Rank correlation between price and score: 0.05 (Spearman, 42 models). For comparison, 1 would mean the pricier model always scores higher.
What the extra money does buy
Split by topic, pricier models do get more praise for navigation and obstacle avoidance: a median topic score of 5.5 under $600, 13.5 at $600–999 and 18 at $1,000+.See which robot vacuums score best on navigation
On vacuuming itself, it runs the other way: 19, 14.5 and 13.5.
Every price band loses points on reliability and support (median −2 to −3). Few models have reliability reviews yet (7, 5 and 7 across the three bands), so treat that one as a hint.See which robot vacuums score best on reliability and support
Navigation and obstacle avoidanceUnder $6005.5 (14 models)$600–99913.5 (10 models)$1,000+18 (13 models)
VacuumingUnder $60019 (15 models)$600–99914.5 (12 models)$1,000+13.5 (14 models)
The company that invented the robot vacuum
iRobot has four models on sale in our ranking. None makes the top 40.
| Model | Price | Rank (of 68) | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roomba 105 Combo | $180 | #44 | +40 | 11 |
| Roomba Plus 505 Combo | $690 | #48 | +34 | 13 |
| Roomba Combo j9+ | $1,012 | #54 | +17 | 13 |
| Roomba Combo i5 | $350 | #64 | 0 | 5 |
The best-ranked of the four is also the cheapest.
Read this before the numbers
- Scores add up, so a model with more reviews can score higher. We checked: price and review count are unrelated here (rank correlation −0.02), and score and review count are only weakly related (0.14). Dividing each score by its review count gives the same picture (0.12 with price).
- Prices move. These are reference prices from November 2026. A sale can move a model into another band.
- Reviews aren't lab tests. We count what reviewers and owners say. A YouTube review counts ±5 per topic and a written review or Reddit thread ±1, so models with lots of YouTube coverage can score higher. Some YouTube reviews are sponsored; we count them like any other source.
- New models carry launch problems. The Eufy Omni S2 came out in September 2026, and early owners post when something breaks.
- What's left out: 23 models with fewer than 10 reviews, and 3 without a price. Across all 65 priced models the rank correlation is 0.13.
Method
- Sources: 894 public reviews of 68 robot vacuums on sale: 588 YouTube videos, 298 Reddit threads and 8 review-site articles. One review = one video, one thread or one article.
- Scoring: an AI model files each mention under a topic (vacuuming, navigation, mopping and so on) as positive or negative. A YouTube review adds or takes away 5 points on a topic; a written review or Reddit thread adds or takes away 1. Each review counts once per topic. Visitor votes add ±0.1, but robot vacuums have none yet.
- Ranks are among the 68 models currently on sale. Ties go to the model with more reviews.
- Price bands: under $600, $600–999, $1,000 and up.
- Data as of November 1, 2026. The robot vacuum ranking was last rebuilt on October 7, 2026.
- Download the data (CSV): rank, brand, model, price, score, reviews and release month for the 65 priced models. No quotes or usernames.
About BettaScore
BettaScore ranks products by what public reviews say about them. No brand pays to be listed or to rank higher, and our shopping links earn nothing.