CBS News
The best budget robot vacuums under $250 can clean up without cleaning you out
Mamnv
If you’re ready to do some spring cleaning, but want to eliminate some of the drudge work, consider a robot vacuum, or a vacuum and mop combo. There are plenty of options priced under $250 from well-known and reliable brands. And just because these robot vacuums have lower price points doesn’t mean they skimp on features. Some even respond to voice commands, self-dock when they’re done and even mop your floors.
For all sorts of tips about tools you can use to make spring cleaning a breeze, check out all of our home, kitchen & outdoor coverage, where you’ll discover the five best robot vacuums for pet hair, a roundup of the best robot vacuums on Amazon and so much more.
What is the best budget robot vacuum in 2024?
Check out these great options for $250 or less from iRobot, Shark and more beloved brands.
Most affordable robot vacuum: Lefant M210 Pro robot vacuum cleaner
Amazon
Here’s a robot vacuum you can get for only $100. Lefant’s M210 Pro robot vac is 4-star rated (based on more than 8,300 ratings). It features anti-collision infrared sensors, so it won’t bang into its surroundings. The robot vacuum detects “stuck areas” and adjusts its cleaning path automatically.
This robot vacuum offers 120 minutes of run time and self-charging capabilities. And you can download the Lefant app to pair the Wi-Fi-enabled vac with your smartphone or smart home hub to control it remotely (even using voice command).
This affordable vacuum is only $110 using an instant Amazon coupon. It’s reduced from $200.
Robot vac with the longest run time: Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum and mop
Amazon
This 4.1-star rated (based on more than 9,100 ratings) multi-purpose cleaning device can vacuum and mop — either performing one task at a time or doing both simultaneously.
The robot vacuum features 3D object avoidance, which allows it to recognize objects in its path and move around them to avoid getting stuck. It also maps your home to find an efficient cleaning path. In fact, it can also identify your floor type and adjust its cleaning method accordingly.
The Yeedi Vac 2 Pro robot vacuum and mop offers an impressive 3,000 Pa of suction power and a 240-minute run time. Right now, you can purchase this powerful cleaning tool for just $150, after using the $100 off instant coupon on Amazon.
Best robot vacuum and mop combo: Mamnv robot vacuum and mop combo
Amazon
This Mamnv robot vacuum and mop combo features a 3.9 average star rating (out of more than 2,000 reviews). The 2-in-1 device offers 1400 Pa of suction power with four high-efficiency cleaning modes to mop and vacuum. It offers a slim design, so it can travel under furniture and easily maneuver around obstacles.
You can control this vacuum via an app, remote control or with Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. It works with any smartphone and a wide range of home hubs that allows you to easily create a cleaning schedule, change the cleaning mode and control the cleaning direction via the Tuya Smart app.
It has advanced obstacle avoidance functionality that uses a set of sensors to intelligently identify and avoid walls, stairs, and obstacles. Thanks to its 2,500mAh battery capacity, it will continuously work up to 100 minutes and then return to its charging base.
Best super thin robot vacuum: Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max
Amazon
Not only has this robot vacuum earned an average star rating of 4.3 on Amazon (based on more than 12,300 reviews), it’s also currently $100 off when you use the Amazon instant coupon. This brings the price of this normally $250 robot vac down to a mere $150.
One thing that sets this robot vac apart from its competition is its super-thin (2.85 inch tall) design. This allows it to scoot under most furniture. It also offers quiet operation (just 55dB), so as it’s busy cleaning the floors, you’ll barely notice it’s there. The 11S Max works equally well on hard floors and low-to-medium pile carpets. And thanks to its 2,000 Pa suction, it does a nice job cleaning up pet hair, too.
On a fully charged battery, the 11S Max runs up to 100-minutes. It comes with a remote control, charging base, AC power adapter, a cleaning tool and one side brush. As you’d expect, this robot vac has built in sensors so it easily avoids colliding into furniture or falling down stairs. When its battery starts to run low, it automatically returns to its base to recharge.
If you have a higher budget, we’re excited about the pending release of the new Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo robotic vacuum and mop in one device. It’s now available for preorder and is loaded with advanced features that make cleaning your floors an almost completely automated process. For a limited time, get $300 off this new and cutting-edge robotic vacuum/mop combo.
Nowadays, what makes a martini a martini? Robert Simonson, who wrote a book about the martini, said, “It’s funny: it’s strict and loose at the same time.”
Ten Speed Press
Everyone seems to have an opinion about the cocktail: “Ingredients, proportions, garnishes – it’s all subject to debate,” Simonson said. “I’m a purist. I would think it needs to be gin and vermouth. But I’m willing to bend and say, ‘Okay, vodka and vermouth as well.’ [However,] if there’s no vermouth in there, I don’t know how you can call it a cocktail.”
Simonson says the martini was probably named after a vermouth company. It was invented in America in the 1870s or ’80s when bartenders mixed gin with vermouth, a fortified wine made with herbs and spices. “It’s a very big player in cocktail history,” he said.
In the early 20th century, the “very-dry” martini became very-popular: Ice cold gin or vodka, garnished with a lemon twist, or an olive, or an onion, but only a little vermouth (or maybe not even a little).
Samantha Casuga, the head bartender at Temple Bar in New York City, says the reason why many people might not want vermouth in their martini is because, for years, vermouth was stored improperly. “It should be in the fridge,” she said.
CBS News
Casuga’s classic martini is two parts gin, one part vermouth, with a twist of lemon. She suggests that you probably shouldn’t order it the way James Bond does – shaken, not stirred. Casuga says she’s always stirring, but some people like the show behind the bar when a bartender shakes their cocktail. “Definitely, people love a good shake,” she said.
People also love to have a martini made just the way they want it. But Casuga understands why they might be so specific: “To have your own preferences, not only listened to and then executed, is, like, that’s luxury itself.”
Writer Robert Simonson says that a martini can also add a little luxury to your Thanksgiving. “It actually makes very good sense for Thanksgiving,” he said. “It will whet your appetite for the meal to come.
“There are very few American inventions more American than the martini. So, an American holiday, American drink.”
CBS News
For more info:
Story produced by Mary Raffalli. Editor: Remington Korper.
“Sunday Morning” 2024 “Food Issue” recipe index
Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs, cookbook authors, food writers, restaurateurs, and the editors of Food & Wine magazine.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.