Finding a truly impressive robot vacuum around the $200 price mark is challenging, but the Yeedi C12 clearly stands apart. In our latest competition, it earned the title of Best Budget Robot Vacuum for mid-2025 thanks to standout performance, user-friendly features, and exceptional value.
Priced at just under $200 without the auto-empty bin—or around $350 for the Pro or the Plus versions featuring a bagless auto-empty station—the Yeedi C12 delivers remarkable bang for your buck. Yeedi, closely affiliated with Ecovacs, consistently aims to offer premium features at affordable prices, and our experience confirms they have met this goal impressively. So in this article, we are covering the main reasons why the Yeedi C12 secured our Best Budget Robot Vacuum award for mid-2025.
Yeedi C12 Pro Plus – With Auto-Empty Bin
The Yeedi C12 PRO Plus integrates powerful vacuuming and intelligent mopping in one system. Its OZMO Mega Mopping System features a high-frequency vibrating mop with an electrically-controlled water replenishment to tackle stubborn stains, while the 8000Pa suction powered by a high-speed motor efficiently picks up debris from carpets and hard floors. The innovative PureCyclone Technology with a 4-layer filter and 14 cyclones collects fine dust in seconds, and the ZeroTangle Anti-Tangle Technology minimizes hair entanglement. Intelligent TrueMapping Tech provides precise room mapping and path planning, and a 5200mAh battery offers up to 300 minutes of continuous cleaning.
Price as of June 7, 2025
Auto Empty Station: Self Empties Debris | Bagless
Hardware: Removes Hair from Brush Roll
Performance: Carpet Boost Settings
Mapping / Navigation: Multi Level Maps | Virtual Barriers and No Go Zones
| Scores | Yeedi C12 PRO Plus | Average Robot Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Wars Overall | 3.09 | 2.80 |
| Features | 3.85 | 3.63 |
| Mopping Performance | 2.64 | 2.73 |
| Obstacle Avoidance | 0 | 3.44 |
| Pet | 3.11 | 2.87 |
| Navigation | 3.81 | 3.00 |
| Battery | 3.28 | 2.27 |
| Performance | 3.71 | 3.59 |
| Official Battery Life: 300 Minutes | Navigation Type: Spinning Lidar |
| Official Suction Power: 8000 Pa | Dust Bin Size: 400 ml |
| Obstacle Avoidance Type: N/A | Objects Recognized: N/A |
| Multi Level Maps: Yes | Virtual Barriers: Yes |
| Detergent Capacity: NA | Disposable Bag: Bagless |
Yeedi C12 – No Auto-Empty Bin
The Yeedi C12 robot vacuum/mop combo features a powerful 8000Pa suction enabled by a high-speed motor and a straight-through vacuum design for efficient debris removal, particularly on carpets. It utilizes ZeroTangle technology with dual comb teeth arrays and an anti-tangle roller brush designed to minimize hair entanglement. TrueMapping technology offers rapid 8-minute room mapping, accurate within 10mm, and employs 360-degree Lidar scanning for comprehensive coverage. With a multi-sensor fusion system, the Yeedi C12 crosses obstacles up to 20mm, has four anti-drop sensors, and intelligently recognizes carpets, automatically boosting suction or avoiding carpets during mopping. Its 5200mAh battery provides up to 300 minutes of runtime. Additional features include customizable cleaning modes, adjustable suction and water levels, OZMO mopping, voice control via Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and compatibility exclusively with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks.
