Best robot vacuum cleaner 2024 to automate home floor cleaning

The best robot vacuum cleaners from top brands including Roborock, iRobot, Eufy, SwitchBot, Beko and Yeedi

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra navigating the home
(Image credit: Roborock)

Thanks to the onward march of technology, the best robot vacuum cleaners are far more than just a cute novelty nowadays. They navigate with almost frightening precision, suck up dust pretty efficiently and can even empty their own bins in some cases. Sure, even the best robot vacuum cleaner is not going to mean you'll never need to push a normal vac – like a trusty Dyson cordless vacuum , or any of the other best vacuum cleaners on our lists – around. However, used daily, the best robovacs are an effective way to stay on top of dust and maintain your floors and carpets. 

If you need even more floor cleaning options, check out the ultimate best cordless vacuum cleaner buying guide: plenty of Dysons on this list too. Finally, the best car vacuums can keep your motor vehicle dirt free, but it also helps if you take your wellies off before you get inside. Just saying. 

Here are some jump links to subjects further below which might be of interest: what is the best robot vacuum cleaner and how to buy the robot vacuum cleaner for you.

The best robot vacuum cleaners you can buy in 2024

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra on white backgroundT3 Best Buy badge

(Image credit: Roborock)

1. Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

The robot vac that does everything short of running your bath

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 500ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Expert vacuuming
+
Great mopping
+
Cleans itself after use!
+
Rock steady reliability
+
Superb app

Reasons to avoid

-
All this great functionality doesn't come cheap
-
Not as readily available as the equally good MaxV Ultra

Deserving winner of a T3 Award 2022 and 2023, the Roborock MaxV Ultra has since been superseded by the even more remarkable S8 Pro Ultra vac-cum-mop which comes with an increased suction rating of 6,000 Pascals, a whole new brush roller system that comprises not one but two newly-designed rubber rollers that automatically lift up around 6mm when in mop-only mode, an improved VibraRise 2.0 mop that automatically raises by 5mm when the bot is on carpet and a vastly more attractive  docking station with two liquid containers – one for clean water and the other for dirty water – and a large bagged dustbin into which all the muck from the S8’s smaller bin is sucked. A lot of new stuff, in other words.

As you can probably deduce, when you send the MaxV Ultra into battle it first wets its mop, then it cleans your home, vacuuming and mopping at the same time. Then it comes back to base, ejects the dust and debris and cleans its own mop!

Truly, this is what we all dreamed of when the idea of robot vacuum cleaners was first mooted. Its LiDAR mapping, obstacle dodging and cleaning performance are also all about as good as it gets and the accompanying app is truly excellent, to boot. A fantastic robot vac-mop in every conceivable way.

Read more about the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra in our CES news feature

And then read our full review of the similar Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra

iRobot Roomba Combo J9+ on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: iRobot)
A cracking new vac bot that also mops

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 500ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent vacuum and mopping performance
+
Uses interchangeable mops
+
Great obstacle avoidance

Reasons to avoid

-
Takes a while to finish its room mapping

The new Roomba J9 is available in three configurations: the Combo J9+ 2-in-1 vac-and-mop with self-emptying Clean Base and onboard water reservoir for automatic refilling of the robot’s mop reservoir; the non-mopping J9+ with standard self-emptying Clean Base; and the bog-standard J9 comprising just the robot vacuum and no mopping or automatic bin emptying functions.

If you have pets who leave a lot of hair and muddy paw prints on the floor, we would advise opting for the Combo J9+ which performs the tasks of vacuuming, self emptying and automatic mopping with consummate aplomb. Alternatively, if you don’t need any mopping, try the basic J9+ which will save you a lot of time emptying the robot’s bin yourself.

Like most hybrid robot vacs that also mop, the Combo J9+ is fitted with a static, rear-mounted wet mopping pad that drags along the floor while picking up dust and even tackling both wet and dried stains. It also vacuums at the same time. However, it does take quite a long time to fully map an entire floor plan.

