Best affordable robot vacuum Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos

A robot vacuum is a great tool for maintaining a clean home. It can pick up dust, pet hair and other surface debris.

Some robots can sync with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Find models that recharge and pick up where they left off.

1. iRobot S8

This smart robot vacuum and mop is a great choice for many homes. It has a great navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also has many features and controls accessible via the app. It also comes with a useful feature that lets you add cleaning zones to certain areas that require extra attention, and also to keep Out zones where you do not want it to go. It also gets software updates, similar to all Roomba products, that improve the quality of the product over time.

It's expensive but is also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can vacuum all of your home in less than two hours. It can also switch between mopping and vacuuming with the touch of the button. It will automatically empty the trash bin that is above its charging station, in contrast to other self-emptying robots that require you to empty it after every run.

It also comes with a variety of other features, including intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to identify obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the most effective in avoiding objects such as power cables. It's not as reliable in detecting pet waste or other hazards.

2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8

While the Anker-owned Eufy has made an impact in low-cost robot vacuums it's never offered an all-in-one model that can also mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features that can compete against much more expensive models.

The most significant selling point for Eufy with this device is its laser navigation. Previous Eufy devices have built up an outline of your home utilizing infrared sensors and bumping into objects however the X8's laser mapping technology is much more accurate. It takes less time to create a comprehensive map of your home and can store multiple maps. This is perfect for multi-floored homes.

The X8 is still a good vacuum on bare floors that can carry debris under its side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin with ease. The Tyres of the X8, despite their circular shape, are adept at grabbing edges and corners. It's not a fantastic cat litter eater, however as our tests show it can only remove about 90% of the fur from hard floors.

The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is ideal for spills that are not too serious, but you can't limit the amount of water it uses. That said, it does an excellent job of removing pet hair, with a better pickup rate than the Roborock S7.

3. Miele RX2

Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, efficient appliances. It features a stunning design, excellent navigation and an impressive cleaning power. It has a few oddities in its operation, which prevent it from being considered the top smart robot vacuum.

The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology that makes use of LIDAR to map an area and a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and staying clear of obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). After the room has been defined it is possible to designate virtual no-go areas and best affordable robot Vacuum sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also manually change cleaning modes, initiate an automatic clean or watch a live feed of the cameras onboard from the main screen.

The RX2's sensors work well, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping capabilities are exceptional, getting rid of surface litter from carpets with medium pile as well as embedded dust on floors. It's not the most powerful robot available. It's not the best climber, and it has problems with metal threshold transition strips.

A lot of people purchase a robotic vacuum for the ease of setting a schedule on an app and not thinking about it for weeks at a time. It's important for a robot capable of doing the job, so our ZDNet staff has tested and reviewed some of the most popular models to help you select the best buy robot vacuum one for your house.

4. Shark ION

This budget robovac that looks like any other, but has some extra features and better performance. Its smart mapping system creates 2D and 3D maps of your home, and uses them to avoid obstacles and navigate. It can even detect common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor, and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it away from stairs is what makes it one of the fastest vacuums we've tried.

It was able to walk over the thick shag carpets and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigation abilities were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors topped the competition, and it picked up 98.5 percent of the surface pet hair and litter from our laboratory test samples.

The controls are more basic than the competition; there's an uniform cleaning button on the top. You can launch it via the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule daily or weekly cleanings, create no-go zones and check its cleaning history. Ion is clad in a stylish dark gray plastic that looks and feels attractive in your home. The dust bin on the rear is accessible for emptying and removing the filter is equally easy.

5. Eufy 11S

If you're looking for a basic, no-frills robot vacuum at a low cost, the Eufy11S could be a good choice. This model lacks some smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping that are found in higher-end models. If you don't require these functions, you can save money.

This robot is easy to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing, however it does come with the ability to control the remote with a remote that lets you choose between various modes and adjust the suction level. It also lets you manually send the robovac off during scheduled cleaning.

During our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in getting rid of pet hair and dirt from hard floors and carpets with low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to pass under furniture that is low-hanging and other objects that bulkier robots could not reach. It could also easily traverse door thresholds and change between floors and another.

The 11S, just like other robots, will also eat some items, including cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you avoid this by keeping these items off the ground and using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin regularly by replacing the filters and changing or washing the brushes when needed.

Roomba 990 from iRobot

The Roomba 980 is the flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's an excellent performer and arguably the most advanced robot vacuum you can buy. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than most competitors, including the ability to create virtual boundary markers through its mobile application. It's a powerful robot vacuum, even if its application is a bit slow and the 980's wheels spin out when it is pushed over cables.

One thing we really like about the 980 is the fact that it utilizes its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It then uses this information to design a consistent and best affordable robot vacuum efficient cleaning path for every cycle. The result is cleaner floors, and a cleaner vacuum than other high-end robot vacuums.

Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes that pick up dirt from carpets and hard floors, along with a spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating between furniture, along edges and up stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It can also return automatically to the base station to allow for recharges between sessions. Although the 980's battery life and bin size aren't quite as good as those of other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that will keep your floors spotless for hours and hours.