The best budget robot vacuums

Modern robot vacuums are evolving into sophisticated devices, laden with features and upgrades. However, it’s crucial to remember their primary function: to efficiently clean floors. While some high-end models boast advanced capabilities like mop pad dryers, pet waste avoidance, and object recognition, a range of budget robot vacuums offer effective autonomous floor cleaning for a fraction of the cost, provided the area is reasonably tidy beforehand. These essential cleaning companions offer a balance of affordability and functionality, making them ideal for everyday upkeep.

Premium models often include obstacle detection and even AI-driven cameras to differentiate between items like popcorn and pet accidents, skillfully avoiding the latter. For those seeking top-tier features, dedicated buying guides are available. However, for users willing to perform basic pre-cleaning, a budget-friendly robot vacuum presents a significant cost saving while still delivering satisfactory floor cleaning performance.

Suction: 5,300Pa / Dustbin: 300ml / Self-Empty Dock: Yes / Mopping: Yes / Mapping: Lidar / Keep-Out Zones: Virtual / Runtime: 100 mins, 2,600mAh battery/ Brush: Single rubber bristle hybrid / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

The Tapo RV30 Max Plus, priced around $300, is a highly competent robot vacuum and mop, offering features typically reserved for significantly pricier models. These include zoned cleaning, adjustable suction and water levels, lidar-based smart navigation, and a self-emptying dock. In contrast to brands like Roomba and Roborock, which often demand double the price for self-emptying convenience, Tapo presents a more accessible option.

Leveraging lidar navigation, the RV30 efficiently mapped and cleaned, covering room perimeters and systematically filling interiors. Pre-cleaning is necessary due to the absence of a camera or AI obstacle detection – cables and socks can impede its progress.

Its 5,200Pa suction is noteworthy for its price range, effectively collecting Cheerios and dry oatmeal on hard floors. While it missed some finer particles due to its single bristle/rubber brush’s limited effectiveness, performance on carpets was less impressive. However, setting the app to triple-clean a room generally ensured complete debris removal.

Mopping exceeded expectations for a system without pressure or oscillation. The wide mop pad and ample 300ml tank (shared with a 300ml dustbin) provide sufficient water for effective surface cleaning.

A unique budget feature is customizable room cleaning, offering five suction levels, three water levels, and three rotation settings.

The user-friendly Tapo app features an editable map for virtual walls, no-go zones, furniture placement, and carpet designation. Carpet sensing is absent, requiring manual carpet area input for mop avoidance. Cleaning direction and up to four map saving are available – features commonly found in higher-end robots.

Initiating cleaning via the app is straightforward, with a convenient tap-to-send feature for directed cleaning.

The primary drawback is the small 2,600mAh battery, half the capacity of many competitors. It struggled to clean an 800-square-foot downstairs area without recharging, coupled with a slow charging time and occasional docking issues.

An even simpler setup is available with the RV30 sans self-emptying dock, saving roughly $80. This version fits under furniture but necessitates manual bin emptying.

Top Budget Robot Vacuum and Mop Combination

Suction: 6,000Pa / Dustbin: 400ml / Runtime: 180 mins, 5,200mAh battery / Brush: Dual rubber / Self-Empty Dock: Yes / Mapping: Lidar / Keep-Out Zones: Virtual / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

The Roborock S8 stands out as an excellent vacuum and effective mop, incorporating AI-powered obstacle detection – an uncommon feature at its price point. Its dual rubber roller brushes and 6,000Pa suction provide exceptional performance on both hard floors and carpets. The vibrating flat mop effectively scrubs floors.

The S8 offers a sleek self-emptying dock option. However, unlike Roborock’s higher-tier QRevo series (starting around $600), it lacks automatic water tank refilling and mop washing, requiring manual upkeep.

Previously a flagship model retailing at $750, the Roborock S8, even with the self-emptying dock, is now available for under $500. Its vibrating flat mop pad, operating at 3,000 oscillations per second, mimics manual scrubbing. It also features a large onboard water tank for enhanced mopping effectiveness.

The S8 provides a dedicated mop-only mode, uncommon in budget models. This mode employs a tighter “Z” pattern and double passes for thorough mopping. A slower option is available for enhanced cleaning. Vacuuming followed by a separate mopping session results in exceptionally clean floors, albeit time-consuming.

