You should not expect much from robot vacuum cleaners in price category up to $200. Their functionality is limited by regular cleaning in small rooms with smooth surfaces. The main features of budget robot vacuum cleaners are: easy navigation with IR sensors, suction power up to 600 Pa and quite small batteries.
However, each of robot vacuum cleaners presented in this article is equipped with HEPA air filtration system and different sensors.
We will tell you about the technical specifications and functions of the best budget robot vacuum cleaners, and also describe the advantages and disadvantages of each model from our rating.
ILIFE V3S Pro
This is a robot vacuum cleaner from the Chinese company Chuwi. It is the one of the best representative of robot vacuum cleaners from budget segment.
ILIFE V3S Pro uses two side brushes and a block without a turbo brush with a rubber scraper for dry cleaning, but its suction power is quite high – up to 600 Pa.
The robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with large Road Rover wheels of 65 mm diameter. With their help, ILIFE easily climbs medium-pile carpets. However, you should not expect high quality cleaning of carpets.
The dust bag is also slightly larger than most other budget robot vacuum cleaners – 300 ml.
Other benefits of ILIFE V3S Pro include:
- 4 cleaning modes that are switched using the remote control: automatic, local, along the walls and scheduled cleaning;
- navigation based on IR sensors and soft touch bumpers;
- modern lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh, which is enough for 140 minutes of battery life;
- charging station, on which the robot vacuum cleaner drives by itself in case of a critical drop of battery charge.
The price of ILIFE V3S Pro robot vacuum cleaner is about $110.
Redmond RV-R350
Budget robot vacuum cleaner RV-R350 is made in a standard round case with a diameter of 330 mm and a height of 80 mm. At the bottom it has two side brushes and a direct suction unit. The electric motor provides a suction power of 330 Pa, which draws dust, wool and crumbs into the dust container.
A 220 ml dust collector is filled in one leaning cycle. An additional cleaning option is wet cleaning, but implemented. It is made as simple as possible – a rag nozzle is inserted under the bottom, which the user moistens manually under the tap.
By the way, despite the modest electric motor, Redmond RV-R350 makes a lot of noise – up to 65 dB.
Redmond is controlled by a single button on the case. The minimalism is explained by the fact that RV-R350 operates in only one mode – automatic with random movements from obstacle to obstacle, which the robot vacuum cleaner determines with a tactile sensor.
The battery life is enough for 8- minutes of cleaning. Battery capacity is 850 mAh battery. You need to charge the robot vacuum cleaner yourself through the power supply.
The price of a robot vacuum cleaner Redmond RV-R350 is about $170.
Clever & Clean 004 M-Series
This is another simple Chinese robot vacuum cleaner for cleaning small rooms with a simple layout. Clever & Clean robot vacuum cleaner differs from Redmond RV-R350 by its more successful design. It has the same functions and similar technical specifications, but the case diameter of 004 M-Series is 6 cm smaller. The height is 6 mm less. The reduction in size had a positive effect on the maneuverability of robot vacuum cleaner and cleaning quality in inaccessible areas.
The battery in Clever & Clean is the same as in Redmond – 850 mAh, but it lasts only for 45 minutes. Despite the increased power consumption of 25W and more powerful motor, the noise of robot vacuum cleaner does not exceed 50 dB.
Another advantage of 004 M-Series is more complex cleaning algorithm. The robot vacuum cleaner has 3 cleaning modes: chaotic, spiral and along walls. It automatically alternates these trajectories every 5 minutes.
Among the shortcomings, it should be noted the absence of a washing nozzle in the basic configuration, which must be purchased separately.
The price of Clever & Clean 004 M-Series robot vacuum cleaner is about $200.
Genio Lite 120
Genio Lite 120 is an ultra-budget robot vacuum cleaner designed for dry cleaning. It is a full clone of Clever & Clean 004 M-Series in terms of functionality and technical specifications:
- compact case with dimensions of 280 x 75 mm;
- side brushes and direct suction unit collecting garbage in a 200 ml dust collector;
- automatic alternation of 3 cleaning algorithms;
- orientation with a soft touch bumper;
- 850 mAh battery that needs to be recharged from the power supply.
Among the advantages of Genio Lite 120 is low noise level – only 45 dB.
The price of Genio Lite 120 robot vacuum cleaner is about $140.
Kitfort KT-531
Kitfort KT-531 is very similar ILIFE V3S Pro. It has the same classic white case with a simple design. Among the main features of Kitfort robot vacuum cleaner is IR signal receiver on the bumper. Also, it has relatively small dimensions – 290 x 77 mm.
The suction power is 500 Pa. You can control the robot vacuum cleaner using the remote control. There are three cleaning modes: automatic, regional and random. However, the other technical specifications are quite weak:
- spatial orientation using a tactile sensor;
- 200 ml dust collector – it is enough for 1 cycle of cleaning;
- 1000 mAh battery, which provides 40-60 minutes of continuous cleaning;
- no charging base.
Another significant drawback of this robot cleaner is the poor soundproofing of the case. The noise level of robot vacuum cleaner reaches a record for our rating – 70 dB.
The price of Kitfort KT-531 robot vacuum cleaner is about $80.
Midea MVCR01 and MVCR12
Both Midea robotic vacuum cleaners are designed for dry cleaning. They have traditional round cases with diameter of 300 mm and a height of 78 mm. They differ only in color: MVCR01 is made of white plastic, while MVCR12 is made of red.
The robot vacuum cleaner has 5 cleaning modes: chaotic, along the perimeter, zigzag, local and automatic. Separately, we should mention Turbo mode, which increases the suction power to the maximum value.
The power consumption of the vacuum cleaner does not exceed 18W. You can switch cleaning modes through the remote control.
The navigation system of MVCR01 / 12 is the same as ILIFE V3S Pro – IR obstacle sensors, soft-touch bumpers and elevation sensors.
Fortunately, this robot vacuum cleaner has charging dock and 1000 mAh battery.
The price of Midea MVCR01 and MVCR12 robotic vacuum cleaners is about $100.
Polaris PVCR 1012U
The business card of PVCR 1012U is its futuristic design with a gray metallic drop-shaped case. The main advantage of this design is a stylish appearance, but the drawback is that it gets stuck under the furniture very often. The body dimensions are quite modest – 270 x 73 mm.
Polaris is the most primitive robot vacuum cleaner in our rating. To start cleaning, you need to click on the button at the bottom. Then you have to put the robot vacuum cleaner in the right place on the floor.
The principle of cleaning is simple: the brushes throw debris under the suction port. After that, the motor with a suction power of 600 Pa draws it into 300 ml dust collector.
The noise level does not exceed 60 dB. During the cleaning process, PVCR 1012U combines 4 cleaning routes: a snake, a spiral, movement around the perimeter and from obstacle to obstacle. The manufacturer equipped the smart robot vacuum cleaner with ultrasonic sensors.
Among the shortcomings of PVCR 1012U is a weak 1200 mAh battery, as well as the lack of charging station. When the battery is discharged, the robot vacuum cleaner can be anywhere in the house, and you need to charge it manually.
The price of Polaris PVCR 1012U robot vacuum cleaner is about $150.