Unlike the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra above and several other contenders which feature a fully hands-off mop-cleaning docking base with reservoirs for both clean and dirty water, the Roomba Combo J9+’s mop attachment requires manual cleaning by removing it and either rinsing it under a tap or dropping it into the washing machine. So, if you are looking for a more sanitary method of autonomous mopping, the Combo J9+’s mop-swapping system might just be what you’re looking for.

Now read our full review of the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+

SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: SwitchBot)

3. SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+

Titchy titan with auto bin-emptying and excellent mapping skills

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: About 300ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
The smallest robot vac you can buy
+
Fits in tight spaces
+
Effective cleaning
+
Great mapping

Reasons to avoid

-
Too small for large abodes
-
Poor mopping

Well here’s a turn up for the books – a pint-sized robot vacuum cleaner with self-emptying bin, full LiDAR navigation, customisable mapping via the excellent SwitchBot app and very decent suction power for its size.

To be honest I expected this titchy bot to be toylike in both construction and functionality – ie built from cheap materials and about as useless as a chocolate teapot. But I was wrong because this little tyke is well built and rather brilliant at getting into areas that no other robot vacs can fit. And that means it cleans more effectively under tables, in corners and in tight spaces.

The SwitchBot is just 24.8cm in diameter which is about 9cm smaller than almost all standard robot vacs, including the Roborock S8 or new iRobot J9+. This means that the SwitchBot can negotiate tight spaces and corners beyond the scope of standard-sized robot vacs. It really is small when you see it in the flesh and so is the self-emptying docking station – just 32cm in height, 26cm in width and about 40cm in depth with the robot in situ. And yet, despite the dock’s diminutive size its disposable dustbin bag is at least twice the size of any other model I’ve tested – and that means you don’t have to change dust bags as frequently.

Given the size of this titchy thing, you might expect woeful suction power but against all odds it’s not bad at all, even with pet hair. However, it won’t automatically empty its tiny internal bin until a set period of time has elapsed so I would recommend setting this period to its minimum, which is 60 minutes of vacuuming before returning to the dock to empty the bin. Since my test model’s internal bin fills up with pet hair in about 20 minutes, I urge SwitchBot’s tech bods to please provide a shorter range of bin-emptying options – 15 and 30 minute frequencies should do the trick.

What I haven’t mentioned until now is that this diminutive floor cleaner also mops hard floors. However, mopping involves fitting one of the supplied Swiffer-style mop heads and it’s a bit of a faff it must be said. Yes, it will mop a floor but it won’t do it nearly as well as dedicated mopping models from Roborock or iRobot. I personally consider it more of a novelty than anything else. But hey, it’s there if you need it.

I was perhaps most impressed by this robot’s LiDAR navigation and mapping skills which are very Roborock like. Once a room has been mapped and the rooms automatically divided, you can customise the map with no-go zones, change room dividers and the names of each room. You can also set cleaning schedules and select from four levels of suction power, from Quiet not Max. However, it doesn’t have the obstacle avoidance expertise of the big players so make sure you don’t have too much clutter on the floor.

If you have a large living space then this probably isn’t the model for you, unless you need a companion for your existing full-sized robot. But if you have a small abode with a pet or two, the SwitchBot comes highly recommended. I was quite amazed at how well this little thing performed. It cleans areas other robot vacs can’t reach, it empties its own bin and so far it’s been very reliable. What’s not to like?

iRobot Roomba J7+ on pink backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: iRobot)
The best mid-priced robovac you can buy – for pet owners, especially

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 500ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Exemplary performer
+
Avoids obstacles, including dog mess
+
Quiet when cleaning
+
Expert mapping

Reasons to avoid

-
Extremely loud bin emptying system

Let’s start with this model’s excellent obstacle avoidance since I have personally had a dog poo experience with a robot vac. Ingeniously, the J7 identifies obstacles and avoids them when necessary, including dog turds. In fact, iRobot is so confident of the J7’s turd-evasion technology, it will ‘replace any Roomba j7 that doesn’t avoid solid pet waste’. That’s a major plus in our book. 