Another standout feature is carpet detection, enabling the S8 to raise its mops slightly to avoid wetting carpets – a rarity in budget mops. Most budget options require mop pad removal or no-mop zones around rugs. The S8 can also elevate its wheels to prevent sticky messes like ketchup from adhering to its brushes.

However, the mop-lifting function is limited to low-pile rugs, necessitating no-mop zones for thicker carpets. The S8 requires manual reservoir refilling and mop pad cleaning (machine washable). For fully automated maintenance, upgrading to the approximately $600 Roborock QRevo series is necessary, featuring spinning mops and a self-wash/dry/refill dock.

Best Budget Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair

Suction Power: 5,000Pa / Dustbin: 770ml / Self-Empty Dock: Yes / Mopping: Yes / Mapping: Lidar / Suction power: 5,500Pa / Keep-Out Zones: Virtual / Runtime: 240 mins, 5,200mAh battery / Brush: Dual rubber / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

For pet owners seeking an affordable self-emptying robot vacuum, prioritizing a large dustbin is recommended. With the increasing prevalence of combination mop/vacuums (where water reservoirs reduce dustbin space), finding large-bin models is becoming challenging. The Roborock Q5 Pro with its 770ml dustbin is a notable exception.

This substantial bin, combined with dual rubber roller brushes, effectively removes pet hair from carpets, outperforming single-brush models. Rubber brushes are also less prone to hair tangling than bristle counterparts. Paired with 5,500Pa suction, the Q5 Pro excels at cleaning heavily soiled floors. A removable mop pad with a small water tank is included for fine dust cleanup, although it is not designed for floor scrubbing. It proves effective in managing pet hair accumulation.

Avoid confusing this model with the lower-tier Roborock Q5, which offers a smaller bin, reduced suction, shorter runtime, and a single roller brush. The Pro version is worth the price increase.

The Q5 Pro Plus includes Roborock’s redesigned self-emptying dock. While typically adding significant cost, it is currently on sale at Amazon for $360. The dock is relatively compact and lightweight. However, given the Q5 Pro’s large bin, manual emptying might only be needed three times before the dock’s 2.5-liter bag fills.

The Q5 Pro lacks AI obstacle avoidance but can navigate around shoes and larger items. It features a substantial 5,200mAh battery providing roughly four hours of runtime. It utilizes the robust Roborock app, inheriting software features from higher-end models, including lidar mapping, digital keep-out zones, zoned cleaning, and voice control.

Best Basic Bump-and-Roll Robot Vacuum

Suction power: Unknown / Dustbin: 425ml / Runtime: 120 mins / Brush: Single bristle / rubber hybrid / Self-Empty Dock: No / Mapping: No / Keep-Out Zones: No / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Shark Ion, with its generous bin, user-friendly app, adequate battery life, ease of repair, and robust design, is an excellent bump-and-roll option. It lacks mapping and advanced navigation, relying on physical contact for direction change. Despite its simplicity, it effectively cleans floors.

Suitable for placement under beds or desks and scheduled operation during unoccupied times, the Shark Ion’s noisiness and collision-based navigation are less of a concern when not present. Its large wheels and 120-minute runtime reduce the likelihood of getting stuck or losing power compared to simpler, similarly priced models.

Unlike many budget alternatives, it utilizes a hybrid roller brush (bristle and plastic) which resists tangling better than standard bristle brushes. Its short side brushes efficiently direct debris into the robot’s path and are less prone to cord entanglement.

The standout feature is its robust, tank-like wheels that traverse room transitions, furniture legs, and obstacles that often impede other robots. This is advantageous as it lacks mapping, obstacle detection, or keep-out zone settings. The Shark Ion simply operates continuously.

Further benefits include readily available replacement parts for easy maintenance and extended lifespan.

While Shark doesn’t specify suction power, it performed well in tests, including challenging raw oatmeal cleanup. It also effectively managed pet hair, typically requiring two cleaning cycles for optimal removal, consistent with most tested robots.

The basic app offers on/off, scheduling, and three power levels (all are loud). Scheduling limitations include only one daily cycle. While most robots allow multiple passes, scheduling two daily runs for thorough cleaning is preferable, which isn’t possible with the Shark. However, manual restarts via button or app are possible for additional cleaning.

Best Budget Roomba Robot Vacuum

Suction power: Unknown / Dustbin: 419ml / Runtime: 90 minutes / Brush: Dual rubber / Self-Empty Dock: Yes / Mopping: Yes / Mapping: Yes / Keep-Out Zones: Physical only / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

The Roomba i5, successor to the previously recommended Roomba i3, is a strong contender in the budget robot vacuum category. While not the most inexpensive, its effective cleaning, appealing design, robust software, and durable, repair-friendly build justify its price.

