I traded in a $1,000 robot vacuum for a $200 model and lost the will to live — get this Cyber ​​Monday deal instead

Let me set the scene for you. You start work late because you’re covering Cyber ​​Monday sales and decide to use the time to do a little tidying up. You launch your Robovac companion app, wait 30 seconds for it to connect, then spend the next one an hour and a half I’m trying to get it to vacuum successfully One bedroom apartment. The same apartment that would take maybe 15 minutes to vacuum manually. Seriously, it’s not big.

The bot I’m testing – which I won’t name because I want to give it a bit more trial time to test and redeem – costs around $250 / £270 at list price, but has dropped to around $150 / £150 Seasonal sales. On paper it looks pretty decent, and in terms of suction and mopping performance it’s actually not bad at all. The problem is navigation and mapping, and it turns out these are pretty crucial if you want your robovac to actually be helpful and not become a massive pain in the ass.

Cannot be calculated

For the list price, you wouldn’t expect this to be the best robot vacuum on the market, 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 is designed to traverse the room in neat rows, using sensors to pass furniture and prevent it from falling down the stairs.

The problem is that when it’s in a space that’s narrow and then gets wider, it just takes over that narrow part and doesn’t want to explore further. That means when I set it up from the docking station in the middle of my house, it typically cleans about one and a half of the four rooms. Then it reports that it “successfully completed the task” (a notification that really makes me want to throw it out the window) and returns to the dock. If it can find it.

I experimented with picking it up and putting it in the far corner of the apartment, then letting it snake back inside, moving every single piece of furniture out of the way. Although this works pretty well, at one point I stopped and asked myself, “Is this easier than using a cordless vacuum?” to which the answer was “No.”

Additionally, if it gets stuck, it will move forward and backward in the same spot indefinitely until the battery dies. It won’t notify me. Far from being a hands-off option, this bot requires constant attention – I definitely wouldn’t leave it cleaning unattended. And really, one of the best things about robovacs is that if you get a half-decent robot, it will do the cleaning while you’re on the go, with minimal disruption.

A better recommendation

Before moving on to this budget robot vacuum, I used 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 simply asked it to clean and it did. In fact, it could do a lot more than that, some of which I didn’t need – so I’d recommend it if you can afford it, but the good news is that you don’t have to spend that much to get a robot that won’t suit you make you lose your mind.

The reason I’m sharing this story with you today is because there are tons of robot vacuum deals in the Black Friday/Cyber ​​Monday sales that include a number of ultra-cheap options – think $150/ £150 or less. I would strongly recommend that you skip the super budget section and go for a slightly more advanced model, otherwise it will probably be more of a hindrance than a help. In the worst case scenario, your budget purchase not only wastes your time but also causes significant temper tantrums (from personal experience).

I would urge you to take advantage of this opportunity and secure an upper mid-range model that has been reduced to a lower price range. This gives you the best chance of getting a bot that’s actually helpful – and a decent robot vacuum can be one gigantic help. Even though I’ve had bad experiences here, I would generally recommend them – you just have to be careful which model you buy and be prepared to invest a little more.

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

Today’s best robot vacuum cleaner deals

More from today’s Cyber ​​Monday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, Smart Homes and Air Fryers starting at $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks starting at $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops and headphones
• B&H photo: up to $900 off cameras, laptops and accessories
• Cheap TVs: Smart TVs at Best Buy starting at $69.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron and XPS laptops starting at $279.99
• Dream cloud: Mattress Deals Starting At $349 + Free Shipping
• Vacation: Decorations, lights, Christmas trees and pajamas starting at $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% discount on tools, equipment and furniture
• Lowes: Christmas decorations, gadgets and tools starting at $17.31
• Nectar: Up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans and jewelry
• Samsung: Over $1,500 off TVs, phones, watches and appliances
• Goal: Save on furniture, Halloween, technology and clothing
• Walmart: cheap televisions, vacuum robots, furniture and appliances

More from today’s Cyber ​​Monday sales in the UK

• Amazon: Up to 68% off toothbrushes and televisions
• AO: Savings on gaming consoles and devices
• Argos: Up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 50% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Currys: Great deals on TVs, home appliances and laptops
• Dell: Laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• eBay: up to 50% discount on refurbished technology
• EE: Up to £600 off Samsung and Apple
• John Lewis: Up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and home appliances
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Very: Up to 30% off phones, home appliances and clothing