Vacuum Wars Names Yeedi C12 Pro Best Budget Robot Vacuum for Mid-2025

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

Yeedi C12 – No Auto-Empty Bin

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.