I swapped a $1k robot vacuum for a $200 model and lost the will to live – get this Cyber Monday deal instead

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This cheap robovac is about as helpful as a disobedient child

iRobot Roomba Combo Essential in reviewer's home
(Image credit: Future)

Let me set the scene for you. You're starting late at work because you're covering the Cyber Monday sales, and you decide to use the time to do a bit of cleaning. You fire up your robovac companion app, wait 30 seconds for it to connect, then spend the next hour and a half trying to get it to successfully vacuum your one-bedroom apartment. The same apartment that would take maybe 15 minutes to manually vacuum. Seriously, it's not big.

The bot I'm testing – which I won't name, because I want to give it a little more testing time to try and redeem itself – costs around $250 / £270 at list price, but dropped to about $150 / £150 in the seasonal sales. On paper, it looks pretty decent, and indeed in terms of suction and mopping it's not bad at all. The issue is navigation and mapping, and it turns out those are pretty crucial if you want your robovac to be actually helpful, rather than a massive pain in the bum.

Cannot compute

For the list price, you wouldn't expect this to be the best robot vacuum around, and the software is rather basic. This robot vacuum doesn't claim to be able to map your home, and it doesn't use LiDAR to find its way around. Instead, it's designed to traverse the space in neat rows, using sensors to make its way around furniture and to avoid falling down stairs.

The issue is that if it's in a space that's narrow and then gets wider, it will just do that narrow part and not care to explore further. That means when I set it off from its dock, which is in the middle of my home, it'll typically clean around one and a half of the four rooms. It'll then declare it has 'Successfully completed the task' (a notification that genuinely makes me want to hurl it out of the window) and return to the dock. If it can find it.

Screenshots from the iRobot app

Not the ideal cleaning schedule (left); a map of approx. 1/3 of my apartment (right) (Image credit: iRobot / Future)

I have been experimenting with picking it up and putting it in the furthest corner of the apartment, and then letting it snake its way back inwards, shuffling each individual piece of furniture out of its way as it goes. While this does work fairly well, I did at one point in the process stop and ask myself, "Is this easier than using a cordless stick vacuum?" to which the answer was, "No."

Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum stuck in the corner of a bathroom

My cheap bot spent half an hour reversing back and forth here (Image credit: Future)

Further to this, if it gets stuck, it'll just reverse forwards and backwards in the same spot indefinitely, until it runs out of battery. It will not notify me. Far from being a hands-off option, this bot needs constant attention – I would absolutely never leave it to clean unsupervised. And really, one of the best things about robovacs is that if you get a half-decent one, it'll take care of cleaning while you're out, for minimal disruption.

A better recommendation

Before I moved on to this cheap robot vacuum, I was using a far more expensive one – the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra (list price $1,799.99 / £1,725) – and it was an absolute dream. When I wanted it to clean, I would simply ask it to clean and it would do so. Actually, it could do a lot more than that, some of which I didn't need – so while I would recommend it if you can afford it, the good news is you don't have to spend that much to get a robot that won't make you lose your mind.

The reason I am sharing this story with you today is because there are tons of robot vacuum deals in the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales, and they include a number of ultra-cheap options – think $150/£150 or less. I'd strongly urge you to skip the super-budget section and opt for a slightly more advanced model, or it's likely to be more hindrance than help. Worst-case scenario, your budget buy not only wastes your time but causes significant rage issues (speaking from personal experience).

Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra robot vacuum and mop

This far pricier bot was an absolute dream to test – but you don't need to spend quite this much to get a decent robovac (Image credit: Future)

I'd urge you to use this opportunity to pick up an upper-mid range model that's been discounted into a lower price bracket. That gives you the best chance of a bot that's actually helpful – and a decent robot vacuum can be a huge help. Despite my bad experience here, I'd still recommend them in general – you just need to be discerning about which model you buy, and be prepared to invest a little more.

Here are a few of my favorite Cyber Monday robot vacuum deals in the US and UK:

Today's best robot vacuum deals

Roborock Q5 Pro+
US deal
Roborock Q5 Pro+: was $699.99 now $329.99 at Walmart

With $370 off, this is my pick for the best robot vacuum deal of Cyber Monday. Roborock is one of our favorite robovac brands, consistently scoring very highly in our reviews. This one uses LiDAR for navigation, and the app offers 3D mapping and the option to set no-go zones. Cleaning should be good too, with 5,500Pa of suction and dual rubber rollers for efficient hair pickup.

View Deal
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
US deal
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra: was $1,799.99 now $1,099.99 at Amazon

If you have a much bigger budget, this was the model I was testing beforehand. It offers speedy mapping, reliable navigation, and great cleaning, thanks to 10,000Pa of suction. Further to that, there are advanced features like an onboard two-way mic and camera that enables it to double as a security bot or pet-checker. The comprehensive dock that will take care of cleaning your mop pads as well as emptying and refilling water tanks. It's still an investment, but with 39% off, it's far more affordable than usual. Head to my Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review to find out more.

View Deal
Roborock Qrevo S robot vacuum and mop
UK deal
Roborock Qrevo S robot vacuum and mop: was £699.99 now £499.99 at Amazon

With £200 off for Cyber Monday, this high-end Roborock robot is at its lowest-ever price. It comes with intelligent object identification and avoidance, plus (very strong) 7,000Pa suction and spinning mop pads to dislodge dirt. The dock will drain and refill the bot's water tank as well as emptying its dust cup, and has the ability to self-clean those mop pads too. A brilliant hands-off option.

View Deal

More of today's Cyber Monday sales in the US

More of today's Cyber Monday sales in the UK

Ruth Hamilton
Homes Editor

Ruth is a TechRadar Homes Editor. She has covered a wide range of home kit, but currently specializes in aircare (vacuum cleaners, fans, air purifiers), and haircare (hair dryers, straighteners and stylers). Prior to making the shift to Homes, Ruth was TechRadar's Sleep Editor, testing and reviewing mattresses and other sleep products.