I have an anthropomorphic, perhaps inappropriate, relationship with any robot vacuum cleaners that are running around my house. No matter how much trouble they cause me (whether they get stuck on the mantelpiece by the fireplace or get lost under the couch), I never forget that they are there to help me combat the chaos that my two children and two dogs cause me on a daily basis. (I have similar anthropomorphic feelings about my dishwasher and washing machine.)
Have I convinced you that you need one, too? You’re in luck, because Amazon Prime Day’s vacuum deals list includes five of my top picks. Whether you need an all-in-one cleaning station, a simple vacuum for after-dinner pick-up, or one with an air freshener, we’ve got you covered. Read our ultimate Amazon Prime Day deals list for more discounts.
WIRED Featured Deals
The best deals on vacuum cleaners
Of all the Dyson vacuums in our guide to the best, this is my favourite. For a low price, you get not one, but two cleaning functions – that of the regular Dyson V15 and that of a wet head or underwater attachment. This wet head is quite possibly the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and it’s even quicker and easier than using an automated robot mop. You just fill the little tank with clean water, screw it back on, and hold down the trigger like you would with a regular vacuum cleaner. The head spins around and mops your floors quickly and easily.
I’ve used it to clean up my kids’ most epic messes, like one day when I used the vacuum head to suck up an entire bag of spilled dry tapioca, then swapped it out for the wet head to clean up spilled flour on the floor (we were “making” cherry pies). There are several points here, which can be considered drawbacks: First, you can’t just buy the wet head attachment and add it to other Dyson vacuums. Second, the 8-ounce bin is a bit small, though I’ve found it to be perfectly adequate for cleaning about 200 square feet of hardwood floors. Finally, you have to rinse out the mop head and tray manually, which is always the worst part of mopping. Still, this tool is nearly miraculous in how easily it helps me keep the kitchen from becoming a mess. Dyson even came out with a recent update that I’m not thrilled about, because there’s simply no way it could be any better.
My family got a new puppy several weeks ago. She’s adorable and I wouldn’t trade her for the world, etc. Plus, she pees everywhere (okay, she’s just a baby). In my life before having a baby and a puppy, these were items I rented from Home Depot once every six months, and I’ve never been more grateful to have a portable one. Hashtag CleanTok certainly thinks so; this is part of our viral TikTok gift guide.
Reviewer Brenda Stolyar comments that this isn’t the miracle it appears to be in a 20-second video clip. You do have to put in some effort to get real stains out, as she found out when she tried it on her living room carpet and stained upholstery. The proof is in the pudding, though – or rather, the dirty water tank, which is completely filthy by the time she’s finished and emptied it. Need something a little tougher? Check out our guide to the best carpet cleaners.
The best deals on robot vacuum cleaners
Although I haven’t included it in our roundup yet, this is one of the best and most effective robot vacuums, for the best price, that I’ve tested recently. The Yeedi M12 Pro+ is the top-of-the-line model in Yeedi’s product line. As with Roborock before it, I’ve been amazed at how much the Yeedi’s software and hardware have improved over the past few years.
The cleaning station has a sleek new look and is remarkably compact, considering it comes with a self-emptying dust bin and two massive 4-liter water tanks — one for clean water and one for dirty water. The helpful, but somehow still creepy, extendable arm reaches into every nook and cranny to scrub, and the base now has a warm-air dryer so the scrubbing pads don’t get moldy. After several weeks, I even sniffed them to see, and they still smelled clean (the stuff we do for testing). You can even start a cleaning session by tapping the bumper with your foot — though with a new pup in the house, this isn’t as convenient a feature as you might think. It’s unfortunate that getting a premium robot vacuum mop for under $800 is such a steal in this economy. However, if you’re in the tax bracket that you’re considering hiring a house cleaner, this is one purchase that will help you put off that decision a little longer.
Did I mention we recently got a puppy? And she’s just a baby, and I adore her. Still, despite my best efforts and despite confining her to the living room most of the time, there’s a very, very faint smell of pee. My 9-year-old daughter has started stealing my perfume, but she wouldn’t have to if we were still using the Ecovacs Deebot T9+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends). I thought the air freshener feature would be a gimmick, or at least sickeningly awful, but I surprised myself by actually enjoying popping in the little cartridge and having my house freshened up before people came over.
Eight hundred dollars is about what I’d expect to spend on a new mop-vacuum combo, but for $400 it’s pretty reasonable, especially with this fun added gimmick. The Deebot T9+ also doesn’t use cameras to navigate, so you won’t find pictures of yourself on Reddit. The only major downside is that, unlike more expensive mop-vacuum combos, you’ll need to replace the disposable mop pad fairly often, but that’s easy enough to do, and I like being able to remove the wet pad if I want to vacuum right after mopping.
But maybe you’re not impressed by the bells and whistles and haven’t been saving up an extra mortgage payment just for something to help you clean your house. In that case, you want an affordable robot vacuum that works and won’t break. Of those, the classic, trusty Roomba is the least likely to let you down. Even the cheapest iRobot vacuums have features like Dirt Detect, which cleans specific areas.
The app is simple and easy to use, the vacuum is quiet and powerful, and it has stellar navigation capabilities. There are some minor differences from previous Roomba offerings — for example, the 694 has a rotating brush, while the slightly more expensive E5 has iRobot’s signature brushless roller. Different vacuums may have different styles of buttons, but overall, if you can find a Roomba for $300 or less, it’s a great buy.
