Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums can make life so much easier. Here are the Best Models for 2023!
If you want to know what’s the best self-emptying robot vacuum on the market, you’ve come to the right place! These days, as the average human being gets inundated with endless demands on their time, people are desperately searching for ways to lighten their workload. Enter the robotic vacuum cleaner, a device that was nothing short of revolutionary when it was released to the public just over two decades ago.
For years, robotic vacuum cleaners have been automating what was previously an unpleasant household chore: vacuuming floors. However, it’s only been relatively recently that emptying the onboard dustbin has been fully outsourced to a robot. That’s because robotic vacuum cleaner manufacturers finally realized that emptying the onboard dustbin isn’t the most pleasant job a person could do.
Our Top Picks
We select, test, review and suggest the best products. We may earn a commission, if you buy something through our links.
Self cleaning robot vacuums eliminate the somewhat disgusting scenario of your hands being covered with dust and debris because there’s no way to avoid emptying the dustbin yourself. They magically transform floor cleaning from a laborious, time-intensive effort to something that’s hands-free , effortless, and automatic.
The reason why people plunk down their hard-earned cash for a robotic vacuum cleaner is so that they can be free from having to do housework themselves. Unfortunately, if you own a robotic vacuum, you’ll still need to empty all the dirt your bot collected during a cleaning session.
Doing this is not only messy but causes dust to be re-released back into the air, which isn’t very healthy (particularly for allergy sufferers). On the other hand, if you buy a self-sufficient model with the ability to empty its own dustbin, your days of doing this unpleasant task are over forever.
If all this sounds fantastic, it might be high time to upgrade to a self-emptying model. Once you decide to invest in this type of cleaner, you’ll never want to go back!
How Do Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums Work
The problem with regular robotic vacs is that they’re small, not much taller than four inches. Their tiny size leaves little room for a dustbin, meaning you’ll need to empty it yourself every couple of cleaning sessions.
Manufacturers designed self-emptying bots to overcome this problem. Because they empty their collection canisters all by themselves, they bring the glorious dream of a fully automated household one step closer to reality.
Once a self-emptying vacuum droid docks, the charging base generates a robust suction that removes all the dirt and debris from the onboard canisters and transfers it to an internal bag that seals up when it’s full. That way, you’ll never see, touch, or smell anything unpleasant or get your fingers dirty. Once it dumps out all the dirt and debris it collected, it goes on its merry way, resuming its cleaning mission precisely where it left off.
How Do Self-Emptying Vacuum Cleaners Compare to Canister and Upright Vacuums?
Are Self-Emptying Vacuum Cleaners Worth It
While it might seem that a robovac with self-emptying capability is an unnecessary luxury, you’ll most likely never want to go back to a less autonomous model after enjoying the effortless convenience a device like this affords. Let’s say you’re an allergy sufferer who detests regular robovacs because you need to empty the dustbin yourself, and this aggravates your symptoms to the nth degree. In that case, it’s worth investing in a self-emptying robovac.
When you make one of these units an integral part of your cleaning arsenal, you’ll be able to kick back and relax with an adult beverage while you watch your faithful bot do all your dirty work. You’ll no longer need to put up with the endless coughing, sneezing, and feeling miserable caused by dumping a dirty and dust-filled canister into your kitchen garbage can.
These models are a godsend for people with mobility issues, such as the elderly or the chronically ill, and are excellent for larger homes where there are pets. That’s because canine and feline hair can quickly fill up the onboard canisters of less advanced robotic vacuum cleaners. If you have animals living with you and are wondering what the best robot vacuum for pet hair of 2023 is, read our informative guide.
Merely create a schedule that directs your bot to clean while you’re away, and your unit will go to town on all the filth embedded in your carpets and hard floors. If you want a machine that can not only vacuum but mop too, check out our choices for the best robot mop and vacuum.
Self-Emptying Hybrids
If you want a self-emptying vac that takes self-sufficiency to a whole new level, invest in a model that also mops. Some of these units wash their own mop pads, clean their own docks, and refill their own tanks.
When a self-cleaning robovac senses its microfiber pad is dirty, it immediately returns to the charging dock. Then, a powerful bristle brush inside the station thoroughly cleans the pad. While docked at home base, the bot sucks out filthy water and dumps it into the dirty water tank. Then, it tops off the onboard water tank with fresh water.
You can purchase a self-emptying unit that raises its mopping plates when detecting a carpet. This allows it to vacuum rugs and mop hard floors during a single cleaning session, making it a consummate multitasker. You can also get a vacuum and mop hybrid that dumps out its own dirt that comes with cutting-edge sonic vibration technology. This adds powerful scrubbing action to its operation.
One of the best multi-tasking self-emptying units is the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra. It can vacuum your carpets, empty the dirt and debris it collects, mop your hard floors, clean its own mop pad, and refill its onboard tank on its own, all without you needing to lift a finger!
