Budget robot vacuum cleaners are smarter than most vacuums I’ve tested

I initially wanted to test the 3i G10+ robot vacuum cleaner because I’ve heard of its debris compression feature, which I’ve been on my brain after being disappointed with the Roomba 205 DustCompactor. The G10+ also compacts dust, keeping you from emptiing the bin for several months and Get you out of your own dock. I’m curious, but I no Expect the G10+ to offer such an advanced experience overall, especially for under $500.

The first sign of the G10+ brainpower is during its apartment’s initial mapping run. It successfully separates each room except for my very open concept kitchen and living room. The intelligent mapping of radar-driven is even enough to mark certain rooms as bedrooms and bathrooms, as it recognizes beds and toilets.

Here is the level of detail for the 3i app…
Image source: Leah Stodart / Mashable

…This is the level of detail for the Roomba Home app.
Image source: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The G10+ also guides around socks and fake pet waste (a ball of brown sugar). Although it does identify most phones and laptop chargers in the app, it drives anyway. But even the most advanced robot vacuums I’ve tested don’t have a perfect record of ropes. Roomba 205 DustCompactor is barely inaccessible to the right room without getting lost or getting stuck in the corner of the carpet.

But the most surprising feature of the 3i hiding here is the live camera. I’ve never seen one of them on a robot vacuum, which costs less than $1,000, let alone $500. It sounds ridiculous at first, but I know pet parents understand the appeal of being able to check pets remotely.

You can even manipulate a topic with arrows to zero.
Image source: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I’m used to managing expectations Difficult When testing cheap robot vacuum cleaners. But somehow, G10+ 18,000 PA suction Now, there are the highest percentage points of all robot vacuums on the market – in fact, it’s 2,000 pa less than my favorite 2025 robot vacuum cleaner so far, which is the $1,599.99 Roborock Saros 10r. There are also multiple suction settings where you can hear the motor ramp and see the vacuum moving more slowly and more careful on the carpet. The G10+ also vacuumed my tubs without lifting them up at all, which almost never happens.

During the area cleaning process, the G10+ automatically cleans the shark matrix vacuum in a grid pattern. The only time I saw the debris left was a pile of rice that was intentionally sprinkled on the kitchen floor, the G10+ cleared about 90% of the rice in two passes.

The G10+ is also a mop. The IMO is an singular, flat mop design with no scrubbing and no robotic mop with a rotating pad, especially along the edge. But the G10+ does have a small rotating edge mop that extends to bring it closer to the wall (similar to the Roborock Saros 10). It actually details my bathroom floor that meets the shower walls very well.

See the tiny mop near the door cleaning?
Image source: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The only “complaint” I can do to the 3i G10+ so far is superficial. The design is reminiscent of the antique robot vacuum cleaners of the early 2000s – it is not as stylish as most robot vacuum cleaners today. But its fragment compression setup makes it irrelevant to curb attractiveness. Since the G10+ doesn’t require a self-domain, it can be stored under furniture (I put my TV station under a TV rack).

From reliable little obstacle technology to live cameras to evil high suction in this price range, the 3i G10+ is more likely to be under the hood than any other budget robot vacuum I’ve tested. Just build it as a Roomba 205 Dupe and that’s disrespectful.