Your guide to a smart home
A robot vacuum takes off a huge burden from your shoulders when it comes to household cleaning. However, you still have to empty the mobile dust bin almost every day.
With a robot vacuum with a self-emptying base, you won’t have to worry about that "strenuous" and, above all, repetitive task anymore.
But which model works best?
We want to make that choice easier for you and tested numerous robot vacuums with auto-empty dust bin.
This article will review the best models, and we also give some great tips on how to save money on your robot vacuum with a self-emptying base.
Let’s dive into it?.
Robot vacuum cleaner with mopping feature, obstacle avoidance and self-emptying dustbin.
Mid-range series from Ecovacs. Some top features (self-empty dust bin and obstacle avoidance) are included.
Ecovacs Deebot N8+ has a few features that makes it stand out from the other options on the market.
Thanks to the auto-empty dock, you will no longer spend time emptying the dust container. This is done automatically.
In addition to laser navigation, the N8 Pro also uses TrueDetect 3D technology. This enables the vacuum cleaner to avoid even the flattest obstacles. So the robotic cleaner doesn’t bump into anything, even in "messy" households.
"The pioneer of "vacuum robots with a self-emptying base".
A great robot vacuum with a clean base. Especially the app and the high-quality workmanship of the robot vacuum were outstanding.
The iRobot Roomba i7+ was the first - and for a long time the only - actually GOOD robot vacuum with a self-emptying dust bin ("Cleani Base") in the UK.
This self-emptying robot vacuum came out with flying colours in almost every test category. Whether suction power, voice commands with Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant or app control (wi-fi connectivity needed) - it excelled in everything.
But we were also impressed by the auto-empty station. (By the way, the manufacturer’s official name for the emptying station is: "Clean Base").
The Clean Base has the following dimensions: height: 48 cm (18.9 inches) x depth: 15 cm (5.9 inches) x width: 18 cm (7 inches).
The auto-emptying dock is quite large, but that didn't bother us at all.
The "Clean Base" is a real eye-catcher and is of extremely high-quality.
iRobot includes a total of two vacuum bags for the self-emptying base in the delivery scope.
That means you don't have to worry about buying new bags for the next few months.
If you run out of disposable dust bags, you can order replacements online* on Amazon UK at any time.
The emptying process is quite noisy. However, it’s not a big deal since the process doesn’t last longer than 10 seconds.
By the way, you can even wind up the excess power cable at the back - very practical!
The iRobot Roomba i7+ plays in the Champions League regarding the price. But you get a lot of luxury and quality for your money.
The price-performance winner.
A good robot vacuum/mop hybrid with an self-emptying base. Especially the excellent price-performance ratio makes this model a good choice.
So far, there are hardly any affordable robot vacuums with an emptying station. The Proscenic M8 Pro is a game-changer. It’s twice as cheap as most competitors!
The Proscenic M8 Pro is a solid robot vacuum with a mopping function, but it can’t keep up with the top models’ performance.
The highlight of the Proscenic M8 Pro is - once again - the automatic emptying station.
The self-emptying base worked excellently in the test. The auto-empty dock has the following dimensions: height: 35 cm (13.8 inches) x width: 25 cm (9.8 inches) x depth: 22 cm (8.7 inches).
However, the emptying process is very loud (approx. 85 dB). But since the process doesn’t take long, it’s not the end of the world.
Furthermore, you can’t wind up the excess power cable at the back of the emptying station. That’s not a significant problem, but it is a minor drawback.
You have to insert disposable dust bags into the auto-empty dustbin.
A dust bag usually lasts 2 - 3 months (depending on the degree of soiling). They included two dust bags in the delivery scope.
If you run out of disposable dust bags, you can easily buy them online* on Amazon UK.
The Proscenic M8 Pro is significantly cheaper than most other self-emptying robot vacuums.
Although the Proscenic M8 Pro had a few minor drawbacks in the test, it still scored very well overall.
The price-performance ratio of the Proscenic M8 Pro is unbeatable.
