Published runtimes are laboratory figures in the quietest mode on the easiest floor. Here is what each maker states, and what it means in a real house.
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Stated runtimes on current models range from about 130 to 290 minutes, and every one is measured in the quietest mode on hard floor. On carpet at full suction, expect well under half. A battery is genuinely finished when a full charge gives roughly half the runtime it gave when new.
Runtime is one of the specifications people check least before buying and complain about most afterwards. Partly that is because the published figure describes conditions that do not resemble a real cleaning run.
What each maker publishes
Stated runtime, where the manufacturer publishes one
4 of 9 models publish this figure. Every number below links to the page it came from.
Compiled from the manufacturers’ own published material on 2026-09-01. We have not measured any of these figures ourselves — see how we pick. Found an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
Note how many blanks there are. Roborock publishes no runtime on any of the product pages we could read, and neither does iRobot or Shark for the models we cover. ECOVACS states up to 291 minutes and is explicit that this is silent sweep mode on hard floors. eufy is the most useful of all here, publishing two separate figures — 173 minutes vacuuming and 136 minutes vacuuming and mopping — which is exactly the distinction that matters.
What actually consumes the battery
Suction level. The fan is the largest single draw and it scales steeply. A max-suction run can cut runtime by more than half against the quiet mode the figure was measured in.
Carpet. Two costs at once: carpet boost raises fan power, and driving through pile takes more from the wheel motors than rolling on tile.
Mopping. The pump and the pad drive both draw. eufy's published pair of figures puts the difference at about 20 percent on that model.
Travel between rooms. A robot crossing a large house to reach an unfinished room spends battery on transit rather than cleaning, which is why room-by-room scheduling on a large floor often covers more ground than one whole-house run.
How a battery ages, and when it is done
Lithium cells lose capacity gradually with charge cycles and with time. A robot that runs daily is cycling its battery daily, so a noticeable drop after two to three years is normal ageing rather than a fault. The realistic signal is proportional: when a full charge delivers about half the runtime it did when new, the battery is at the end of its useful life.
Before you conclude that, rule out the cheaper causes. A jammed brush makes the motor draw more current, and a clogged filter makes the fan work harder — both look exactly like a tired battery from the outside, and both are free to fix. The ten-minute maintenance pass covers them.
Replacing it
Check whether the pack is user-replaceable. On many models it is, behind a few screws on the underside. On others it is not, and that is a genuine consideration when buying.
Buy the manufacturer's pack, or a reputable equivalent. Cheap unbranded lithium packs are the one part of this category where a bad purchase is a safety problem rather than a performance one.
Never run a swollen battery. A robot that no longer sits flat, or an underside that bulges, needs the pack removed and disposed of properly. This is not a wait-and-see situation.
Recycle it properly. Lithium packs do not go in household waste anywhere, and most municipalities have a collection point.
Quick picks
Ranked on the published specifications below. Tap a row to jump to the full write-up.
#
Product
Best for
Dock
Price
1
ECOVACSNo photo
ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNIA rotating roller mop that washes itself continuously while it cleans, instead of pushing one increasingly dirty pad around the house.
Mopping that rinses as it goes
Self-emptying with 167F hot-water mop washing, hot-air drying and auto solution dosing
Dreame X50 UltraThe only model here that legs itself over a step rather than driving at it, and the only one that publishes the condition attached to its own headline number.
eufy X10 Pro Omnieufy publishes an obstacle clearance, a mop lift, two runtimes and both tank capacities — more of its own numbers than any other maker here.
The most completely published spec sheet
Self-emptying with auto mop washing and drying, 3L self-refilling tank
The only model here that legs itself over a step rather than driving at it, and the only one that publishes the condition attached to its own headline number.
60mm over a series of steps, 42mm over a single stepDreame's own condition, quoted: "The gap between steps should be greater than 4cm. For a single obstacle crossing and a single vertical step, the highest obstacle crossing height is 4.2cm." The 6cm headline therefore does not describe a single door sill.Source: Dreame X50 Ultra product page — ProLeap step climbing (retrieved 2026-09-01)
Publishes the caveat as well as the headline, which is rarer than it should be
20,000 Pa stated peak suction and a 395ml on-board bin
Stated 220 minutes of runtime in quiet mode
What it does not
The legs add height and mechanical complexity to a machine that lives under furniture
10.5mm mop raise is modest next to the 17mm figures from Roborock
Who it is for
Split-level rooms, a sunken living room, or a doorway sill that has beaten every robot you have owned.
Skip it if
You read the 6cm headline and stopped there. Dreame's own footnote puts a single vertical step at 42mm, and 6cm only applies to a series of steps with more than 4cm between them.
Two to three years of daily running before you notice a meaningful drop is normal. The signal that it is finished is proportional: about half the runtime it gave when new on a full charge.
+ Why has my robot vacuum's runtime dropped suddenly?
A sudden drop is more likely a jammed brush or a clogged filter making the motors work harder than a failing battery. Battery ageing is gradual. Clear the brush and clean the filter before you buy anything.
+ Which robot vacuum has the longest runtime?
Of the models we cover, ECOVACS states up to 291 minutes for the X8 Pro Omni in silent mode on hard floors, and Dreame states up to 220 minutes for the X50 Ultra in quiet mode. Both are best-case laboratory figures.
+ Can I replace a robot vacuum battery myself?
On many models yes, behind a panel on the underside. Use the manufacturer's pack or a reputable equivalent — this is the one component where a cheap unbranded substitute is a safety question rather than a performance one.
+ Why does my robot vacuum keep shutting off mid-run?
Either an aged battery or a protective cut-out because the brush motor is drawing too much current against a jam. Clear the brush first; it is free and it is the more common cause on a machine under three years old.
