10 Best Robot Vacuums With Self-Emptying Base

What is automatic dirt disposal?

When a robot vacuum’s dust bin is full, it will stop working until the contents are dumped out. If the robot is one that comes with a sensor, it will flash a light on its body, or notification in its app to indicate that it needs to be emptied.

Automatic dirt disposal, however, happens when the robot is able to get rid of the dirt in its dust bin, on its own.

Most robot vacuums that have automatic dirt disposal come with a bin in their charging base. Once the robot is done with its cleaning, it will automatically return to its charging base and from there, transfer the dust to a paper bag to be thrown out. In some cases, the disposal bin in the charging base can hold up to two months of dirt, dust and debris.

Advanced auto-emptying stations

The cleaning stations of robot vacuum cleaners are becoming more, and more impressive. Initially, the purpose of the auto-emptying station was to empty out the dustbin, however, modern auto-emptying stations are equipped with plenty of advanced features that do most of the maintenance work for you. The most advanced auto-emptying stations have the following functions:

• Automatic mop cleaning: They clean the mopping pads of the robot vacuum to prevent the formation of bad odors and bacteria.
• Automatic mop drying: They dry the mopping pads to further prevent bad odors, mold and bacteria.
• Automatic water tank refill: They automatically refill the robot vacuum’s water tank from the larger water container in the auto-emptying station.

With an advanced auto-emptying station, your robot vacuum cleaner requires even less maintenance on your part. You will just have to change the auto-emptying station’s dust bag every 30-60 days, and refill the large water container, which is usually around 2.5-3 liters.

These are the 3 best robot vacuum cleaners with an auto-emptying station that also refills the water tank.

Rank	Image	Robot vacuum cleaner	Score	Verdict	Price
1		Dreametech L10s Ultra	88	Good	$800
2		Dreame L20 Ultra	85	Good	$1,300
3		Ecovacs Deebot X1 Turbo	79	Satisfactory	$937

How much more expensive is a robot vacuum cleaner with an auto-emptying station?

The average price for a robot vacuum cleaner is $361, whereas the average price for a robot vacuum cleaner with an auto-emptying station is $642. The price distribution is shown in the chart below.

These are the 5 cheapest robot vacuum cleaners with an auto-emptying station.

Pros & cons of a robot vacuum with automatic dirt disposal

Just like other robot vacuums with various features, there are pros and cons that come with purchasing a robot vacuum with automatic dirt disposal. Some of them are as follows:

Pros

• Hassle-free: A common complaint among robot vacuum users is the fact that they need to empty their robot vacuum’s dust bin every time its cleans; something that can be a tedious chore for those with a busy schedule. Some robot vacuums, with smaller dust bins, might even need to be emptied in the middle of cleaning if there is too much dirt and debris on the carpets and floors.

  With the introduction of automatic dirt disposal in robot vacuums, people can enjoy having their houses cleaned without worrying that the robot might have to stop in the middle of a cleaning job. Because some robot vacuums are also able to store more dirt (e.g. more than just after one cleaning), the bag that contains the disposed of dirt and dust does not have to be emptied every day, nor after every cleaning.

• Great time-saver: Robot vacuums with automatic dirt disposal can save a lot of time, and effort, for those who have busy work schedules who are not able to delegate as much time and energy to cleaning and maintaining the house.

  Getting a robot vacuum with automatic dirt disposal helps people maintain a clean home, despite their busy schedules. Robot vacuums that have this feature take cleaning from a messy, time-consuming job to something that doesn’t require that much focused attention, so people can spend their time doing other things that require more of their attention.

• Cleaner air: Some robot vacuums that come with automatic dirt disposal boast of cleaner air in homes. That’s because the dirt that comes from the dust bin is no longer exposed to breathable air since it makes the transfer within the body of its charging base. During this transfer, dust and other particles don’t escape into the air; this is especially helpful for households that have members who could be sensitive to pollen, molds and other allergens.

Cons

• More expensive: The more bells and whistles a product has, the more it will cost, and this is certainly the case of robot vacuums that come with automatic dirt disposal. While regular robot vacuums cost a couple of hundred pounds, some robot vacuums with self-emptying dust bins can cost up to a thousand pounds.
• Additional cost for disposal bags: Aside from the cost of the body of a robot vacuum, there will be a need to regularly buy the disposal paper bags that the robot empties its dust bin into. While some robot vacuums can hold several weeks of dirt and debris, it will always depend on the size of the house they are cleaning, as well as the dirtiness of the floors. Houses that have lots of pets (especially pets that shed a lot of hair), might find that they will need to empty the disposal paper bag more often, increasing the cost further.
• Noisy: The automatic emptying of the dustbin into the base station’s dust bag is a noisy process. In our noise-level test we measured the noise level to be around 75 dB. However, the process only takes about 15-30 seconds and is, therefore, bearable.
• Takes up a lot of space: An emptying station takes up a lot of space and you must have room to have it standing in a place where it is accessible, because you will need to change the dust bag sometimes. For example, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra measures 45.6 x 42.6 x 51.4 cm (h x w x d). For some households, it can be difficult to find the necessary space to have it standing, so you should think about this before buying a robot vacuum cleaner with this type of station..
• More expensive: A robot vacuum cleaner with dirt disposal is far more expensive than a model with just a regular base station.
• Heavy: The emptying station might be heavy, which can make it more difficult to move around if you don’t have a lot of arm strength. For example, the base station to Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI weighs 31.75 lbs.

What to look for?

When looking for a robot vacuum cleaner with automatic dirt disposal there are several factors to consider before buying. In addition to whether it is a good robot vacuum cleaner, you should also look at the following regarding the emptying station:

• Do you like the design? In most households, the emptying station will be visible and therefore you should choose a model with a design you like. Fortunately, many manufacturers focus on the design when developing their emptying station. For example, much has been made of the design of Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI. The design of the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has also been significantly upgraded compared to its predecessor, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra.
• Bag capacity: The capacity of the bag varies from model to model. With a larger bag capacity you can change the dust bag less often, however it usually also means the emptying station is larger.
• What functions do you want the emptying station to have? You can get simple emptying stations that just empty the dustbin, or you can get more advanced “all-in-one” base stations. They also clean the robot’s mop, dry the robot’s mop and refill its water tank. Personally I’m more into the all-in-one base stations.