Aside from avoiding clutter, the J7+ also learns as it goes about its daily business by sending the user a number of images it has taken of any offending obstacles it’s come across while vacuuming. All you do is let it know whether the obstacles are permanent or temporary. It also maps the home remarkably well while the app itself lets you divide adjoining rooms and create no-go zones with ease.

Another handy thing with this robovac is that it’s pretty good at negotiating rugs. Since its two rubber rollers are set quite high, it doesn’t snag the edges of rugs as much as some other models. And when it’s finished vacuuming it returns to its handsome Clan Base dock and empties the contents of its bin into the dock's much larger receptacle.

In terms of design and function, the new Roomba J7+ is a firm favourite with us. Despite the hideous racket the Clean Base makes while it’s emptying the J7’s bin, this robot vacuum cleaner is smart, reliable and efficient.

Tapo RV30 Plus Robot VacuumT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Future)
Best low-maintenance vac

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 4 litres
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Four suction speeds
+
Impressive mopping
+
Generous bin

Reasons to avoid

-
Takes up floor space

The newest robot vacuum cleaner from Tapo is the *wait for it*: the Tapo LiDAR Navigation Robot Vacuum & Mop + Smart Auto-Empty Dock. For concise purposes, we'll be calling it the Tapo RV30 Robot Vacuum... and it's a pretty great robot vacuum cleaner, especially if you want good cleaning that's low maintenance.

While it has a generic style, the Tapo RV30 Plus Robot Vacuum packs in some cool features that can rival other competitors. The big appeal to this robot vac is the self-emptying bin, which delivers all of that dust and detritus to a sizeable 4litre bin built-in to the docking station. There’s a generous mopping capability, voice updates, and the appliance can be managed with ease via the excellent Tapo app.

Read our full Tapo RV30 Robot Vacuum review

eufy Clean X8 Pro with Self-Empty StationT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: T3)
Best robot vacuum with self-emptying bin

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 4 litres
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Good cleaning on hard floors and tidying up dog hair
+
Self-emptying station
+
Superior app and mapping

Reasons to avoid

-
Too tall for some spots

A new release for 2023, the Eufy Clean X8 Pro is an impressive hybrid floor cleaner that offers an incredible performance on hard floors and for tackling pet hair. With its app and mapping process, the eufy X8 Pro takes care of all your cleaning jobs, including emptying itself with its self-emptying station.

The only downside is its height, as it can be too tall to get into some areas but the eufy X8 Pro is still a strong choice if you're looking for a robot vacuum cleaner. It's easy to set up and the app is a standout, as it maps quickly and easily without any issues. For hard floors and pet owners, T3 highly recommends the eufy X8 Pro.

Read our full Eufy Clean X8 Pro review

ECOVACS Deebot T20 Omni Robot Vacuum CleanerT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Lizzy Briskin / T3)
Best high-end robot vacuum

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 4 litres
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Provides hands-free cleaning that acuums and washes floors
+
Transitions from floor to carpet
+
Good self-emptying and cleaning

Reasons to avoid

-
Noisy

The ECOVACS Deebot T20 Omni is a high-end robot vacuum that thoroughly vacuums rugs, tile, and hardwood, and scrubs hard surfaces clean. The vacuum is designed to seamlessly transition from hard floor surfaces to rugs, which it does successfully, although it may get a little stuck on tassels here and there.

The smartphone interface may take some getting used to, but once the device learns the layout of your home, it’s a handy way to keep your floors clear and sparkling while you do anything but clean. Like most robot vacuums, it's got a pretty compact and sleek design, and overall, it does a good job around the house.

