We’re in an age where you can realistically delegate tasks to smart hunks of metal, whether it’s a self-driving car or a robot that can clean on your behalf. Most of us probably won’t be able to afford the helpful sentient humanoids being developed in our lifetimes, but robot vacuums are an affordable way to […]
A number of Roborock models are on sale right now, including the excellent S8 MaxV Ultra. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
We’re in an age where you can realistically delegate tasks to smart hunks of metal, whether it’s a self-driving car or a robot that can clean on your behalf. Most of us probably won’t be able to afford the helpful sentient humanoids being developed in our lifetimes, but robot vacuums are an affordable way to experience that promised utopia right now.
Today’s floor cleaners are also more advanced than ever. In addition to vacuuming, many of the best models can now mop, allowing you to tackle both carpet and hardwood flooring. Some can automatically dispense of their trash and dirty water, too, and clean their own components without intervention. Soon, we’ll even have models that can pick up dirty laundry and purify the air in your home, preventing you from having to lift a finger.
But if you need something relatively affordable for daily cleaning, you’d be surprised how little you have to pay for premium features. Below, we’ve listed the best deals currently available on a slate of _Verge_-approved robot vacuums, whether you prefer a budget entry-level model from Yeedi or top-of-the-line offerings from iRobot, Dreame, and more.
The best Roborock deals
Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra — our pick for the best robot vacuum overall — is down to $1,099 ($700 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which matches its all-time low. The combination of a 10,000Pa suction power and dual rubber roller brushes makes it a terrific vacuum, one that can easily pick up pet hair and other debris. It can also mop with great efficiency thanks to a sonic mopping system that vibrates the mop pad 4,000 times a minute, allowing it to clean sticky juices, thick condiments, and other common spills. The mop arm can extend to cover corners and baseboard edges, too.
The S8 MaxV Ultra’s camera-equipped AI obstacle avoidance makes it the best navigator in Roborock’s lineup and one of the top models overall, though it’s not quite as strong as Roomba’s. The mobile app offers ample options to customize cleaning zones and schedules, and you can use its dedicated voice assistant to start and stop routines. That said, it’s also a Matter-ready robot that’s compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which is almost identical to the aforementioned S8 MaxV, is currently matching its all-time low of $899.99 ($700 off) at Roborock’s online storefront and Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon. The main difference is that the Ultra lacks an RGB camera — meaning it isn’t as good at avoiding obstacles — but that might be a positive if you prioritize privacy. It’s also limited to 8,000Pa of suction power and lacks a built-in voice assistant, as well as support for Matter.
The Roborock S8 Plus is another great robot vacuum / mop hybrid that’s available from Roborock and Amazon (when you clip the on-page coupon) for $549.99 ($450 off), an all-time low. It offers a vibrating mop pad that scrubs floors well, and, like the S8 MaxV Ultra, it features dual rubber roller brushes. It’s not as powerful as the MaxV Ultra given its 6,000Pa of suction, but it still does a good job of sucking up dirt from carpets. It also lacks a water tank, though, you do get good obstacle detection and a smaller auto-empty dock that saves space.
The big-wheeled Roborock Q5 Pro is down to $179.99 ($250 off) at Roborock’s online storefront and Amazon (with a coupon), which is $40 more than its all-time low. Not only is it one of the most affordable robovacs you can buy, but thanks to its dual rubber roller brushes and 5,500Pa of suction power, the entry-level Roborock model remains one of the best we’ve found at dealing with unwanted pet hair.
The lidar-mapping Q5 Pro features voice controls, digital keep-out zones, and mopping pads with an onboard reservoir, but no self-cleaning functions. This particular SKU doesn’t include a self-emptying base, but the 770ml dust bin is one of the largest you’ll find, so you can go a few weeks without touching it. That being said, Roborock sells a version with a self-emptying dock, which is also on sale right now for $359.99 ($340 off).
