The 4 Best Budget Robot Vacuums - Spring 2022 Reviews

The best budget robot vacuum for bare floors that we've tested is the Wyze Robot Vacuum. While it's a little more expensive than most other robot vacuums on this list, it offers a range of automation features that are still uncommon in this price bracket. It uses an advanced LIDAR mapping system that lets it store a permanent map of its coverage area, so you can set up virtual no-go zones the vacuum won't enter or direct it to clean a specific room within your home.

This vacuum feels impressively well-built, with high-grade plastic construction and durable rubber wheels. It delivers exceptional performance on bare floors, easily cleaning pet hair and small and bulky debris. There's an on-board allergen-trapping HEPA filter, and the vacuum is effective in sealing fine particles as it cleans. Since it doesn't make much noise, it shouldn't be disruptive for most people while it's running. It also does a good job of maneuvering itself around obstacles like tables or chairs and cleans in an organized pattern of straight lines.

Unfortunately, its suction force at its floorhead isn't especially strong, so it can struggle with clearing debris in tight crevices and cracks. In addition, while its maximum battery life of over 130 minutes is quite long, it takes a very long time to recharge. Also, it incurs high recurring costs since many parts need periodic replacing. Overall, its advanced automation capabilities and superb performance on bare floors make it one of the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors that we've tested.

If you're looking for a robot vacuum with a larger dustbin, consider the iRobot Roomba 694. Unlike the Wyze Robot Vacuum, it uses a less advanced random pathing navigation system and doesn't store a permanent map of its coverage area, so you can't set up virtual boundary lines or direct it to specific rooms within your home. You won't need to empty its dirt compartment as frequently, thanks to its bigger capacity. The iRobot also has better battery performance, as it has a similar maximum battery life while taking a little more than half the time to recharge. It delivers excellent performance on bare floors, though it can struggle with sucking up larger material as its dustbin fills up and has a hard time dealing with pet hair. Unlike the Wyze, it has a surface detection system that allows it to automatically increase its brushroll height when cleaning uneven surfaces. Unfortunately, it does have more parts that need regular cleaning and incurs similarly high recurring costs to the Wyze. In addition, the suction force and its floorhead are very low, and the vacuum struggles to lift debris from cracks and crevices.

Get the Wyze if you're looking for a relatively affordable robot vacuum with automation capabilities comparable to far more expensive models, but consider the iRobot if you're looking for something with a larger dustbin and better battery performance.

If you have a lot of carpeting in your home and are looking for a budget-friendly robot vacuum, consider the Roborock E4. This budget-friendly robot vacuum has a surface detection feature that lets it automatically adjust its suction power to suit different surface types. It delivers alright overall performance on low and high-pile carpet, easily cleaning pet hair and the majority of larger debris. However, it may struggle when dealing with very fine debris on this surface type.

This vacuum feels impressively well-built, with a sturdy-feeling plastic body and dense rubber wheels that let it roll smoothly even on uneven terrain. It also has superb battery performance, as you can expect a maximum of almost four hours of continuous runtime on a single charge. It also does a great job of maneuvering itself, as it can easily negotiate its way around obstacles like couches or chairs and cleans in an organized, thorough manner.

However, since this vacuum doesn't store a permanent map of its coverage area, you can't set up virtual boundary lines via its companion app or schedule cleaning sessions for individual rooms. It also has many parts that need to be cleaned or replaced regularly, so recurring costs are high, though this is normal for most robot vacuums. Overall, this is a very good option if you're looking for a versatile robot vacuum at a relatively affordable price, and it's also one of the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors that we've tested.

The yeedi K650 is the best cheap robot vacuum cleaner we've tested. This robot vacuum delivers fantastic performance on bare floors, where it easily cleans pet hair as well as bulky and small debris, like cereal or rice. There isn't a major loss in suction performance as its dirt compartment fills up, which is good if the vacuum has a larger mess to clean.

Despite its budget-friendly price, it feels well-built, with a primarily dense matte-finish plastic body and wheels with rubber treads. Its compact size makes it easy to store and maneuver under couches, tables, and other furniture. Depending on your choice of power setting, this vacuum can supply roughly anywhere between 50 to over 230 minutes of continuous runtime, which should be sufficient for cleaning most large areas.

Unfortunately, it struggles a bit with cleaning messes on low-pile carpet, particularly small, fine material like baking soda and pet hair. While you can't set up virtual boundary markers, you can buy magnetic boundary strips separately to prevent the vacuum from entering certain areas. Overall, this vacuum's good build quality and superb bare floor performance make it a solid choice if you're looking for cheap hands-free cleaning.