By Jasper 
Update 11/11/24: We’re just starting to look at the available deals for this year’s Black Friday holiday shopping season and we’re already seeing some great stuff, with decent deals on both handvacs and smart robot vacs being displayed in the overall deals jumble. Pick up something now if you like, there’s no reason to hold back.
In the spring, you may notice a horrendous influx of mud into your home as rain starts to pour and excited children (and adults) run into the house. If you’re lucky enough for it to hit hardwood floors, that means mopping. But what about now, as fall is in full swing and the holidays are right around the corner? Leaf litter, confetti, paper scraps, pencil shaving bits, and more are about to scatter all over your floor. It is time to get a new vacuum or even one of the best robot vacuums. We’ve started our coverage of Black Friday, officially coming on November 29, early this year, and the good news is that we’re already finding excellent early Black Friday deals. And vacuums are being underrepresented in those great scores. From the best early Black Friday Best Buy deals to intense Walmart early Black Friday savings, you’re likely to find a good vacuum deal around any corner. Here’s what we’re looking at now.
Dirt Devil Power Express — $50 $59 15% off
The Dirt Devil Power Express is a (now) $50 bagless vacuum in an era where we see even bagged vacuums hitting the $100+ mark on a regular basis. If you just want a cheap vacuum to take care of simple issues, this is an easy buy.
Shark Stratos — $250 $450 44%
The Shark Statos is a versatile vacuum for floors, couches, and elevated spaces. You’ll particularly like it for its ability to pickup hair without getting it spun and stuck around the brushroll (the spinning part) as a result of the smart design of the part. Pick this one up while you can save $200 on it.
iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ — $799 $1,399 43% off
Considered the best robot vacuum and mop combo for pet owners, the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is a perfect holiday pickup. The key line from our iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ review? “If you can find it on sale (iRobot loves to discount its products during shopping holidays), the Combo j9+ is a solid recommendation.” The review cited a price of $1,000 as being good, now it’s just $799.
Samsung Jet Bot AI+ — $951 $1,299 27% off
This robot vacuum has intelligent viewing and mapping that understands what different objects in your home are. It understands a sock and a sofa are not the same, acting accordingly. The result is what our Samsung Jet Bot AI+ review tells us is a smart vac that is capable of avoiding wires. It can also “patrol” your home for you, telling you if anything is out of place. Pick it up now while it is less than $1,000.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra — $1,100 $1,600 31% off
If you want what our Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review refers to as a “set it and forget it” vacuum, this is your top choice. And, in fact, this product reigns as our overall top pick for best robot vacuum. Grab it now for just $1,100.
How to choose a vacuum on Black Friday
Here, we’re going to compare two types of vacuums: hand vacs and robot vacuums. In our excellently-written cordless vs robot vacuums guide, the conclusion is somewhat ambiguous. Neither vacuum is “better” but are for different situations. The cordless vacuum does the better job at cleaning at the expense of more personal work, while the robot vacuum can do consistent cleaning several days a week with little input from you, but will have difficulty getting in the difficult spots. Notably, many homes have both.
Since you’re looking for deals, we offer this idea: If you don’t have a typical hand-powered upright vacuum, start there. Unless you have a disability or mobility issues, its going to be the best bang for your buck. Then, once you’ve got your manual vacuuming sorted, consider the robot vacuum.
When considering what robot vacuum to buy, be sure to check out our robot vacuum selection guide. Here, I want to focus on one section from that guide that is relevant to Black Friday: “Price.” The general conclusion is that you can get a decent one for a few hundred, but the premium members are going to be $1,000 or more. But that’s during normal times. To get a premium robot vacuum while sales are about, aim for $750 or above. If you want something budget, go for a manually-powered vacuum instead, as there is no harm in that.
How we chose these Black Friday vacuum deals
Price and ability were the biggest selection factors in the vacuums chosen above. We wanted things from all across the spectrum, including standard vacuums, vacuums that you can use to clean couches and stairs with, and robot vacuums. You might notice that there aren’t as many interesting or diverse special features on the robot vacuums above. And that’s largely by design. We believe that, when it comes to robot vacuums, the basics beat the extras every time. It’s not that we’re against extras, its just that they aren’t as exciting as actually getting the floor clean when you’re done with the product description page.
Also note that if we have a full write-up on a vacuum, which will admittedly be more likely for robot vacuums than hand-pushed varieties, we’ll be sure to link to it in the writeups above. There’s no need to jump hastily into such a purchase. Take your time and read about our experiences with it first.