Let's face it, finding the time (or motivation) to vacuum isn't easy, but the best budget robot vacuums can take that chore off your hands. With a robot vacuum cleaner, you won't have to worry about quickly running the vacuum round your house before guests arrive, or diving under the sofa to clean up hard-to-reach crumbs as the robo vac does all the hard work for you.
We know the idea of a robot cleaning your house sounds too good to be true, especially at a budget price point. Will it get into the corners? Will it be able to navigate around the room without crashing? So, we've put some of the most popular budget robot vacuum cleaners on the market to the test, to work out whether they are really worth the investment or whether it's best to stick to your handy cordless vacuum.
Closer's best budget robot vacuums, at a glance...
Robot vacuum cleaners take care of the sweeping, vacuuming and sometimes even the mopping of your house at just the push of a button, so you can put your feet up and let it do its thing. With the use of a handy app, the robot vacuum will create a map of your house and navigate around, cleaning as it goes. After cleaning, the robot returns to its charging station to empty the dust and recharge. All you need to do is remember to empty the charging station's dust collection occasionally. Honestly, it sounds dreamy.
Any opportunity to limit the chore list, we're absolutely jumping on. But for most, this automation sounds expensive, with the only hope of getting an affordable vacuum being during a sale. We're here to bust that myth with these robot vacuum prices starting from a much more reasonable £160. You won't be getting a pro model, but you will be getting a little helper that'll get the job done.
How we tested the best budget robot vacuums
All of these robot vacuums have been put to the test by our Closer shopping experts, who have used each and every robot vacuum in their own homes. Tested on a variety of surfaces - from carpets to hard floors and rugs to underneath furniture - each robot vacuum has been judged on its ease to set up, suction and ultimate value. The options we have tested range from £160 to £299, and while the latter may be more expensive, it's still been deemed as excellent value by our testers.
SHOP: Best budget robot vacuums, tried and tested
TESTED
This smart-looking robotic vacuum cleaner is a great fuss-free option. It takes about five to six hours to fully charge for the first time before you can use it, and you will need to download the eufy Clean app and have Wi-Fi nearby to set up. Preparation done, the eufy Clean L60 is satisfyingly easy to use. Simply release from the charging station, and it immediately starts automatically mapping and vacuuming each room.
The app shows in real time the eufy L60’s location. It’s extremely easy to customise, for example, we could adjust the suction required for each room from quiet to standard to turbo to max. It’s easy to name rooms, merge areas and apply ‘no-go’ zones. The dust box is easy to remove and empty. It’s also simple to remove the rotating brush and clean, if necessary. This vacuum has been such a game changer for cleaning in my home. I'd 100 per cent recommend!
Pros
- Easy to use and setup as after it maps your room, it automatically vacuums each room
- App allows for real-time tracking and control
- Dust box and rotating rbush are easy to remove and clean, making regular upkeep simple
Cons
- Long initial charging time as it takes about five to six hours to fully charge for the first time
TESTED
This self-emptying vacuum cleaner with an intelligent mopping function came with a comprehensive instruction booklet, which made getting started a breeze. Mapping and scheduling cleans was straightforward, and the auto-empty station uses a large dust bag, so you only need to clear it a few times a year.
You can adjust the suction from quiet to max, and it works reliably on both carpet and hard floors in max mode. While the other modes are effective, they sometimes struggle with larger debris. It also cleans room edges well, even in corners. Overall, it’s a sleek addition to any home that’s become an invaluable part of our cleaning routine, now that we’ve played with the settings to suit our needs. We’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking to invest.
Pros
- Versatile cleaning that performs well on both carpet and hard floors, and also comes with a mopping function
- Low maintenance with an auto-empty station uses a large dust bag that only needs to be cleared a few times a year
- Cleans room edges well, even in corners
Cons
- Struggled slightly with larger debris
TESTED
Setting up this vacuum works by pairing the partnering smart app to map out your floors. If you don’t fancy using the advanced settings of the app, there is also a remote control for easy use. We were so impressed by how quiet the vacuum was and found that it didn’t disturb us at all. The suction was good, and we particularly loved the mop function on our wooden floors.
