How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum

A bargain robotic vacuum is a bargain. Beware of maintenance costs that could be more than you anticipated: tangles in brushes, clogged air inlets and emptied dust bins will quickly turn your automated cleaning dream into a chore.

For many people the most affordable robot is the iRobot Combo. It delivers almost the same hands-off experience at only a fraction of the cost.

Suction Power

Certain models that are priced at this level have sufficient suction for basic vacuuming, but others may need a little assistance from a handheld nozzle to reach the deepest cracks and crevices. If you live in a home with mostly hard floors and a low-cost robot vacuum is likely to work. But if your floors have an assortment of surfaces and you also have rug, or have pets who shed, a more capable model will provide the best results for the price.

A few budget models include a water tank and mopping capabilities, which adds to their versatility. The more recent Dyson R7050C for instance, has excellent navigation scores in CR's tests and a generous bin capacity of 770ml, however it is louder than many of the other robots we've tried and doesn't offer mopping features. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is smaller, but it is quieter and has an automated dock. It has a reservoir of water and a suction power of 5,500-pascals, and an enormous bin that you can fill with cleaning solutions to make it more efficient. You can control the Q5 Pro via the smart app to mop or vacuum in the room, or a series of rooms or an area as well as create no-go zones and customize suction and mopping settings for different rooms.

The Shark ION is a good option for those seeking something affordable, simple and reliable. It's not as advanced as some of the other models we've tested and comes with a basic 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 hard flooring and carpets and also has a 300ml dustbin that needs to be cleaned every 30 days.

If you're looking for a more advanced model that can mop, vacuum and even create an outline of your home for smarter obstacle avoidance look at some of 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 dust, and it can be controlled through your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that provides outstanding cleaning performance for the money.

Navigation Efficiency

A budget robot vacuum cleaner can be as effective as expensive models, so long as it can navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. To assess the effectiveness of navigation our lab technicians set up a tracker to observe a robot's move through a multiroom test house and assess its ability to identify the rooms it needs to clean in a certain amount of time, avoiding pitfalls like power cords, rugs and furniture. We also look at how quickly robots can move over different types of terrain for homes including stairways as well as transitions between different types of floor.

The most affordable robot vacuums come with efficient navigation systems that aid in helping to clean up a room without having to waste time, crashing into obstacles, or getting stuck. Most feature mapping capabilities, which are vital for a complete house cleaning. Even low-cost models with no mapping can efficiently cover a room. It is crucial to balance the cost of your machine against the features that you need.

We also look at how easy it is for robots to traverse thresholds within the home, like the thresholds of a door sill or sofas. A budget-friendly robot should be able to move over these obstacles, and a few have settings that can alter suction power to suit different flooring types. We also look at whether the robot is compatible with smart vacuum cleaner 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 and other smart features. It's also very affordable. It can be controlled using the iRobot app, and also has an auto-return feature that will return it to its original location when the battery is exhausted and then picks up where it left off.

The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance that you find on many premium robots, but it has a live camera that transmits an unreliable video feed to your phone so you can monitor the robot as it performs. The cameras are able to detect stairs and other obstructions and alert the robot if it encounters them. The iLife, however, uses random navigation instead of a method that is specifically designed to avoid objects that are stuck against furniture legs. It may not be able to navigate around a tight spot or a leg of a chair as a robotic system with mapping capabilities.

Cleaning Performance

When you are looking for a robot vacuum, it is important to consider the price and performance. The cheapest models might not have advanced features like mapping but there are models that are very effective at cleaning your home. You should also be aware of the dimensions of the dustbins on robots and how much dirt it can hold before needing to empty. You'll need to have enough space to accommodate all the debris the robot gathers, such as pet dander, dirt and hair.

You'll want a vacuum that can get rid of stains and dirt from carpets, too. We test all models on the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to remove dirt and hair from carpet, and the best models have a specific brush designed to dig into the carpet fibers and remove debris.

The majority of budget models are effective in cleaning up spills on plain floors and in low-pile carpet, but struggle to clear larger chunks of debris and pet hair from carpets with higher pile. They typically have less suction power than more expensive models however they can do a an excellent job of cleaning up debris 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 rating in our tests, and it is able to take hairs and dirt off carpets. It's also one of our quieter models and easy to use. It has tiny suction openings that scoops debris rather than pushing it through the bar, and it has the ability to adjust the power to be in line with the surface. It also has a side brush with three bristles that push debris and hair into the direction of the robot vacuum cleaners, however it's not doing as good a job of picking up fine dust.

Look for a model with both vacuum and mop functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. It is able to simultaneously vacuum and mop, and define specific vac/mop setting for each room. It's more expensive than the other budget robot vacs in our chart however, it has the advantages of having a forward-facing camera which enables more precise mapping and better obstacles to avoid for things like power cords and cat poop.

Maintenance

Robot vacuums are useful however, they come at a cost. They require regular maintenance, from emptying their dustbin to replacing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also become tangled up in cords or fall off the steps.

The best budget robot vacuums minimize these hassles by requiring only minimal supervision from the user. Top picks are equipped with navigation systems that allow them to avoid obstacles and avoid hazards like electrical cords and food items that have been dropped. They also make use of a mix of sensors to map rooms, and then create maps that show which areas they've cleaned previously so they don't go over the same areas over and over again.

Even the cheapest robotic vacuums can deliver a good clean If you give them a shot and don't be put off by the high cost of higher-end models. Our top budget choices are from top OEMs such as iRobot Roborock Dreame. You can be sure that they've been designed with care and are built to last.

If you're willing to invest more, think about investing in mopping machines. These machines can scrub floors with a damp cloth and eliminate staining that is difficult to remove. They can also be used combination with a mop pad to tackle difficult jobs, like dried coffee.

There are a number of mopping robots featured in our list but the most affordable model is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a sleek and uncluttered design, but it also comes with all the features and performance of a top-highest rated robot vacuum robotvac. During our testing the RV30 was able of navigating without bumping into furniture and also creating detailed maps of its flooring, which it can refer to in future runs. This is the only budget robot that we tested with this feature. iRobot Roomba also has mapping capabilities, but the app's setup guides you through the entire process.

Make sure to keep your robot in good condition regardless of whether you opt for an expensive robovac or one that is less expensive. It is important to empty the dustbin and clean the filter after every cleaning session (refer to your owner's guide or the website of the manufacturer for more details). You should also replace its battery when needed and monitor its Wi-Fi connectivity as well as app updates.