How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robot vacuum can provide a fantastic value. But beware that it may cost more than you anticipated in terms of maintenance: removing the fur from brushes, blocking inlets, and emptying small dust bins can quickly make your dream of automating cleaning an exercise.
The iRobot J7 Combo is the most affordable robot for many people. It offers the same hands-off experience at a fraction of the price.
Suction Power
Some models in this range offer enough suction for basic vacuuming. Others may require a handheld nozzle for deep cleaning. A budget-friendly robot vacuum is likely to do the job if you live in a house with mostly hard floors. However, if your floors are different surfaces and you also have rug, or have pets that shed, a higher-end model will give you the best results for the money.
Some budget models come with mopping features and water tanks, which increase their capabilities. The newer Dyson R7050C, for example, has very good scores in CR's tests of navigation and a generous 770ml bin, but it's louder than most of the other robots we've tried and doesn't have mopping features. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is smaller, but it is quieter and comes with an automatic dock. It has a reservoir of water and a suction power of 5,500-pascals and a large bin you can fill with cleaning products to make it more effective. You can operate the Q5 Pro via the smart app to mop or vac in a room, a sequence of rooms, or an area and set no-go zones and customise suction and mopping settings for different rooms.
The Shark ION is a good option for those looking for something that is affordable, simple and reliable. It's not as sophisticated as other models, and comes with a basic app and no-frills maps, but it has excellent navigation and cleaning abilities. It's also one of only a few robots that can discern between hard flooring and carpets. The 300ml dustbin only emptied once every 30 days.
Consider some of the premium models that are priced at this level if you want something more advanced that can vacuum mop, vacuum, and even create a map for more effective obstacle-avoiding. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 have very strong suction power, clever combs for pet hair and other fine dirt, and an in-app scheduling and voice control using your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that provides excellent cleaning performance for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget robot vacuum cleaner can be just as effective as expensive models, so long as it can navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. To determine navigation efficiency, our lab technicians set up a tracking device to monitor a robot's movements through a multiroom test house and evaluate its ability to find the rooms it must clean in a certain amount of time, while avoiding obstacles such as rug power cords, power cords, and furniture. We also examine the speed at which a robot is able to traverse different terrains in a home, such as stairways and floor transitions.
The best budget robot vacuums have efficient navigation systems that help them to tidy up a space without spending time, running through obstacles, or getting stuck. The majority of robot vacuums have the ability to map which is essential for a full-house clean. Even models that aren't mapping can cover a room efficiently. It is important to balance the cost of your device with the features that you need.
We also consider how easily a robot can traverse thresholds within the home, such as the heights of a door sill or sofas. A budget-friendly robot should be able to transition over these obstacles, and some have settings that can alter suction power according to flooring types. Finally, we consider whether a budget robot is compatible with your home's smart-home configuration and can be controlled remotely using an app or voice command.
One example of a top budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which has basic mapping capability as well as other features that make it a very affordable package. It can be controlled using the iRobot App, and it has an automatic return feature that returns the robot back to its base once the battery runs low and then picks up where it started.
The iLife V3s Pro does not come with the advanced object-avoidance technology that is found on a lot of top robots. However, it does have a live camera which transmits an unreliable feed to your phone so you can observe it working. The cameras can also detect stairs and other obstacles and trigger an alert when the robot encounters them. However, the iLife employs random navigation instead of a method that is designed to avoid objects stuck against furniture legs, which means it might not be able to maneuver around a leg on a chair or another tight spot as easily as a robot equipped with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When you're shopping for a robot vacuum, it's important to balance cost with performance. The cheapest models might not have advanced features like mapping, but they'll still do an excellent job of cleaning your home. Pay attention to the dimensions and capacity of the dustbin. You'll need enough space to accommodate all the trash that robots accumulate including hair, dirt, and pet dander.
You'll also need a robot vacuum that removes staining from carpets. We test every model in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to remove dirt and hair from carpet. The best models come with a brush that can dig into the carpet fibers and remove debris.
The majority of budget models are successful at picking up messes on bare floors and carpets with low piles, but struggle to clear larger chunks of pet hair and debris from higher-pile carpets. These models usually have less suction, but they can still be effective at cleaning up debris from tight areas such as corners and under furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro vacuum cleaner is the top vacuum in its price. It has a high score in our tests, and it's able to remove dirt and hair from carpets. It is also among our quieter models and easy to use. It comes with a suction hole that scoops up debris instead of pushing it through the bar. automated vacuum cleaner has the ability to 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 direction of the robot, however it's not as effective at as it does in picking up fine dust.
Look for a model with mop and vacuum functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. It can simultaneously mop and vacuum, and you can customize the settings for each room. It's more expensive than the other low-cost robots in our chart however, it has the advantages of a forward-facing camera, which allows for more precise mapping and better protection against obstacles such as power cords and cat piss.
Maintenance
The convenience robot vacuums offer is great, but the technology comes with the cost of. Regular maintenance is required for everything from emptying the dust bin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They can also get tangled in cords and drop off the stairs, so they need to be monitored attentively.
The best budget robot vacuums reduce these issues through requiring minimal oversight from the user. The top picks have navigation systems that steer clear of objects and are free of dangers, like strangling electrical cords and dropping food items. They use sensors to map rooms and create maps that tell them where they have already cleaned.
Don't let the cost of the higher-end models deter you. They can still do an excellent job if given the chance. A majority of our top budget picks come from leading OEMs, such as iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been designed with the utmost care and built to last.
If you're willing to spend more, consider a mopping robot. They can use a moist cloth over floors to scrub them clean and remove stubborn stains and can be used with a specialized mop pad to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.
There are several mopping robots featured in our list, but the best budget model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a sleek minimalist design, and it also comes with all the features and capabilities of a top rated robotvac. In our tests the RV30 was capable of navigating without bumping into furniture and building detailed maps of its flooring that can be used to reference in future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that include this feature, however the iRobot Roomba also has similar capabilities for mapping, and an in-app configuration that walks you through the process step-by step.
Remember to maintain your robot regardless of whether you pick a costly robovac or one that is more affordable. It's a good idea empty the dust bin after each cleaning task and to clean the filter, if it has one (check the manual of your owner or the manufacturer's site for more information). It is also recommended to replace its battery as needed and keep track of its Wi-Fi connectivity as well as app updates.