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A robot with only a charging dock is the cheapest and smallest way to have your floor vacuumed daily. You empty the bin yourself, every few days in an average home, and if the robot mops you clean the cloth yourself. The dock is no bigger than a book and fits anywhere.
With these robots, look mainly at navigation (laser is more accurate than a camera), suction on carpet and the size of the bin. Many models also exist in a version with a self-emptying station, usually with a plus in the name, for a little more. The order below is our score: lab tests first, then owners’ ratings and the maker’s facts. The price is today's lowest including shipping.
The three station types compared
Without station this page
The station
Charges the robot. It is no bigger than a book and fits anywhere.
Left to you
Emptying the bin, every few days in an average home, and rinsing the mop if the robot mops.
Charges the robot and after every run sucks its bin empty into a bag that lasts for weeks.
Left to you
Replacing the dust bag when it is full, and rinsing and drying the mop if the robot mops.
Median price today
$399 · 68 models on sale
Dust bag
lasts 60 days by the makers' own figures (median of 63 models)
The price is the median of today's lowest price per model, shipping included. How long a dust bag lasts is what the makers state themselves: new bags are the running cost of a station.
Mopping freshens the floor; real stains rarely come off. Spinning or roller mops paired with self-cleaning stations deliver the most effective floor cleaning.
Score out of 10: 60% lab tests, 25% owners’ ratings at the stores that ship to the United States, 15% the maker’s facts. Price does not count. Only models a lab has tested are ranked, and only models sold in the United States count. Method.
Without station
A charging dock only: emptying and mop care are up to you. 3 models, ranked by our score.
#ModelScoreLowest price
2
Roborock Q7 M52025 · ★ 4.0 · 5,612 reviewsTested by Vacuum WarsBest cheap model · RTINGSBest budget model · TechRadar
#2