The i5 introduces mopping to iRobot’s entry-level range via a swappable mopping bin, incorporating a flat mop pad and a 210ml reservoir. Carpet avoidance is absent, necessitating manual carpet edge management to prevent mopping carpets.

However, the i5 excels as a vacuum, rivaling iRobot’s higher-end j7 in cleaning performance at a lower cost. While slightly less powerful, it features Roomba’s signature dual rubber roller brushes, effectively removing pet hair from hard floors and debris from carpets. These brushes differ slightly from Roborock’s, with nubs that enhance dirt extraction, especially from carpets.

The i5 offers mapping and room-specific cleaning. Unlike the Tapo RV30, it lacks virtual keep-out zones, requiring iRobot’s virtual wall towers for restricted areas. It also has a smaller bin, but a self-emptying base can be added (doubling the price).

The robust i5 handles various floor surfaces with large wheels and a substantial bumper, managing transitions and uneven floors effectively. It navigates bed skirts and most obstacles, although delicate items on unstable tables should be secured due to its bumping navigation style.

Like all Roombas, the i5 is easily self-repaired with available (though costly) replacement parts. Rebuilding an i3 after a pet waste incident was feasible. Obstacle avoidance is not included; upgrading to the Roomba j7 (if on sale) addresses this.

iRobot also offers the Combo j5, adding advanced mapping, virtual keep-out zones, and improved obstacle and carpet detection. It also features a glossier finish. If the j5 is priced competitively with or below the i3 (or $379 with the auto-empty dock as noted), it represents a better value. Otherwise, the i3 remains the recommended budget Roomba option.

Best Budget Robot Vacuum without Wi-Fi

Suction power: 2,000Pa / Dustbin: 600ml / Runtime: 100 mins / Brush: Single bristle / rubber hybrid / Self-Empty Dock: No / Mapping: No / Keep-Out Zones: No / Smart Home Integration: N/A

The Eufy 11S Max is an uncommon robot vacuum operating completely without Wi-Fi, lacking even an app. Operation relies on a simple button press or the included remote, which also enables scheduled cleaning.

The slim 11S (72.5mm height, no lidar tower) fits under most furniture and is very quiet. Its 600ml bin and surprisingly effective 2,000Pa suction for hardwood floors are notable. Three cleaning levels are available; the quietest operates at approximately 55dB, suitable for home offices.

With a 100-minute runtime, its battery is smaller, but recharge-and-resume is supported. At $200, it’s ideal for users wary of apps and Wi-Fi. As a bump-and-roll model without sophisticated navigation, it compensates with ample replaceable parts, including battery and wheels, ensuring longevity.

Best Self-Cleaning, Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum/Mop Under $500

Suction Power: 5,100Pa / Dustbin: 360ml / Self-Empty Dock: Yes / Mopping: Yes / Mapping: Lidar / Suction power: 5,100Pa / Keep-Out Zones: Virtual / Runtime/Battery: 180 mins, 5,400mAh / Brush: Single rubber bristle hybrid / Smart Home Integration: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Yeedi Cube is the most affordable self-cleaning robot vacuum with high-end multifunction dock features, typically found in models exceeding $1,000. It automatically refills its water tank, cleans and dries the mop, and empties the dustbin. It also incorporates advanced obstacle avoidance using lasers (less effective than AI cameras in pricier models). Originally retailing at $699.99, it’s now frequently discounted below $500 as an older model.

The Yeedi’s navigation style resembles Shark and Roomba—direct and forceful. It navigates by collision, cleaning effectively if possible, and maneuvering around large objects but getting impeded by cords and socks. Pet waste avoidance is not recommended.

Yeedi’s mopping is notable, using a vibrating microfiber cloth (2,500 vibrations/minute) for grime removal. The dock washes the mop pad, drains dirty water, and empties the bin. The robot carries a one-liter water tank, negating mid-cycle refills.

A single hybrid rubber/bristle brush is used, prone to hair tangling. However, combined with 5,100Pa suction, it effectively collects floor debris.

A convenient handle aids in manual placement for spot cleaning, with an onboard button for quick area cleaning without app interaction. Mapping features room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones but app navigation can be somewhat complex.

Update, April 7th: Pricing/availability adjusted; iRobot Roomba model updates added.