How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain-priced robot vacuum is a great deal. However, it can cost more than you expect in the maintenance department: untangling the fur from brushes, blocking inlets and emptying the tiny dust bins can quickly turn your dream of automating cleaning an exercise.
For a lot of people the most affordable robot is the iRobot j7 Combo. It delivers almost the same hands-off experience at less than half the cost.
Suction Power
Certain models in this range have enough suction to do basic vacuuming. Others may need an nozzle that can be held in a handheld for more thorough cleaning. If you live in a home that has mostly hard flooring, a budget robot vacuum is likely to do the trick. If you have a mix of floors, rugs or pets that shed, you will get the best results with a more capable robot vacuum.
Some models with a budget price include a mopping feature and water tanks, which increase their capabilities. The Dyson R7050C comes with an enormous 770ml bin as well as excellent navigation scores, but it is louder and does not have mopping capabilities. The smaller Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, by contrast, is relatively quiet and has an auto-empty dock. It also has an water tank, powerful suction capacity of 5,500pascal and a large bin that you can fill with cleaning solution to make it a more efficient mopping machine. The Q5 Pro can be controlled by 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 customize suction settings for each room.
The Shark ION is a good choice for those seeking something affordable and simple to use. It is not as sophisticated as other models, having a basic app and no-frills maps, but it has outstanding cleaning and navigation capabilities as well as cleaning. It's also one of few robots that differentiate between hard flooring and carpets. The 300ml dustbin is only empty once every 30 days.
If you're looking for an upgraded model that can vacuum, mop and create a map of your house for smarter obstacle avoidance take a look at the top models within this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction and combs to remove pet hair as well as fine dirt and voice control via your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that provides superior cleaning capabilities for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget robot vacuum can be just as effective as an expensive model in the event that it is able to navigate your home and avoid obstacles. To measure the effectiveness of navigation our lab technicians set up a tracker to monitor a robot's movements through a multi-room test house and evaluate its ability to identify the areas it has to clean in a given time, while avoiding obstacles like power cords, rugs, and furniture. We also evaluate the speed at which robots can navigate through different terrains within a home, such as stairways 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, running into obstacles or getting stuck. Most robot vacuums have maps that are essential for a complete house cleaning. However, even budget models with no mapping can effectively clean a room, so it's important to balance cost with the features you want for your home.
We also look at how easily a robot can pass over common household thresholds, such as the height of a door sill or the width of the sofa. A good budget robot should be able to move over these obstacles, and some provide settings to alter suction power according to floor types. We also consider whether the robot is compatible with smart home technology and is able to be controlled remotely via an app or voice commands.
One example of an excellent budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which comes with basic mapping capabilities as well as other features that make it an affordable price. It is controlled via the iRobot App, and it has an automatic return feature that returns the robot back to its base when the battery is low and then picks up where it began.
The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on numerous premium robots, however it does have live cameras that stream an unreliable video feed to your smartphone so that you can keep an eye on it as it works. The cameras are able to detect obstacles like stairs and other steps and alert the robot when it comes across them. However, the iLife employs random navigation rather than a method designed to avoid objects stuck to furniture legs, so it might not be able to get 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 crucial to balance cost with performance. The cheapest models might not feature advanced features such as mapping but there are models that are very effective in cleaning your home. Also, pay attention to the size of the dustbin and how much dirt it can hold prior to having to empty it. You'll need to have enough space to hold all the trash that a robot accumulates, including pet dander, dirt, and hair.
You'll want a robot capable of removing stains and dirt from carpets, too. We test all models on the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to lift dirt and hair from carpet. The most effective models have a specific brush that can dig into the carpet fibers and remove dirt.
Budget models are effective in cleaning up small messes from plain floors or low-pile floor carpets however, they aren't able to get rid of larger debris and pet hairs from carpets with higher pile. These models tend to have less suction however, they can be effective in cleaning particles from tight spaces like corners and under 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 take hairs and dirt off carpets. It's also one of our quieter models and is easy to use. It has tiny suction openings that scoops debris rather than pushing it through the brush bar, and it can adjust power to match the surface. It also comes with a side-brush that has three bristles that push debris and hair into the robot's path, but it's not as effective at as it does in picking up fine dust.
Find a model that has mop and vacuum functions, such as the Combo j9 Plus. The robot can mop and vacuum simultaneously and you can alter the settings for each room. It's more expensive than the other budget robot vacuums on our list however, it has the advantages of having a forward-facing camera that allows more precise mapping and better obstacle avoidance for things like power cords and cat poop.
Maintenance
The convenience robot vacuums offer is wonderful, however the technology comes with cost. Regular maintenance is essential for everything from emptying the dust bin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They can also become tangled in cords or fall off the stairs.
The most affordable robot vacuums ease these problems by requiring minimal management from the user. The top models are equipped with navigation systems that allow them to avoid obstacles and stay clear of dangers like electrical cords and food items that have been dropped. They also make use of a mix of sensors to map rooms and create maps that show 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 try them Don't be deterred by the cost of more expensive models. A majority of our top picks for budget are made by top OEMs like iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been developed with the utmost attention to detail and built to last.
You might consider a mopping robot if you are willing to pay more. They can use a moist cloth across floors to scrub them and remove stubborn stains and can be used with a specially designed mop pad to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.
There are many mopping robots included in our roundup however the most affordable model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a sleek and uncluttered design, but it also has all the features and performance of a top rated robot vacuum. During our testing the RV30 was able to navigate without hitting furniture and constructing detailed maps of its flooring, which it can refer to on future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that have this feature, though iRobot's Roomba offers similar capabilities for mapping, and an in-app configuration that walks you through the process step-by step.
Whether you choose an expensive robot vacuum or a cheaper option, always remember to maintain your robovac regularly. You should empty the dustbin and clean the filter after each cleaning session (refer to the owner's manual or the site of the manufacturer for more information). You should also replace the battery as required, and check in on its Wi-Fi connectivity and app updates.