How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum

A bargain robotic vacuum can be a great value. Beware of maintenance costs that may be higher than expected: tangles in brushes, blocked air inlets and emptying dust bins will quickly turn your automated cleaning dream into a chore.

For a lot of people, the best budget robot is the iRobot Combo. It offers the same hands-free experience, but at less than half the price.

Suction Power

Some models in this category offer enough suction for 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, a budget robot vacuum is likely to work. If you have a variety of floors, rugs or pets who shed, you'll be able to get the best results with the most powerful robot vacuum.

Some models with a budget price include mopping features and water tanks, which increase their versatility. The Dyson R7050C features an enormous 770ml bin as well as excellent navigation scores, but is louder and does not have mopping capabilities. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is a smaller robot that is quieter and comes with an automatic dock. It has a reservoir of water and a suction power of 5,500-pascals as well as an enormous bin that you can fill with cleaning products to make it more effective. The Q5 Pro can be controlled through the app's smart function, that lets you mop or vacuum a room, sequence of rooms, or an entire space. You can also create no-go zones and customize suction settings for each room.

The Shark ION is a good option for those looking for something that is affordable, simple and reliable. It is not as sophisticated as other models, and comes with an uncomplicated app and basic mapping capabilities, but it does have excellent navigation and cleaning abilities. It's also one of the few robots we've tested that can distinguish between hard flooring and carpets and also has a 300ml trash bin that has to be cleaned every 30 days.

If you're looking for a more advanced model that can mop, vacuum and even create a map of your house to avoid obstacles more effectively, consider some of the most expensive options in this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction and combs to get rid of pet hair and fine dirt, and can be controlled via your smart home assistant. Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 offers a excellent cleaning performance for a reasonable 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. Our lab technicians employed the tracking device in a multi-room test home to evaluate the robot's ability to navigate and find the rooms it required to clean within a specific time period, while avoiding obstacles like furniture, power cords, and carpets. We also examine how fast robots can move over various terrains used in the home such as stairways and transitions between different types of floor.

The most affordable robot vacuums come with efficient navigation systems that help them to tidy up a space without spending time, crashing through obstacles, or getting stuck. Many models have mapping capabilities, which are crucial for full-house cleaning. However, even budget models with no mapping can effectively clean a room and it's crucial to consider the cost and features you want for your home.

We also look at how easy it is for a robot to get over common thresholds in the home such as the threshold of a door's sill or the height of a sofa. A budget-friendly robot should be able to pass through these obstacles and some even have settings that can adjust the suction power according to the type of floor. We also consider whether a budget robot is compatible with your home's smart-home setup and is able to be controlled remotely via an app or voice command.

The iLife V3s Pro is a excellent example of a budget robot that provides basic mapping capabilities as well as intelligent 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 was when it left.

The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on many premium robots, but it does have live cameras that send a grainy video feed to your smartphone so that you can keep an eye on it as it works. The cameras can also detect stairs and other obstacles and alert you if the robot encounters them. The iLife however, employs random navigation instead of a method that is designed to prevent objects from being that are stuck against furniture legs. It might not be able to navigate around a tight spot or chair leg as well as a robot system that has the ability to map.

Cleaning Performance

If you're looking for a robot vacuum it's crucial to balance cost with performance. Budget models may not have advanced features like mapping, but you can find some that excel in cleaning your home. It is important to pay attention to the dimensions of the dustbins on robots and how much dirt it can hold before needing to empty. It is essential to have enough space to accommodate all the trash a robot collects including pet dander, dirt and hair.

You'll also require a robotic vacuum that can remove staining from carpets. We test all models on the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to lift dirt and hair from carpet. The best models come with a brush that is designed to penetrate the fibers and pull out dirt.


The majority of budget models are effective in removing messes from plain floors and carpets with low pile, but struggle to clear larger chunks of debris and pet hair from higher-pile carpets. These models tend to have less suction power, but they can still be effective in cleaning debris from tight places such as corners and under furniture.

The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable model for vacuuming, scoring high marks in our tests because of its ability to lift dirt and hair off carpets. It's also one of our quieter models, and is simple to use. It has tiny suction openings that scoops debris rather than pushing it through the brush bar, and it is able to adjust the power to match the surface. review has a side brush with three bristles that push debris and hair into the robot's path, but it's not doing as good as it does in picking up fine dust.

If you need both mopping and vacuum choose a model with both 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 other robot vacuums on our chart, but it does have an in-front camera that allows for a more precise mapping and better obstacle avoidance of things like power cords and cat urine.

Maintenance

Robot vacuums are convenient however they come with price. They require regular maintenance that ranges from emptying their dust bin to replacing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also get caught in cords and drop off the stairs, so they should be monitored attentively.

The best budget robot vacuums reduce these issues by requiring minimal management from the user. The best models have navigation systems that steer clear of objects and keep themselves clear of dangers, like tangled electrical cords and dropped food items. Sensors are used to map rooms and create maps that inform them where they have already cleaned.

Even the cheapest robotic vacuums can provide a clean and efficient service if you try them and don't be put off by the cost of higher-end models. Our top budget choices are from top OEMs such as iRobot Roborock Dreame. You can be certain that they've been created with attention to detail and are built to last.

If you're willing more, consider mopping with a robot. These can swish a wet cloth across floors to scrub them and help eliminate stubborn stains, and they can be utilized with a specially designed mop pad to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.

There are several mopping robots featured in our roundup but 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 robotvac. During our tests it was able to navigate without a hitch. RV30 was capable of moving without crashing into furniture and build precise floorplan maps that it could use on future runs. This is the only budget robot that we have tested with this feature. iRobot Roomba also has mapping capabilities, however the app setup guide you through the entire process.

Make sure to keep your robot in good condition regardless of whether you opt for the most expensive or one that is more affordable. It's a good idea empty its dustbin after every cleaning task and to clean the filter if you have one (check the owner's manual or the manufacturer's website for details). You should also replace its battery when needed and monitor its Wi-Fi connectivity and app updates.