Overview
Table of Contents
The best self-emptying robot vacuums have one huge perk past the obvious act of vacuuming the floor for you. (Hint: It’s in the name.)
When you outsource vacuuming to a robot, your floors get cleaned way more often. The only downside of this extra attention? More debris off the floor means a dust bin that fills up faster, and emptying a vacuum’s dust bin by hand is arguably the worst part of the chore.
Enter self-emptying robot vacuums. These vacs do your vacuuming and emptying for you for a few weeks at a time, storing the debris the robot vacuum collects on each trip in a larger compartment that’s located in the charging dock.
Are self-emptying robot vacuums worth it?
Not having to lift a finger when it comes to floor maintenance is well worth it for anyone who just doesn’t have the time — or the interest — in wrestling an upright vacuum out of the closet every few days. The next question is whether you want the true set-it-and-forget solution that only automatic emptying can provide, and if you’re willing to pay more for it.
Automatic emptying quickly proves its worth in households where the layer of pet fur would otherwise have you dumping the vacuum’s tiny dust bin after just a few rooms. The best self-emptying robot vacuum cleaners let you off the hook for months at a time. And when it actually is time to empty the bigger dust bin, most self-empty docks trap dust inside a disposable bag, meaning you won’t have to see or touch the nasty stuff at all.
For people with allergies, auto-emptying also spares you from inhaling the inevitable puff of dust that emerges when dumping a dust bin into the trash.
Speaking of avoiding the grosser parts of the job, if you want a robot vacuum that mops, many self-emptying docks also take it upon themselves to deal with dirty mopping pads after the job is done. CES 2024 ushered in a new wave of flagship robot vacuums that self-wash and self-dry the soggy mopping pads in the same dock where debris is held.
While self emptying could add anywhere from $100 to $500 to a robot vac’s overall price tag, automated mopping pad washing and drying is the automation that really kicks the price up over the $1,000 mark. Remember that both of these are optional in most cases, so if you’re on a tight budget or tight on space, you can forgo the fancy dust bin and save significantly.
Rather than giving up automatic emptying, we suggest you finesse by buying your robot vacuum during Prime Day. Prime Day season is one of the best times of year to find a robot vacuum on sale. This is your opportunity to score a robovac with that crucial automatic emptying dock without maxing out your budget. The event doesn’t officially start until July 16, but Amazon already has a bunch of self-emptying vacuum deals to peruse, including $300 off the Narwal Freo X. Otherwise, we’re hoping for new record discounts on our favorite CES 2024 models, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni and Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which haven’t seen much movement price-wise since release.
We’ve been testing the latest and greatest self-emptying robot vacuums released in 2024 against our old favorites from 2023 and 2022. Here are the best self-emptiers to consider for your home:
Who it’s for:
As one of the only robot vacuums surpassing $1,500 on the market right now, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra won’t be for everyone. But it does a lot to stand out in the crowded market of premium all-in-one robot vacuums.
On top of a self-empty dock decked out with a self-washing and drying mopping pad system, which Roborock has mastered, the vacuum itself is quite advanced with five digit suction power and a livestream pet camera. You won’t find these two features together anywhere else on the market right now, making the S8 MaxV Ultra the ultimate sidekick in homes with lots of carpets covered in pet hair.
Why we picked this:
Roborock has been on the all-in-one self-empty dock game since 2022, two years earlier than most of its biggest competitors. Other brands finally joined the ranks when debuting their new models at CES 2024, but Roborock already had something up its sleeve to set its new hybrid flagship apart: 10,000 Pa of suction power. In Max+ mode, that was more than enough to clean rugs covered in both cat hair and long human hair in senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart’s home. It also cleaned house (literally) on various piles of rice and soil, and it was the only robot vacuum in the house to fully suck up a mound of corn starch.
During vacuuming, a laptop charger and sock were accurately detected and avoided. A large hunk of soil was identified as pet waste, and although that was originally intended to be sucked up, it was giving turd. Speaking of advanced technology, the S8 MaxV Ultra is one of the only robot vacs that sports a livestreaming pet camera onboard. Users can see what the vacuum sees while it’s roaming and even send the S8 MaxV Ultra to look for their pet (hopefully they’re not hiding from the vacuum).