So if you want to buy a self-emptying robot vacuum at an acceptable price, the Proscenic M8 Pro is the way to go.
Moppiong feature |
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Powerful suction - decent cleaning results on hard floors |
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Good laser navigation (lidar) |
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Smart Mapping: Can save multiple maps |
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Long battery life |
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You can define no-go zones for specific areas / specific rooms |
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With carpet detection function |
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Good price-performance ratio for a self emptying robot vacuum |
Quite noisy |
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You can’t control the water flow rate |
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App with many functions (but has a few bugs) |
The secret is out: Roborock gave a lot of information about their new robot vacuum at CES 2021.
They will launch the new Roborock S7 in the UK in mid-2021.
It will have numerous highlights such as a liftable water tank (for carpets) and a vibrating mop plate...
...and also an auto-empty dust bin!
All Roborock fans have something to celebrate here.
But there’s a minor drawback: The self-emptying base won’t be available in the UK until the end of 2021.
Big advantage: The self-empty base can be used with disposable bags or with a reusable container.
A conventional robot vacuum cleaner (without self-emptying function) already takes a lot of work off your hands.
Nevertheless, you still have to empty the mobile dust container almost every day (depending on the degree of soiling).
The mobile dust bin is usually relatively small and quickly fill up with dirt.
And that’s where a robot vacuum with an auto-empty station comes in. It empties the mobile dust bin automatically. You won’t have to raise a finger anymore.
A conventional robotic vacuum WITHOUT a self-emptying function stops cleaning as soon as the dust container is full.
You have to empty the mobile dust bin, so it can resume its cleaning trip.
Thus, you have to empty it at regular intervals.
We can think of better ways to spend our time.
A robovac with an auto-empty dock does all the work for you.
As soon as the robotic vacuum cleaner comes to the docking station for charging, the automatic self-emptying function simultaneously empties the mobile dust container.
It keeps the entire contents of the mobile dust container in a separate dust bag in the auto-empty station.
That fully automates the cleaning process without interruption.
Now you only have to change the dust bag in the self-empty dust bin every few months.
Fine house dust is a massive burden for allergy sufferers.
A robot vacuum already provides a massive relieve. You won’t have to clean the flat by yourself anymore - just let your robot vac vacuum your home several times a day if necessary.
It will remove dust and dirt more thoroughly from your flat.
But one problem remains: emptying the mobile dust bin.
It’s almost impossible to avoid contact with aggressive house dust (and allergens).
But there’s a solution to this problem: a self-empty base.
It vacuums the mobile dust container automatically with every battery charge.
That’s a huge advantage, especially for people with severe allergies!
Read more about the best robot vacuums for allergies in our detailed review.
As much as we love our four-legged friends - it’s a fact that pets make a lot of mess?.
You can find pet hair and other dirt from outside all around the flat.
The mobile dust canister quickly fills up with all that dirt (e.g. with pet hair). Your robot vacuum can only continue its work once you have emptied the dust bin by hand.
A robot vacuum with an emptying station will take care of that, too. It empties the mobile dust container whenever it docks at the station for charging.
That makes the floor cleaning fully automated, and you won’t have to do anything manually for months.
You have to use disposable dust bags for the auto-empty base.
They do have quite a large capacity. But you still have to replace the bags after 2 - 3 months, depending on the degree of soiling.
That results in follow-up costs due to the additional purchase of dust bags.
A reusable dust bag would have been much more practical at this point.
Unfortunately, the dust bag in the emptying station is disposable.
You have to throw it into the trash can as soon as it’s filled with dirt.
That’s not what we’d call environmental friendliness.
A better and environmentally friendly solution would be to use a recyclable plastic dirt container in the clean base.
It takes a lot of power (strong suction) to put the dirt from the robot vacuum’s mobile dust container into the clean base dust bag.
Therefore, the emptying process is quite loud (80-90 dB).
Nevertheless, it’s not exactly pleasant to be in the direct vicinity during the pick-up.
