The best robot vacuums for every budget — and the ones to look for on Black Friday

Why we picked this:

iRobot's summer 2023 product drop also extended mopping capabilities to one of the more affordable existing Roombas. At $549.99 for the self-emptying version or $349.99 for the standalone vac, the i5 more than halves the $1,399.99 price tag of the Combo j9+. $349.99 matches the going price of the Roomba i3, which is nearly identical to the i5 but doesn't mop.

The i5 series is one of iRobot's Swap and Mop models that can't vacuum and mop on the same cleaning run, meaning you have to be around to physically swap the dust bin for the water tank. The convenient part is that, despite its inability to detect small obstacles like phone chargers, the i5 remembers specific rooms as well as the carpeted spots you want it to avoid while mopping. (A 2022 firmware update unlocked Imprint smart mapping capabilities for all Roomba i series vacuums, aside from the i1 and i2).

Who it's for:

The cheapest mopping Roomba will satisfy anyone who can settle for not-the-most-thorough-but-decent cleaning if it means they don't have to spend much more than $500. This is especially true in homes where only one or two rooms, like the bathroom or kitchen, will require mopping. Potential i5 owners will also have to be OK with having to physically switch out the water tank for the dry dust bin depending on which flooring they're trying to tackle, since the i5 is a Swap and Mop Roomba rather than the design with a mopping pad built in.

Why we picked this:

Any hybrid that cares about your floors to the point of making sure dirty mopping pads aren't dragging across them is truly taking the whole "robot" thing to a whole new level.

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra does just that: Emptying its own dust bin and refilling its own water tank (by swapping dirty water for clean when necessary). Though previously we noted that those who have the older S7 MaxV Ultra vac most likely don't need to dish out for this newer model, the S8 Pro Ultra does stand out in one key way: not only washing but also drying its own mop pads. The dock, though still a bit large and thus not ideal for tight apartments, has also undergone a chic redesign to better disguise the triad of water tanks. Boosted suction on carpet (what with the vac's penetrating VibraRise 2.0 Mopping System) is more intense: 6,000 Pa versus the older model's 5,100.

At $1,599.99, the S8 Pro Ultra is currently the most expensive robot vacuum on the mainstream market. Its menu of specs is almost identical to that of the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni, which is frequently on sale for less than $1,000 after a year on the market. But even on sale, we'd probably still advise opting for the $1,599.99 Roborock to avoid the IRL frustrations that come with the X1 Omni. In other words, we fully acknowledge this isn't an investment you can make carelessly — but one that will nevertheless leave you immensely satisfied with your squeaky-clean floors.

Who it's for:

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is ideal if you'd prefer a true hands-off cleaning experience, including not having to touch soggy mopping pads. But as the priciest contender on anyone's list, the S8 Pro Ultra isn't a necessary upgrade for small spaces that won't use a ton of mopping water in one round, or for anyone who already has the S7 MaxV Ultra.

Why we picked this:

Autonomous wet and dry cleaning plus auto-emptying is typically a pricey checklist, but this Yeedi makes the whole process hands-free for less than $400 on sale (which it almost always is at Amazon).

The presence of room mapping is also impressive at such a practical price point, despite undercooked quirks like only having the capacity to hold a map of one floor at a time. This Yeedi model's shaky navigation (when it comes to whizzing past furniture) is less annoying when you can still enjoy the convenience of targeting specific rooms and setting virtual boundaries in the app.

We featured the Yeedi Vac Station in our best self-emptying robot vacuums roundup, which you should read to gather even more intel on this affordable hybrid vacuum.

Who it's for:

This packed budget model has serious value for folks who would like to try the triple threat that is room mapping, mopping, and automatic emptying, but who definitely don't want to spend more than $500.

If your floor is often plagued by tiny crumbs left by children (or adults who are children at heart), the Yeedi Vac Station is able to flawlessly suck up all such messes, on both hardwood floor and carpet surfaces. Its slender and more-or-less aesthetically pleasing dock is also great for smaller spaces.

Why we picked this:

Shark made serious moves with its 2023 slew of vacuums. The most affordable of those is the standalone Shark Matrix, which defies the outdated association of cheap robot vacuums with navigation not much more advanced than bumping around and hoping for the best.

This $299.99 (or $199.99 on sale) packs essentials like LiDAR-powered home mapping and virtual boundaries, plus Shark's newest claim to fame: its Matrix cleaning technique that vacuums in a crosshatch pattern to grab any debris missed from the first angle.

Who it's for:

The standalone Shark Matrix obviously forgoes the optional self-emptying dock to keep the price point low, so the ideal buyer here would be someone who can deal with manually emptying the dust bin if it means they can send their robot vacuum to specific rooms or areas to spot clean.

Why we picked this:

Shark wasn't a competitive player in the hybrid game until a release in the winter of 2022. While the introduction of a mopping pad to Shark's smartest robot vacuum is huge in its own right, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 also welcomes a new feature that's ideal for carpeted homes with pets.

The Matrix Clean system shines during both wet and dry cleaning. During regular vacuuming, it delivers 30% better carpet cleaning (compared to the older RV Shark models) by digging deeper into carpet and taking multiple passes in a crosshatch pattern to loosen and grab debris from multiple angles. "Matrix" also applies to the AI Ultra's mopping, which vibrates 100 times per minute to scrub stains.

This Shark robot vacuum also has one more stand-out feature: spot cleaning mode. If your pets have made an area of your home extra sticky, then send this hybrid vac to scrub the floors. Spot cleaning isn't unique in the robot vacuum world, but few vacuums do it better than Shark.

Who it's for:

Pet hair is stubborn and often requires the "and one for good measure" approach when it comes to cleaning. If you expect true thorough cleaning (past the super visible surface-level shedding) from a potential robot vacuum, you'll appreciate the extra effort that the newest Shark vacuums puts in on dirty spots, even if it has already gone over them once.

While the Shark Matrix 2-in-1 would be fine in fully carpeted rooms, it's probably best for homes without a heavy rug situation, as the bot requires you to manually point out rugs or carpets in the app and can't vacuum while the water tank is attached. If you want to save a little bit of money, you can skip the self-emptying and pay less than $300 if the vac is on sale, but the auto-emptying feature is particularly useful for pet hair and allergy sufferers.

Read our full review of the Shark Matrix 2-in-1.