Read our full ECOVACS Deebot T20 Omni review

Dyson 360 Vis Nav on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Dyson)
A stylish option for swish homes

Specifications

Robot's dust capacit: 500ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent D-shaped design
+
Amazing build quality
+
Great edge-to-edge suction power

Reasons to avoid

-
It’s not self emptying
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Navigation is sometimes iffy
-
Not cheap for what it offers

Despite some navigation anomalies, the stylish new Dyson 360 Vis Nav is a superbly designed robot vacuum cleaner replete with a D-shaped body and an extra long brush bar for full width cleaning. Its suction power, too, is commendable. However, this model doesn’t come with a self-emptying bin so if you have a herd of hairy pets in the home, it might not be the best robot vac for you.

You need to be a little more patient with this model when setting it up for the first time because its top-mounted 360˚ camera and navigation software is slow and bit dubious when it comes to initially mapping your home. In fact you may need to initiate a few separate mapping runs before it collates your entire floor plan accurately and even then, the map it creates isn’t as comprehensive as some others on this page.

But on the plus side, the 360 Vis Nav’s build quality and range of unique design flourishes are second to none and, once it’s ensconced itself in your home, it should provide regularly scheduled clean ups with very few issues. Just be sure to not leave any small clutter like wires and small toys lying about or it will likely run slipshod over them.

Now read our full review of the Dyson 360 Vis Nav

Kärcher RCV3 robot vac on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Kärcher)

9. Kärcher RCV3

Best budget-priced standalone robot vac

Specifications

Robot's dust capacity: 500ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive performance
+
LiDAR navigation
+
Obstacle avoidance
+
Great app

Reasons to avoid

-
You'll need to empty the bin yourself

Kärcher is most synonymous with its ubiquitous range of pressure washers but the German brand has also branched out into lawnmowers and, for the very first time, robotic carpet cleaners, like the new RCV3 we’re reviewing here.

The RCV3 is a stand-alone bot that doesn’t come with a self-emptying dock so if you have hairy pets in the home, perhaps look elsewhere. Why? Well, although the RCV3’s integral bin is of average size (500ml), it will fill up with hair very quickly and you may find yourself following it around to empty its bin after just ten minutes on the pile. I should add that this applies to every robot vac without its own bin-emptying system. The upshot is that if you have dogs and cats, perhaps check out a model in the iRobot Plus series instead, which all come with an automatic bin system for hands-off floor maintenance.

I’ve been very impressed with this robot vac’s performance – it has an exceptional 2,500 pascals of suction power, excellent obstacle avoidance that includes toys, cables and scattered clothing, LiDAR navigation for near-instantaneous room mapping and real-time app monitoring, a spot-cleaning function and the wherewithal to create weekly cleaning schedules.

This particular model is equipped with a soft brush roller rather than the rubber kind that the likes of iRobot and Roborock prefer. Although the brush isn’t as effective as rubber on carpets, it’s exceedingly good on hard floors. For extra performance points there’s also a damp flannel mop on the rear that sweeps up any remaining dust particles so hard floors are kept spotless. You’ll be pleased to learn that the RCV3 can also mount the edges of rugs without causing too much ruffling or getting stuck.

Although the RCV3 isn’t necessarily a million times better than some of the more esoteric Chinese brands out there, the mere fact that it comes from a very well-known European brand makes it a much better bet in my opinion, certainly in terms of warranty, after-sales service and parts availability. It’s very keenly priced, too.

Beko Robot Vacuum Cleaner on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Beko)

10. Beko Robot Vacuum Cleaner VRR60314

A cheap and cheerful autonomous vac from Beko

Specifications

Size: 33cm x 8.5cm
Robot’s dust capacity: 500ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Great price
+
Good performance on hard floors
+
From a trustworthy brand

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the best on carpet
-
Functions are quite basic

Beko has been a brand of choice for those on a budget since 1955 so it’s good to see the Turkish manufacturer making its first foray into robotic cleaning with a model that retails at a very modest £233.

The Beko VRR60314 doesn’t come with a self-emptying bin so perhaps avoid it if you have hairy pets. However, for the vast majority who don’t have pets, a standard model like this will more than suffice at keeping most floor surfaces spick and span on a regular basis. And without complaining about it.

