been designed with the utmost attention to detail and built to last.
You might consider a mopping robot If you're willing to pay more. These can swish a wet cloth across floors to scrub them and remove stubborn stains and they can be utilized with a mop pad that is specifically designed to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.
There are many mopping robots featured in our roundup but the most affordable model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has the clean and uncluttered appearance of a home hub, but the features and performance of a top robovac that includes LiDAR navigation. During our tests, the RV30 was capable of moving without crashing into furniture, and also create precise floorplan maps that it can use for future runs. This is the only budget robot that we tested with this feature. iRobot Roomba also has mapping capabilities, however the app setup guide you through the entire procedure.
Make sure to keep your robot in good condition regardless of whether you opt for an expensive robovac or one that is less expensive. It is a good idea to empty its trash bin after every cleaning job and to clean the filter if one is present (check the owner's manual or the manufacturer's site for more details). Replace the battery when needed and check the Wi-Fi connectivity.