This self-emptying robot vacuum from Roborock is less than half-price at Amazon

Never buy a robot vacuum at full price. There's almost always some kind of deal on even the most expensive models from top manufacturers that can save you hundreds off the regular price. For example, right now, you can get the Roborock Q5 Max Plus Robot Vacuum at Amazon for $279.99 (was $599.99).

The Roborock Q5 Max Plus is a step above the standard robot vacuum thanks to the self-emptying dock, which automatically transfers all the debris that your machine picked up into a garbage bag. It doesn't have the fancy mopping features found in some higher-end robot vacuums, but if you're fine with just the basic vacuum with the convenience of a self-emptying dock, it's well worth it at this price.

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Roborock Q5 Max Plus Robot Vacuum: was $599.99 now $279.99 at Amazon

The Roborock Q5 Max Plus is a budget robot vacuum with a few advanced features that make it worth buying for under $280. Self-emptying docks are attractive because of the hands-free setup, so you don't need to manually dispose of trash for weeks at a time. It can last up to 240 minutes on one charge, which is much longer than the average 150-minute runtime of similar models. Its modest 5500Pa suction, plus the DuoRoller Brush, makes it capable of removing pet and human hair, too.

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The Roborock Q5 Max Plus makes a great starter robot vacuum with its modest suction, convenient self-emptying functions and hair removal features, and longer runtime at this price point. Its 5500Pa suction isn't anything to write home about, but it alleviates this with its DuoRoller Brush. Its rubber bristles more easily clean surfaces, from hardwood to carpet, and pick up pet and human hair.

The Q5 Max Plus covers up to 3,767 sqft with its navigation system and can run up to 240 minutes at full charge, which is much longer than the 150-minute runtime on similar models. It can last up to seven weeks without emptying its dustbin, too, depending on how often you use it. The package only comes with two 2x2.5L dust bags to start, but you can easily buy a pack of 12 dust bags for less than $15 from Amazon.

Note that it only supports 2.4G WiFi, so make sure your router supports that. If you use 5 GHz, you could consider setting up a dual-band router to switch between the two.

For options like the Roborock Q5 Max Plus, I'd recommend comparing with the Roborock Q7 M5 and Roborock Q8 Max . You can also browse the rest of our best robot vacuums and wait for a sale on your favorite.