The Beko also comes with a wet mop attachment though the mop won’t automatically lift on carpets and rugs like the all-conquering Roborock S7. It will however give your hard floors a good wipe down while the front end does all the vacuuming. And speaking of vacuuming, this model boasts an impressive 2,000 pascals of suction which is more than enough oomph for effective hard floor cleaning and modest performance on carpets up to medium pile.

The Beko measures 33cm x 8.5cm – good for cleaning under low furnishings – and comes equipped with a main bristle brush that, at just 16cm in width, is shorter than a lot of the competition. Nevertheless, it still managed to clean our test room extremely well though it did take longer than others to perform the task. The extra long revolving bristle brush on the side, meanwhile, made a fair fist of flinging dust from edges into the suction path.

For the low price, I’ve been very impressed with this model’s navigation skills – while quite erratic, it avoided most obstacles and it didn’t fall down any stairs. Using the Homes Direct app, you can control it to perform four types of cleaning – Auto, Spot, Wall and Manual. Auto adopts a classic zigzag pattern, Spot is for cleaning a specific area and Wall ensures the vac follows walls for a more logical cleaning pattern. Of course, the app also allows you to set scheduled cleaning times.

If you’ve always fancied trying a robot vac but have been put off by the high prices, give this one a go. It’s simple to use and, for the keen price, it performs surprisingly well, especially on hard floors.

Yeedi Vac 2 Pro vacuuming carpetT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Future)
Best cheaper robot vacuum cleaner

Specifications

Size: 37cm x 8cm
Robot's dust capacity: 500ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
3D obstacle avoidance reduces bumps
+
Good mopping system
+
Works with self-empty station

Reasons to avoid

-
Not able to lift mop when on rugs like its Roborock rivals
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Obstacle avoidance can mean areas missed

The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro offers a significant step up from previous Yeedi models, with excellent mopping and vacuuming process more effective. It's not 'cheap' as such but it's way more affordable than the assorted Roborocks and iRobots that we usually favour, and represents particularly excellent VFM when you take into account that it is both a vacuum cleaner and a mop. Yeedi also offers frequent discounts via its Amazon shop, too. 

With an impressive 3000pa of suction and a battery life of around 4 hours, it has more power and longer life than similarly priced rivals. It's also easy to use, reliable and the mapping isn't bad, although the obstacle avoidance could be made a little less stringent – it likes to give obstacles detected quite a wide berth, rather than cleaning up to the edge of them. There are a few other niggles around the mapping process and app, but for the price, you really can't complain.

Read our full Yeedi Vac 2 Pro review

Yeedi Mop Station Pro on white background, with accessories and smartphone showing its appT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Yeedi)

12. Yeedi Mop Station Pro

More upmarket robot vacuum cleaner and mop from Yeedi

Specifications

Size: 37cm x 8cm
Robot's dust capacity: 750ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Advanced navigation
+
Great on hard floors
+
Self-cleaning mop
+
Good value for such a feature-packed robot

Reasons to avoid

-
No lifting mop or self-emptying bin 

A step up from the Yeedi Vac 2 Pro in terms of features and performance, the price of Mop Station Pro may be accordingly higher, but it's still excellent value. It has some of the features of the luxe Roborock and iRobot models at the top of our chart but at a more affordable price. Navigation is generally good and cleaning performance on hard floors impresses. It's not as unstoppable or as smart as the Roborock, and it lacks that machine's ability to lift its mop when venturing on to rugs. However as a hard floor cleaner, the Mop Station Pro is hard to fault for its price.

This is a classic 'use every day' robot vac. We found that it would occasionally miss areas of debris, and as a result it's not really one for dealing with major spills or floors that have gone uncleaned for weeks on end. That's true of all robots though, in truth, and if you send your Yeedi out daily, it will keep your floors impressively clean overall.

