The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase. In a world where your thermostat learns your habits and your slow cooker can communicate with your phone, it's no surprise that vacuum cleaners have gone premium, too. From robotic models that motor around your floors to sleek stick vacs that can compete with the power of old-school, corded upright models, there are plenty of teched-out toys to tempt. But if you're not looking to shell out a small fortune to keep your floors clean, one of these solid, no-frills cleaning appliances can get the job done nearly as well. Before you pick out a model to take home, there are a few things to consider: In general, vacuum bags make it easier to dump dirt without making a mess or releasing allergens back into the air. That said, the cost of replacing bags can add up. Additionally, allergy sufferers will want to invest in a sealed vacuum that boasts HEPA filtration, according to Good Housekeeping, which can suck up more than 99% of dust, dander, pollen, and mold spores.

And corded models definitely give you the most suction power for your buck, according to The SweetHome, but you'll lose the convenience of lightweight, cordless stick vacs. air duct cleaning do it yourselfAnd forget a low-powered model if you have pets; best wood floor cleaner and polish reviewsThe SweetHome says you'll need a powerful upright model to pick up pet hair and dander, especially if you have carpets.dryer vent cleaning equipment We're defining budget vacuums as models that cost less than $300, though many capable appliances are far below that price point. best vacuum cleaner under 200 pounds

Without further ado, read on for the best budget vacuums out there: The Hoover Air Cordless Lift was a solid-enough performer to be a top vacuum pick, but its relatively low price also means it's a budget favorite. best leather cleaner protectorThis lightweight cordless appliance boasts the convenience of a stick vac, but power closer to a standard corded upright. best vacuum cleaners for pet hair and hardwood floors, and its two batteries can be swapped out to complete longer jobs. points out that this versatile model can be converted into a lightweight canister with the press of a button. If your home has hardwood, you'll love that the Hoover includes the ability to turn the brushroll on and off, a feature lauded by Digital Trends in its review.Pros: Lightweight, convenient to use, brushroll can be turned offCons: Feels flimsy to some, not as light as a stick vacHoover Air Cordless Lift, $249.99, available at Amazon.

The bagless Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is nothing if not versatile — The SweetHome found that it performed fairly well on everything from carpet to hardwood, thanks to the strong brush action. Tests showed that it was better at picking up pet hair, dust, and debris than much of its low-priced competition. tested an older model and wasn't as big of a fan of this vac's performance, but the review did praise the unit's light weight and removable handle, which can also work as an extension wand.Pros: Compact, easy to maneuver, durable, and washable filterCons: Feels cheapShark Navigator Lift-Away NV352, $159.99, available at Amazon. If you have pets and hardwood floors, the Eureka Mighty Mite 3670G might be the vacuum you're looking for. This capable canister eliminates nearly 100% of pet dander, according to Best Products, and the odor-eliminating Arm & Hammer dust bag is a nice touch. Even better, the blower port means you can put it to work cleaning out your garage too, according to TopTenReviews.Pros: Cleans up pet hair well, also works as a blower, odor-eliminating vacuum bagsCons: No ability to adjust suctionEureka Mighty Mite 3670G, $70, available at  Amazon.

Yes, it is possible to get the style and convenience of a stick vac without the hefty price tag. The Hoover Platinum Collection LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum BH50010 is slim and slick looking, but still managed to score quite well on Good Housekeeping tests, excelling at getting bare floors clean, and sucking up pet hair pretty well, too. CNET reviewers were impressed with its performance as well, likening it to models more than twice its price. But don't expect any bells and whistles with this appliance; it doesn't come with any of the brush attachments or special features that come standard on more expensive vacuums.Pros: Washable filter, removable battery for charging during storageCons: Can be tough to maneuver, no brush attachments or other accessoriesHoover Platinum Collection LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum BH50010, $139.61, Amazon. If you're looking for the convenience of a robotic vacuum minus the hefty price tag, the P3 P4960 V-Bot will get the job done. Though it doesn't have some of the advanced features of more expensive 'bots, the model did a fine job at cleaning bare floors in Good Housekeeping tests.

It also maneuvered well around furniture, but had a tough time making the transition from a bare floor onto an area rug. The P3 did just fine on tile and shorter carpeting, according to TopTenReviews, though, and the three pre-programmed cleaning patterns helped it clean just as effectively in open rooms as in tight spaces.Pros: Cliff sensor keeps it from falling down stairs, compact enough to easily fit under furnitureCons: Not great for carpets, no way to program virtual walls or boundaries, tough transitions from different surfaces, no remote control or charging baseP3 P4960 V-Bot, $208.19, available at Amazon.Whether you love having the latest tech, hate cleaning or you’re not as mobile as you once were, robot vacuum cleaners are a fun way to get a rather boring household chore done. And they certainly look impressive but with the most expensive one we tested costing eight hundred quid, it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re getting for your money before you invest. They don’t claim to be as good as your standard household vacuum cleaner when it comes to suction and dust capacity, so if that’s all you care about it may be better to buy a good upright vacuum cleaner.

But they are a convenient way of keeping your floors looking spick and span with minimal effort. Most come with apps too, so you can control them outside the home. Different robot vacs have different approaches to cleaning; some take a methodical approach while others may look like they’re moving randomly around your home but are still mapping out the room with in-built cameras or other smart sensor technology – although it can be a little frustrating to watch. Some come with remote controls, so you can direct them to the exact spot you want them to clean from the comfort of the sofa, and generally the more expensive they are, the more cleaning modes they have. The priciest robots have up to six modes, including auto, where you can programme it to move around a space until it runs out of battery; turbo, which is the most powerful mode and picks up the most dirt and dust; and spot cleaning, where you can get it to focus on a particular area. Each robot vacuum cleaner will also come with an array of accessories.