Best Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums for 2023
The GoodFor starters, it can empty its own dustbin, wash its own pad after mopping, and refill its water tank when it runs out. Your trusty bot carries out all these actions with minimal intervention from you.
An added bonus is you don’t need to do any prep beforehand—unlike many other robotic cleaning machines. This means you won’t have to pick up objects the unit might see as obstacles, such as kids’ toys or socks.
That’s because the S7 MaxV Ultra has one of the best obstacle avoidance systems ever devised.
The Not-So-GoodSome users have had the curious experience of the unit thinking that shadows are actual objects that must be avoided at all costs. This might be due to an algorithm that needs a little tweaking.
Nonreusable bags collect dirt and debris instead of a reusable dustbin. In future iterations of this model, that should be changed. That would make owning the unit a little more cost-effective with less environmental impact.
What Customers SayLots of users are impressed with how intelligent the Roborock S7 MaxV is compared to other robotic cleaning machines. The unit creates a granular map of every level of your home in both 3D and 2D. You can access this data to clean a specific area instead of an entire floor and to create no-go zones, among other things.
Other customers love that the unit has plenty of power to take care of all their vacuuming and mopping needs. With 5100 Pa of suction and the innovative use of sonic vibration technology, your floors will never look cleaner!
Roborock S7 MaxV PlusPrice: HighThe Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra comes with the empty wash fill dock, while the Plus only has the more basic auto-empty dock. The auto-empty dock doesn’t wash the mop pads, whereas the empty wash fill dock does. The auto-empty dock doesn’t have the ability to clean itself. On the other hand, the empty wash fill dock does. Lastly, unlike the empty wash fill dock, the auto-empty dock doesn’t have a reservoir that automatically fills the onboard water tank.
- Roborock S7 MaxVPrice: Average
The only difference between the Roborock S7 MaxV and the Ultra is that the latter comes with the empty wash fill dock. This means that you’ll have to empty the onboard dustbin and dirty water tank and wash the mopping cloth yourself instead of having the dock do it for you. If you’d rather things be more autonomous, consider getting the Ultra. The time and energy you save will more than make up for the added cost.
The GoodThe Roborock has an unparalleled ability to intelligently make its way through your home. In fact, this exceptional cleaning droid is such a quick learner, it’s able to map your entire residence during its few first cleaning cycles.
The unit comes with super sensitive sensors that prevent it from falling down stairs, thus preventing a costly mechanical disaster. When its high-tech sensors lightly brush up against an obstacle, the machine turns around and heads in another direction, eliminating furniture damage.
The Not-So-GoodAccording to manufacturer’s guidelines, you’re only allowed to put pure water into the tank—not a commercial cleaning solution. While the Roborock is pretty good at keeping your home spic and span, imagine how much better it would be if it was designed to be used with a liquid stronger than water.
Unfortunately, there’s no notification to alert you when the water tank is empty.
What Customers SayCustomers all over the country are ecstatic about how incredibly easy the app is to use. The intuitive interface gives them unprecedented control over their machine, such as establishing no-go zones for areas of their home that are too treacherous for their little cleaning buddy.
Other buyers love the exceptional suction of the Roborock. At 25000Pa, the machine has sufficient power to clean every square inch of a home’s floors.
- Roborock S7Price: High
The Roborock S7 hybrid robot vacuum and mop is an impressive clean machine, featuring sonic mopping technology, powerful 2500PA of maximum suction, and an array of intelligent mapping and navigational features. The Roborock S7 is without self-empty dock. This means that you’ll have to empty the onboard dustbin yourself instead of having the dock do it for you. Read more >
The GoodThe unique D-shape and corner brushes allow the s9+ to clean corners better than any Roomba before it. A HEPA-style filter and fully sealed dustbin keep allergens safely contained. Unlike previous models, the s9+ doesn’t avoid dark flooring or rugs. Improved suction power and better brush rollers helps it deep clean almost anything, even thick carpeting.
The s9 is also compatible with iRobot’s Braava Jet m6 robotic mop. The robot can be controlled through the iHOME app, or by using voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant.
The Not-So-GoodIt’s one of the more costly options on our list, so it won’t fit the average homeowner’s budget. There’s no carry handle for easy transporting between rooms or floor levels. Given its advanced nature, it may not be the best option for those who aren’t tech-savvy or who have poor WiFi.
The corner brushes tend to wear out quickly, especially on thicker carpeting. It’s also fairly loud, especially when emptying at it’s Clean Base. Maps can also not be shared between older models or with the Braava Jet m6 mop.
What Customers SayCustomers absolutely love the self-emptying bin and the extra degree of autonomy it provides. They also love the improved suction and better carpet cleaning capability. Pet owners were impressed with this machine for how much hair it picked up without getting clogged, and without them having to empty the bin themselves.
