Q7 Max+

Idk how much this is in Australian dollars, but my mom just bought me the Roborock Q7 Max+ for Christmas and she said that when she did her research it was the second best vacuum and mop combo or something and one of the best for a budget model. I tried it once and I like it so far! 

We’ve had a Roborock Q7 Max+ for a bit more than two years now, and have been really impressed with it and in particular it’s navigation. I think all Roborock have a very similar navigation system, the newer Qrevo S seem to have all the same features and more and also be cheaper, but it’s probably a bit over budget still

The docking problem your cheap one had is almost always a symptom of camera-based navigation rather than LiDAR. Camera systems struggle in low light and inconsistent conditions. LiDAR uses laser mapping and is dramatically more reliable for consistent docking and room memory. For your sister's setup, hardwood only and no pets, the Roborock Q7 Max+ (\~$300+) is the call. Reddit's highest rated budget robot vacuum at 92% positive across 167 users. LiDAR navigation, self-emptying dock that holds about 60 days of debris, and critically for her situation it supports multi-floor mapping. She saves a separate map for each floor in the app. On the two-story question: most people just carry it. You set it loose on floor one, it cleans and docks, then you pick it up and put it on floor two with its own saved map. It's maybe 30 seconds of effort. Buying two robots is overkill unless the stairs are genuinely difficult. The multi-floor map support in the Roborock app is one of the best in the category so the transition is seamless. Two brands to avoid: iRobot filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025 and was acquired by a Chinese firm, long-term software support is now a real question mark. Ecovacs had a serious security incident where researchers demonstrated remote camera and microphone access from 450 feet in 2024, followed by real-world hacking incidents. Not worth the risk. The Q7 Max+ at \~$300+ is the gift sweet spot for her exact situation.

I bought a Q7 m5+ last year at this time as a Prime Day purchase. I run it most days, and I'm very happy. I changed the bag once so far and haven't had to do any maintenance except rinse it out every now and then. There are a few things like electric cords, shoes, and small pieces of furniture that I move out of the way. It only takes a minute, and it's much easier than dragging the vacuum out and vacuuming myself. (I do get the vacuum out about once every month or two to get under chairs and places where the Roborock can't reach.)

My Roborock Q7 Max+ was breaking down and honestly was a bit of a PITA that needed constant babying anyway and I finally gave up after it complained of a wheel short circuit. While the Dreame l10s pro ultra heat is a newer model and probably a little unfair to compare, I'm very happy with the Dreame and its surprising ability to drive over floor lips. Also, I would also stress to listen to other users that people are more likely to complain than praise their robot vacuum and a lot of these Chinese vacuum brands are a lot closer in quality than we think (software stacks and featuresets) so your favorite brand may or may not come down to just luck.