But what really turns the self-empty dock into a full-fledged floor care suite is the mopping system. The mopping pad, already juiced up with automatically-dispensed detergent and water, vibrates 4,000 times per minute to scrub at stains like paw prints and shoe marks. If carpet or rugs are detected, the pad automatically lifts 20mm above the floor without affecting the suction power. After it finishes cleaning its queue of rooms or zones, the S8 MaxV Ultra heads back to its dock where it dumps its debris with a much more subdued noise than competing Roombas. It also washes and dries its mopping pads.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is a seriously clutch find for shoppers who prioritize a “set it and forget it” robot vacuum experience and are willing to pay more than $500 — but not toe the $1,000 mark — for that peace of mind. The hands-off experience here includes automatic avoidance of small obstacles like cords and a self-washing and drying mopping pad system. The fanciest-ever Eufy vac offers both these features for as low as $679.99 on sale.
Between the large water tank and a battery life that outruns (sometimes even doubles) many pricier competitors, the X10 Pro Omni is a smart choice for large homes with multiple stories. You can squeeze hours of cleaning out of the X10 Pro without it returning to the dock to refill or recharge. A substantial chunk of that square footage would ideally be hard floors, as this Eufy’s dual pressurized mopping pad system doesn’t deserve to collect dust (cleaning pun definitely intended).
Why we picked this:
This is the first time any Eufy robot vacuum’s self-emptying dock can also self-refill the bot’s water tank and self-wash and dry the mop pads. The self-washing and drying aspect especially is a bullet point that’s rarely seen in the sub-$1,000 price range — the other robot vacuums that debuted at CES 2024 are evidence of that. Even iRobot’s $1,399 Roomba Combo j9+ doesn’t do that.
As impressive as the all-in-one station is, the X10 Pro Omni’s cleaning proficiency is also noteworthy. In terms of suction power, 8,000 Pa is quite high not just in this price range, but in general. The power proved itself in senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart’s testing, successfully removing matted-down cat hair from a low-pile rug and spilled rice from a medium-pile rug and surrounding hardwood flooring, including against the wall. During mopping, the spinning mopping pads were able to wipe up spilled wine that had been drying for several hours, as well as visibly remove dusty cat paw prints near the litter box.
The presence of small obstacle avoidance seals the X10 Pro Omni’s bang for your buck status. It’s another feature rarely seen at this price point. Stodart particularly cherishes this feature, as there’s bound to be a phone charger, catnip mouse, or blanket tufts on her floor at any given moment. Aside from a blip involving a bath mat mistaken for a towel (and an annoying quirk in the Eufy app that doesn’t let you dismiss an incorrectly-pinged obstacle), the X10 Pro Omni accurately identified and avoided cords and socks in Stodart’s home.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
The Narwal Freo X Ultra is ideal if you prioritize a true hands-off cleaning experience over staying within a certain budget. Between self-washing and drying mopping pads, a self-filling water tank, a two-month dust bin capacity, and enough stamina to cover 2,000 square feet without needing to charge, this ultra-premium takes its time and can be trusted to thoroughly tend to large floor plans.
Narwal’s futuristic design isn’t as subtle as that of other self-emptying docks, which may or may not blend in with your decor style. Your decision between the Narwal and the other models in this list may very well come down to whether or not you want a big shiny egg sitting in your living room.
Why we picked this:
It seems like Narwal thought of everything when revamping the original Narwal Freo that stole the hearts of TikTok. As one of the first vacs that debuted at CES 2024 to become available for purchase, the Narwal Freo X sets high standards with genius case-by-case mopping features that tailor the task to the status of the floor it’s cleaning. AI-powered waste water sensors force the Freo X Ultra to keep mopping until the floor is spotless, returning to the dock to rinse before heading back out at least once. However, I don’t mind the time-consuming process much when my floors look noticeably more polished, proving that Narwal’s advanced mopping mechanism — two forceful, spinning pads that have been doused in both water and cleaning solution — is actually scrubbing.
Once the Freo X Ultra has met its own cleanliness standards, it heads home to thoroughly sanitize and dry those soggy mopping pads — a task that must be performed manually with the identically-priced Roomba Combo j9+. This is also when the Freo X Ultra empties itself, though its approach to automatic emptying is unique: Instead of unloading debris into a bigger compartment in the dock, the Freo X Ultra quietly compresses dust in a disposable dust bag that you can toss after about seven weeks. (For a less wasteful option, Narwal also includes a reusable dust bin.)
