How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain-priced robot vacuum is a bargain. Beware of the maintenance costs that might be higher than anticipated: tangles inside brushes, air inlets that are blocked and empty dust bins can quickly make your automatic cleaning dream into a chore.
For a lot of people, the best budget robot is the iRobot Combo. It provides the same hands-free experience at less than half the price.
Suction Power
Some models in this range are able to handle basic vacuuming. Others may require the use of a handheld nozzle for deeper cleaning. If you live in a home with mostly hard floors or carpet, a budget-friendly robot vacuum should do the trick. If you have a mix of floors, rugs or pets that shed, you will be able to get the best results with an advanced robot vacuum.
A few models that are budget-friendly include mopping and a water tank capabilities, which adds to their flexibility. The Dyson R7050C comes with a large 770ml bin and excellent navigation scores, but is more loud and does not include mopping capabilities. The smaller Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro, in contrast, is quite quiet and has an auto-empty dock. It also has a water tank, a powerful suction capacity of 5,500pascal and a large bin you can fill with cleaning solution to make it a more effective mopping machine. The Q5 Pro can be controlled by the smart app which allows you to mop or vacuum a room, sequence of rooms, or an entire area. You can also set up no-go zones, and customize suction settings for each room.
The Shark ION is a good choice for those seeking something affordable, simple and reliable. It's not as sophisticated as some of the other models we test and comes with a basic application and basic mapping capabilities, but it does have excellent navigation and cleaning capabilities. It is also one of the few robots we've tested which can tell the difference between hard flooring and carpets and comes with a 300ml dust bin that only needs to be cleaned every 30 days.
If you want a more advanced model that can vacuum, mop and even create an outline of your home for smarter obstacle avoidance look at some of the top models in this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650 and 750 have very strong suction power, clever combs for pet hair and other fine dirt, and an in-app scheduling and voice control with your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that has superior cleaning performance for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A budget-friendly robot vacuum could be just as effective the more expensive models, provided that it can navigate your home and avoid obstacles. Our lab technicians employed an instrument for tracking in a multi-room test home to evaluate the robot's ability to navigate and locate rooms it needed to clean within a specified time frame, while staying clear of obstacles such as power cords, furniture, and rug. In addition, we look at how quickly robots can move over different types of terrain for homes such as stairways and transitions between different types of floors.
The most affordable robot vacuums are equipped with navigation systems that enable them to efficiently clean a space without having to waste time or crashing into obstacles. Most robot vacuums have the ability to map which is essential to complete a thorough house clean. However, even models that do not have mapping have ways to effectively clean a room, so it's important to weigh the cost against the features you require for your home.
We also look at how easy it is for a robot to overcome common thresholds for homes, such as the height of a door sill or the height of a sofa. A good budget-friendly robot must be able to pass over these obstacles, and a few have settings that can alter suction power to suit different flooring types. In the end, we must look at whether a budget-friendly robot is compatible with your smart home setup and can be controlled remotely using an app or voice command.
The iLife V3s Pro is a fantastic example of a robot that is budget-friendly that offers basic mapping capabilities as well as smart features. It's also incredibly affordable. It can be controlled using the iRobot app, and also has an auto-return feature which returns it to its base when the battery is exhausted and resumes where it left off.
The iLife V3s Pro does not include the advanced object-avoidance technology that is found on many top robots. However it does come with a live camera which transmits an unreliable feed to your phone so you can watch it work. The cameras are also able to detect stairs and other obstacles and alert you if the robot comes across them. However, the iLife uses random navigation rather than a method that is designed to avoid objects stuck to furniture legs, therefore it might not be able to maneuver around a leg of a chair or other tight spot as well as a robot with mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When you are looking for a robot vacuum, you should balance the price and performance. Some budget models don't have features such as mapping, but they will still do a great job of cleaning your home. Pay attention to the size and capacity of the dustbin. You'll need enough space to accommodate all the trash that robots accumulate, including hair, dirt, and pet dander.
You'll need a machine that can get rid of stains and dirt from carpets too. We test every model in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart for their ability to lift hair and dirt from carpet. The most effective ones have a special brush designed to dig into the carpet's fibers and pull out debris.
The budget models are great at getting rid of small messes on flooring that is not covered with carpets, but they aren't able to get rid of larger debris and pet hairs from higher-pile carpets. These models typically have a less powerful suction however they can be effective in removing debris from tight areas such as corners and under furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro vacuum cleaner is the top vacuum in its price. It has a high score in our tests, and it is able to take hairs and dirt off carpets. It's also one of the quieter models we test and is user-friendly. It has a small suction opening that scoops debris rather than pushing it through the bar, and it is able to adjust the power to be in line with the surface. It also comes with a side-brush that has three bristles that push hair and debris into the robot's path, but it's not as effective at as it does in picking up fine dust.
If you're looking for a vacuum and a mop choose a model with both functions like the Combo j9 Plus. It can simultaneously vacuum and mop, and define specific vac/mop setting for each room. It's more expensive than the other robot vacuums in our list, but it has a camera on the front that allows for more precise mapping and better obstacle avoidance of things like power cords and cat urine.
Maintenance
The convenience that robot vacuums offer is great, but the technology comes at the cost of. Regular maintenance is essential to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. robot cleaner can also become tangled in cords or fall off the stairs.
The most affordable robot vacuums ease the burden since they require only minimal user management. The best models have navigation systems that steer clear of objects and stay clear of dangers, like strangling electrical cords and dropping food. They also use a combination of sensors to map rooms, and then create maps that let them know where they've already cleaned so that they don't have to go over the same spots again.
Even the tiniest robotic vacuums can give a decent clean when you give them a shot and don't be put off by the cost of more expensive models. A majority of our top picks for budget are made by top OEMs like iRobot, Roborock and Dreame You can be confident that they've been designed with care and built to last.
You might consider a mopping robot if you are willing to pay more. These machines can scrub floors with a wet cloth and remove stubborn stains. They can also be used conjunction with mop pads to tackle tough jobs, such as dried coffee.
The TP Link Tapo RV30 plus is the most affordable mopping robot we've reviewed in our roundup. It has a sleek and uncluttered design, but it also comes with all the features and capabilities of a top-rated robot vacuum. In our tests, the RV30 was capable of navigating without hitting furniture and create detailed maps of its floorplan that it can use for future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested to include this feature, although iRobot's Roomba has similar capabilities in mapping and has an in-app configuration that walks you through the process step by step.
If you decide to go with an expensive robot vacuum or a cheaper alternative, you should always maintain your robot regularly. It is important to empty the dustbin and clean the filter after every cleaning session (refer to your owner's guide or the manufacturer's site for more information). Replace the battery if required and test its Wi-Fi connectivity.