The Black Friday robot vacuum deals you won't want to miss

24.11.2023 13:17

Mashable

UPDATE: Nov. 23, 2023, 6:45 a.m. EST This post has been updated with the best robot vacuum deals ahead of Black Friday including deals from Amazon and Best Buy's official Black Friday events, which kicked off on Nov. 17.

An overview of the best early Black Friday robot vacuum deals:

Best standalone robot vacuum deal

Shark Matrix RV2300

$199 at Walmart (save $100.99)

Best self-emptying robot vacuum deal

Shark Detect Pro RV2820AE

$449.99 at Best Buy (save $150)

Best robot vacuum/mop hybrid deal

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

$499 at Amazon (save $300.99)

Robot vacuums are everywhere and nowhere all at once in the good year of 2023. Shopping holidays have gone hard in this category for years, but you still may not know anyone who actually has one. If you're wondering if robot vacuums are actually worth it, your best bet is to scope out Black Friday robot vacuum deals to try one yourself.

And by Black Friday, we mean the entire month of November.

Retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon have been dropping early deals for weeks, and all four have finally cut the virtual ribbon of their official Black Friday sales: Walmart and Target earlier in the month and Best Buy and Amazon on Nov. 17. That means that unless you're waiting for a very specific vacuum that happens to not be on sale yet, there's no real point in waiting until Black Friday. If you see a good deal, best to snatch it up.

Below, we're tracking the robot vacuum deals live ahead of Black Friday. Deals are organized into three sections — standalone robot vacuums, self-emptying robot vacuums (that don't mop), and robot vacuum/mop hybrids — and listed in order of price. We'll be updating this list as new deals drop throughout the days leading up to Black Friday, so check back.

Note: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price.

Early Black Friday standalone robot vacuum deals under $300

Credit: Shark

Our pick: Shark Matrix RV2300

$199 at Walmart (save $100.99)

Why we like it

For a solid cheap Shark option, skip the outdated $129 Shark ION and opt for one from the newer Matrix line instead. For less than $200, the RV2300 model (without an auto-empty dock) secures LiDAR-powered smart home mapping and virtual boundaries, plus Shark's Matrix technology, which tackles debris from multiple angles in a crosshatch pattern to grab anything that was missed on the first pass.

Shark itself claims that the Matrix dishes out 50% more suction power than the Roomba i3 — and when the Roomba i3 costs $100 more even on sale, we'd understand if that's an experiment you're willing to test.

More robot vacuums on sale for under $300

iHome AutoVac Juno — $85 ~~$199~~ (save $114.99)
iRobot Roomba 694 — $159 ~~$274.99~~ (save $250)✨🔥
Shark Matrix with self-empty — $299.99 ~~$499.99~~ (save $200)✨

Early Black Friday robot vacuum deals under $500

Credit: Shark

Our pick: Shark Detect Pro RV2820AE

$449.99 at Best Buy (save $150)

Why we like it

Shark released several different versions of its flagship robot vacuum in 2023. The chic Detect Pro model sets itself apart from the pack with two new features: Dirt Detect, which automatically sends the botvac over dirtier areas multiple times with increased suction, and NeverStuck technology, which enhances this Shark's obstacle detection and maneuverability for less babysitting.

Home mapping and virtual boundaries guided by 360-degree LiDAR are present here, plus Shark's newest claim to fame: its Matrix cleaning technique that vacuums in a crosshatch pattern to grab any debris missed from the first angle.

More robot vacuums on sale for under $500

iRobot Roomba i5+ — $349.99 ~~$549.99~~ (save $200)✨
Roborock Q5+ — $449.99 ~~$699.99~~ (save $250 with on-page coupon)🔥

Early Black Friday robot vacuum deals under $700

Credit: iRobot

Our pick: iRobot Roomba s9+

$599.99 at Amazon (save $400)

Why we like it

The s9+ hasn't been the latest or greatest Roomba since iRobot started rolling out its j Series robot vacs in 2021. But it should still be a serious contender if you have pets or lots of thick carpeting in your home — especially when on sale for $599.99. For reference, the only Roombas with stronger suction power than the s9+ are the j9+ and Combo j9+, which go for $899.99 and $1,399.99, respectively, and aren't currently on sale.

Early Black Friday robot vacuum/mop hybrid deals

Credit: iRobot

Our pick: iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

$499 at Amazon (save $300.99)✨🔥

Why we like it

You can bring home the triple threat that is automatic emptying, mopping, and small obstacle avoidance for less than $500 with this deal that dropped on the first official day of Amazon's Black Friday sale.

Compared to the Roomba j7+, the j5+'s obstacle detection cameras aren't quite as precise, and still may require you to pick up things like towels or socks, or put a virtual barrier around pet bowls. But to be able to skip skimming the floor for rogue cords and enjoy automatic emptying for less than $400, you can probably deal with ensuring laundry gets into the basket. As for the mopping, this is one of iRobot's new Swap and Mop models, which does require you to be home to physically click on the water tank when you want to mop.