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
First and foremost, the Shark Matrix RV2300S is obviously the best contender for folks who aren’t trying to go all out spending-wise on a robot vacuum. Though this Shark model does vacuum more meticulously than many other basic bots, it’d probably be best in a low-traffic home where light daily upkeep is all that’s needed — whether that’s a home with no pets (maybe one, if shedding is light), a home with low foot traffic, or a small apartment.
Why we picked this:
I wouldn’t back this model as hard at its full price of $499.99, but when Walmart halves that to $299.99, Shark’s Matrix RV2300S defines “bang for your buck.” It’s rare to find LiDAR smart home mapping plus self-emptying at this price point, even if that self-emptying only lasts for 30 days versus the 45 or 60-day capacity on bigger docks.
Shark even goes past the satisfactory-at-best clean that you typically get when opting for a brand’s cheapest robot vacuum. Shark’s signature Matrix spot cleaning mode tackles debris in a crosshatch pattern to grab anything that was missed on the original pass. I was impressed on how thoroughly this base tier Shark model kept up with my kitty litter-covered bathroom floor on a daily basis, even if it did miss some rogue pieces of debris along the walls.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
If you’ve confirmed that you definitely want a Roomba, the next question is obviously which one. Your budget will have the most convincing power, and those hoping to stay under or near the $500 mark have two options: the Combo i5+ and Combo j5+. The first is cheaper, but the latter has small obstacle avoidance technology. Whether it’s kids’ toys, pet toys, strewn laundry, cords, or any other small items that might be hanging out on the floor, the Combo j5+ is the better choice for homes that aren’t 100% tidy all of the time.
Alternatively, the Combo j5+ isn’t the most thorough Roomba, and isn’t the most thorough robot vacuum in its price range. To pick it over the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 or the Eufy X9 Pro, you’d have to prioritize smooth navigation and staying in the iRobot ecosystem over deep cleaning of carpets or powerful scrubbing of hard floors.
Why we picked this:
Of the handful of self-emptying Roombas, the Combo j5+ is the best value (if you can find it at its relatively-frequent sale price of $449). Much of this is thanks to iRobot’s near-perfect small obstacle avoidance, which is simply the best we’ve tested.
In senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart’s experience, the j Series Roombas have the least slip ups. They accurately steer clear of various cords and other pesky items, as well as correctly differentiate between a bath rug that needs to be cleaned and a towel that should be avoided. So while the Combo j5+ does require babysitting in terms of manual attaching and detaching of the mopping pad (unlike the Combo j7+), it does eliminate the need for babysitting in terms of getting stuck.
Even though the Combo j5+’s mopping and suction power are a little basic, they’re sufficient in most low-traffic homes. Plus, the presence of iRobot’s best feature (small obstacle avoidance) and the same chic auto-empty dock as the pricier Combo j7+ make up for the middling cleaning. Another bonus: Stodart also noticed that that auto-empty dock holds debris for much longer than the advertised number of weeks, at least with usage about every other day.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Who it’s for:
We suggest the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 if your main concern with a robot mop is whether it actually scrubs (with more than water, at that) but also that its advanced mopping capabilities can be secured for a few hundred dollars.
One word of caution, though: The Matrix Plus 2-in-1 is best for homes that don’t have a heavy rug situation, as the bot requires you to manually point out rugs or carpets in the app and can’t vacuum while the water tank is attached.
Why we picked this:
For years, Shark was better known for its upright vacuums. However, Shark’s latest line of robot vacuums is changing that, with the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 surprising us so much during hands-on testing that it has landed a spot as one of our favorite self-emptying robot vacuums, mopping robot vacuums, and as our overall favorite Shark robot vacuum. Not only does this budget contender outperform many pricier Roombas, but it can also always be found on sale for less than $500.
Most budget hybrid vacuums are very disappointing when it’s time to mop, but Matrix mode separates this Shark from those “meh” moppers. Activating Matrix cleaning while mopping triggers the mopping pad to vibrate 100 times per minute and goes over the desired scuffed or stained area multiple times. During dry vacuuming, Matrix mode also hits the designated area in a crosshatch pattern, upping the likelihood of picking up hair or debris that were missed on the first pass. In his review, Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth wrote that he couldn’t believe how much he loved this vacuum, and that it’s “the rare hybrid that vacuums and mops equally well.”
The Good
The Bad
Details
Our Pick
Who it’s for:
For those who are ready to test out Roomba’s latest-and-greatest (rolled out in September 2023), the Roomba Combo j9+ is a fab way to do so. If your floors are well-loved — in the sense that they have some pretty deep, dried stains or are your pet’s favorite spot to roll around — you’ll be wowed by this Roomba’s scrubbing and suction power alike. Unlike previous Roombas, this one saves you even more time, by freeing you from manually refilling the water tank for 30 days at a time.
