One of the best innovations in the robot vacuum space in recent years has been the development of models that can empty their own dustbins. Beyond offering greater convenience than traditional models, they significantly limit your exposure to dust, a big plus if you suffer from allergies. As recently as a couple of years ago, it was difficult to find a sub-$1,000 self-emptying robot vacuum, but the price of these models has been decreasing. The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is the first self-emptying model we have tested that falls within the budget price range ($300 or less). You can also find several midrange options ($500 or less) with self-emptying functionality, including the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ and the SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+.

Most self-emptying models transfer the contents of their bin into a bag, which typically holds around 30 to 60 days' worth of debris, depending on how often you vacuum and how dirty your home is. The nice thing is that you never have to come into contact with dust and debris. The downside is that you eventually have to buy more bags when you run out. As an alternative, the Roomba 205 compacts dirt in its interior dustbin instead of dumping it into a large base station.

Self-emptying or not, most robot vacuums also equip small HEPA filters that capture allergens as they run.

Using a standard robot vacuum can sometimes feel like trading one dirty task for another: You no longer have to vacuum your floors, but you have to clean your robot all the time—ideally after every run—to ensure it continues to work properly. When manually emptying a robot vacuum's dustbin, some of the debris trapped inside inevitably escapes into the air. If you're allergic to dust like I am, I recommend wearing a mask when doing this chore. I tend to start coughing and sneezing without one. 

Most self-emptying robot vacuums eliminate this step. They typically come with a sizable base station that charges the robot and features a canister on top with an allergen-sealed bag that holds at least a month's worth of debris. 

When the robot docks at the base after a cleaning run, the auto-empty function is initiated automatically. The process produces a lot of noise for about 15 to 30 seconds—roughly equivalent to the volume of an old-school standing vacuum—as it sucks the debris from the robot's bin into the dust bag. When the bag is full, you usually get an alert in the robot's companion app. The robot or base also likely has a full-bag indicator light. Needless to say, these models offer a far superior user experience compared with traditional robot vacuums, which require a significant amount of manual labor.