How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robotic vacuum can be a great value. However, be aware that it could cost more than you expect in terms of maintenance: removing hair from brushes, clogging inlets and emptying small dust bins could quickly turn your automated cleaning dream to be a chore.
For many, the best budget robot is the iRobot j7 Combo. It delivers almost the same hands-off experience at less than half the cost.
Suction Power
Some models in this category have enough suction to do basic vacuuming. Others may require the use of a handheld nozzle for deeper cleaning. If you live in a house that has mostly hard flooring or carpet, a budget-friendly robot vacuum should suffice. However, if your floors are an assortment of surfaces and there are rugs, or if you have pets who shed, a better model will provide the best results for the money.
A few budget models include mopping and water tank capability, further increasing their flexibility. The Dyson R7050C features a large 770ml bin and excellent navigation scores, but it is louder and doesn't have mopping capabilities. The more compact Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, by contrast, is relatively quiet and has an auto-empty dock. It has a water reservoir with a suction capacity of 5,500-pascals as well as an enormous bin that you can fill with cleaning products to make it more efficient. The Q5 Pro can be controlled by the smart app that lets you vacuum or mop a room or a sequence of rooms or an entire area. You can also set up no-go zones, and customise suction settings for each room.
The Shark ION is a good choice for those looking for something affordable easy to use and reliable. It's not as advanced as other models, and comes with a basic app and minimal maps, but it has outstanding cleaning and navigation capabilities as well as cleaning. It's also one of few robots that differentiate between carpets and hard flooring. The 300ml dustbin is only emptied once every 30 days.
If you're looking for an upgraded model that can vacuum, mop and create a map of your house to help you avoid obstacles, consider some of the more premium options in this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction, a clever comb to get rid of pet hair and fine dirt and voice control via your smart home assistant. Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 offers a excellent cleaning performance for a reasonable price.
Navigation Efficiency
A low-cost 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 used a tracking device in a multi-room test house to assess the robot's capability to navigate and locate rooms it required to clean within a specified timeframe, while also keeping away from obstacles like furniture, power cords and rugs. We also evaluate the speed at which a robot is able to navigate through different terrains within a house, including the floor and stairways.
The most affordable robot vacuums have navigation systems that enable them to effectively clean a room without having to waste time or crashing into obstacles. Most feature mapping capabilities, which are vital for a complete house cleaning. However, even models that do not have mapping can efficiently cover a room, so it's important to balance cost with the features you require for your home.
We also consider the ease with which robots can get over common thresholds in the home like the size of a door's sill or the width of the sofa. A budget-friendly robot should be able to navigate these obstacles and some come with settings that alter the suction power according to the type of floor. We also look at whether the robot is compatible with smart home technology and can be controlled remotely using an app or voice command.
The iLife V3s Pro is a excellent example of a budget robot that comes with basic mapping capabilities and other clever features. It's also incredibly affordable. It can be controlled via the iRobot app, and has an auto-return feature that returns it to its original location when the battery has run out and resumes where it began.
The iLife V3s Pro does not include the advanced object-avoidance technology you find on a lot of top robots. However it does come with live cameras that send an unreliable feed to your smartphone so that you can observe it working. The cameras are also able to detect obstacles like stairs and other steps and trigger an alert when the robot encounters them. However the iLife uses random navigation instead of a method designed to keep objects from getting stuck against furniture legs, which means it may not be able to maneuver around a leg on a chair or any other tight spot 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. best robot vacuum might not feature advanced features such as mapping however, you can find some that excel at cleaning your home. Also, pay attention to the size of the dustbin and how much dirt it can hold before having to empty it. You'll need enough space to hold all the trash the robot gathers, such as pet dander, dirt and hair.
You'll also need a robot vacuum that is able to remove the stains that carpets have. We test every model in the ZDNET chart to see whether it is able to remove hair and dirt from carpet. The most effective models have a brush that digs through the fibers to eliminate dirt.
Budget models are effective in cleaning up small messes from bare floors or low-pile floor carpets, but they struggle to get rid of bigger particles and pet hairs from higher-pile carpets. They usually have less powerful suction than higher-end models, but can still do well at clearing out obstructions from tight spaces like corners and beneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable model for vacuuming, scoring top marks in our tests because of its ability to remove hair and dirt from carpets. It's also among the quieter models we tested and is simple to use. It has an opening for suction which collects debris instead of pushing it through the brush bar, and it is able to adjust power to be in line with the surface. It also comes with a side-brush that has three bristles that push hair and debris in the path of the robot, but it doesn't do as good in removing fine dust.
If you require mopping and vacuum choose a model that can do both such as the Combo j9 Plus. It can simultaneously vacuum and mop, and it is possible to set specific vac/mop settings for each room. It's more expensive than other low-cost robots in our list 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 Poop.
Maintenance
The convenience that robot vacuums offer is wonderful, however the technology comes at cost. Regular maintenance is required to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They can also get caught in cords or fall off the steps.
The best budget robot vacuums minimize these hassles through requiring minimal oversight from the user. The best models come with navigation systems that enable them to avoid obstacles and avoid hazards such as electrical cords, food debris and even dropped food. They use sensors to map rooms, and create maps that inform them where they have already cleaned.
Even the cheapest robotic vacuums can give a decent clean when you give them a chance, so don't be discouraged by the cost of more expensive models. Our top budget choices are from the top OEMs like iRobot Roborock Dreame. You can be certain that they've been created with attention to detail and are built to last.
You might consider a mopping robot in the event that you're willing to pay more. They can use a moist cloth across floors to scrub them clean and remove stubborn stains and they can be used with a mop pad that is specifically designed to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.
There are several mopping robots featured in our roundup however the most affordable model is the TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has the sleek, fussless appearance of a home hub but the features and performance of a top robovac, including LiDAR navigation. During our tests, the RV30 was able to navigate without crashing into furniture, and also create detailed floor plans that it could use on future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that include this feature, although the iRobot Roomba offers similar capabilities in mapping and has an in-app setup that walks you through the process step-by step.
No matter if you opt for an expensive robovac or a more affordable option, make sure you maintain your robot regularly. You should empty the dustbin and clean the filter after each cleaning session (refer to the owner's manual or the website of the manufacturer for more details). Replace the battery when necessary and verify the Wi-Fi connectivity.