You shouldn’t use the auto-empty base at night either unless you want to start a fight with your neighbours ?♂️.
We don't want to beat about the bush.
The emptying station is much larger than a conventional charging station.
That’s not a big surprise, though.
After all, it has to clean up the dirt from the mobile dust container and store it in a large bag in the emptying station.
We don't think that size is a disadvantage.
In contrast to an ordinary charging station, the clean base is a real eye-catcher in your home ?. Curious looks and questions are guaranteed.
The automatic dirt disposal process is simple and, at the same time, super ingenious.
A common robot vacuum has a relatively small (~ 400 ml) mobile dirt container.
It fills up with dirt quickly, depending on the housing situation and the degree of soiling.
The robot vacuum has to stop its cleaning cycle as soon as the dust container is full. That interrupts the cleaning process.
It can only resume cleaning sessions when you empty the dust bag by hand.
The self-emptying base takes care of that annoying - and above all, repetitive - work.
Every time the robot vacuum moves to the charging station, it empties the mobile dust container, too.
It collects the dirt in a large container in the emptying station.
The dust bag in the clean base is quite large and can hold up to 30 loads of the mobile dust container.
A robot vacuum with a self-emptying function makes household cleaning much more straightforward and is a significant step towards fully automated floor cleaning.
But be warned: once you get used to a robot hoover with an auto-empty station, you won’t want to do without it anymore. We speak from our own experience, as we have an iRobot Roomba i7+ and an iRobot Roomba i3+ ourselves ?.
If you want to save some money, we have a trick at hand.
You can suck out the dust bag in the emptying station with a conventional vacuum cleaner.
The solution may seem a little cumbersome at first (which it is).
But this way, you won’t have to buy new disposable dust bags for the auto-empty base and thus, save follow-up costs.
Another way to save some money: Use a "reusable bag" (available* on Amazon UK).
You can empty it manually (and reuse it afterwards).
That’s a bit cumbersome, too, but it works.
Just give it a try ?.
Of course, we also put the best self-emptying robot vacuum cleaners through the wringer.
They scored ratings from 5 stars (excellent) to 0.5 stars (very disappointing).
You can find an overview of the ratings in the table below.
| Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI | Deebot OZMO T8+ | iRobot Roomba i7+ | Proscenic M7 Pro | |
| Suction and cleaning performance | ||||
| Wiping performance | - | |||
| Volume | ||||
| Navigation and driving | ||||
| Battery runtime | ||||
| App and functions | ||||
| Design, dimensions and quality | ||||
| Delivery scope | ||||
| Price-performance ratio | ||||
| Our Review | T8 AIVI Review | T8+ review | Roomba i7+ review | Proscenic M7 Pro review |
| Offer | Check Price* | Check Price* | Check Price* | Check Price* |
We linked the detailed reviews in the overview:
A robot vacuum with a self-emptying base takes care of the last remaining task (emptying the mobile dust container). This way, floor cleaning is almost entirely automated, so you won’t have to raise a finger.
A lot of dirt accumulates over time, especially in larger households. The mobile dust container of a robot vacuum quickly reaches its limits.
You’d have to intervene and empty the mobile dust bag almost every day. That’s not what we’d call automated household cleaning.
A robot vacuum with a self-emptying base takes a massive burden off your shoulders in daily cleaning.
Emptying the mobile dust container by hand is a thing of the past.
All you have to do is change the dust bag in the auto-empty station every few months.
That's all.
The robot vacuum with an auto-empty dust bin is a further step towards fully automated household cleaning.
P.S.: We love our robotic vacuum cleaners with the clean base (iRobot Roomba i7+ and iRobot Roomba i3+) and don't want to miss them anymore ?.
There’s no Eufy vacuum cleaner with an emptying station on the market yet (as of 2021).
There’s no Neto robovac (Neabot) cleaner with an emptying station on the market yet.
There is an enormous assortment of robot vacuums with self-emptying base that you can buy on Amazon in the UK.
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