A robot vacuum can be a major effort saver – and especially welcome during the hectic festive season. Prices vary hugely, with the cheapest bots coming in at around the $100 / £100 mark and ranging right up to a couple of grand. It can be tricky to know how much to spend – and with the Black Friday sales delivering all kinds of discounts, things can be even more confusing.
I'm here to help. I manage TechRadar's best robot vacuum guide and have tested bots from a range of brands at all different price points. Here's my take: cheap robot vacuums are still worth considering, provided you stick to a few golden rules.
Read to learn exactly what those rules are – and if you decide it's time to invest in an automated home helper, hop to the bottom of the article for my pick of the best deals in the current sales.
1. Stick to a good brand
The most important thing, for me, is to go for a good brand. That way, you can be confident you'll at least get the basics: decent cleaning, reliable navigation, and an easy-to-use app. These are the three essentials; if you don't have them, the bot isn't worth buying (at any price). It probably goes without saying, but avoid all those weird, no-name brands on Amazon, no matter the low price.
My favorite brands are Roborock and Dreame – their robovacs consistently earn high review scores, regardless of how expensive they are. I've personally tested a budget Roborock and a budget Dreame robot vacuum, and was very impressed with both. In fact, the Dreame is still installed in my parents' house, where it takes care of cleaning the bedrooms.
I'm sorry to say that I'd also avoid buying a Roomba this year, even though on the surface of things, the deals look good. The brand recently replaced its entire fleet of robot vacuums, and the updated options have failed to impress (here's our Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo review, as an example). Parent company iRobot is in serious financial trouble, and it looks like it might not be sticking around much longer, which has knock-on implications for aftercare, too.
2. Make sure you can handle the maintenance
One major difference between cheaper and more expensive robot vacuums is in the things the dock can do – and as a result, the maintenance tasks that you'll need to take on yourself. The cheapest robovacs will have a dock that just charges the bot up and nothing else. Make sure you aren't making a rod for your own back by picking a robovac that requires too much from you.
For example, if you have shedding pets, I would recommend shelling out a bit more for a bot with an auto-empty dock. The bin onboard the robot itself is tiny, and you'll end up having to empty it with annoying regularity if the bot is trying to stay on top of the pet fuzz.
If you have lots of vinyl or tile flooring and want your robot vacuum to do a fair bit of mopping, consider the mop setup. The cheapest models require you to fill the water tank and attach the mop pad manually before every use (then remove it afterwards). Spending a bit more could get you a bot that can lift its mop pads when traversing carpet and has a dock that can refill the onboard water tank. You could even invest in one that has a dock that can wash the mop pads, although that might be a decent step up in price.
3. Price-check some fancier alternatives
Before you hit the buy button, I'd check out some fancier alternatives, because in some cases, a bit more cash can get you a much better bot. The robot vacuum market is competitive, with brands releasing new models very regularly, and as a result, it's common to see big discounts on 'older' options that are still extremely capable. I've spotted some especially strong deals in the Black Friday sales – I've included them below so you can see what you can get for a bit more money.
The best cheap robot vacuum deals in the US
The best cheap robot vacuum deals in the UK
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