Seasonal shopping events are a great time to shop for robot vacuums, and we’re seeing some excellent price drops on these automated home helpers amongst this year’s Presidents’ Day deals.
There are plenty of price-drops around, so it pays to go in with a plan. I write about robot vacuums for a living (including putting together TechRadar’s best robot vacuums and best robovacs for pet hair lists) so I know the market really well. I’ve also been covering deals events since 2017, so I have plenty of experience in how to navigate these sales to get the best bargains. The aim is to come out with the right bot for your needs, at a genuinely good price. To that end, here are my five top tips for scoring the best robovac deal in the Presidents’ Day sales.
#1. Stick to brand names you can trust
At the cheapest end of the offers, you’ll start to see brand names that you’ve never heard of. That’s especially true if you’re shopping on Amazon. Generally, I’d avoid these, even if the prices are tantalizingly cheap. Look around for official reviews (from professionals, not just the customer comments section) and get a feel for the size and reputation of the brand. Making good robot vacuums is difficult so you want to stick the people who know what they’re doing, or you’ll end up with a bot that’s just an expensive doorstop.
The brands that often score highly in our reviews include: Roborock, Dreame, Narwal, Ecovacs, Eufy, and Shark. iRobot Roomba can also be worth a look.
#2. Shop around
You can expect all the big retailers will run a Presidents’ Day sale, so once you’ve chosen the model you want, check the price at a range of places. If I spot a deal, I’ll check the price at the following places (I’ve linked direct to the robovac listings for each):
All of those retailers have had strong seasonal discounts on robot vacuums in previous sales events. I’ll also head to the brand’s own website (so Shark or iRobot, for example) to see what’s going on there.
Generally, I’ll find that the discount is being price-matched everywhere; including the brand’s own site. Occasionally, though, one specific retailer will have a standout deal or other perks like extended warranty or free delivery that make it a better choice. If that’s not the case, however, then just pick your favorite shopping destination.
#3. Opt for an older model
The newest flagship models are truly amazing beasts, but in the real world, you probably don’t actually need the latest-and-greatest robot vacuum. The rate of meaningful improvement has slowed down in recent years (at least, until the next wave of robovacs that have robotic arms hit the shelves), so opting for a slightly older option is a great way to maximize your value for money.
Some of the newest models will get Presidents’ Day discounts, but they’ll likely still be in the four figure bracket. Opting for a model that’s a couple of years old will likely yield batter value for money, without much of a sacrifice in functionality.
4. Make sure it meets your needs
Robovacs range massively performance and features, so it’s important to pick one that does what you need it to. I’ve covered this in more detail in my complete guide to how to choose a robot vacuum, but there are a couple of key things you’ll want to decide to narrow down your options quickly.
Firstly, do you want it to be able to mop as well as vacuuming? This is far more common than you might expect if you’re not familiar with the market. In fact, these days I’d say it’s almost the norm for most robovacs to be hybrid models. They won’t deep clean like a manual mop, but they can be good at staying on top of surface cleaning, and keeping your hard floors looking smarter than you’d achieve with vacuuming alone.
If you do decide to go for a combination vacuum-mop, rotating circular mop pads tend to do a better job than static D-shaped mop pads. Cheap models that just drag a wet-wipe across your floor aren’t worth the effort.
Next, what kind of dock do you need? A very basic dock will be very compact, and will just recharge your robovac. A slightly more advanced dock will automatically suck the dust from the robot’s small onboard dustbin into a larger bin in the dock. These options are bulkier, but if you have a larger home and/or pets, they’re worth the extra investment in cost and space, because they mean you won’t have to be constantly emptying your robovac manually.
Meanwhile, the priciest dock options can refill your bot’s onboard tanks and even clean and dry the mop pads. Expect to pay rather a lot for this kind of functionality, though.
#5. Set a budget
At TechRadar we have set robot vacuum price bands based on average prices on the wider market. They are as follows:
- Budget: less than $500
- Mid-range: $500-$800
- Premium: over $800
That’s at list price. During shopping events like the Presidents’ Day sales, you’ll often find robot vacuums discounted into a lower price bracket. It’s a great time to pick up a better quality, more feature-rich robovac than you’d generally be able to afford. I often see the best-value deals around the $500-$700 mark.
You’ll also see some ultra-bargain bots for around $150-$200. These will be very basic; don’t expect things like efficient navigation and object avoidance. If you want a really cheap option, my guide to the best budget robot vacuums rounds up our best-reviewed models.