It navigated corners and thresholds with ease; however, when it came to our thicker bedroom carpet, we found that the vacuum wasn’t cleaning as efficiently and was missing spots. The battery life is good, and the vacuum automatically returns to its charging dock when the battery is low, so you are never caught short in the middle of a clean.
Pros
- Quiet operation and didn't disturb us at all
- Mop function works particuarly well on wooden floors
- Good battery life with automatic return to charging dock
Cons
- The vacuum struggled on thicker carpets and rugs
TESTED
We were impressed with the look of this modern and stylish model. The Q10 is navigated through an app on your smartphone, which is pretty tricky if you’re not tech-savvy. It has great suction and picked up every bit of dust, dirt and pet fur, and we were surprised how much it found. The tangle-free suction is great if you have a pet, although our dog wasn’t a big fan of the cleaner! The LiDAR navigation is very clever and makes a map of your room to find its own route around your home.
We did find it a little noisy, but this isn’t an issue if you leave it on while you’re out. It manoeuvres very well, and there is a small brush that reaches into the hard-to-get-to corners. There are six modes in total, from a deep clean to spot cleaning. We liked the mop mode, which washed the floor without leaving it too wet.
Pros
- Excellent cleaning performance with great suction that picked up every bit of bust, dirt and pet fur
- Advanced navigation system that is very clever and makes a map of your room to finds its own route around your home
- Versatile cleaning modes, with six in total from a deep clean to spot cleaning and mop mode
Cons
- The app is a bit complex and tricky to navigate if you're not tech-savvy
TESTED
Best budget robot vacuum for easy set-up
www.hooverdirect.co.uk
After an easy set-up process using the Hoover app, the stylish HG4 moved around our rooms, creating maps. We then created no-go zones to prevent it from entering areas where there was a risk of knocking anything over.
The cleaner is suitable for use on both carpets and hard floors and, of the four power options, we found maximum worked best. The ability to create customised cleaning schedules via the app for each room is useful and you can use the cleaner for about 90 minutes before recharging.
Measuring 325x325x99mm, the robot’s size means it can’t clean small spaces or under low furniture. It couldn’t get right into corners either, so we had to use another cleaner. It did a good job elsewhere, but did miss crumbs, especially around the threshold strip between rooms, which was disappointing, given the price.
Pros
- Easy to set up via the Hoover app
- Ability to create 'no-go' zones to prevent it from entering areas where there was a risk of knocking anything over
- Great battery so you can use the cleaner for about 90 minutes before recharging
Cons
- Struggled to get underneath funiture, over thresholds and right into corners
TESTED
Both a vacuum and mop in one, this compact cleaner can be managed either through the app or simply with a button press on top. When using it as a vacuum, the suction is pretty strong and makes easy work of hardwood flooring, but carpets were slightly tougher.
It has a brilliant battery life and navigates over thresholds by itself, so you can do more than one room at a time. It also empties itself automatically into the bin on the charging station, which means you don’t have to empty it after every use. But we have had some problems with the navigation – it can be a bit glitchy and keeps going over the same area, and has been stuck a couple of times. We’re hoping this is a teething problem and will improve as it gets used to the layout of our home.
This vacuum is currently out of stock, but keep an eye out as it should be back soon!
Pros
- Functions as both a vacuum and a mop
- It has strong suction that works well on hardwood flooring
- Equipped with convenient features including excellent battery life, automatic self-emptying, and can navigate over thresholds to clean multiple rooms
Cons
- The robot's navigation can be glitchy, sometimes repeating areas or getting stuck
Which robot vacuum cleaner is best?
Our top picks go to the eufy L60 Robot Vacuum, £199.99, and the SwitchBot K10+ Mini Robot Vacuum, £199.99, both of which are on the really affordable end when it comes to robot vacuums - a really pleasant surprise! They both boast great suction, easy set up and an amazing partnering app for customising your cleaning settings.
If you are looking for a truly budget robot vacuum cleaner, however, we'd recommend the Midea M7 Robot Vacuum Cleaner, £170, which would definitely be a close third place for us and at under £180, we think that this is such a steal!
Lucy Brown is Life and Style Writer covering everything travel, interiors, celeb wellness and fitness across both print and online for Closer, heat, Bella, Take a Break, Yours and That's Life.