Tag: roborock
The best Roombas and Roborock robot vacs are over $200 off for Black Friday
UPDATE: Nov. 24, 2022, 6:00 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect the current prices and availability of multiple robot vacuums ahead of Black Friday.
We’ve compiled the best Black Friday robot vacuum deals. Here are the live deals as of Nov. 24:
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BEST BUDGET DEAL: The Eufy Clean G32 Pro is the cheapest vac on our current list, sitting at Black Friday pricing at Walmart — $119
$299.99(save $180.99) -
BEST SELF-EMPTYING DEAL: The iRobot Roomba i1+ is your cheapest path to a self-emptying Roomba — $288
$529.99(save $241.99) -
BEST ROBOT VACUUM/MOP DEAL: The Roborock Q7 Max+ is modestly priced for a vac that checks off the big three robot vac features: smart room mapping, self-emptying, and mopping — $599.99
$869.99(save $270)
Move over, pastel appliances and 4K TVs: Robot vacuums are a pillar of Black Friday, too. Deals this good mean that features like specific room mapping and automatic emptying aren’t reserved for upper-echelon Roomba budgets anymore.
Despite the official date still being over a week away, the 2022 Black Friday season is already proving to be a great time to buy a new robot vacuum, including new all-time-low prices on flagship best sellers like the Roomba j7+. Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target have been dropping Black Friday deals since mid-October, with many robot vacuum models listed with an official “Black Friday price” stamp.
Any deal with a strikethrough is back to full price or sold out, but could reappear in the upcoming weeks. If that happens, we’ll bring it back. Any new deals (including those that have gotten cheaper since our last update) will be marked with a ✨.
Robot vacuums under $200
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Why we like it
LiDAR — the laser tech that allows a vacuum to map specific rooms rather than sweeping a generic path between walls — is almost never found in vacs under $200. If you care more about targeted cleaning and app-controlled no-go zones over intense suction on carpets, take advantage of Walmart’s discount on this budget Shark model.
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Room mapping and zone cleaning
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120-minute battery life
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Self-cleaning brush roll
More robot vacuums under $200
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Eufy Clean G32 Pro — $119
$299.99(save $180.99) -
ILIFE V3s Pro — $99.99
$159.99(save $50) -
Eufy 25C — $99
$249.99(save $150.99) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba 676 — $174
$269.99(save $95.99) -
iRobot Roomba 692 — $174.99
$274(save $125) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba 694 — $179
$274(save $95) -
Ionvac SmartClean V4 with Self-Empty Dock — $159
$299(save $140) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba i4 (renewed) — $159.99
$269.99(save $110) ✨ -
Neato Robotics D8 — $199
$399.99(save $200.99)
Robot vacuums under $500
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Why we like it
If you have a bumbling robot vac that causes more problems than it’s worth, treat yourself to a vac with demonstrated brain power. Samsung’s Jet Bot receives pretty outstanding reviews for its accurate laser mapping and — surprise — ability to actually find the room or zone you select. Though some energy is also dedicated to automatically adjusting suction to floor type and debris amount, the Jet Bot can clean for an hour and a half before recharging. The colossal 58% discount can still be found at Samsung after the same deal sold out at Amazon.
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Room mapping and zone cleaning
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Suction automatically adjusts to floor type and level of debris
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90-minute battery life
More robot vacuums under $500
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Shark EZ RV915S — $258
$449.99(save $191.99) -
iRobot Roomba i1+ — $288
$529.99(save $241.99) -
iRobot Roomba i3 Evo — $229
$349.99(save $80.99) -
Neato Robotics D9 — $297.49
$499.99(save $202.50) -
Roborock Q5 — $299.99
$429.99(save $130) -
iRobot Roomba i3+ — $349
$549.99(save $200.99) -
eufy RoboVac X8 — $299.99
$499.99(save $200) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba j7 — $349
$599.99(save $250.99) -
Shark AI Ultra AV2501AE XL — $399.99
$649.99(save $250) -
Roborock Q5+ — $479.99
$699.99(save $220) -
iRobot Roomba i7+ — $499.99
$899.99(save $400)
Robot vacuums under $800
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Why we like it
Even without the mopping functionality just announced for the Combo version of the j7+, the OG j7+ is still a super solid investment — especially when almost 30% off. It was the first Roomba to introduce Genius Technology and PrecisionVision Navigation to avoid small obstacles that were previously problem-causers, like phone chargers and pet waste.