As an added bonus, if you’re someone for whom the “aesthetic factor” ranks highly among robot vac criteria, rest assured that the Combo j9+ is sheer eye candy. I mean, its dock is literally topped with chic wood accents, allowing it to double as a side table. In the world of robovacs, this is quite rare.
Why we picked this:
As the number and letter mashup in the title suggests, the Combo j9+ finally combines the best features of the older high-end Roombas: the small obstacle detection and retractable mop of the Roomba Combo j7+ (which we also tested and really liked), and even better suction power than the Roomba s9+, which was previously the most powerful Roomba. The Combo j9+ also beats the suction power of the aforementioned Combo j7+, which was noticeably worse at picking up chip crumbs and cat hair in our comparative tests in the same apartment.
The mop on the Combo j9+ also outperforms all other hybrid Roombas, as well as many competing hybrids from other brands, which simply drag a wet cloth across the floor with one or two passes. We could see iRobot’s new SmartScrub working as it successfully attacked dried stains on a hardwood floor by persistently scrubbing back and forth with force. The Combo j9+ can also accommodate both water and the cleaning solution of your choice in its water tank, which automatically refills the vacuum when the small onboard tank runs dry.
The Good
The Bad
Details
Mashable shopping reporters, editors, and product testers have reviewed dozens of robot vacuums, and we’re always in the process of testing more. Specifically for this guide, we most recently tested the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Eufy X10 Pro Omni, Roomba Combo j5+, Narwal Freo X Ultra, Shark Detect Pro, and the Dyson 360 Vis Nav, a few of which replaced some of our older recommendations (and a few of which didn’t quite make the cut).
When reviewing a robot vacuum, we test the bot on a combination of floor types: Hardwood, bathroom tile, thick carpeting, furry rugs, bath mats, and other surfaces all being fair game. To test a robot’s agility, we intentionally litter the floor with some combination of cat toys, tasseled blankets, laundry, and cords. In addition to testing obstacle avoidance features, we also assess the robovac’s overall cleaning ability. And for this category in particular, we check the self-emptying bin to see how user-friendly and reliable these features are.
Additional factors taken into account during testing include:
Smart mapping and general navigation accuracy: A big component of how proficiently a robot vacuum does its job is how intimately it knows the setup of your living space. After making their initial “navigation/mapping” run, we gauged how well the vacuums were able to maneuver around furniture, slide between different floor types, and, in general, clean all the required floor space. Compatible apps for the robovacs demonstrated whether or not the mapping was actually “smart” and accurate — and we made sure to keep in mind the differences between LiDAR (laser) and VSLAM (camera) navigation/mapping in the robots.
Noise: A commonality between self-emptying robot vacuums is that they’re pretty damn loud. As Mashable reporter Leah Stodart once said in a vacuum review, “the transfer of debris from the bot’s dust bin to the dock’s dust bin can be quite loud and startling to nearby people or pets.” We paid attention to just how significant these noise levels were for each vac and whether it was something that could interfere with day-to-day living in the long run, especially for those who share walls with neighbors.
Functionality of app: Each of these robovacs has a companion app with which users can easily control them, in theory. The most impressive apps included the ability to create “no-go zones” or zones where the vacuum would boost its suction power; to schedule a cleaning ahead of time; and to see the progress of the vacuum in real-time (as well as detailed metrics on its performance after a successful cleaning run). We also tested how well the app cooperated with the vacuum in question.
Actual vacuum performance: This one is pretty intuitive. It revolved around us asking a few key questions — did the vacs actually do what they were supposed to? Did they make neat rows on carpets for a thorough cleaning? Did they suction up all the dust bunnies lurking in a room’s corners or the layer of pet hair building up during shedding season? Did they take care of bigger, intentional messes, like large remnants of Graham Crackers or tortilla chips or purposefully spilled rice, soil, or corn starch? When in doubt, we looked at the irrefutable evidence found within their dust bins and the auto-empty dock dust bags.
Obstacle avoidance: For robot vacuums that claim to be able to detect and avoid problem-causing obstacles (read: pet waste and tangled cords), we made sure to verify this IRL. The feature is typically reflected in a higher price point, so it was important to see if the robot vacuums could actually skirt around obstacles without getting flustered — or if human intervention was needed to help get them unstuck, thus demoting them to the level of any ol’ non-obstacle-avoidant vacuum.
