How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robotic vacuum is a great value. However, robotic vacuum cleaner on sale can cost more than you expect in the maintenance department: untangling hair from brushes, clogging inlets and emptying tiny dust bins could quickly turn your automated cleaning dream an exercise.
For many people, the best budget robot is the iRobot J7 Combo. It provides the exact hands-off performance for only a fraction of the cost.
Suction Power
Some models within this price range offer sufficient suction for basic vacuuming, while others might require assistance with a handheld nozzle in order to reach into the smallest crevices and cracks. If you live in a home with primarily hard flooring and a low-cost robot vacuum should suffice. If you have a variety of floors, rugs or pets who shed, you'll get the best results with the most powerful robot vacuum.
A few models that are budget-friendly include a water tank and mopping capability, further increasing their flexibility. The more recent Dyson R7050C is a good example. It has very good scores in CR's tests of navigation and a generous bin capacity of 770ml, however it is louder than many of the other robots we've tried and doesn't have mopping features. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is smaller, but it is quieter and has an automated dock. It has a reservoir of water, a powerful suction power of 5,500-pascals as well as a large bin you can fill with cleaning products to boost its effectiveness. The Q5 Pro can be controlled through the app's smart function, which lets you mop or vacuum a space or sequence of rooms or an entire space. You can also create no-go zones and customise suction settings for each room.
The Shark ION is a good choice for those looking for something that is affordable easy to use and reliable. It's not as advanced as other models, with a basic app and minimal mapping capabilities, but has outstanding cleaning and navigation capabilities as well as cleaning. It is also one of the few robots we've tested which can tell the difference between carpets and hard flooring and has a 300ml trash bin that has to be emptied every 30 days.
Take a look at some of the top models within this price range If you're looking for something more advanced that can vacuum, mop, and create a map for more effective obstacle-avoiding. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction, a clever comb to get rid of pet hair and fine dirt, and can be controlled through your smart home assistant. Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 offers a excellent cleaning performance for a reasonable price.
Navigation Efficiency
A robot vacuum cleaner that is budget-friendly can be as effective as expensive models, as long as it is able to navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. To determine navigation efficiency, our lab technicians set up a tracker to watch a robot's movement through a multiroom test home and assess its ability to identify the rooms it must clean in a given time, while avoiding obstacles such as rug power cords, power cords and furniture. We also look at the speed at which a robot is able to navigate through different terrains within a home, such as stairs and floor transitions.
The best budget robot vacuums have navigation systems that allow them to effectively clean a room without getting lost or running into obstacles. The majority of robot vacuums have mapping capabilities that are necessary for a full-house clean. However, even models that do not have mapping can be used to effectively cover a space therefore it's essential to weigh the cost against the features you need for your home.
We also examine how easy it is for a robot to pass over common household thresholds like the height of a door sill or the height of a sofa. A good budget-friendly robot will be able to pass through these obstacles and some even come with settings that alter the suction power depending on the floor type. In the end, we must look at whether a budget-friendly robot is compatible with your smart home setup and is able to be controlled remotely through an app or voice control.
The iLife V3s Pro is a excellent example of a robot that is budget-friendly that offers basic mapping capabilities as well as smart features. It's also incredibly affordable. It is controlled by the iRobot app, and has an auto-return feature that returns it to its original location when the battery runs out, then resumes where it was when it left.
The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance that you find on numerous premium robots, however it has live cameras that send a grainy video feed to your smartphone so that you can monitor the robot as it performs. The cameras can also spot stairs and other obstacles and alert you if the robot encounters them. However, the iLife employs random navigation rather than a method designed to keep objects from getting stuck to furniture legs, which means it might not be able to maneuver around a chair leg or other tight spot as well as a robot with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When shopping for a robotic vacuum, you must consider the cost and performance. There are models that aren't as expensive and don't include advanced features such as mapping but there are models that are very effective at cleaning your home. You should also pay attention to the size of a robot's dustbin and how much dirt it can hold before needing to empty. You'll need enough room to accommodate all the waste that robots accumulate including hair dirt, pet dander.
You'll need a machine that can remove dirt and stains from carpets as well. We test all models in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to lift hair and dirt from carpet. The most effective models come with a brush that can dig into the carpet's fibers and pull out debris.
Most budget models do well at picking up messes on bare floors and carpets with low piles however, they struggle to remove larger chunks of pet hair and debris from carpets with higher pile. These models typically have less suction however, they can be effective in cleaning debris from tight areas such as corners and under furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable vacuuming model, scoring top marks in our tests with its ability to remove hair and dirt from carpets. It's also one of the quieter models we tested and is simple to use. It has a small suction opening that scoops debris rather than pushing it through the bar, and it has the ability to adjust the power to match the surface. It has a sidebrush with three bristles to push hair and other debris into the path of the robot. However, it's not as effective at picking dust particles.
If you're looking for mopping and vacuum, look for a model that can do both 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 other budget robot vacs in our list, but it has the advantages of a forward-facing camera that allows more precise mapping and better obstacles to avoid for things like power cords and cat Poop.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums are convenient however, they come at costs. Regular maintenance is essential to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They may also get caught up in cords or fall off the stairs.
The most affordable robot vacuums minimize these hassles by requiring minimal management from the user. Top picks are equipped with navigation systems that allow them to avoid obstacles and avoid dangers like electrical cords, food debris and even dropped food. They use sensors to map rooms and create maps that tell them where they have already cleaned.
Even the cheapest robotic vacuums can give a decent clean when you try them and don't be put off by the price 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 created with attention to detail and built to last.
If you're willing to invest more, think about a mopping robot. These can swish a wet cloth across floors to scrub them and remove stubborn stains, and can be used with a specialized mop pad for difficult jobs such as dried coffee.
There are many mopping robots included in our list however the most affordable model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has the sleek elegant, minimalist design of a home hub, but the performance and features of a top-rated robot with LiDAR navigation. During our testing it proved that the RV30 was capable of navigating without hitting furniture, and also creating detailed maps of its flooring, which it could use when it runs. This is the only budget robot that we have tested with this feature. iRobot Roomba also has mapping capabilities, however the app setup guides you through the entire procedure.
Make sure to keep your robot in good condition regardless of whether you pick a costly robovac or one that is less expensive. It's a good idea to empty its trash bin after every cleaning job and to clean the filter if one is present (check the manual of your owner or the manufacturer's website for details). Replace the battery as necessary and verify the Wi-Fi connection.