Early adopters who purchased the first round of s9 robots have had some issues with software bugs. Several complained that the corner brushes wore out quickly. Many felt it took a bit too long for the s9 to autonomously learn floor plans.
- iRobot Roomba i7+Price: High
The Roomba i7+ is the first robot vacuum capable of emptying its own dustbin. With a battery run time of up to 90 minutes, the i7 covers a lot of ground while picking up a ton of hair and other debris that can clog other vacuums. With Imprint Smart-Mapping, the i7 learns your floor plan in just 2 to 3 cycles, seamlessly avoiding furniture and other obstacles. The iHOME app gives you an infinite array of control possibilities from scheduling times, choosing rooms, creating maps, and more.
Find out more with our detailed review of the iRobot Roomba i7+ >
The GoodThis robot was designed with tackling tougher tasks in mind. Enhanced suction capability and a redesigned self-cleaning brushroll excel at cleaning long hair, making it a great option for animal lovers. Its bagless, self-emptying bin allows you to forget about the dustbin for up to a month of continuous cleaning.
Recharge and Resume technology allows your Shark IQ Robot XL to pick up cleaning right where it left off after returning to its base to charge.
The Not-So-GoodThe Shark IQ Robot XL tends to have some difficulty with mapping, although there are some workarounds online that may help. The navigation may occasionally run into problems as well, with some finding the device stuck or having issues returning to its base. This is a noticeably audible machine, becoming particularly loud on hardwood flooring.
What Customers SayCustomers love the self-emptying feature, freeing them from needing to babysit their machine just to make sure it’s not full again. People are also big fans of it’s impressive deep-cleaning capabilities, particularly pet owners. They say the machine is particularly effective at cleaning longer hair thanks to it’s impressive suction, but that they don’t need to worry about it wrapping and clogging the machine thanks to it’s self-cleaning brush.
There are a number of users that state their vacuum is fairly loud when in operation, particularly on harder surfaces such as tile and hardwood. While praised by some, there are a number of users that have noticed problems with the mapping and navigation as well.
What To Look for in a Self-Emptying Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
When looking for the best self-emptying robot vacuum for your needs, you’ll want one with a big enough canister for your cleaning frequency and house size. This means ensuring that the capacity of the external dustbin on your unit is sufficient to make the self-emptying feature worth your while. If you’re like most people, you’ll probably want a model you only need to empty every couple of months or so.
Most makers of robotic vacs usually rate their devices on how many days or cleaning sessions worth of dirt their external canisters can store—most often between 30 and 60. If a manufacturer says that its unit can hold 60 days of filth, and you vacuum twice weekly, you won’t need to empty the canister for over six months. You’ll know when it’s time to dump out the canister’s contents because your helpful little bot will send an alert to your smartphone.
What are the Drawbacks of Self-Emptying Robotic Cleaners
Bases for self-emptying robovacs aren’t as compact as their non-self-emptying counterparts. In fact, they can be downright bulky and tend to take up a lot of space. Docking stations need to be bigger for self-emptying vacuums than regular robovacs because there needs to be enough capacity for the collection canister to take in large amounts of junk.
While this reduces the number of times you need to empty the external dustbin, you probably should check the product dimensions before buying one to ensure that it will fit in the space you’re planning to put it in. Because self-emptying docks are taller than charging bases for regular robovacs, they cause vacuums to protrude further out into a room than models without this feature. This makes them less inconspicuous than non-emptying models.
Self-emptying docks generate a loud noise for approximately a minute when offloading dirt and debris from the smaller onboard canister to the larger external one. This mechanical din is typically noisier than the sound emitted by an old-fashioned upright model.
What are the Benefits of Self-Emptying Robovacs
The ability to self-empty is one of the most exciting developments in the evolution of self cleaning robot vacuums. Because these models are more autonomous than their less technologically sophisticated predecessors, It goes without saying that they offer a better user experience than regular robovacs.
Self-emptying robot vacuum technology has made quantum leaps, with performance that would have been undreamed of a few short years ago. It’s true that robot vacuums with self emptying capabilities are more expensive than regular robotic cleaners. However, their price has dropped significantly in the last few years, putting them within financial reach of consumers who could never afford the more expensive models.
Buying a robovac with a self-emptying dock can save up to 110 hours of floor maintenance a year, or approximately two hours every week. Think of what you can do with all that extra time!
A self-emptying unit allows you to use your robovac more frequently. That’s because, with an ordinary robotic vacuum cleaner, you need to empty the onboard dustbin throughout the day periodically.
Because you’re not there to empty it, you might be hesitant to run the vac when you’re away from home. With a model that does this task for you, you won’t have this problem, resulting in a cleaner house.For more on the best robot vacuums 2023, read our enlightening article.
Robot Tips & Tricks