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10 times the suction of 600 series Roombas
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85-minute battery life
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Self-empty dock holds 60 days’ worth of debris
More robot vacuums under $500
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Samsung Jet Bot+ — $549.99
$799.99(save $250) ✨
Robot vacuums under $1,000
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Our pick: iRobot Roomba s9+
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Why we like it
The s9+ isn’t the newest Roomba anymore, but it still stands out for two reasons: It’s currently the only Roomba with a flat edge and the only Roomba with deep cleaning function specifically for carpet.The noise it makes is hard to ignore, but is simultaneously evidence of how hard it’s working to loosen that stepped-on grime in your flooring.
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40 times the suction of 600 series Roombas
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60-minute battery life
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Self-empty dock holds 60 days’ worth of debris
More robot vacuums under $1,000
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Samsung Jet Bot AI+ — $899.99
$1,299.99(save $400) ✨
Robot vacuum and mop hybrids and dedicated robot mops
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Why we like it:
If your home has lots of hard floor, tile, or laminate, consider opting for the Roborock Q7+ Max over the Q5+. It adds mopping to the menu, simultaneously scrubbing and deploying an intense 4,200 Pa in dry suction — except on carpet, where it knows to lift mopping pads and stop releasing water. At under $600, this is its new all-time-low price.
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Room mapping and zone cleaning
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180-minute battery life
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Self-empty dock holds seven weeks’ worth of debris
More hybrids and robot mops on sale
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Yeedi Vac Max — $239.98
$349.99(save $110.01) -
Roborock E5 — $199.99
$359.99(save $160) ✨ -
Dreametech L10 Pro — $229.99
$489.99(save $260 with on-page coupon) -
Yeedi Vac Station — $349.98
$499(save $149.02) -
iRobot Braava jet m6 — $368
$499.99(save $131.99) -
eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid — $319.99
$649.99(save $330) -
Ecovacs N8 Pro+ — $399.99
$699.99(save $300) -
Roborock S7 MaxV — $639.99
$859.99(save $220) -
Roborock S7+ — $679.99
$949.98(save $269.99) ✨ -
Roborock S7 MaxV Plus — $869.99
$1,159.99(save $290) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba i3+ and Braava Jet m6 bundle — $644.99
$899.99(save $255) ✨ -
iRobot Roomba i3+ and Braava Jet m6 bundle — $649.99
$899.99(save $250) -
iRobot Roomba s9+ and Braava Jet m6 bundle — $1,149
$1,449(save $300)
Are robot vacuums worth it?
The control of an upright vacuum comes with its own type of satisfaction. But if you’re not one to classify cleaning as cathartic, a robot vacuum could erase that agonizing task off of your chore list. (And did we mention the joy of always having just-cleaned floors?)
But whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can’t be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that doesn’t do the job right — scattering dust, bumping into walls, getting stuck on area rugs — will actually create more work for you.
What to consider when buying a robot vacuum
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Suction power: A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), with most current vacs ranging between 1,500 Pa and 3,000 Pa. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris (be sure to set a no-go zone around Legos) and to pull matted-down pet hair from rugs.
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Floor type: Carpeting and high pile rugs will probably require stronger suction than hard floors, as well as special features like an extra-wide or self-cleaning brush roll to prevent hair from wrapping and clogging. Folks in homes with multiple floor types might consider a bigger, sturdier robot vacuum that can hurl itself and its wheels over mats, rugs, and transition from carpet to hard floors.
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Automatic emptying: Because robot vacuums are typically under four inches tall, their onboard dust bins are also small — which means they frequently require emptying. (Dustbins fill up particularly quickly in homes with pets.) A self-emptying vacuum takes that job out of your hands, emptying itself into a larger dustbin in its charging dock. These larger bins can typically hold weeks of dirt without needing to be cleaned or dumped out.
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Home layout: Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, turns, or close-together furniture, you’ll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out, including labeling of specific rooms, mental notes of staircases, and ability to deploy zone cleaning.
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Low-profile furniture: No one should have to be scared about what’s accumulated under their couch over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging couches and beds.
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Battery life and square footage: One of the main complaints people have about their robot vacuum is that it craps out in the middle of the floor. Larger spaces require more time to clean, and it all depends on how annoyed you’ll be if it only finishes a few rooms at a time. Average run times for the models here range between 90 and 200 minutes, which translates to about 500 and 2,800 square feet covered on one charge.
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App control: WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling, manual start, and cleaning settings, as well as telling your vac to make its rounds when you’re not home. Low-end models that don’t connect to WiFi will usually come with a separate remote. If you’re used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.