The best Dreame deals
The Dreame X40 Ultra is another mopping robot, and while it’s on the more expensive side, you can currently pick it up for $999.99 ($500 off) at Amazon and from Dreame. You’re paying a premium for 12,000Pa of suction power and a pair of removable, self-retracting mop pads, which it can automatically clean and dry on its own using the included base. It can also empty its own bin and refill its own water tank.
The Dreame X40 Ultra features an extendable side brush and mop pads, too, offering better coverage for baseboards, corners, and the underside of your furniture. It uses a combination of AI-powered cameras and “3D-structured light” (presumably based on lidar technology) to map and navigate rooms, with customizable keep-out zones and more functions available in the app. There’s also a dirt detection system that can identify messier spills and adjust its cleaning routine accordingly.
The Dream L20 Ultra is on sale for a new low of $599.99 ($400 off) at Amazon. The L20 Ultra is an excellent alternative to Dreame’s newer flagship robots, including the X40. It lacks a bit of power in comparison, though its 7,000Pa of suction power is still enough for most cleaning jobs. It also doesn’t have the L40’s tri-cut brush, which makes the step-up model more efficient at picking up pet hair. The only other real advantage the X40 holds over the L20 is its self-extending arms for vacuuming (though the dual mop pads can extend a bit for baseboard and corner coverage), nor does it have dirt detection.
The L20 Ultra’s base station is rather large, but it can take care of the entire cleaning process, including emptying the dustbin, emptying and refilling the water tanks, and washing and drying the mop pads. It doesn’t have a heated cleaning function for the mop pads, however. It uses a lidar-based AI-powered navigation system, and you can prompt it to start cleaning by voice using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
The best SwitchBot deals
The SwitchBot S10 is on sale for a new low of $499.99 ($700 off) at SwitchBot’s online storefront right now. The S10 is one of the most affordable robot vacuum / mop hybrids you can buy, one that can refill its own tank so long as you hook the battery-powered base station into your home’s plumbing. It can also dry its own mop pads and empty its own bin at a separate docking bay, and offers enough capacity to run for up to 90 days without intervention.
The S10’s self-cleaning roller mop is more effective than the typical pads we see in most other units, but it’s also limited to a smaller coverage area. It only has a single roller brush for vacuuming, but its respectable 6,500Pa suction can make up for it. And while it has lidar mapping and AI-powered obstacle avoidance, we found it still has a tendency to get stuck on laundry, bath mats, and other obstacles. The S10 is also one of the few robovacs with Matter support, however, which effectively enables native control through Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa (though said platforms don’t yet fully support robot vacuums).
Read our SwitchBot S10 review.
The SwitchBot K10 Plus is available for an all-time low of $199.99 ($200 off) from Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, or directly from SwitchBot for the same price with promo code LMTM120. At 3.6 inches high and 9.8 inches wide, it’s a more petite option if you want something that can maneuver tighter spaces, which it does to decent success with a lidar-based mapping system that supports digital keep-out zones. It only has 2,500Pa suction, but that should be powerful enough to lift dirt in all but the deepest carpeting. You can also attach disposable mopping pads, though its mopping function doesn’t work well. The K10 Plus comes with a self-emptying dock that can hold a respectable four liters of dirt before it needs emptying.
More robot vacuum deals
The Yeedi Cube is currently down to an all-time low of $299.99 ($260 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon for $190 off. It’s not easy to find a self-emptying / self-cleaning vacuum at this price, as those features are typically only available on robots that cost upward of $600 or more.
With 5,100Pa of suction power, the Cube can tackle most common vacuuming scenarios, though its single hybrid rubber / bristle brush can get easily tangled with pet hair. It mops better than most models in its range, however, namely because its vibrating microfiber pads can actually scrub your floors. The Cube uses lasers for object avoidance, too, though it’s not as effective for navigation as those with lidar and AI smarts. It can avoid large furniture and other objects, but it might need your help rerouting around cables, toys, and laundry. Still, we found it navigates better than most other robots under $300.