BUDGET PICK: The Eufy 30C Max covers a lot of ground, gets up to 100 minutes of battery life, and comes with boundary strips— $196.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $103)

BUDGET SELF-EMPTYING PICK: The Shark IQ has an XL bin that holds two months of dust — $419.99 ~~$599.99~~ (save $180)
BEST ROBOT VACUUM/MOP DEAL: The Ecovacs Deebot N8 Pro+ uses LiDAR to vacuum and mop, then empties the mess on its own — $519.99 ~~$799.99~~ (save $280)

Only three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and a few days each month when you need to vacuum but just don’t have time. Whether you detest the chore or get a little bummed when you can’t have that satisfying dance with your Dyson, a robot vacuum is a lifesaver. Shop models on sale below.

Robot vacuums under $200:

Eufy brown and black robot vacuum with boundary strip and phone

Credit: Eufy

Our pick: Eufy 30C Max

$196.99 at Amazon (save $103)

Why we like it

You won’t get smart mapping at this price point, but the Eufy 30C Max navigates better than the 15C Max thanks to its included boundary strips. It manages to squeeze out a robust floor cleaning in 100 minutes (or over an hour on Max mode), and has suction more than strong enough for hard floors and light carpet upkeep.

More robot vacuums under $200

ILIFE V3s Pro — $129.99 ~~$159.99~~ (save $30)
Ecovacs Deebot 710 — $139.99 ~~$175.99~~ (save $36)
iRobot Roomba 670 — $174 ~~$329.99~~ (save $155.99)
Eufy 11S Slim Max — $169.99 ~~$249.99~~ (save $80)
ILIFE A9 — $189.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $110)
Roborock E4 Robot Vacuum — $199.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $100)

Robot vacuums under $500

Credit: Shark

Our pick: Shark IQ Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base

$419.99 at Amazon (save $180)

Why we like it

Shark’s largest self-emptying dock delivers nearly two months of cleaning before the bin fills up. The vacuum itself maps out your home, then follows its map with methodical row-by-row sweeping. In the Shark app, you can select specific rooms to clean.

More robot vacuums under $500

Yeedi Vac — $229.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $70)
Neato Robotics D8 — $349 ~~$599.99~~ (save $250.99)
Eufy RoboVac X8 — $499.99 ~~$599.99~~ (save $100)

Robot vacuums under $800

Credit: Samsung

Our pick: Samsung Jet Bot+

$634 at Amazon (save $165)

Why we like it

Surprise: Amazon has the better price on the Jet Bot+ than Samsung’s own website. The more affordable model in Samsung’s LiDAR-equipped collection of vacs cleans by identifying the type of surface and amount of dust it’s dealing with. The compact Clean Station holds up to a month’s worth of debris.

More robot vacuums under $800

Shark AI RV2502AE — $549.99 ~~$649.99~~ (save $100)
iRobot Roomba j7 — $550 $~~$649.99~~ (save $90.99)
Neato Robotics D10 — $599.99 ~~$799.99~~ (save $200)

Robot vacuum and mop hybrids and dedicated robot mops

Credit: Ecovacs

Our pick: Ecovacs Deebot N8 Pro+

$519.99 at Amazon (save $280)

Why we like it:

The Deebot N8 Pro+ includes fundamental smart upgrades like LiDAR mapping and virtual boundaries for customizing its cleaning path down to specific rooms or areas. It also has sensors that avoid carpets while mopping and uses 3D obstacle detection to avoid small objects that cheaper vacs usually trip over.

More hybrids and robot mops on sale

Roborock E4 — $239.99 ~~$379.99~~ (save $140)
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N7 — $297.49 ~~$499.99~~ (save $200)
Yeedi Vac Station with Self Empty — $359.99 ~~$549.99~~ (save $190)
Neabot N2 with Self Empty — $399.99 ~~$599.99~~ (save $200)
Shark VacMop AV2001WD — $399.99 ~~$479.99~~ (save $80)
Roborock S5 Max — $459.99 ~~$549.99~~ (save $90)
Dreametech Z10 Pro — $509.98 ~~$598.98~~ (save $90)
Roborock S6 MaxV — $459.99 ~~$749.99~~ (save $290)

Are robot vacuums worth it?

The control of an upright vacuum comes with its own type of satisfaction. But if you’re not one to classify cleaning as cathartic, a robot vacuum could erase that huge, agonizing task from of your chore list. (And did we mention the joy of having “first day clean” floors all the time?)

But whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can’t be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that doesn’t do the job right — scattering dust, bumping into walls, getting stuck on area rugs — might actually create more work for you.

What to consider when buying a robot vacuum

Suction power: A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), ranging between 600 Pa to 2,500 Pa. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris (be sure to set up a barrier around Legos) and to pull matted-down pet hair from rugs.
Floor type: Carpeting and high pile rugs will probably require stronger suction than hard floors, as well as special features like an extra-wide or self-cleaning brush roll to prevent hair from wrapping and clogging. Folks in homes with multiple floor types might consider a bigger, sturdier robot vacuum that can hurl itself and its wheels over mats, rugs, and transitions from carpet to hard floors.
Home layout: Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, lots of turns, or lots of close-together furniture, you’ll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out, including labeling of specific rooms, mental notes of staircases, and ability to deploy zone cleaning.
Low-profile furniture: No one should have to be scared about what’s accumulated under their couch over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging couches and beds.
Battery life and square footage: One of the main complaints people have about their robot vacuum is that it craps out in the middle of the floor. Larger spaces require more time to clean, and it all depends on how annoyed you’ll be if it only finishes a few rooms at a time. Average run times for the list below range between 90 and 150 minutes, which translate to about 500 and 2,600 square feet covered on one charge.
App control: WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling, manual start, cleaning settings, as well as telling your vac to make its rounds when you’re not home. Low-end models that don’t connect to WiFi will usually come with a separate remote. If you’re used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.