Alissa Loyau

How to Find the Best Budget Robot Vacuum

A bargain robotic vacuum is a great deal. However, it can cost more than you expected in the maintenance department: untangling fur from brushes, clogged inlets, and emptying tiny dust bins can quickly make your automated cleaning dream to be a chore.

The iRobot j7 Combo is the best value robot for a lot of people. It provides the same hands-free experience at a fraction of its price.

Suction Power

Some models that are priced at this level have sufficient suction to perform basic vacuuming, however others might require a bit of help from a handheld nozzle to reach into the smallest cracks and crevices. If you live in a house with mostly hard floors and a low-cost robot vacuum will likely work. However, if your floors are an assortment of surfaces and there are rug, or have pets who shed, a better model will provide the most effective results for your price.

Some models with a budget price include a mopping feature and water tanks, which increase their versatility. The more recent Dyson R7050C is a good example. It has excellent scores in CR's tests of navigation and a large 770ml bin, but it is louder than many of the other robots we've tried and doesn't have mopping features. Eufy Roborock Q5 Pro is smaller and quieter and comes with an automatic vacuum cleaners dock. It also has a water tank, a powerful 5,500-pascal suction power and a large bin that you can fill with cleaning solution to make it an effective mopping machine. You can manage the Q5 Pro via the smart app to mop or vac in rooms, a sequence of rooms, or an area and set no-go zones and customise mopping and suction settings to suit different rooms.

The Shark ION is a good choice for those who are looking for something affordable, simple and reliable. It's not as sophisticated as other models, and comes with a basic app and minimal maps, but it has excellent navigation and cleaning abilities. It's also among the few robots we've tested which can distinguish between hard flooring and carpets, and it comes with a 300ml dust bin that has to be cleaned every 30 days.

Look into some of the best models that are priced at this level If you're looking for something more advanced that can vacuum mop, vacuum, and even create maps for smarter obstacle-avoidance. The iRobot Roomba 650/750 has a powerful suction and combs to remove 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 low-cost robot vacuum can be just as effective as a higher-priced model, provided that it can navigate your home and avoid obstacles. To assess the effectiveness of navigation our lab technicians installed a tracking device to observe a robot's move through a multiroom test house and assess its ability to identify the rooms it needs to clean in a specific amount of time, while avoiding obstacles like rug cords, power cables, and furniture. Additionally, we look at how quickly the robot can move across different types of terrain for homes such as stairways and transitions between different types of floors.

The most affordable robot vacuums come with effective navigation systems that can help them to tidy up a space without wasting time, crashing into obstacles or getting stuck. Most feature mapping capabilities, which are crucial for a complete house cleaning. Even low-cost models with no mapping can effectively cover a room. It is crucial to weigh the cost of your device with the features you require.

We also examine how easily a robot vacuum cleaners can pass over common household thresholds like the threshold of a door's sill or the width of the sofa. A good budget robot will be able to negotiate these obstacles and some even come with settings that alter the suction power based on the floor type. In the end, we must take a look at whether a budget robot cleaning machine is compatible with your smart home configuration and can be controlled remotely through an app or voice command.

The iLife V3s Pro is a great example of a budget robot that offers basic mapping capabilities and other smart features. It's also incredibly affordable. It is controlled by the iRobot app, and comes with an auto-return feature that returns it to its base when the battery runs out, then resumes where it left off.

The iLife V3s Pro does not have the advanced object-avoidance technology that is found on a lot of high-end robots. However it does come with a live camera which transmits a grainy stream to your smartphone so that you can watch it work. The cameras can also detect stairs and other obstacles and trigger an alert when the robot encounters them. However the iLife employs random navigation rather than a method designed to keep objects from getting stuck against furniture legs, therefore it may not be able to get around a chair leg or another tight spot as easily as a robot with mapping capabilities.

Cleaning Performance

When you're shopping for a robot vacuum it's important to balance cost with performance. Budget models may not feature advanced features such as mapping, but you can find many that perform very well in cleaning your home. Pay attention to the size and capacity of the dustbin. It should be able to fit all the debris that robots accumulate including hair, dirt, and pet dander.

You'll also want a robot vacuum that removes the stains that carpets have. We test every model in the ZDNET robot vacuum chart to determine their ability to remove dirt and hair off carpet. The best models come with a brush that is designed to penetrate the fibers and pull out debris.

Most budget models do well in removing messes from carpets that are not paved or carpets with low pile, but struggle to clear larger pieces of debris and pet hair from carpets with higher pile. These models usually have less suction power, but they can still be effective at cleaning up particles from tight spaces like corners and underneath furniture.

The iLife V3s Pro is the most affordable vacuuming model with high marks in our testing due to its ability to lift dirt and hair off carpets. It's also one of our quieter models and easy 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 into the path of the robot, but it doesn't do as good a job of picking up fine dust.

Find a model that has both vacuum and mop functions, like the Combo j9 Plus. This robot can simultaneously vac and mop, and it is possible to set specific vac/mop settings for each room. It's more expensive compared to other budget robot vacs in our chart however, it has the advantages of a forward-facing camera that allows more precise mapping and better protection against obstacles such as power cords and cat poop.

Maintenance

The ease of use robot vacuums provide is fantastic, but the technology comes with the cost of. Regular maintenance is required to empty the dustbin to changing filters and cleaning their brush bar. They can also get tangled in cords and fall off the stairs, so they need to be monitored with care.

The best budget robot vacuums minimize these hassles by requiring only minimal supervision from the user. The best models come with navigation systems that enable them to avoid obstacles and stay clear of dangers like electrical cords and food items that have been dropped. Sensors are used to map rooms, and create maps that inform them where they've cleaned.

Don't let the price of the higher-end models deter you. They can still do an excellent job if given the chance. Our top budget choices are from the top OEMs like iRobot Roborock Dreame. You can be assured that they've been created with care and built to last.

If you're willing to invest more, consider mopping with a robot. They can use a moist cloth over floors to scrub them and remove stubborn stains and can be used with a mop pad that is specifically designed to tackle tough jobs such as dried coffee.

There are several mopping robots in our roundup but the most affordable model is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus. It has a neat, uncluttered appearance, but it also comes with all the features and performance of a top rated robot vacuum. In our tests it proved that the RV30 was able to navigate without hitting furniture, and constructing detailed maps of its flooring that it could use when it runs. It's the only budget robot we've tested to include this feature, although iRobot's Roomba has similar mapping capabilities with 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, make sure you maintain your robovac regularly. It is 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 website of the manufacturer for details). You should also replace the battery as needed, and check in on its Wi-Fi connectivity and app updates.