Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents Are self-emptying robot vacuums worth it? Roborock Saros 10R: Our top pick Shark RV2300S: Best budget pick Eufy E20 3-in-1: Best if you also want a stick vacuum Eufy X10 Pro Omni: Best mid-range self-cleaning option iRobot Roomba Combo j5+: Best Roomba value (if it's on sale) How We Tested Testing updates Frequently Asked Questions The best self-emptying robot vacuums have one huge perk past the obvious act of vacuuming the floor for you. (Spoiler alert: It's in the name.)When you outsource vacuuming to a robot, your floors get cleaned way more often, right? There's just one little downside to that 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.Hence, auto-empty robot vacuums were born. These vacs do your vacuuming and bin emptying for you, storing the debris collected on each trip in a larger compartment that's located in the charging dock. While you'd typically have to empty a standalone robot vacuum as often as every day or two, self-emptying robot vacuum cleaners are self-sufficient for several weeks. Most brands claim to have capacities averaging between six to eight weeks, but almost every self-emptying dock I've tested in my 1,300 square foot apartment lasted much longer than that.It's the obvious supplementary step for the full hands-off cleaning experience, and it's rare to see a robot vacuum from 2024 or 2025 that doesn't have automatic emptying. (Unless you're the Dyson robot vacuum, in which case you cost more than $1,000 despite offering neither automatic emptying nor mopping.)Are self-emptying robot vacuums worth it?A robot vacuum that can empty its own dust bin is for sure worth it in just about every home. If vacuuming every day is something you don't feel like doing manually, you probably also don't feel like manually dumping a vac's dustbin into the trash every day. Such is the natural pipeline of being spoiled with technology.Automatic emptying is particularly valuable in homes with pets. Daily pet hair pickup could easily fill up a vacuum's tiny onboard dustbin after just a few rooms, but that capacity is significantly expanded when there's a large alternate dustbin on the dock. If they get full mid-cleaning session, self-emptying vacuums know to head back to the dock to unload, then finish the rest of the session with a clean slate.Not for nothing, even the most ergonomic upright vacuums are a pain to wrestle out of the closet sometimes. In a pinch, it's inarguably worthwhile to have the option to start sweeping with a click on an app.For people with allergies, auto-emptying also spares you from inhaling the inevitable puff of dust that emerges when dumping a dustbin into the trash. Speaking of avoiding the grosser parts of the job, if you're specifically seeking a robot vacuum that mops, many self-emptying docks also take it upon themselves to wash and dry the dirty mopping pads after the job is done.I've been testing the latest and greatest self-emptying robot vacuums released in 2024 and 2025 against my old favorites from years prior. These are my top picks for the best robot vacuum that empties itself. How we tested With these in mind, the overall bang for your buck for each robot vacuum comes into play. Are its features on paper and actual cleaning competence worth the price tag, and how practical is that cost for the average household? Learn more about how we test Cleaning thoroughness To encapsulate the full spectrum of messes a robot vacuum might encounter, each one is sent out to tackle various spills, debris, levels of pet hair, and more on multiple floor types. The vacs that mop perform extra tests on stains and spills. Navigation A robot vacuum’s ability to get to the right spot in the first place is arguably as important as the cleaning itself. I keep tabs on navigational accuracy when it comes to smart mapping my home, finding specific rooms and zones, and identifying small obstacles. User-friendliness and intuitiveness The ideal robot vacuum will be a relatively seamless addition to your household. Because if it’s loud, an eye sore, or generally a pain to use, you're not going to want it in your house at all. Maintenance Anyone aiming to avoid manual sweeping may also want to avoid manual upkeep of a vacuum. Many robot vacuums automate their own dust bin emptying, mopping pad washing, and more — the more self-sufficient they are, the better. Our Pick Roborock Saros 10R Our top pick $1,599.99 Amazon The Good & The Bad Very slim Washes and dries its mopping pads 20,000 Pa suction is destroys others in this list Self-emptying noise is quieter than most Impeccable edge and corner mopping Barely ever gets lost Livestream pet camera is actually pretty useful Very slow mopping Clean water tank drains quickly Small obstacle avoidance still isn't perfect Pet hair pickup on low pile could be better Dock's slightly curved top prevents things from being set on it Our review Read our full review of the Roborock Saros 10R. Who it's for The 2025 Roborock Saros 10R would make the most sense for people who are serious about barefoot readiness and the hands-off cleaning experience as a whole — serious enough to invest in one of the priciest vacuums on the market. If you've ever cringed watching a robot vacuum lazily attempt and fail to sweep up the ball of crumbs and pet hair that blew into the corner, this is the attention to detail you're craving.With