Price point/value and the competition: For every tested robot vacuum, we compared its price to that of the closest competitors currently available on the market — and evaluated whether its extra features (or lack thereof) could justify the price discrepancy. Keeping in mind the fact that many of the models in this roundup are frequently on sale, we performed a cost-benefit analysis by asking one last question: Did this wow us enough to drop X amount of money on it?
Frequently Asked Questions
Like a regular robot vacuum, the self-emptying ones navigate around your house tackling dust, dirt, hair, and crumbs, then return to charge without your involvement. But because robot vacuums typically aren’t more than four inches tall, there’s little real estate inside to house a roomy dust bin like upright Dysons do. A half-liter robot vacuum bin requires manual emptying after a few sweeping sessions, if not every single time. Though the fact that they’re bagless is nice, you typically end up reaching inside to pull out stuck hairballs — and inhaling the inevitable puff of dust.
A self-emptying robot vacuum actually takes that job out of your hands. It automatically empties itself into a larger dust bin in its charging dock, which has the capacity to manage weeks or months of dirt without needing to be cleaned or emptied by hand. You can literally set it up and forget about it. You may need to clean the brush roll from time to time, but otherwise it’s a hands-free cleaning experience.
Both are great in their own ways, but iRobot and Shark are hardly the only important members in this group chat — Roborock, Eufy, Ecovacs, and Narwal pose serious competition with similarly-impressive performance and diverse pricing.
However, we understand the urge to pit these two household brand names against each other. Senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart did a whole Shark vs. Roomba deep dive where she compared several models from each brand, but we’ll give you the short version: Roomba has a slight edge on features, but Shark wins out on value for the money.
iRobot and Shark both have several options that offer all of the big three non-negotiable features that a robot vacuum should have in 2024 — smart room mapping, automatic emptying, and mopping — or some mix and match version of two from the trifecta. Roombas are generally more navigationally advanced, getting lost or stuck less often during our at-home testing than Shark models. All of its j Series models, available at varying price points, offer small obstacle avoidance technology, which is crucial in homes that probably have a phone charger, extension cord, feathery pet toy, or bath towel laying on the floor at any given moment. No Sharks offer this capability yet.
On the other hand, Shark’s whole lineup is generally more budget-friendly than its most direct counterpart from Roomba. Its lineup offers a more affordable path to those coveted features than Roombas and are on sale more often — the most expensive Shark will run you less than $700 even at full price, while the most expensive Roomba will run you $1,399 (or $999 on sale). Shark also shines at spot cleaning due to its Matrix cleaning system that cleans a designated area from multiple angles.
Amazon actually didn’t end up buying iRobot — the two ditched the acquisition at the beginning of 2024. While the dud of a deal does have people wondering if iRobot as a business is still sustainable for the long haul, it surely isn’t affecting the attention Roombas get at Amazon. Amazon puts the top Roombas on sale for up to 50% off frequently throughout the year, and they’ll undoubtedly be some of the most popular robot vacuums during Prime Day once again. (Which is clutch, because they’re on the pricier side compared to competitors like Shark and Eufy.) We’re tracking the best Roomba deals at Amazon now through the end of the event on July 17.
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she’s not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she’s almost definitely watching a horror movie, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” or “The Office.” You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].
Jae Thomas is a Colorado-based Deputy Shopping Editor for Mashable. They specialize in pet tech, smart fitness gear, finding the perfect gift, and sourcing the top deals on shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Jae has worked at Mashable since 2020, where they’ve written countless deals roundups and product reviews. Before Jae came to Mashable, they received a B.A. in Journalism and English Literature from New York University and wrote food and lifestyle content for publications like Bon Appétit, Epicurious, The Daily Beast, Apartment Therapy, and Marie Claire.
When they’re not testing products or writing about online shopping, you’ll find Jae whipping up an elaborate meal, hiking, camping, or training their dogs, Miso and Dashi. Reach out to them on X at @jaetaurina or by email at [email protected].
Stacia Datskovska is an NYU journalism major (graduating this December). Her work has appeared in USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, HuffPost, Bustle, and more. When she’s not writing something or other, Stacia can be spotted crying over poetry, making a home-cooked meal, or walking on an NYC pier. For her more half-baked thoughts: @staciadats on Twitter.
