How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robotic vacuum is a bargain. Beware of the maintenance costs that might be higher than expected: tangles in brushes, clogged air inlets and emptied dust bins will quickly make your automatic cleaning dream into a burden.
For many the most affordable robot is the iRobot Combo. It provides the exact hands-off experience at less than half the cost.
Suction Power
Some models in this range have enough suction to do basic vacuuming. Others might require the use of a handheld nozzle for deeper cleaning. A budget robot vacuum will likely do the job if you live in a house with mostly hard floors. But if your floors have an assortment of surfaces and there are carpets, or have pets that shed, a more capable model will provide the most effective results for your money.
A few models that are budget-friendly include mopping and a water tank capabilities, which adds to their versatility. The more recent Dyson R7050C, for example, has very good navigation scores in CR's tests and a generous bin capacity of 770ml, however it's louder than most of the other robots we've tested, and doesn't have mopping features. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is a smaller robot that is quieter and has an automated dock. It also comes with a water tank, a powerful 5,500-pascal suction power and a large bin that you can fill with cleaning solution to make it an efficient mopping machine. The Q5 Pro can be controlled via the smart app, which lets you vacuum or mop a room or a sequence of rooms or an entire 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 choice for those who are seeking something affordable, simple and reliable. It's not as advanced as other models, having a basic app and no-frills mapping capabilities, but it does have outstanding cleaning and navigation capabilities as well as cleaning. It is also one of the few robots we've tested that can tell the difference between carpets and hard flooring and also comes with a 300ml dust bin that needs to be cleaned every 30 days.
If you want a more advanced model that can mop, vacuum and create a map of your house to help you avoid obstacles take a look at the top models in this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction, a clever comb to remove pet hair as well as fine dirt, and can be controlled through your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that provides excellent cleaning capabilities for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A low-cost robot vacuum cleaner can be as effective as expensive models, as long as it is able to navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. To assess the effectiveness of navigation our lab technicians set up a tracking device to observe a robot's move through a multiroom test home and evaluate its ability to find the rooms it must clean in a specific amount of time frame, while avoiding hazards like rug cords, power cables and furniture. We also evaluate the speed at which a robot is able to traverse different terrains in the home, like stairs and floor transitions.
The best budget robot vacuums feature effective navigation systems that can help to clean up a room without having to waste time, crashing through obstacles, or getting stuck. Most robot vacuums have the ability to map which is essential for a full-house clean. However, even budget models with no mapping have ways to effectively clean a room and it's crucial to consider the cost and features you need for your home.
We also examine how easily a robot can overcome thresholds in the home, like the thresholds of a door sill or a sofa. A good budget-friendly robot must be able to pass over these obstacles, and a few provide settings to alter suction power to suit different kinds of floors. Finally, we consider whether a budget robot is compatible with your smart home setup and can be controlled remotely via an app or via voice control.
One excellent budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which has basic mapping capability and other advanced features in an affordable package. It can be controlled by the iRobot App, and it has an auto return feature that allows you to return the robot to its base when the battery is low and then picks up where it left off.
robot vacuum cleaner for sale iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on numerous premium robots, however it does have live cameras that stream a grainy video feed to your smartphone so that you can watch the robot as it performs. The cameras can detect obstacles like stairs and other steps and alert the robot if it encounters them. However, the iLife employs random navigation instead of a method designed to keep objects from getting stuck to furniture legs, so it may not be able to get around a leg of a chair or other tight spot as well as a robot with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When you are looking for a robot 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. Pay attention to the dimensions and capacity of the dust bin. You'll need enough space to accommodate all the trash that robots collect, including hair, dirt, and pet dander.
You'll also need a robot vacuum that can remove staining from carpets. We test all models in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to lift dirt and hair off carpet, and the best models have a specific brush that can dig into the carpet fibers and remove dirt.
Budget models are good at cleaning up small messes from flooring that is not covered with coverings but they struggle to remove larger particles and pet hairs from carpets with higher pile. They usually have less suction power than more expensive models, but can still do a good job of cleaning up obstructions from tight spaces like corners and beneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro is the best budget model for vacuuming, scoring high marks in our tests with its ability to lift dirt and hair from carpets. It's also among the quieter models we test and user-friendly. It comes with a suction hole that is able to collect debris instead of pushing it through the bar. It is also able to adjust the power to match any surface. It also comes with a side brush that has three bristles that push hair and debris in the direction of the robot, however it doesn't do as good in removing fine dust.
If you need both mopping and vacuum, look for a model with both functions like the Combo j9 Plus. The robot can simultaneously mop and vacuum and you can also customize the settings for each room. It's pricier than other robot vacuums in our chart but has an in-front camera that allows for more precise mapping, and better obstacle avoidance for things like power cords and cat Poop.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums are useful however, they come at costs. Regular maintenance is required, from emptying the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also become tangled in cords or fall off the steps.
The most affordable robot vacuums minimize these hassles through requiring minimal oversight from the user. The top models come with navigation systems that steer clear of objects and are free of hazards, such as strangling electrical cords and dropping food. They also use a variety of sensors to map rooms and build maps that show which areas they've cleaned previously to ensure they don't re-clean the same areas over and over again.
Don't let the price of the more expensive models deter you. They are still able to do a fantastic job if given a chance. A majority of our top budget choices are made by top OEMs like iRobot, Roborock and Dreame and you can be sure that they've been created with the utmost care and are built to last.
Think about a robotic mopping machine If you're willing to spend more. These can swish a wet cloth over floors to scrub them clean and remove stubborn stains and they can be utilized with a specially designed mop pad 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 the clean elegant, minimalist design of a home hub, but the performance and features of a top robovac, including LiDAR navigation. During our testing, the RV30 was capable of navigating without hitting furniture and also creating detailed maps of its floors that it could use in future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that have this feature, though iRobot's Roomba also has similar mapping capabilities with an in-app setting that guides you through the process step-by step.
No matter if you opt for an expensive robot vacuum or a cheaper alternative, you should always maintain your robovac regularly. You should empty the trash bin and clean the filter after each cleaning session (refer to the owner's manual or the manufacturer's site for more information). Replace the battery when needed and check its Wi-Fi connectivity.