How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robotic vacuum is a bargain. Beware of maintenance costs that could be more than expected: tangles in brushes, clogged 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 a similar hands-free experience, but at only a fraction of the cost.
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 vacuum is likely to do the job well if you live in an apartment with primarily hard floors. However, if your floors are an assortment of surfaces and you have some rug, or have pets who shed, a better model will provide the best results for your cost.
A few budget models include mopping and water tank capabilities, which adds to their flexibility. The latest Dyson R7050C model for instance, has excellent scores in CR's tests of navigation and a large bin of 770ml, but it's louder than a lot of the other robots we've tried and doesn't offer mopping features. The more compact Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, by contrast, is relatively quiet and has an automatic emptying dock. It has a water reservoir and a suction power of 5,500-pascals and an enormous bin that you can fill with cleaning products to boost its effectiveness. The Q5 Pro can be controlled via the smart app, that lets you vacuum or mop a room or a sequence of rooms or an entire space. You can also establish no-go zones and customize suction settings for each room.
The Shark ION is a good option for those looking for something affordable easy to use and reliable. It's not as sophisticated as some of the other models we test, with a no-frills application and basic mapping capabilities, but it offers excellent navigation and cleaning capabilities. It's also among the few robots we've tested that can differentiate between hard flooring and carpets, and it comes with a 300ml dust bin that has to be empty every 30 days.
Take a look at some of the top models that are priced at this level if you want something more sophisticated that can vacuum mop, vacuum, and even create a map to help you avoid obstacles. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 have very strong suction power and combs that are clever for pet hair and other fine dirt, and in-app scheduling and voice control using your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that offers outstanding cleaning capabilities for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget robot vacuum can be just as effective an expensive model as long as it is able to navigate your home and avoid obstacles. Our lab technicians utilized an instrument for tracking in a multi-room test home to evaluate the robot's ability to navigate and locate rooms that it needed to clean within a specific timeframe, while also avoiding obstacles like furniture, power cords and rug. We also evaluate the speed at which a robot is able to navigate through different terrains within a home, such as the floor and stairways.
The most affordable robot vacuums come with efficient navigation systems that help to clean up a room without spending time, crashing through obstacles, or getting stuck. Most feature mapping capabilities, which are essential for a complete house cleaning. Even low-cost models with no mapping can efficiently cover a room. It is important to consider balancing the price of your device with the features that you need.
We also look at how easily a robot can overcome thresholds in the home, like the heights of a door sill or a sofa. A good budget robot will be able to navigate these obstacles, and some come with settings that alter the suction power depending on the floor type. We also check if 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 offers basic mapping capabilities, as well as other smart features. It's also very affordable. It is controlled by the iRobot app, and comes with an auto-return feature that returns it back to its base once the battery is exhausted and resumes where it left off.
The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on many of the top robots, but it has live cameras that stream a grainy video feed to your phone so you can monitor it as it works. The cameras can also spot obstacles like stairs and other steps and trigger an alert when the robot encounters them. The iLife, however, uses random navigation instead of a method designed to prevent objects from being stuck to furniture legs. It might not be able get through a tight space or a leg of a chair as a robotic system with the ability to map.
Cleaning Performance
When choosing a robotic vacuum, it is important to consider the cost and performance. Budget models may not feature advanced features such as mapping but there are some that excel at cleaning your home. Also, pay attention to the size of a robot's dustbin and the amount of dirt it can hold before needing to empty it. It is essential to have enough space to hold all the debris that a robot accumulates, including dirt, pet dander and hair.
You'll need a machine 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 from carpet. The best ones have a special brush that is designed to penetrate the carpet's fibers and pull out dirt.
Budget models are effective in cleaning up small messes from flooring that is not covered with coverings however, they struggle to get rid of bigger pet hairs and debris from higher-pile carpets. They tend to have less suction power than higher-end models, but can still do a good job of cleaning up debris from tight spaces such as corners and beneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable model for vacuuming and has scored top marks in our tests due to its ability to lift dirt and hair off carpets. It is also among our quieter models and is easy 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 comes with a sidebrush that has three bristles to push hair and other debris into the robot's path. However, it's not as effective in sweeping fine dust.
Look for a model with mop and vacuum functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. This robot can mop and vacuum simultaneously and you can alter the settings for each room. It's pricier than other robot vacuums on our chart but has a camera in the front that allows for a more precise mapping and better obstacle avoidance for things like power cords or cat Poop.
Maintenance
The ease of use robot vacuums provide is great, but the technology comes at the cost of. Regular maintenance is required to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also become tangled in cords or fall off the steps.
The best budget robot vacuums ease these problems by requiring minimal management from the user. The top models are equipped with navigation systems that enable them to avoid obstacles and avoid dangers like electrical cords and dropped foods. They use sensors to map rooms and create maps that inform them where they've cleaned.
Even the tiniest robotic vacuums can deliver a good clean when you try them and don't be put off by the cost of better models. A majority of our top budget choices come from leading OEMs, like iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been designed with care and built to last.
If you're willing to invest more, think about investing in mopping machines. These machines can be used to swish a damp cloth over floors to scrub them and help eliminate stubborn stains, and they can be utilized with a mop pad that is specifically designed to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.
The TP Link Tapo RV30 plus is the best value mopping robot we've reviewed in our roundup. It has a sleek and uncluttered design, but it also comes with all the features and capabilities of a top robot vacuum. During our tests, the RV30 was capable of navigating without crashing into furniture and build detailed floor plans that it can use for future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that have this feature, though the iRobot Roomba also has similar capabilities for mapping, and an in-app setup that walks you through the process step-by step.
Remember to maintain your robot regardless of whether you opt for an expensive robovac or one that is less expensive. It's a good idea to empty its dustbin after every cleaning task and to clean the filter if you have one (check your owner's manual or the manufacturer's website for more details). You should also replace its battery as required and monitor its Wi-Fi connectivity as well as app updates.