How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum
A bargain robot vacuum is a steal. However, it can cost more than you expected in the maintenance department: untangling fur from brushes, clogged inlets and emptying the tiny dust bins could quickly turn your dream of automated cleaning a chore.
The iRobot J7 Combo is the best budget robot for many people. It offers a similar hands-free experience for a fraction of its price.
Suction Power
Certain models in this price range have strong enough suction for basic vacuuming, while others might require a bit of 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 will likely suffice. However, if the floors are an assortment of surfaces and you have some carpets, or have pets who shed, a more capable model will give you the best results for the price.
Some budget models come with mopping and a water tank capability, further increasing their versatility. The Dyson R7050C comes with a large 770ml bin and excellent navigation scores, but it is louder and doesn't have mopping capabilities. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is smaller and quieter and has an automatic dock. It comes with a water reservoir, a powerful suction power of 5,500-pascals and a large bin that you can fill with cleaning solutions to make it more efficient. The Q5 Pro can be controlled via the smart app, which lets you vacuum or mop a room or sequence of rooms or an entire space. robotic vacuum cleaner best can also establish no-go zones and set suction settings to your preferences for each room.
The budget Shark ION is a great pick for those looking for an affordable, basic device that is reliable. It's not as sophisticated 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 the few robots we've tested which can differentiate between carpets and hard flooring and also has a 300ml trash bin that only needs to be emptied every 30 days.
If you're looking for a more sophisticated model that can vacuum, mop and even create a map of your house to help you avoid obstacles take a look at the most expensive options in this price range. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction, clever combs to remove pet hair as well as fine dirt and voice control through your smart home assistant. The Samsung Cleanbot SV8000 is another option that offers outstanding cleaning performance for the price.
Navigation Efficiency
A low-cost robot vacuum cleaner can be as effective as more expensive models, so long as it is able to navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. To measure the effectiveness of navigation, our lab technicians set up a tracker to observe a robot's move through a multi-room test house and evaluate its ability to identify the areas it has to clean in a certain amount of time frame, while avoiding hazards such as power cords, rugs, and furniture. We also examine how fast a robot can traverse different terrains in a house, including stairs and floor transitions.
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. Most feature mapping capabilities, which are crucial to complete house cleaning. However, even models that do not have mapping have ways to effectively clean a room therefore it's essential to balance cost with the features you need for your home.
We also consider how easily a robot can pass over common household thresholds like the threshold of a door's sill or the height of a sofa. A good budget robot will be able to negotiate these obstacles and some even have settings that adjust the suction power according to the type of floor. We also check if the robot is compatible with smart home technology and can be controlled remotely using an app or voice commands.
One example of an excellent budget robot is the iLife V3s Pro, which includes basic mapping capabilities and other advanced features in an affordable package. It can be controlled using the iRobot App and has an automatic return feature that returns the robot back to its base when the battery is low and then picks up where it left off.
The iLife V3s Pro doesn't have the advanced object avoidance found on many of the top robots, but it does have live cameras that stream an unreliable video feed to your smartphone so that you can keep an eye on it as it works. The cameras are able to detect obstacles and stairs and alert the robot when it encounters them. However the iLife employs random navigation instead of an approach designed to keep objects from getting stuck to furniture legs, so it might not be able to get around a leg on a chair or any other tight spot as a robot that has mapping capabilities.
Cleaning Performance
When shopping for a robotic vacuum, you must consider the price and performance. The cheapest models might not have advanced features such as mapping, but they'll still do a great job of cleaning your home. Also, pay attention to the size of a robot's dustbin and the amount of dirt it can hold prior to needing to empty. You'll need enough space to accommodate all the trash that a robot accumulates, including pet dander, dirt, and hair.
You'll also want a robot vacuum that removes staining from carpets. We test every model in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to remove dirt and hair off carpet, and the best models have a specific brush that can dig into the carpet fibers and remove debris.
Most budget models do well in cleaning up spills on plain floors and carpets with low pile However, they struggle to get rid of larger chunks of debris and pet hair from higher-pile carpets. They typically have less suction power than more expensive models however, they still do a well at getting rid of obstructions from tight spaces like corners and underneath furniture.
The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable model for vacuuming and has scored high marks in our tests with its ability to lift hair and dirt from carpets. It's also one of the quieter models we tested and is easy to use. It has a suction opening which collects debris instead of pushing it through the brush bar. It is also able to adjust the power to match any surface. It has a sidebrush with three bristles that push hair and debris into the robot's path. However, it is not as effective at picking fine dust.
Choose a model that includes both vacuum and mop functions, such as the Combo j9 Plus. It is able to simultaneously vacuum and mop, and make specific vac/mop settings to each room. It's more expensive than the other budget robot vacuums on our chart however it comes with the advantages of a forward-facing camera which enables more precise mapping and better protection against obstacles such as power cords and cat poop.
Maintenance
The convenience that robot vacuums offer is great, but the technology comes at cost. They require regular maintenance including emptying their bins to replacing filters and cleaning the brush bar. They can also get tangled in cords or drop off the stairs, so they should be monitored carefully.
The most affordable robot vacuums minimize these hassles by requiring only minimal supervision from the user. The top models come with navigation systems that steer clear of objects and keep themselves clear of hazards, such as the tangled electrical cords or dropped food items. They use sensors to map rooms, and create maps that inform them where they have already cleaned.
Don't let the price of the higher-end models deter you. They are still able to do a fantastic job if given the chance. Our top budget picks are from leading OEMs like iRobot Roborock Dreame. You can be certain that they've been designed with care and built to last.
Think about a robotic mopping machine If you're willing to spend more. These machines can scrub floors using an aqueous cloth and get rid of the most stubborn stains. They can also be used in conjunction with mop pads to tackle difficult jobs, such as dried coffee.
There are a number of mopping robots in our roundup but the most affordable model is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a clean and uncluttered design, but it also has all the features and performance of a top robovac. In our tests, the RV30 was able to navigate without bumping mindlessly into furniture, and also create precise floorplan maps that it can reference on future runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested that include this feature, although iRobot's Roomba also has similar capabilities for mapping, and an in-app setup that walks you through the process step-by step.
No matter if you opt for an expensive robot vacuum or a cheaper option, always remember to maintain your robot regularly. You should empty the dustbin and clean the filter after every cleaning session (refer to the owner's manual or the site of the manufacturer for more details). Replace the battery if required and test the Wi-Fi connection.