Many premium robot vacuums these days include all kinds of extra features like auto-cleaning docking stations, object recognition and avoidance, and a big focus on mopping.
The good news is you don’t need to pay a premium to achieve a great floor clean. Even budget models these days are quite capable of good dust and debris pickup to automatically maintain your home.
With more and more features trickling down to budget models, even the entry-level to mid-range robot vacuum market provides an intelligent, automated clean across all kinds of household surfaces.
What’s the difference between budget and premium robovacs?
Many features like mopping, auto-empty docks, and app-based controls are becoming standard, even on entry level models.
Ecovacs and Roborock, the two largest brands in the Australian robot vacuum market, have mopping as a feature across every model in their robovac range, and auto-empty docks are found on the vast majority of models too.
Aside from the price gap, there’s a few points of difference to cover when looking at budget robotic vacuums. These differences mainly come down to technology and sensor features.
The dock is more basic
Budget robovac docks are primarily designed just for auto emptying and recharging. They don’t automatically wash and dry the mop pads or refill the water tank.
Obstacle avoidance can be an issue
While budget models navigate well in clear, well-lit rooms, they struggle with object detection and avoidance. That means they might catch cables or push over lightweight objects, and they definitely don’t work well with rugs.
Mopping is significantly downgraded
Although budget models have mopping these days, it’s usually a very basic implementation like a fabric pad dragged behind the robot. Premium models use a roller or spinning pads with strong downward pressure to achieve a better clean.
Suction power is limited
There’s a definite gap in suction power. Premium robovacs are reaching upwards of 20 kPa of suction power, while budget models sit around 10 kPa. This is most noticeable if you’ve got high-pile carpet or pet hair to deal with.
With these limitations in mind, here are a few of our favourite budget robovac picks that focus on what you actually want – effortless vacuuming.
Roborock Q7T+
The Roborock Q7T+ is the mid-range option in Roborock’s Q series. Its dual anti-tangle design means hair doesn’t get trapped around the brushes, while LiDAR navigation creates an accurate map of your home.
Key Features
- 10 kPa suction is great for hard flooring and short carpets
- Anti-Tangle system prevents hair and fur wrapping
- LiDAR navigation improves on bump-and-go style robots
- Auto-empty dock saves you time and effort
$799 RRP
Ecovacs Deebot N20 Pro Plus
Ecovacs’ premium options like the Deebot T90 Pro Omni and the Deebot T80S Omni offer powerful autonomous cleaning and mopping, but even its budget models are worth checking out. The Deebot N20 Pro Plus has a long runtime that makes it great for larger homes.
Key Features
- 8 kPa suction provides reliable pickup on hard flooring and short carpets
- ZeroTangle roller brush reduces hair wrapping
- LiDAR navigation for reliable mapping
- Bagless, four-stage HEPA filtered auto-empty dock reduces ongoing costs
- 300 minute runtime for large homes
$999 RRP – but frequently discounted
Dreame D20 Pro Plus
The Dreame D20 Pro Plus is a great robovac focused on vacuum-first performance. It’s got the strongest suction power out of all three options here and provides an auto-emptying dock for effortless maintenance.
Key Features
- 13 kPa suction helps to extract embedded dust and debris
- Extendable side brush reaches into corners and along walls for extra coverage
- LiDAR-based navigation and obstacle avoidance reduces accidents
- Large dust bag in the dock extends the time between maintenance requirements
$999 RRP – but frequently discounted
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