I've been testing new robovacs for a year – this is my one key tip that could save you money when you buy

I've been writing about today's best robot vacuums for over a year now, and during that time I've tested bots at all different price points. I've come to the conclusion that if you don't want to spend a fortune on a new robovac, the way to do it – without compromising on how well the robot cleans – is to pick a model with a slightly more basic dock.

Let me explain. All robot vacuums come with some kind of dock. Broadly, these can be separated into three categories:

1. Charge-only: just charges the bot's battery
2. Auto-empty: charges and empties the onboard bin
3. All-in-one clean station: charges and empties bin, but also takes care of various other maintenance tasks

The final category can be quite varied – capabilities could include washing and drying the mop pads (sometimes with hot water and hot air), refilling the onboard water tank, dispensing detergent, and sometimes self-cleaning and self-drying.

Generally speaking, the price of the package will go up in line with how advanced the dock is. But there's almost always a big jump between category 2 and category 3 – I'm talking a few hundred dollars / pounds. And for most people, it won't be worth it.

A better bot?

For the vast majority of people, an auto-empty dock will be perfectly acceptable. That's especially true if you're not going to be using the mopping function too regularly – most of the extra functions are tied to mop maintenance.

There's a trend at the moment for brands to include ever-more-capable docks with their newest releases. It's easy to assume that the newer and more expensive the vacuum, the better the cleaning performance. Really though, a lot of what you're paying for is the extra dock capabilities.

Occasionally, a robovac brand will offer a range of different dock options with the same robovac. A tell-tale sign is a 'Plus' at the end of the name, which tends to denote a self-empty base, when a version with a charge-only dock is available. However, it's also common to just have one dock option with a particular model of robovac – and especially if said dock is a category 3 all-in-one clean station.

Let's get into more detail about each dock type, who they might be suited to, and my specific product recommendations for each.

1. Charge-only docks

Charge-only docks are great for households that are relatively small and/or clean, and definitely don't include any shedding pets. With this type of dock, you'll have to empty the onboard bin yourself. These are small, so if you're dealing with lots of dust or debris then you'll end up emptying them so often that it'll get annoying.

There's generally far less of a price jump between category 1 (charge only) and category 2 (auto-empty) docks, and even if you're only dealing with relatively small volumes of dirt, opting for the latter will save effort and mean a more hands-off experience.

The main reason to opt for a charge-only dock is if you don't have space for a large dock. The charge-only docks are extremely compact; shift into more advanced options and expect the size and bulk to go up considerably.

My product recommendation

My favorite bot in this category right now is the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2. In fact, it's cleaning up in the background as I write this. It's extremely affordable, coming in around $200 / £160. It navigates reliably, the app is easy to use, and the cleaning is great.

This one lives upstairs at my parents' house. The floor on that level is mostly carpet, with just one bathroom that would want mopping. Every week or two, it's relatively easy to fill up the onboard tank, let the bot mop the bathroom floor, and then pop the detachable mop pad through the wash. The whole thing lives under a bed, where there's no room for a larger dock.

2. Auto-empty docks

This is the category that I think will suit most people. Having a bot that empties its own dust is a big effort-saver... and not having to get involved too much is the reason most people buy a robovac in the first place. An auto-empty dock is really a must if you're after the best robot vacuum for pet hair, too – those small onboard bins will quickly become clogged full of hair.

My product recommendations

In this category I'd recommend looking in Roborock's older product lines. If mopping isn't a priority, something like the Roborock Q5 Pro+ is a great choice. One of my regular robot vacuum testers reviewed this one, and found the vacuum performance excellent. It was tested in a household with lots of pet hair; the bot was more than capable of picking it up, and the larger-than-usual bins in the robot and the dock meant minimal manual emptying was required.

3. All-in-one clean station

An all-in-one clean station is only really worth it if you're going to be using your robovac's mop function on a regular basis. For example, a friend of mine has a very hairy spaniel and lots of hard, tiled flooring; he sends the robovac out to mop every other day. In that instance, having a station that refills the water tanks, adds detergent, and cleans and dries the mop pads is worth the investment. The latter is especially important – if you're not diligent about keeping your mop pads clean and dry, things can get stinky and unhygienic very quickly.

My product recommendation

There are plenty of excellent options in this higher price bracket. Most of the premium models I've tested have been Roborocks, and I've yet to be disappointed my the performance.

The model currently at my dog-owning friend's house is the Roborock Saros 10. This is one of the brand's newest models, and as well as that does-it-all dock, it has a navigation puck that can pop down when it's entering low-height spaces.

If you don't want to spend quite so much but still want a very capable dock, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is another excellent performer, without the pop-up puck technology.

Finally, if you're in the UK, there's the Xiaomi X20+. This is an outlier because it's really extremely affordable, yet still offers an advanced dock that can refill the bot's water tank and wash and dry its mop pads. In fact, it rather undermines the wider point I'm making in this article, but there you go. It's really rare to find these kind of capabilities on a budget-friendly bot.

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