Roborock Q5+ Review: Reliable Robot Vacuum
I’m a Dyson stan, but the Roborock S7 vacuum mop made life *really* easy
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a lot of faith in robot mops. A carpet and a tank of water — unattended — seems like a recipe for disaster for a machine that’s just guessing on floor type. And doesn’t babysitting defeat the purpose of a robotic cleaner in the first place?
But Roborock’s latest stab at automated dry and wet cleaning, the Roborock S7, can be trusted to do both jobs without getting itself into trouble.
Design and setup: Sleek and simple
At first glance, the S7 looks as expensive as it is. The design (a shiny black or white surface with silver trim and a knob on top) doesn’t deviate much from past models, but the minimalism is classier than most Roombas.
Finding empty floor space for the dock, downloading the app, and connecting to WiFi are the extent of setup. The app will grab your WiFi password and then ask you to connect your phone to a WiFi name specifically for the vacuum. WiFi connection is needed to control the vacuum remotely, schedule cleanings, use voice controls, or send the vac to specific zones. The map of your home, which the S7 draws itself, will get more precise over time as the S7 fumbles around the rooms.
A fun little tune plays when the S7 is ready to clean. An automated voice also announces when the vac is beginning its rounds, finished and returning home, or charging. Voiced charging confirmation is helpful when picking up the vacuum and trying to dock it yourself (say, if the WiFi is out), as well as voice alerts letting you know when the dust or water bins are inserted properly.
This thing carves
My apartment was essentially a Mario Kart track for much of this review (think Donut Plains 3 or the forest bit of Mount Wario.) I was in the process of moving so cardboard boxes and other scattered items were making the lap around the kitchen significantly trickier. And, as with any home, I have pieces of furniture that stick out at different lengths. This was all squeezed into a tiny Brooklyn apartment where room to get your bearings is already scarce.
Yet the S7 wasn’t fazed.
Rather than giving up on an awkward spot completely, it reversed and came at the blocked area at a slightly different angle. It scooted itself tightly around the boxes, under cabinets and the dishwasher, and went as far as to squeeze itself between the legs of a rolling desk chair. The leading omnidirectional wheel steers gently, avoiding the bumper cars stereotype that many robot vacuums get strapped with.
Credit: leah stodart/mashable
Credit: leah stodart/mashable
I was impressed with the S7’s ability to hoist itself over doormats or changes in floor type. With confidence, it rolled over my bath mats, thin area rugs, and barriers between the living room hardwood and bathroom tile.
Robovac’s new VibraRise feature can be thanked for this, as well as NO WET RUGS, BABY. Instead of dragging the wet pad wherever it goes, the S7 holds the mop off the ground when it senses fabric floors that shouldn’t be mopped. This feature essentially worked without fail. The animated light on the top even changes from blue (mopping) to white (regular vacuuming).
You don’t have to fully rely on the S7’s ability to sense which floors are which. It uses LIDAR to create a map of every room, which can be labeled and follow specific cleaning settings (like Quiet Mode or Deep Mopping). Creating an accurate map took a few bouts of letting the S7 roam free — maybe this was just because my apartment was so tiny that its setup felt like one giant room. At any rate, its navigation directly to a zone I had chosen was clutch.
Coming from a Dyson stan, the S7’s cleaning is pretty thorough
I threw a lot at the S7: Dust bunnies under furniture that hadn’t been moved in a year, panko crumbs, and my long-ass hair. On both hard floors and carpet, the S7 did a great job. Corners that couldn’t fully be reached with the circle-shaped body were mostly taken care of with its rubber brushes. The floating rubber brush, also a new addition since the S6, is said to hover closer to surfaces to pick up smaller particles. The rubber is supposed to combat hair tangling too, though I’ve flipped the S7 over to find a nasty knot of hair wrapped around the bristle rather than sucked into the bin. However, the wrapping didn’t seem to alter the brush’s ability to spin.
Once the S7 gets oriented and does some drunk edge cleaning, it begins to clean in rows, leaving behind satisfying zig-zags that prove it covered the whole floor. Even from another room, I could hear when HyperForce suction was activated to take a carpet to task. (The S7’s max 2,500 Pa suction is one of the highest on the market, rivaling the Roomba S9+.) The loudest buzz was obnoxious but tolerable, and the immediate floor detection was a really convenient touch.
