Robot Vacuum Running Costs: The Parts List the Box Leaves Out
A few months after the robot arrives, the app sends a notification you have not seen before. The dust bag is full, and there is no spare in the drawer. That is the first of your robot vacuum running costs, and the box never mentioned it.
The short answer: the more the dock does for you, the more it costs to keep. A robot you empty by hand needs a filter and brushes. A dock that empties, washes and refills adds bags, mop pads and sometimes cleaning solution. None of these parts are universal. Each one fits a specific list of models, so this guide goes brand by brand, shows the official parts for each, and prints the models they fit. App fees are a separate bill, covered in the hidden math behind smart home subscriptions.
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What Wears Out on a Robot Vacuum
Five kinds of parts need replacing, and your robot may not use all of them.
- Dust bags. Only if the dock empties the robot for you.
- Filters. Every robot has one inside its dustbin.
- Brushes. One main brush underneath and one or two side brushes.
- Mop pads or rollers. Only on a robot that mops.
- Cleaning solution. Only if the dock doses it.
That is why the dock sets the bill. A robot you empty by hand needs two of the five. A dock that empties, washes and doses solution can need all of them. The battery wears too, far more slowly.
💡 Match the full model name: Parts listings go by the exact name of your robot, down to the plus sign or the word Ultra. A Roborock S8+ and an S8 MaxV Ultra take different bags.
iRobot
iRobot publishes a care schedule for each series. For the Roomba i Series it says to replace the filter every two months and the brushes every 6 to 12 months. The dust bag is the easier part, because one bag covers years of Clean Base docks.
Dust bags fit: Roomba i1+, i3+, i4+, i6+, i7+, i8+, j6+, j7+, Combo j7+, j8+ and s9+, the Clean Base Auto-Fill dock for Combo j9+, and the AutoWash dock for Combo 10 Max.
Replenishment kit fits: Roomba e, i and j series, and Combo i5 and j5. iRobot says it does not fit the Combo j7+ or Combo j9+. It holds three filters, three edge brushes and one set of rubber brushes.
The newer 105, 405, 505 and 705 docks take a different bag, sold as its own listing.
Roborock
Roborock sells more than one dust bag, and they are easy to confuse. This is the one for the S8 Pro Ultra and most of the Q series. Roborock’s listing recommends a new bag every one to two months. The brushes follow their own lists, so check each one.
Dust bags fit: S8 Pro Ultra, S8+, S7 Max Ultra, S7 MaxV Ultra, Q7+, Q7 Max+, Q8 Max+, Q5+, Q5 Max+ and Q5 Pro+. The listing title adds Q5 DuoRoller+, Q10 S5+, Q10 X5+ and Q7 M5+.
Main brush fits: Qrevo S Pro, Q Revo, Qrevo MaxV, Qrevo S, S7, S7+, S7 Max Ultra, S7 MaxV, S7 MaxV Plus, QV 35A, Q7, Q7+, Q7 Max and Q7 Max+.
Side brushes fit: S8 Pro Ultra, S7 Max Ultra, Q Revo, and the S7 MaxV, S7, Q7 Max, Q8 Max, S8, Q7, Q5, S6, S5, S4 and E series.
The S8 MaxV Ultra, S8 Max Ultra, Qrevo and Saros models take a different bag.
⚠️ Read the seller name: Some third-party bags open their title with the brand name. The Sold By line on the listing tells you who made the part.
How to Run Your Own Three Year Number
A robot vacuum is a multi-year purchase, so run the parts over three years. Divide 36 months by the replacement interval to get the number of parts, then divide by the pack size to get the number of packs.
Take the Roborock bag. One bag every one to two months is 18 to 36 bags over three years, which is three to six of the six-packs above. Multiply the packs by the price showing on its card today.
Filters and brushes work the same way. On the iRobot i Series schedule, a filter every two months is 18 filters, which is six of the iRobot kits above at three filters each. Brushes every 6 to 12 months is three to six sets, and each kit holds one. Treat every result as a starting point. eufy and MOVA both say their intervals depend on how often the robot runs.
eufy
For the L60 and L50, the official parts on Amazon are the washable filter and the side brushes. eufy says to rinse the filter every two weeks and replace both every three to six months.
Filter fits: eufy L60 and L50 series.
Side brushes fit: Omni C20, L60 and L50 series. The pack holds four.
eufy sells dust bags for the L60 and L50 self-empty stations through its own store.
Dreame
This Dreame bag fits a long run of docks, including the Aqua10 series. Dreame’s lab figure is about 65 days of cleaning per bag.
Dust bags fit: X50 Ultra series, Aqua10 series, L50 Ultra, L40s Ultra, L40s Ultra AE, L40s Ultra CE, D30 Ultra CE, D30 Ultra, L10s Ultra Gen2 and Matrix10 series.
Roller mop and filter fit: Aqua10 Roller series.
Dreame also sells a full Aqua10 accessory kit, which sits in the premium tier.
Where You Can Spend Less, and What It Costs You
Third-party bags and filters cost far less per piece, and they are most of what a search returns. The trade-off: the fit is the seller’s claim, not the manufacturer’s. Read your warranty terms before you switch.
Washing extends a washable filter. It does not make it permanent.
A robot with no self-empty dock uses no bags at all. You pay with a trip to the trash can every few days.
⚠️ Check the manual before adding solution: Some docks are built for the brand’s own cleaner, and some are meant to run on plain water. The manual for your model settles it.
MOVA
MOVA sells most of its consumables as one kit: two side brushes, two filters, two dust bags and mop pads. The main brush is not in it.
Fits: P10 Pro Ultra Gen2, P10 Pro Ultra, P50 Pro Ultra, P70 Pro Ultra and P50 Ultra.
The Z60 Ultra Roller Complete is not on that list. MOVA sells its dust box filter separately and says to clean it every two weeks and replace it every three to six months.
NARWAL
The Flow ships with more than one dock, and each dock takes its own bag. This is the base station bag, which NARWAL rates for up to 120 days. NARWAL says to replace the side brush every three months.
Dust bag fits: Freo Z Ultra, Freo Z10, Freo Z10 Ultra and Flow.
Floating brush fits: Flow and Flow 2.
Side brush fits: Flow.
A Flow or Flow 2 with the Compact station needs a different bag. NARWAL’s accessories page lists parts by dock.
If Your Brand Is Not on This List
Search for your model number plus the part name. Open the listing and read two things before anything else: the Sold By line, and the compatible models in the description. The title is often shorter than the real list, and sometimes longer.
Check Your Robot Vacuum Running Costs Before You Buy
Robot vacuum running costs are set the day you choose the dock. Before you buy, search for that model’s dust bag and filter, and note the pack size and the price. If you are still choosing, start with how to pick a robot vacuum and mop combo, then compare models in the robot vacuum and mop combo buying guide.
