If you’re looking for a budget-friendly robot vacuum, there are a few models that immediately come to mind. You want something with good performance, smart usability features, and intelligent navigation.
Roomba is one of the most well-known robot vacuum names with vacuums under $300, but there are other dark horses in the mix that still offer a great cleaning. For example, Deebot, iLife, and Eufy.
A few of the best budget models that come to mind include:
- Roomba 690
- Ecovacs Deebot N79
- Roomba E5
- iLife A4s
- Eufy Robovac 11
All of these models (except for the Roomba e5) use a bristle-style brushroll and spinning side brush(es) to capture debris along edges and corners.
The E5 has the spinning side brushes, but the central brushroll is rubberized, when tends to be better for preventing tangles and clogs.
Budget robot vacuums generally do not have an on-board camera so navigation may be a little lacking, but virtual barriers can help to keep the vac on track.
NOTE: Only the Roomba 690 and Roomba E5 on this list include virtual barriers. 
In addition to the general information above, here’s some other details specific to each model:
#1: Roomba 690
The Roomba 690 has Wi-Fi connectivity for scheduled cleanings and app control. It also includes virtual barriers and had excellent cleaning performance during our tests.
The 690 doesn’t have an on-board camera so it navigates with a bit of zig-zag, but has a decent run time of up to 60 minutes and a dust bin capacity of 0.3 liters.
#2: Ecovacs Deebot N79
The Ecovacs Deebot N79 also has Wi-Fi connectivity and good cleaning performance. One unique feature on this vacuum is the included remote control. If you don’t prefer smartphone, app-based control, the physical remote is a nice option.
It navigates in a zig-zag pattern and there’s no virtual walls, but it’s got up to a 100-minute run time and dust bin capacity of 0.3 liters.
#3: Roomba E5
The Roomba E5 robot vacuum has Wi-Fi connectivity and app control. It includes one virtual wall barrier and has a cleaning performance. There is no on-board camera for the Roomba E5, so it’ll have the same zig-zag navigation as other vacuums in this list and run for up to 90 minutes at a time.
One advantage that it does have over the other models is the rubberized brushroll (compared to traditional bristle). The rubberized brushroll tends to be better for homes with pets or people with longer hair and it’s got a larger dust bin to accompany it, up to 0.5 liters. 
#4: iLife A4s
The iLife A4s robot vacuum has Wi-Fi connectivity for app-based cleaning cycles with strong cleaning performance. There are no virtual walls or on-board camera so it’ll navigate somewhat randomly, but it can still clean fairly well.
This iLife vacuum has a longer run time, between 120-140 minutes (varies by floor types) and a larger debris bin as well, up to 0.45 liters. That is 50% more than the max capacity of the Roomba 690 robot vacuum.
#5: Eufy Robovac 11
The Eufy Robovac 11 also offers Wi-Fi connectivity or control using a physical remote control. It has good cleaning performance (albeit, no on-board camera or virtual barriers) with better than average performance.
It does have a bit of a larger dust bin capacity at 0.6 liters and can run for up to 100 minutes on a single charge.
One feature the Eufy cannot do is automatically return to the charger when the cleaning is complete. Instead, it simply turns off and you’ll need to hunt it down and manually place it on the charger.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to get a quality cleaning job without spending a fortune.
Although a budget robot vacuum may not be able to do every bell and whistle that a more advanced vacuum could do, it is certainly a good option if you’re looking for good performance to help keep debris at bay.
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