way-above-average suction power, self-sustaining mopping pads, and a livestream pet camera, the Saros 10R is an exhaustive floor suite that would flourish in lived-in homes with complex room layouts, heavy foot traffic (or paw traffic), and a high possibility of stuff on the floor at any given time. Otherwise, it's probably overkill. Why we picked this Roborock finally diverted from the passé matte plastic dock that we're used to and instead went with a chic mirrored finish. That's not fully why I chose the Saros 10R, but it's definitely a selling point if you prioritize harmony within your decor. Plus, the noise the dock makes during automatic emptying is undoubtedly the least painful I've heard.First off, the Saros 10R's 20,000 Pa of suction power simply runs laps around most of the competition, even doubling the suction power of my previous top pick, the Roborock Qrevo Master. This proved highly effective in fully sucking up debris from kitty litter to kibble to large Goldfish crackers to a large pile of soil after re-potting a plant. For those concerned with pet hair pickup, my Saros 10R actually performed significantly better on higher-pile rugs than it did on low pile. But I personally like the Saros 10R because of its mopping skills. Specifically, I'm referring to corner mopping. Scrubbing corners and wiping up splatters along the edges of my kitchen has been a consistent struggle with almost all of the hybrids I've tested, but the 10R's retractable spinning side mop actually reaches out past the edge of the circular vacuum. Details Auto-empty dust bin capacity: At least eight weeks Smart mapping: Yes Small obstacle avoidance: Yes Battery life: Up to 120 minutes Height: 3.1 inches GET IT $1,599.99 Amazon Shark RV2300S Best budget pick $329.00 Walmart The Good & The Bad Frequently on sale for under $300 Accurate smart mapping for the price Convenient pick-up-and-place spot cleaning Matrix cleaning mode sweeps from multiple angles Not super thorough in corners or along walls A little clunky around furniture 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.Speaking of small spaces, this is the most compact dock on the list, making it ideal for apartments or other tight squeezes that may not have much floor space for one of those bigger full-fledged docks. Why we picked this It's pretty rare to find LiDAR smart home mapping plus self-emptying near the $300 mark, even if that self-emptying only lasts for a month or so versus longer capacity on bigger docks. (Though in my experience, the RV23000S lasted much longer than a month before I had to empty it.)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 by 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. Details Auto-empty dust bin capacity: Up to 30 days Battery life: Up to 180 minutes Smart room mapping and virtual boundaries: Yes Height: 3.2 inches GET IT $329.00 Walmart Eufy E20 3-in-1 Best if you also want a stick vacuum $399.99 Amazon The Good & The Bad Frequently on sale for under $400 Shockingly affordable for a robot and stick vacuum combo Suction power of both vacuums is powerful for the price 75 day self-empty dust capacity Room by room smart mapping is quite accurate Dock is very compact Doesn't mop A bit loud Exposed motor isn't the most aesthetically appealing design Have to come up with storage for the stick vacuum piece Can't avoid chargers or other cables Who it's for Most of us know, deep down, that the ideal home cleaning setup involves both the daily hands-off convenience of a robot vacuum and the detail-oriented freedom of an upright vacuum. If you're having trouble choosing between them, the Eufy E20 3-in-1 is a really strategic way to maximize space and a mid-range budget. It'll get serious daily use if your idea of a clean home goes past the floors to crevices like windowsills, car seats, staircases, and couch cushions.The Eufy E20 is a robot vacuum that doesn't mop — a rarity in 2025 — so the target buyer should consider the number of high-traffic hard floors in their home. If it's mostly carpeting and rugs, you might settle for skipping mopping to secure the self-emptying robot-turned-stick vacuum setup. Why we picked this The package Eufy brought to the CES 2025 table might just be the best bang for your buck of vacuums this year.Switching between them just involves pulling the motor out of the robot vacuum body and clicking it onto one of the included attachments. After the robot vac returns from a cleaning or the motor is secured back into the vacuum after handheld use, the dock automatically empties the dust bin for up to 75 days before you need to step in. I appreciate the fact that the dustbin is transparent and that every cleaning run is started with a clean slate — it provides unequivocal proof of how much either vacuum was able to scrounge up off my floors.No one's claiming that the Eufy E20 in robot vacuum mode or cordless stick mode will be the most powerful that you can buy. We already know that its real power lies in the range of cleaning it offers. But for the price, its suction specs aren't too shabby: At 8,000 Pa, it vacuums with the same amount of suction power as the 2024 Eufy X10 Pro Omni that thoroughly impressed me during testing. Pickup rate of fine debris along edges and long hairs on rugs could be better, but the E20 reliably took care of all visible crumbs, rocks, and loose dust bunnies on my flat rugs, hardwood, and