How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robot vacuum can provide a fantastic value. Beware of maintenance costs that might be higher than anticipated: tangles inside brushes, blocked air inlets and emptied dust bins will quickly transform your dream of automated cleaning into a burden.
For many people the most affordable robot is the iRobot Combo. It offers the same hands-off experience at only a fraction of the cost.
Suction Power
Certain models in this price range have sufficient suction for basic vacuuming, while others might require a bit of help from a handheld nozzle to reach into the smallest cracks and crevices. If you live in a home with primarily hard flooring or carpet, a budget-friendly robot vacuum will likely suffice. If you have a mix of floors, rugs or pets that shed, you will be able to get the best results with a more capable robot vacuum.
Some budget models come with mopping and a water tank capability, further increasing their versatility. The Dyson R7050C comes with an enormous 770ml bin as well as excellent navigation scores, however it is louder and doesn't have mopping capabilities. The smaller Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, however, is surprisingly quiet and features an auto-empty dock. It has a reservoir of water with a suction capacity of 5,500-pascals as well as a large bin that you can fill with cleaning solutions to make it more effective. You can control the Q5 Pro via the smart app to mop or vacuum in the room, or a series of rooms or an entire area as well as set no-go zones and customise mopping and suction settings to suit different rooms.
The budget Shark ION is a great option for those who want something basic, affordable and reliable. It's not as sophisticated as some of the other models we test that have a simple application and basic mapping capabilities, but it has solid navigation and cleaning abilities. It is also one of the few robots we've tested which can differentiate between hard flooring and carpets and also comes with a 300ml dust bin that needs to be emptied every 30 days.
Take a look at some of the top models within this price range If you're looking for something more sophisticated that can vacuum mop, vacuum, and even create maps for smarter obstacle-avoidance. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 have very strong suction power, clever combs for pet hair and other dirt, and an in-app scheduling and voice control using your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that provides superior cleaning performance for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget-friendly robot vacuum could be just as effective as a higher-priced model in the event that it is able to navigate your home and avoid obstacles. Our lab technicians employed a tracking device in a multi-room test house to assess the robot's capability to navigate and locate rooms it needed to clean within a specific time frame, while staying clear of obstacles such as furniture, power cords, and rug. We also evaluate the speed at which robots can navigate through different terrains within a house, including the floor and stairways.
The most affordable robot vacuums are equipped with navigation systems that enable them to clean a room efficiently without having to waste time or crashing into obstacles. The majority of robot vacuums have maps that are essential for a full-house clean. Even models that aren't mapping can effectively cover a room. It is important to weigh the cost of your machine with the features that you need.
We also examine the ease with which robots can overcome thresholds in the home, for example the heights of a door sill or a sofa. A good budget-friendly robot must be able to move over these obstacles, and some have settings that can alter suction power according to floor types. We also take a look at whether a budget robot is compatible with your smart home configuration and can be controlled remotely via an app or via voice control.
One example of an excellent budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which has basic mapping capability and other smart features in an extremely affordable price. It can be controlled using the iRobot App and comes with an auto return feature that allows you to return the robot to its base when the battery is exhausted and continues where it started.
The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on many premium robots, but it has a live camera that transmits a grainy video feed to your smartphone so that you can watch the robot as it performs. The cameras can also detect stairs and other obstacles and alert you if the robot comes across them. However, the iLife utilizes random navigation rather than a method that is designed to avoid objects stuck against furniture legs, therefore it may not be able to get around a leg of a chair or other tight spot as well as a robot that has mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When choosing a robotic vacuum, you should balance the price 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 dustbin. You'll need enough room to fit all the debris that robots accumulate such as hair dirt, pet dander.
You'll want a robot capable of removing dirt and stains from carpets, too. We test every model in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to lift dirt and hair off carpet. The most effective ones have a special brush that is designed to penetrate the carpet fibers and remove debris.
Budget models are good at cleaning up small messes from bare floors or low-pile floor carpets however, they struggle to remove larger particles and pet hairs from carpets with higher pile. These models tend to have a less powerful 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 best vacuum for its price. It has a high score in our tests and it's able to remove hairs and dirt from carpets. It's also among the quieter models we test and simple to use. It has tiny suction openings which collects debris instead of pushing it through the bar, and it can adjust the power to match the surface. It has a sidebrush with three bristles that push hair and other debris into the robot's path. However, it's not as effective in picking dust particles.
If you need both mopping and vacuum, look for a model that offers both functions such as the Combo j9 Plus. The robot can vacuum and mop simultaneously and you can also customize the settings for each room. It's more expensive compared to other budget robot vacs in our chart however it comes with the advantages of having a forward-facing camera, which allows for more precise mapping and better obstacle avoidance for things like power cords and cat poop.
Maintenance
The convenience that robot vacuums offer is fantastic, but the technology comes with the cost of. They require regular maintenance, from emptying their dustbin to changing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also get caught up in cords or fall off the stairs.
The best budget robot vacuums can ease these problems as they require little administration by the user. The top models are equipped with navigation systems that enable them to avoid obstacles and stay clear of dangers like electrical cords, food debris and even dropped food. They also use a combination of sensors to map rooms and build maps that indicate the areas they've cleaned before to ensure they don't re-clean the same areas again.
Even the most basic robotic vacuums will give a decent clean if you give them a shot and don't be put off by the high cost of more expensive models. Many of our top budget picks are from top OEMs, like iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been developed with care and are built to last.
Consider a mopping robotic If you're willing to pay more. These machines can clean floors using a wet cloth and remove staining that is difficult to remove. They can also be used combination with a mop pad to tackle tough jobs, like dried coffee.
The TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus is the best value mopping robot that we have reviewed in our roundup. It has a clean, uncluttered appearance, but it also has all the features and performance of a top-rated robot vacuum. In our tests, the RV30 was capable of navigating without hitting furniture and create detailed maps of its floorplan that it could use on future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that include this feature, although the iRobot Roomba also has similar capabilities for mapping, and an in-app setting that guides you through the process step by step.
Be sure to maintain your robot regardless of whether you pick a costly robovac or one that is less expensive. You should empty the trash bin and clean the filter after every cleaning session (refer to the owner's manual 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.