How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robot vacuum is a great deal. Beware of maintenance costs that could be more than you anticipated: tangles in brushes, clogged air inlets and emptying dust bins will quickly transform your dream of automated cleaning into a burden.
For many, the best budget robot is the iRobot j7 Combo. It provides the same hands-free experience for less than half the price.
Suction Power
Some models in this range are able to handle basic vacuuming. Others may need an nozzle that can be held in a handheld for more thorough cleaning. If you live in a house with mostly hard floors or carpet, a budget-friendly robot vacuum will likely do the trick. If you have a variety of floors, have rugs or pets who shed, you'll have the best results using a more capable robot vacuum.
A few budget models include mopping and water tank capability, adding to their flexibility. The more recent Dyson R7050C is a good example. It has excellent scores in CR's tests of navigation and a generous bin capacity of 770ml, however it's louder than most of the other robots we've tested, and does not have mopping capabilities. The more compact Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, in contrast, is quite quiet and features an auto-empty 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 through the app's smart function, which lets you vacuum or mop a room or a sequence of rooms or a whole area. You can also establish no-go zones and customise suction settings for each room.
The budget Shark ION is a great choice for those seeking an affordable, basic device that is reliable. It's not as well-equipped as the other models we've tested and comes with a basic application and basic mapping capabilities, but it offers excellent navigation and cleaning capabilities. It's also one of the few robots we've tested that can differentiate between carpets and hard flooring, and it comes with a 300ml dust bin that has to be empty every 30 days.
If you want an upgraded model that can mop, vacuum and even create an outline of your home to help you avoid obstacles, consider some of the top models within this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 are extremely powerful suction power and combs that are clever for pet hair and other fine dirt, and an in-app scheduling and voice control via your smart home assistant. Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 offers a outstanding cleaning capabilities at a reasonable cost.
Navigation Efficiency
A low-cost robot vacuum can be as effective as a higher-priced 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 multiroom test house and test its ability to locate the rooms it needs to clean in a specific amount of time, while avoiding obstacles such as rug power cords, power cords and furniture. We also examine how fast a robot can traverse different terrains in a house, including stairs and floor transitions.
The best budget robot vacuums feature efficient navigation systems that aid in helping them to tidy up a space without having to waste time, crashing through obstacles, or getting stuck. Many robot vacuums come with maps that are essential for a full-house clean. However, even models that do not have mapping have ways to efficiently cover a room, so it's important to balance cost with the features you need for your home.
We also look at the ease with which robots can overcome thresholds in the home, like the heights of a door sill and a sofa. A good budget robot should be able to pass over these obstacles, and a few provide settings to alter suction power according to floor types. We also look at whether 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 fantastic example of a budget robot that comes with basic mapping capabilities, as well as other smart features. It's also quite affordable. It can be controlled using the iRobot app, and comes with an auto-return feature that will return it back to its base once the battery runs out, then resumes where it left off.
self cleaning vacuum does not include the advanced object-avoidance technology you find on a lot of top robots. However it does have live cameras that transmit a grainy feed to your smartphone so you can observe it working. The cameras can spot obstacles like stairs and other steps and alert the robot when it comes across them. However, the iLife employs random navigation instead of an approach designed to avoid objects that are stuck to furniture legs, which means it might not be able to get around a chair leg or other tight spot as well as a robot that has mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When you're shopping for a robot vacuum, it's crucial to balance cost with performance. Budget models may lack advanced features like mapping, but they can still do a great job of cleaning your home. Be aware of the size and capacity of the dustbin. You'll need to have enough space to accommodate all the debris a robot collects including pet dander, dirt and hair.
You'll want a vacuum that can remove dirt and stains from carpets, too. We test every model in the ZDNET chart to see whether it can remove hair and dirt from carpet. The best models have a brush that digs into fibers to pull out debris.
The budget models are great at cleaning small spills from plain floors or low-pile floor carpets but they aren't able to get rid of larger particles and pet hairs from higher-pile carpets. These models usually have less suction, but they can still be effective at cleaning up particles from tight spaces such as corners and under 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 remove dirt and hair from carpets. It is also one of our quieter models and easy to use. It has a suction opening which is able to collect debris instead of pushing it through the brush bar. It also has the ability 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 doesn't do as good as it does in picking up fine dust.
Look for a model with mop and vacuum functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. It is able to simultaneously vacuum and mop, and you can set specific vac/mop settings for each room. It's more expensive than the other low-cost robots in our list however it comes with the advantages of having a forward-facing camera that allows more precise mapping and better protection against obstacles such as power cords and cat Poop.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums are useful however they come with costs. Regular maintenance is essential, from emptying the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They can also get tangled in cords and fall off the stairs, so they should be monitored with care.
The most affordable robot vacuums ease the burden since they require only minimal user management. The top models come with navigation systems that steer clear of objects and stay clear of dangers, like tangled electrical cords and dropped food. They use sensors to map rooms and create maps that inform them where they have already cleaned.
Don't let the cost of the higher-end models deter you. They can still do an excellent job if given a chance. A majority of our top picks for budget are made by top OEMs such as iRobot, Roborock and Dreame, so you'll be assured that they've been developed with care and are built to last.
If you're willing to spend more, consider mopping with a robot. These can swish a wet cloth over floors to scrub them and remove stubborn stains, and can be used with a mop pad that is specifically designed for tough jobs like dried coffee.
The TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus is the best budget mopping robot in our roundup. It has the sleek and uncluttered appearance of a home hub but the performance and features of a top-rated robovac that includes LiDAR navigation. In our tests it proved that the RV30 was able of navigating without hitting furniture, and constructing detailed maps of its flooring that it can refer to on 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 setup guides you through the entire procedure.
No matter if you opt for a top-rated robot vacuum or a cheaper option, make sure you keep your robovac in good condition. It's a good idea to empty its trash bin after every cleaning task and to clean the filter, if it has one (check the manual of your owner or the website of the manufacturer for more details). You should also replace the battery as required and keep track of its Wi-Fi connectivity as well as app updates.