Roborock S7 on pink backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Roborock)
Another great hybrid robot vac and mop from Roborock

Specifications

Size: 35 x 9.6cm
Dust capacity: 470ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Superb performance on all floor surfaces
+
Rear mop automatically lifts on rugs
+
Excellent LiDAR navigation and mapping

Reasons to avoid

-
Small internal bin is messy to empty
-
Auto bin empty system not available in the UK

If you’re in the market for a robot vac that also mops hard floors then this model is far and away your best option. At 35cm in diameter, the S7 is 4cm wider than iRobot’s flagship Roomba S9 and 2cm wider than the Roomba i3. However, its single ribbed rubber roller is just 16cm in width – about the same as the i3 but a lot shorter than the Roomba S9’s substantial 23cm twin rollers. Mind, having a short roller bar isn’t of too much consequence with a robot vac since it will just take a bit longer to complete the task.

The S7’s efficient vacuum system made light work of our test carpet, removing everything in its path, but it was the rear-mounted mopping system that impressed the most. Unlike most hybrid bots that can’t tell whether they’re on hard floor or carpet, the S7’s ultrasonic sound sensor can detect even the slightest incline on its front wheels. Hence, as soon as it detects a rise in height, it mechanically lifts the rear mop off the floor so it doesn’t soak a rug or section of carpet. This means it will reliably vacuum and mop an entire room no matter how varied the floor surface is. Another bonus with the S7 is that it doesn’t ruffle up rugs as much as other models and that makes it the most rug-friendly model we’ve ever tested. 

The only major issue I have with the S7 is that its auto-emptying RockDock bin isn’t available in the UK. Without it you will need to empty its tiny 470ml bin yourself – a messy job – and on a very regular basis if you have any hairy pets. But other than that, we can't think of a better hybrid robot vac-cum-mop on the market right now.

Read our full Roborock S7 review

iRobot Roomba s9+ (S9558) on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: iRobot)
Best premium robot vacuum cleaner – great for pet owners

Specifications

Size: 33.8cm x 9.2cm
Dust capacity: 400ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Brilliant automatic bin emptying system
+
Top choice for pet owners
+
Impeccable performance on all floor surfaces
+
Superb mapping
+
Fab app

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite expensive

Despite being a few years old, the Roomba S9+ is still arguably the most advanced – and expensive – robot vac around at the moment, and a veritable stonker it is, too. Like the Roomba i3+, i7+ and new J7+, the flagship S9+ ships with an automatic bin-emptying function that is truly hands off. We would always advise going for a combination system of this nature, especially if you have pets in the home because the alternative is having to empty the bot’s tiny bin yourself on a pretty regular basis. 

At 2,200 Pascals, the iRobot Roomba s9+ has extremely powerful suction and that means it's an excellent option for those with a lot of carpet. It also automatically detects the type of floor surface it’s on, ramping up or lowering the suction accordingly. The 3,300mAh battery, meanwhile, keeps the bot running for up to an impressive 120 minutes at a time. Its mapping system is also one of the best we’ve seen and the app that accompanies it is a joy to use.

Is there anything it’s not good at? Yes, to some degree thin rugs, especially if they have tasseled edges. Since the two rubber rollers are set lower than other vacs, they tend to snatch tassels and the edges of thin rugs on a fairly regular basis. However, in many instances the S9+’s roller will turn off if its sensor detects loose material and either back off or attempt to climb over the ruffled rug to continue on its path. If you have the financial wherewithal and a lot of carpets, you might not find a more complete model for your needs.

Read our full iRobot Roomba s9+ review

iRobot Roomba i3+ on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: iRobot)

15. iRobot Roomba i3+

Best lower-spec Roomba with auto bin-emptying system

Specifications

Size: 33.6cm x 9.2cm
Dust capacity: 500ml + remote bin
Auto bin emptying: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent auto bin system
+
Great performance on carpet
+
Really quiet
+
Keen price

Reasons to avoid

-
No smart mapping

The problem with the majority of robot vacs is that you have to empty their tiny dust bins on a regular basis. By regular we mean after every vacuuming session and, if you have pets, possibly once or twice during a single spell on the pile. Perhaps this isn’t what you signed up for when you stumped up the readies on an autonomous bot to do your vacuuming.