tile. I tended to switch to the upright cleaning head and its 30,000 Pa of suction power to tackle rugs with heavy layers of cat hair.On the smart mapping front, the Eufy E20 excels at getting to the right spot. It created a near-perfect map of my three-bedroom, three-bath apartment on the first try. After I added an extra border or two in the app, the E20 accurately made its way to selected spots on a daily basis without getting stuck on a bath mat or under a bed. Details Auto-empty dust bin capacity: At least 75 days Smart mapping: Yes Small obstacle avoidance: No Battery life: Up to 180 minutes, depending on mode Height: 3.75 inches GET IT $399.99 Amazon Eufy X10 Pro Omni Best mid-range self-cleaning option $799.99 Walmart The Good & The Bad Frequently on sale for under $700 8,000 Pa suction power wows in this price range Affordable AI obstacle avoidance Automatic water refill and mop pad washing/drying Can mop while vacuuming with multiple intensity modes Loud automatic emptying Mistakes small rugs for obstacles Still only has a single roller brush Our review 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 my 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. I cherish this feature a little extra, as there's bound to be a phone charger, catnip mouse, or blanket tufts on my 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 most cords and socks in my home. Details Auto-empty dust bin capacity: At least 8 weeks Smart mapping: Yes Small obstacle avoidance: Yes Battery life: Up to 210 minutes (depending on mode) Vacuum height: 3.6 inches Related Stories iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ Best Roomba value (if it's on sale) $379.99 Amazon The Good & The Bad Frequently on sale for under $400 Better small obstacle detection than more expensive competitors Dual rubber brush rolls are good at pinching long hair and large crumbs Stylish, compact self-emptying dock Dustbin capacity lasts way longer than the advertised two months Too expensive for manual mop pad switching at full price Automatic emptying is painfully loud Suction isn't powerful enough for debris-heavy carpet or rugs 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 percent 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 on sale for near or under $400 (which it often is). Almost no other self-emptying robot vacuums in the $400 price range add small obstacle avoidance to their list of features, making this Roomba less likely to need supervision than its peers. In my experience, iRobot's small obstacle avoidance has next to no slip-ups. Multiple j Series Roombas (including this one) consistently steer clear of various cords, shoes, and socks in my apartment, as well as correctly differentiate between a bath rug that needs to be cleaned and a towel that should be avoided. One area where the Combo j5+ does require a bit of babysitting is the switch to mopping mode. Unlike the Combo j7+, the Combo j5+ doesn't have a built-in mop that knows to stop mopping on certain floors. Instead, you need to be around to manually attach the mopping pad and water tank to make it mop, or detach it to let the Combo j5+ vacuum carpet. 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. I also noticed that the Combo j5+'s auto-empty bin went much longer without needing to be dumped than the advertised two-ish months, at least with usage about every other day. Details Auto-empty dust bin capacity: At least 60 days Smart mapping: Yes Small obstacle avoidance: Yes Battery life: Up to 90 minutes Height: 3.4 inches GET IT Topics Robot Vacuums Vacuums Testing updatesI'm currently testing the Roborock Saros 10 and Saros Z70 announced at CES in January, as well as a slew of new Roombas announced in March. If I find any solid new contenders, this guide will be updated accordingly. MORE: Frequently Asked Questions Self-emptying robot vacuums clean just like regular robot vacuums, returning to their docks to charge without your involvement. The dock they're coming back to is where things get fancy, and the general concept is setting and forgetting.Because robot vacuums typically aren't more than four inches tall, there's not room inside to fit a dust bin as large as the ones on an upright stick vacuum. Naturally, the smaller the dust bin, the faster it fills up — most dustbins onboard a robot vacuum don't exceed a half liter and require manual emptying every few sweeping sessions (or every single time if you have pets). A self-emptying robot vacuum actually takes that job out of your hands. After arriving home to charge, these vacs automatically empty into a larger dust bin in its charging dock, which has the capacity to manage many weeks' worth of dirt without needing to be cleaned or emptied by hand. You may need to clean the brush roll from time to time, but otherwise it's a hands-free cleaning experience for a few months at a time.There are two main ways to empty the dock when it's finally full, and you can shop for your self-emptying robot vacuum based on personal preference. Some have disposable bags that can be thrown away and replaced with a new one, while others are bagless and will require dumping into the trash. The first is a little more hygienic and a little less triggering to allergies, while the latter is more eco-friendly and won't require paying for replacements on a regular basis. 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.