A virtual wall is a small device that you can place around the home and use to block off areas you don’t want to be cleaned, while they also come with different types of cleaning brushes. Sweeper brushes stick out from the side and sweep in dust and dirt to be sucked up, whereas brush bars live underneath and work to suck up dirt from floor surfaces. So before you buy, think about what your priorities are – do you want good suction, have lots of tight spots around your home that need cleaning, or obstacles that will need avoiding? Then you can pick the best one for you and have fun watching it clean your home, or have it work its magic while you’re at work. We tried and tested a range of robot vacs in our test room, with obstacles like chairs, tables and rugs to content with. We also covered the carpet with dust, fluff and dirt to find out just how much mess each one could vacuum, while also testing different cleaning modes and accessories. Here are the ones we think are worth investing in.

1. Dyson 360 Eye: £800, Currys You know with Dyson you’re going to get something impressive, and this small robot vac didn’t disappoint. Although this one has the largest price tag, it’s the smallest and most compact (roughly the size of a Quality Street tin), taking up minimal space in the cupboard or at its charging dock. It’s simple to use – you leave it to charge and then press the (only) button to get it going. It works its way methodically around your home and if it gets stuck on rugs or shoes, it turns off, navigates its way back to safety and starts again. It maintains Dyson’s high suction power, although still not as good as a standard vacuum cleaner, and certainly sucked up the most dirt out of all the robots tested. There’s an app too, so you can schedule when you want your robot to start cleaning and the instruction manual is clear to follow (unlike others we read). 2. Samsung VR9300K Connected Robot Vacuum, 42.9W: £800, Very This robo vac is the largest of the bunch and looks like something you’ve probably seen avoiding Sir Killalot on Robot Wars.

But it does a good job of sucking up dust and fluff from carpet, and so it should for the price. It’s robust, so will bounce off walls with no damage done to itself (or the wall) and is good at navigating around furniture. There are an impressive six cleaning modes to pick from – auto, manual, spot, point cleaning, turbo and dust sensor – and a remote so you can steer it to a particularly dirty spot. There’s an app too, so you can control it even when you’re not in your home. This robot is worth considering, although it doesn’t quite match the Dyson 360 Eye on suction. 3. AirCraft Vacuums Pilot Max Robotic Vacuum Cleaner: £329, Amazon We think this one wins when it comes to looks. The sleek and compact white design would fit perfectly in modern homes and shouldn’t take up a lot of space either. It comes with sweeping brushes that stick out the side to sweep in and suck up dirt in corners, which is fairly effective.  And it’s very quiet, so won’t disturb you if you’re watching TV.

It also comes with a virtual wall, so you can block off areas you don’t want cleaning and a remote control. Our only annoyance was having to charge and put the battery pack in ourselves, which we found a little bit fiddly. For the price though, it does a decent job of vacuuming and is worth considering. 4. Neato Botvac Connected: £575, Amazon This is the most advanced machine from the robot vacuum specialist, utilising the same navigation technology Google puts into its self-driving cars. It uses lasers to scan the room it’s cleaning, noting any obstacles and then returning to the same spot from which it started, which can be useful for storage. It has good suction, the power of which can be increased by switching on the turbo mode (this increases the machine’s speed and noise, too). It didn’t get stuck on the large rug in the middle of our testing room, which was a problem for some. The app, available for iOS and Android devices, means you control the vacuum’s actions from wherever you are, whether that be the office or the supermarket.

5. iRobot Roomba 980: £800, John Lewis iRobot’s Roomba is probably the best known name in the robot vacuum cleaner market, and this is the best model in the range (with a price to reflect it, £500 more expensive than the entry level Roomba). It methodically navigates multiple rooms, increasing or decreasing suction power depending on which surface it’s cleaning – we found it picked up large pieces of fluff as easily as it did embedded dust. If the machine runs out of battery mid-clean, it will return to the docking station and then complete the cycle. And if you want to avoid a certain room or area, the two virtual walls form an effective barrier. Download the app to set up cleaning schedules on your phone, and keep an eye on the progress of the Roomba when you’re not around. 6. Vileda Cleaning Robot: £80, Amazon This is the cheapest machine we tested by some way, which naturally means it isn’t as jam-packed with features as its pricier counterparts. But that simplicity does sometimes often work in its favour.

Three buttons on the top of the machine – S, M and L – correspond to whether you want it to clean a small, medium or large room, so you don’t have to worry about too much programming. It will do well on hard floors and short-pile carpet, but we found it struggled to manoeuvre over a large rug, left behind some embedded dust and was among the noisiest. For the price, however, this is a good entry-level machine. Hoover knows a thing or two about vacuum cleaners, and it has transferred that knowledge into the robotic world. This machine is small and quiet, but still manages to provide a great clean thanks to its effective sweeper brushes and powerful suction, picking up embedded dust as well as larger items. The cleaning pattern is comprehensive, but you can steer the machine to a particular area using arrow buttons on the accompanying remote. The app, available for iOS on Android, also allows you to control the machine, as well as set up cleaning schedules. An effective, well-priced option.