igh-end robotic vacuums have bloated into overpriced floor contraptions that push past the $2,000 mark. Instead of perfecting basic dry pickup, makers keep packing in water tanks and motorized mop pads that many households simply do not need. Dyson has launched three new robot vacuums this week, and the most compelling unit is the base model that abandons wet cleaning entirely.
At $550, the R1 Nurovi Dry is a vacuum-only machine designed without the complex washing hardware that inflates modern appliance prices. In our view, paying hundreds of dollars extra just to have a machine drag a damp cloth over your carpets is terrible value. The R1 Nurovi Dry is available now directly on Dyson's website, providing a much lower entry threshold to the lineup.
The Hardware You Actually Get
For $550, the R1 Nurovi Dry features 21,000Pa suction. It stands 3.78 inches tall, which lets it slide under low furniture clearance, and as Dyson chief engineer Jake Dyson noted, it can climb floor transitions measuring up to 0.79 inches.
Instead of forcing you to buy replacement dust bags every few months, the self-emptying dock of the R1 uses a cyclonic canister to store collected dirt.
Robotic cleaning isn’t just about suction power.
As Jake Dyson stated in a press release this week, raw suction power is only part of the equation. Skipping water systems keeps the maintenance simple: there are no damp pads to turn foul and no water reservoirs to flush out.
Mopping Comes at a Steep Premium
If you actually want wet cleaning, the brand will gladly charge you for it across two higher tiers. The mid-range R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry sells for $700, adding dual triangular mop pads.
At the top end, the $1,200 R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub is also available now on Dyson's website. It steps up to 30,000Pa suction. For anyone with pets or heavy carpeting, paying double for mopping tech you will turn off anyway makes very little sense.