How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain-priced robot vacuum is a steal. Beware of the maintenance costs that could be more than expected: tangles in brushes, blocked air inlets and emptying dust bins will quickly make your automatic cleaning dream into a burden.
The iRobot J7 Combo is the most affordable robot for many people. It offers a similar hands-free experience, but at a fraction of its price.
Suction Power
Some models in this category have enough suction to do basic vacuuming. Others might require the use of a handheld nozzle for deeper cleaning. A budget-friendly vacuum is likely to complete the job if you have a home that has primarily hard floors. If you have a variety of floors, have rugs or pets that shed, you will get the best results with the most powerful robot vacuum.
Some models with a budget price include mopping features and a water tank, increasing their versatility. The more recent Dyson R7050C for instance, has very good scores in CR's tests of navigation and a huge 770ml bin, but it's louder than most of the other robots we've tested and doesn't offer mopping features. The smaller Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, by contrast, is relatively quiet and has an automatic emptying dock. It has a water reservoir, a powerful suction power of 5,500-pascals and an enormous bin that you can fill with cleaning solutions to make it more effective. The Q5 Pro can be controlled via the smart app, which lets you vacuum or mop a room, sequence of rooms, or a whole area. You can also establish no-go zones and set suction settings to your preferences for each room.
The Shark ION is a good option for those seeking something affordable easy to use and reliable. It's not as advanced as some of the other models we've tested, with a no-frills app and basic mapping capabilities, but it does have good navigation and cleaning capabilities. It is also one of the few robots we've tested that can differentiate between carpets and hard flooring and has a 300ml trash bin that needs to be empty every 30 days.
If you want an upgraded model that can mop, vacuum and create a map of your home to avoid obstacles more effectively, consider some of the top models within this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction, a clever comb to remove pet hair and fine dirt, and can be controlled via your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that has superior cleaning capabilities for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget-friendly robot vacuum could be just as effective as the more expensive models in the event that it is able to navigate your home and avoid obstacles. Our lab technicians utilized a tracking device in a multi-room test home to evaluate the robot's ability to navigate and locate rooms it needed to clean within a specific time frame, while avoiding obstacles like furniture, power cords, and carpets. We also analyze how fast robots can move over different types of terrain for homes, including stairways and transitions between different types of floor.
The best budget robot vacuums are equipped with navigation systems that let them efficiently clean a space without getting lost or running into obstacles. The majority of robot vacuums have maps that are essential for a complete house cleaning. However, even budget models with no mapping have ways to effectively cover a space, so it's important to weigh the cost against the features you need for your home.
We also examine how easily a robot can get over common thresholds in the home, such as the threshold of a door's sill or the height of the sofa. A good budget-friendly robot must be able to pass over these obstacles, and some offer settings that alter suction power according to kinds of floors. Finally, we consider whether a budget robot is compatible with your home's smart-home setup and can be controlled remotely using an app or voice command.
One excellent budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which comes with basic mapping capabilities and other advanced features in an extremely affordable package. It can be controlled using the iRobot App and has an automatic return feature that will return the robot to its home base when the battery is low and then picks up where it began.
The iLife V3s Pro does not come with the advanced object-avoidance technology found on many top robots. However it does have live cameras that send a grainy stream to your smartphone so that you can watch it work. The cameras can also spot stairs and other obstacles and alert you if the robot comes across them. However the iLife employs random navigation instead of a method designed to avoid objects that are stuck against furniture legs, so it may not be able to get around a chair leg or any other tight spot as a robot with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When shopping for a robotic vacuum, it is important to consider the price and performance. There are models that aren't as expensive and don't have advanced features like mapping but there are models that are very effective in cleaning your home. Pay attention to the size and capacity of the robot's dustbin. It is essential to have enough space to hold all the trash a robot collects including pet dander, dirt and hair.
You'll also require a robotic vacuum that is able to remove stains from carpets. robot vacuum deals test all models in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to remove dirt and hair from carpet, and the best models come with a brush that can dig into the carpet fibers and remove debris.
Budget models are good at getting rid of small messes on bare floors or low-pile floor carpets however, they struggle to remove larger debris and pet hairs from higher-pile carpets. These models usually have less suction power, but they can still be effective in removing debris from tight places like corners and underneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro vacuum cleaner is the top vacuum in its price range. It has a high score in our tests, and it's able to take hairs and dirt off carpets. It's also one of the quieter models we tested and is user-friendly. It has a suction opening which scoops up debris instead of pushing it through the bar. It is also able to adjust the power to match any surface. It also has a side brush with three bristles that push debris and hair into the path of the robot, but it's not doing as good a job of picking up fine dust.
If you require a vacuum and a mop you should look for a product with both functions like the Combo j9 Plus. This robot 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 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 piss.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums are useful however they come with a cost. Regular maintenance is essential, from emptying the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also get caught in cords, or fall off the stairs.
The best budget robot vacuums ease the burden since they require only minimal administration by the user. The best models come with navigation systems that enable them to avoid obstacles and avoid hazards like electrical cords and food items that have been dropped. Sensors are used to map rooms and create maps that inform them where they've cleaned.
Don't let the price of the higher-end models deter you. They can still do a great job if given the chance. Many 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 care and are built to last.
Consider a mopping robotic if you are willing to spend more. These machines can be used to swish a damp cloth over floors to scrub them clean and remove stubborn stains and they can be used with a specially designed mop pad for difficult jobs such as dried coffee.
There are a number of mopping robots included in our roundup but the most affordable model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a neat, uncluttered appearance, but it also comes with all the features and performance of a top robotvac. During our tests, the RV30 was able to navigate without crashing into furniture and create detailed maps of its floorplan that it can use for future runs. This is the only robot in the budget that we have tested with this feature. iRobot Roomba also has mapping capabilities, however the app's setup guides you through the entire procedure.
If you decide to go with a top-rated robot or a less expensive alternative, you should always maintain your robot regularly. It is important to empty the dustbin and clean the filter after each cleaning session (refer to your owner's guide or the website of the manufacturer for more details). Replace the battery as necessary and verify its Wi-Fi connectivity.