Self-emptying base: what it does and what is still on you

A self-emptying base moves the dust from the robot's own bin into a larger bag at the end of a run. How much other upkeep remains depends on what else the base declares. Here is the data from our product pages, with the gaps marked as gaps.

What the base moves

The robot's own bin is small: 395 ml for the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete, 220 ml for the Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone. The base empties it into a bag, and the bag capacity declared by the manufacturer differs from model to model:

• 2.4 litres for the Narwal Freo 20;
• 2.5 litres for the iRobot Roomba 115 Combo + AutoEmpty Dock;
• 3 litres for the eufy Omni C28;
• 3.2 litres for the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete.

For the other models we have read, bag capacity is not in the data.

The litre figure alone says little about how often someone has to step in. The more useful number is the days between bag emptyings, and few makers declare it: 100 days for the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete, 120 days for the Narwal Freo 20. These are manufacturer estimates: how long it really takes depends on how much dust and hair comes into the home, and the site has measured nothing. For eufy and iRobot the interval is not declared.

Noise during emptying

The noise of the base while emptying is a figure that barely exists in the product pages. Among those read there is a single value: 74.4 dB for the Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone base while emptying, against 61.8 dB declared for the robot while cleaning. For the other models the manufacturer does not declare base noise, so it cannot be said which one is quieter. The comparison between the Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone and the Roborock Saros 10R shows exactly this gap on the Roborock side.

Consumables

Bags are a consumable, and the product pages report neither the price of replacements, nor how many bags come in a pack, nor for how many years the manufacturer guarantees supply: this is not known. What is known about the iRobot bag is that it is an AllergenLock which, according to the manufacturer, traps 99% of pollen and mould and seals on removal without raising dust.

The robot's filter is another consumable. The Narwal Freo 20 declares a HEPA filter; the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete and the Roborock Qrevo S Pro a washable filter. For the 115 Combo the manufacturer specifies dry cleaning, with no rinsing under water.

What the base does not replace

The most common misunderstanding is reading "base" as "complete base". In the data they are two different things.

The iRobot Roomba 115 Combo + AutoEmpty Dock has automatic emptying as its only declared function. The pad still has to be washed by hand after every use, because the base neither cleans nor dries it. The comparison with the 115 Combo without a base shows that the declared difference is the emptying, the 2.5-litre bag and a base 292 mm tall; the estimated price range is the same.

Other models declare a base with more functions:

• Dreame X50 Ultra Complete: emptying, pad washing with 80 °C water, hot-air drying, detergent dispenser, UV sterilisation;
• Roborock Qrevo S Pro: emptying, pad washing with 75 °C water, hot-air drying;
• eufy Omni C28: emptying, pad washing, hot-air drying and detergent dispenser, with no hot-water washing declared.

The comparison of the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete and Roborock Qrevo S Pro and the one between the eufy Omni C28 and Narwal Freo 20 list these functions side by side.

The base also takes up room: 380 × 493 × 465 mm for the Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone, 292 mm tall for the iRobot. Base dimensions are not declared for every model.

Who it is for, and who it is not

A base that only empties answers one specific problem: the robot's small bin, which otherwise has to be opened and emptied by hand. Anyone who also wants the robot to mop should look at the functions declared for the pad, not at the word "self-emptying" alone: without washing and drying in the base, the pad stays manual work.