Thankfully the keenly-priced and rather handsome looking iRobot i3+ gets around this huge hassle by including a larger bin – called a CleanBase – that’s attached to the charging dock. When the i3 detects that its 500-millilitre bin is full, it trundles back to the dock where all detritus from its smaller bin is evacuated into the larger bin (iRobot claims the bag holds 30 bins worth). When empty, the i3 heads off again to finish the job. This means you only need to get off your arse every few weeks to fit a new dust bag. For pet owners, it's a truly groundbreaking advance in robot vac tech.

The i3 doesn’t have a smart navigation camera sensor like its more expensive stablemates. However, despite the lack of a camera, the i3 still maps in straight lines and seems just as thorough in its cleaning as the more expensive i7 model. The key benefit of not having smart navigation on board is that the i3 is much cheaper to buy and that’s a major bonus given the price of robot vacs in general.

On the downside, the lack of a camera means that it loses some handy functions on the accompanying iRobot app, specifically smart mapping. For instance, there’s no ability to select different rooms which is a brilliant function on the more expensive models. This model simply covers every room on the same floor as if it were one large space. Another thing it doesn’t have is a ‘keep out’ zone function which can be handy if you have areas you’d like the vac to avoid. These are extremely useful functions to have on board but they’re not essential so if you’d rather the vac didn’t trundle into a specific room, simply close the door or put up some kind of barrier.

According to iRobot, the i3 and i7 have the same suction power but in our tests the i3 seemed to be a bit better – its twin rubber rollers performed extremely well on hard floor and superbly on carpet. This is also one of the quietest robot vacs I’ve ever used and one of the shallowest – perfect for reaching under low furnishings.

At around £100 cheaper than the older i7+, the i3+ is an excellent alternative that cleans as well as – and possibly even better than – the i7. It’s also quieter and more forgiving on loose rugs than the ultra expensive S9+.

Eufy BoostIQ 30C Max on white backgroundT3 Approved badge


16. Eufy BoostIQ 30C Max

Best cheap robot vacuum cleaner

Specifications

Size: 32.5 x 7cm
Dust capacity: 600ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance for the price
+
Automatic suction control

Reasons to avoid

-
Basic navigation skills

The upgraded Eufy 30C Max is a great example of how much robot vacuum cleaners have improved in recent times. Just a few years ago, a sub-£200 robot would have been guaranteed to be useless but the Eufy is far from that. It doesn't use any map-related cleverness to avoid pitfalls, but it does come with a long length of bendy plastic that you can use to physically block off problematic parts of your home. Do a bit of minor obstacle-removing prep, however, and you should find you don't even need that. It's not the most elegant of movers – in fact it's rather haphazard, and quite forceful – but it does seem to cover the ground well if you leave it to get on with things. It also features automatic floor-type recognition which is rare at this price.

The Eufy is definitely less good on deeper carpets than some of its flashier rivals, but if you've mainly got hard floors and a few rugs, you could save yourself a few hundred, buy this instead and barely notice a difference.

Eufy X8 Hybrid RoboVac on white backgroundT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Anker)

17. Eufy X8 Hybrid RoboVac

Great mid-range model for vacuuming hard floors and mopping too

Specifications

Size: 35cm x 9.5cm
Dust capacity: 600ml
Auto bin emptying: No

Reasons to buy

+
Easy to set up and use
+
Mopping function is great
+
Very decent suction

Reasons to avoid

-
Usual small bin issue
-
No self-emptying
-
Mopping not needed

If you like the look of the Eufy budget model further up our list why not consider this, the X8 Hybrid RoboVac. It's more money, but the X8 bristles with a raft of excellent features and it's also great if you have a mix of floor surfaces to tackle. Not only does it vacuum hard floors and carpets, switching between both with ease, it's got a 250ml water tank too. That means there's on-board mopping functionality, which we've found works a treat.

