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The 3 Best Cheap Roomba Alternatives For Bare Floors & Carpet
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You don’t have to spend $750 or more on the latest iRobot Roomba models or even the $300 or so that a basic model costs if you want a robot vacuum. The best cheap Roomba alternatives aren’t just easy on the wallet, they’re also effective at cleaning up and navigating your rooms. These budget-friendly options offer many of the same features that make Roombas so popular, like models with the ability to clean hardwood floors, carpet, or both.
To find a quality unit, you’ll want strong suction power, which is usually measured in maximum pascals — and a robot vacuum with a 600-pascal pump should be sufficient for most cleaning needs, even if it doesn’t have a brush roll. You should also look for models with built-in sensors for detecting walls and stairs to avoid collisions and falls. Many of them are low-profile, like the Roomba’s design to fit under most furniture for a thorough clean. Also, look for a vacuum with an adequate battery life that can run for at least 100 minutes before needing to be recharged.
If you’re looking for additional features, like smart navigation with app or voice controls and units that can dock themselves after cleaning or the battery is running low, there are available options for that, too. You can even find robot vacuums that suck up hair without jamming. However, expect to pay a little more for a smarter robot vacuum.
In a hurry? These are the best cheap Roomba alternatives:
1. The Overall Best: eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S MAX
2. The Best Roomba Alternative With App & Voice Control: ECOVACS DEEBOT 500 Robotic Vacuum
3. The Best Robot Vacuum For Pet Hair: ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum
To help you choose the best option for your home, here’s my list of the best cheap Roomba alternatives — all under $200.
1The Overall Best Cheap Roomba Alternative
With a 4.5-star overall rating on Amazon, the eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S MAX is a great alternative to pricier robot vacuums. It’s equipped with BoostIQ technology to automatically adjust the 2,000-pascal suction power when needed for an optimal clean. This robotic vacuum is suitable for hardwood floors and medium-pile carpets. With its infrared and drop sensors, it’s able to avoid obstacles and falls. It has a low 2.85-inch profile to sweep under most furniture.
The robot vacuum has a 100-minute runtime between charges before heading back to the dock for self-charging. The set comes with a remote control with batteries, a charging base, an AC power adapter, an extra filter, four side brushes, and cable ties to get started.
One fan wrote: “Best decision ever! [...] I am in love with this vacuum. I have seen friends irobot brand roombas before and thought they were very loud, so I expected to put up with an hour of loud vacuum roaring a day but this eufy brand vac is surprisingly quiet! The main reason I bought it was because we cook A LOT and [...] it’s so hard to keep the kitchen clean of crumbs, and and because I can’t reach all the way under my couch to clean the floor under there. Now my living room and kitchen can be spotless all the time with no effort! Such a win.”
2The Best Roomba Alternative With App & Voice Control
The ECOVACS DEEBOT 500 robot vacuum can clean well and has the added convenience of coming with an app and the ability to hook it up with Alexa or Google Assistant for scheduling, adjusting cleaning modes, and status and accessories updates. There’s also a remote control if you prefer. It can work for up to 110 minutes between charges, and then it automatically returns to the charging station. This robot has a low 3.1-inch height to easily clean under most sofas and beds.
The max pascals of suction power aren’t specified, but it features a max power mode that doubles the suction power in hard-to-clean areas. “The suction is powerful and picked up things way deep in the carpet that my other vacuum didn’t grab,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. You can clean both hardwood and low- to medium-pile carpets. There are also built-in sensors for anti-drop and anti-collision.
One reviewer wrote: “For the money, I’m quite impressed by this machine. The battery life is sufficient and the coverage is good. I empty the compartment at the end of the cycle and it’s full… so suction is good. The app is very good and interactive.”
3The Best Robot Vacuum For Pet Hair (& Long Hair)
Another great option is the ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum. This affordable robot can clean hardwood floors, tile, stone, laminate, and low-pile carpeting or rugs (though it might not be the most effective on medium- to high-pile carpets). Thanks to tangle-resistant design, hair won’t jam its brushes as quickly. One shopper described the vacuum as “absolutely magical with pet hair,” and shoppers have confirmed it cleans up their long human hair without issues, too. It has 600 pascals of suction power and a runtime of up to 100 minutes before it automatically returns to its dock for self-charging. It’s only about 3 inches tall, so it can easily clean under most beds or other furniture.
There’s an included remote control with three different cleaning modes that you can choose from and a programmable schedule. With the tap of a button, you can set it to clean automatically at the same time every day. Plus, with its anti-bump and anti-fall sensors, it can avoid collisions.
One reviewer wrote: “Picked up fine dust, dog fur, small leaves and my long hair strands. Without a little bristle bar, this thing doesn’t get hair tangled up! Navigated thresholds and low pile area rugs with ease. For a lower end model, this thing is truly amazing! Highly recommend!”
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