I also found its suction level to be an indicator of how full the dust bin was. When it stops swiping large pieces of debris, don’t get pissed — there’s probably no room. With a dust bin about the width of a Nintendo Switch screen (and not much deeper), it fills quickly. However, emptying is as easy as clicking a few eject buttons and dumping.
Mopping was decent for just using water
Some robot mops take a cleaning solution in the water tank. Roborock advises against this to avoid bubbles in the motor. Something about scrubbing without a soapy mixture to dissolve dirt or disinfect felt yucky to me, but the automated water mopping came in handy on Swiffer off days.
The S7’s sonic scrubbing is pretty tough for a robot that’s not putting arm muscle into it. Light shoe prints were gone in the first pass, while spilled cranberry juice took two. The mop pad is easy to slide off and lightly clean off, which I preferred to do so that said cranberry juice wasn’t being dragged around the rest of my apartment.
The path left behind is wet and shiny enough to let you know that it actually did something, but not soaked to the point where socks will get wet. If you see the trail start to get skinnier over time, it’s time to refill the water.
The auto-empty dock is here, handy, and hard to find in stock
At the risk of sounding like I don’t think the S7 is a slick-looking vacuum — because it really is — it’s just not as compact as competitors. The size is probably due to extra cargo like a mop and its water tank. What the design didn’t quite make room for is an extraordinary dust bin capacity, so Roborock dropping an auto-empty dock was clutch. Instead of meandering around not cleaning anything when it’s full, the S7 automatically releases its grime collection each time it docks to charge.
The cyclonic howl during automatic emptying is loud but expected. And unlike the Roomba s9+, the S7’s regular cleaning is such a bearable hum that it makes up for 15 seconds of noise. You can turn it off if you want to, though!
Credit: leah stodart/mashable
The dock features a clean double canister look, with one side housing a HEPA filter and the other housing a bag that comes inserted and ready to go. The vacuum and app didn’t even need to be warned that I was swapping docks — it simply knew to head to the new dock and empty itself. Despite the compactness of the tower, the bag leaves you off the hook for up to two months at a time.
The hardest part about setting up the S7’s auto-emptying dock is getting it in your house at all. It’s constantly sold out at Amazon and Walmart, so the Roborock website is usually the only option. Avoiding dust flurrying out of the trash can will run you $299.99.
Downsides: The S7’s pristine maneuvering has a few roadblocks
The S7 will take its persistency to its grave. A cracked bedroom door or a cheap full-length mirror leaning against the wall wasn’t a strong enough barrier to not potentially be pushed around.
And the S7 getting into a room it shouldn’t be in could cause a serious holdup. If you have rooms with high-pile rugs or cords on the ground, you’ll want to move them or be sure to take advantage of the zone feature. My S7 wouldn’t suck anything when its bin was full until it came across a phone charger — and suddenly, it was starving. It fiddled around with that and my beloved fluffy white rug, and even got tripped up on thicker cords like extension cords. They’re easy to pull out of the bottom once cleaning is paused, but this could waste hours of cleaning time if you aren’t there to fix it. The instruction manual did say to clear the floor of any cables or wires, and expecting any robot vac to be invincible seems ridiculous. Legos were safe, though.
Debris pushed far under low-profile furniture won’t be touched by the S7. It’s just over four inches tall, compared to small space vacuums that typically measure less than three inches. Being bulky is an expected disadvantage for a machine that’s housing a whole mop, but noteworthy for homes with beds or couches that don’t have tall legs.
Is the Roborock S7 worth it?
You mean past always having a reason to say “Robo-rock” like Daft Punk says “robot rock?”
The Roborock S7 is a solid choice for anyone who wants autonomous wet and dry cleaning. Once cords and high-pile rugs are off-limits, setting it loose without supervision shouldn’t have you stressing about where it’s getting stuck or what carpets are accidentally being soaked. Its two- to three-hour battery life runs laps around competing vacs.
At $649.99, it’s more expensive than a few Roombas that empty their own dustbins — but those Roombas don’t mop. There could definitely be a point where one treasures coming home to a clean, mopped floor enough to pay this kind of price. The addition of the auto-empty dock boosts its value (but adds $300 onto its price as well).
There’s a certain brand of high that comes with operating a powerful manual vacuum. Anyone who classifies sweeping as cathartic knows what I mean. The Roborock S7 can’t replace that control, but if you need a robot vacuum that you can trust to do *almost* as good of a job as you, the S7 is a satisfying contender. If your robot vacuum search is fueled by a hatred of expending elbow grease, you’ll need a robot vacuum that won’t require your assistance every few minutes. The Roborock S7 is that, too.