Setting the X8 up is also wonderfully easy, there's a rather good app that allows you to do all of the usual room mapping stuff and more besides. There's also a docking station, where the X8 will head to if it's getting low on battery power. There isn't any self-emptying though, so the compact 600ml bin needs manual intervention. However, program your X8 to make regular cleaning forays and there'll be very little to empty anyway.

This is a twin turbine model too, which means the X8 robovac is potent with 2000Pa X 2 suction power and no less than four suction settings. Pure, Power, Turbo and Max are all good for various cleaning tasks around the house. Also inside the box is a decent selection of kit including the main unit itself, a charging base, a power adapter plus two side brushes. There’s also an additional filter, cleaning tool, a water tank along with a washable mopping cloth. It's a great mid-range package.

How to buy the best robot vacuum cleaner for you

All the robots here come with docking/charging stations and do the following: clean, return to their docking stations when their batteries are dying, clean again, return home once finished. Again, newer ones are better at cleaning average-sized floors in one sweep. But they can't climb stairs.

The robots can also all be taken off their charging stations, put in a room with the door shut, and made to clean there only, although then they usually won't return to base, because they don't know where the base is. However, the latest and greatest robots not only map your home accurately, they also let you specify which part of the map is which, so you can dispatch your robot pal to clean only the bathroom or home cinema space.

Navigation is usually via a mix of sensors, LiDARs and cameras. The latter technology is the most cutting-edge but that is not to say it is necessarily better than the ones that use LiDAR laser scanning. As you can imagine, a robot that navigates by 'looking' upwards with a LiDAR is going to struggle if it goes under a sofa. They all have drop sensors to prevent them falling down the stairs. 

Now, the first rule of robot vac buyers' club is this: do NOT try to use a robot vac like a normal one. Don't use it once a week, or to clean up spills. You will go mad. Robot vacs, by definition, do not suck up as much dust as proper vacs. And even if they did, they could only hold a little bit of it in their compact, frisbee-like bodies.

But guess what? They're robots! You can make them clean every single day and they won't complain. Even more than once a day, if you like. So long as you remember to empty their tiny dust bins every day.

And that brings us to the latest range of robot vacs that are fitted with self-emptying charging docks. Basically, when the vac-bot’s little bin is full, it trundles back to base whereupon all the detritus in its bin is sucked into the dock’s much, much larger bagged bin. A self-emptying robot vac is highly recommended if you have a messy home and especially if you have hairy pets since the robot’s bin will fill very quickly with clumps of hair and you will become an angry person after having to the empty the bin yourself every 10 minutes or so. With a self emptying model you simply sit back and wait for about month before throwing away the dock’s full bin bag and replacing it with a new one.

As well as setting these robot slaves to work every day, I also strongly recommend you let them work while you're out, or otherwise occupied. Why? Because, if you watch most of these robots working, it will drive you mad. You can see the debris it should be picking up. You're willing it to move there. But it has its own, 'intelligent', preset way of cleaning. It'll get there when it damn well gets there. And even then, maybe it'll miss it.

Also, robots hate moving obstacles such as humans. So get out and let it do its thang, is my advice. I mean, do you like being watched while you work? Exactly. It's also a bit of a waste of time trying to use the 'spot cleaning' modes on most of these robots – a cordless/handheld vac of some sort is so much easier. 

There are other things to bear in mind like cleaning or changing filters but if I'm being honest, I have NEVER EVER done that. But if you suffer from allergies, you may need to.

Derek Adams

Derek (aka Delbert, Delvis, Delphinium, Delboy etc) specialises in home and outdoor wares, from coffee machines, white appliances and vacs to drones, garden gear and BBQs. He has been writing for more years than anyone can remember, starting at the legendary Time Out magazine – the original, London version – on a typewriter! He now writes for T3 between playing drums with his bandmates in Red Box (redboxmusic). 

With contributions from