Price as of June 7, 2025
Hardware: 20mm Threshold Crossing | Removes Hair from Brush Roll
Performance: Carpet Boost Settings
Mapping / Navigation: Multi Level Maps | Virtual Barriers and No Go Zones
| Scores | Yeedi C12 | Average Robot Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Wars Overall | 2.68 | 2.80 |
| Features | 3.62 | 3.63 |
| Mopping Performance | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| Obstacle Avoidance | 0 | 3.44 |
| Pet | 2.19 | 2.87 |
| Navigation | 3.81 | 3.00 |
| Battery | 3.28 | 2.27 |
| Performance | 3.71 | 3.59 |
| Official Battery Life: 300 Minutes | Navigation Type: Spinning Lidar |
| Official Suction Power: 8000 Pa | Dust Bin Size: 400ml |
| Obstacle Avoidance Type: N/A | Objects Recognized: 0 |
| Multi Level Maps: Yes | Virtual Barriers: Yes |
| Detergent Capacity: N/A | Disposable Bag: N/A |
Practical Performance and Power Metrics
Yeedi advertises the C12 as having 8000 Pascals of suction, a remarkable claim at this price point. Our tests validated this performance: the C12 effectively cleaned various debris types on hard floors and carpets, scoring 62 points in our Carpet Deep Clean test—just above the typical average of 60.
Key to these impressive results are its powerful airflow and suction. The Yeedi C12 Pro reached 22 CFM of airflow, significantly surpassing the average of 16.35 CFM, with suction power over twice the typical robot vacuum we’ve evaluated. These metrics translate into a vacuum that’s going to be pretty reliable for everyday messes.
Exceptional Pet Hair Pickup
Pet owners will particularly appreciate the Yeedi C12 Pro’s exceptional pet hair pickup. In our embedded pet hair test, the Yeedi C12 Pro captured 98.5% of the hair from carpets—performance typically reserved for premium models.
Additionally, in our 7-inch hair test, its ZeroTangle technology effectively prevented hair from wrapping around the brush roll. This not only helps the vacuum maintain optimal performance but ideally, will also reduce maintenance by minimizing the need to manually clear hair from the brush roll.
Effective Mopping Capability
While it lacks a premium-grade water-management system, the Yeedi C12 Pro nonetheless shines as a highly effective mop with many user-friendly mopping features. Its OZMO Mega Mopping System rapidly vibrates the mop pad over 480 times per minute, paired with an electronically-controlled 180ml water tank and a consistent 6N downward pressure for thorough stain removal. Impressively, the robot will also identify and avoid carpets during a combined vacuuming and mopping session – so you can use both functions in one go.
The bigger news here however, is that in our challenging dried-on stain tests, the Yeedi C12 Pro scored an impressive 45.75—comparable to much more expensive vacuums.
Another standout achievement is its remarkably low residual water left on floors—only 0.5 grams—making it among the driest finishes we’ve recorded so far, a notable rarity even among premium models.
Efficient Navigation
Equipped with Yeedi’s LiDAR-based TrueMapping technology, the C12 Pro navigated our test studio quickly and precisely, covering approximately 0.825 square meters per minute—17% faster than average. It confidently maneuvered around furniture and obstacles without missing spots, earning a navigation score of 3.81, comfortably ahead of the average score of 3.0.
Convenient Bagless Auto-Empty Station
Those choosing the Pro Plus version will appreciate Yeedi’s PureCyclone Technology, reminiscent of the bagless and cyclone-style dustbins in many cordless vacuums. It’s designed to be simple and hassle-free, eliminating the need for disposable bags, making it a cost-effective, practical choice for ongoing use.
User-Friendly App
And lastly, the Yeedi app offers robust and intuitive controls, including:
- customizable suction strength,
- water volume,
- dual cleaning modes,
- virtual barriers, and
- multi-level mapping.
Additional conveniences like adjustable auto-empty frequency and carpet boost mode provide users even more of a premium-grade experience. Currently, user reviews for the app are noticeably stronger in Apple’s store than Android’s, but ongoing updates will hopefully lead to continued improvement.
Why Yeedi C12 Pro Stands Out
The Yeedi C12 Pro exemplifies just how quickly budget robot vacuum technology has evolved. A few years ago, LiDAR navigation, powerful suction, and advanced mopping capabilities at this price point were virtually unimaginable. Now, Yeedi delivers these sophisticated features in a genuinely budget-friendly package. Though it lacks a few advanced extras like obstacle avoidance or a water management system.
The Yeedi C12 Pro decisively earned Vacuum Wars’ Best Budget Robot Vacuum award for mid-2025. It clearly demonstrates that top-tier and highly useful cleaning technology can be both affordable and effective.
