These 5 self-emptying robot vacuums were the most hands-off during my testing

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 robotic cleaner, your floors get cleaned way more often, right? There's just one little downside to that extra attention: More debris pulled off the floor means a dust bin that fills up faster, especially if you have pets. You could either empty that dust bin manually multiple times a week, or you could just get a robot vacuum that empties itself.

These vacuum cleaners do the 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 three-bed, three-bath apartment has stretched much longer than that.

The feature is so core to the hands-off cleaning experience nowadays that it's rare for any new robot vacuum release to arrive to market without a self-emptying dock. (Unless you're the Dyson robot vacuum, in which case you're not a robot vacuum that mops nor self-empties — but you still cost over $1,000.)

Automatic emptying isn't strictly a flagship vacuum feature like it used to be, but some of the nicer self-emptiers can definitely get expensive. You should consider doing your shopping during Prime Day, running between July 8 through 11 this year — it's one of the best times of year to find a robot vacuum from any brand on sale. I'm tracking all of the Prime Day best robot vacuum deals, many of which are already live at Amazon ahead of the sale.

I've been testing the latest and greatest self-emptying robot vacuums from 2025 against the top vacs from years prior. Halfway through 2025, these top five picks offered the most efficient automated cleaning experience in my home.

Other robot vacuums I've tested recently

I've tested several other robot vacuum hybrids that didn't make the cut. Some, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Roborock Qrevo Master, Narwal Freo X Ultra, and Roomba j7+ were top picks in this list at one point, but were merely upstaged in power and price tag value by newer models.

I've also tested some 2025 robot vacuum releases that were OK, but weren't contenders for this list. The Dreame X50 Ultra grabbed attention during its CES 2025 debut for its ability to "climb," though the fine print is that it can't scale thresholds taller than 6 millimeters (about 2.36 inches). The Roborock Saros 10 and 10R were able to hoist over the few thick doorway thresholds in my apartment just as well as the X50 Ultra. Its mopping and vacuuming capabilities are better than most mid-range robot vacuums, of course, but they weren't impressive enough for me to suggest the X50 Ultra in this list over either Saros model.

I'm also in the process of testing the new fleet of 2025 Roombas. The Roomba Combo 205 DustCompactor wouldn't be a bad pick if you absolutely can't spare floor space for a self-empty dock. But for being one of iRobot's newest vacuums, I expected it to be a much smoother, smarter navigator. I was impressed by the Roomba 105 compared to the older budget Roombas, but would ultimately recommend the similarly-priced Shark Matrix due to app experience.

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.