Love Dyson but hate the price tag? Its first sub-£500 robot vacuum just launched – and it comes with a clever design to clean every crevice

Today, Dyson announced it’s adding a wide range of floorcare appliances to its already-stellar lineup. But perhaps most exciting is its first sub-£500 robot vacuum - a nice step away from the premium price we’ve come to expect from this premium brand.

While the best robot vacuum cleaners have become the new must-have appliance in homes across the UK, they’re not cheap. Many of the top models - including Dyson’s own robot vacuums - retail for anywhere between £700 and £1,000. But the new Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry breaks the mould at just £499.99… and it promises excellent cleaning power, too.

The Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry isn’t alone, though. It’s one of THREE new robot vacuums unveiled by Chief Engineer Jake Dyson at the Dyson Unveiled Event in Berlin today (which I was lucky enough to get an invite to), and you can read on to find out what makes these new robot vacuums so special.

The affordable R1 Nurovi Dry forms part of the new Nurovi range, aimed at offering varying levels of innovation and cleaning power across three very different machines: the R1 Nurovi Dry, R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry and the Dyson R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub™ UV.

All three offer varying features and price points, but to cut the jargon, I’ve put the information you need into an easy-to-understand table below:

Of course, the cheapest R1 option is undoubtedly the most basic model, and it's worth weighing this up if you’re buying your first robot vacuum cleaner.

But if you primarily have soft flooring in your home and don’t need a robot vacuum that also mops, it’ll suit you perfectly. Especially with the new, souped-up cleaning technology and the side-sweeper system that aims to reach nooks and crannies like never before.

If you do want a robot vacuum that’ll mop your floors, the R2 is the mid-range option offering both wet and dry cleaning with new Reuleaux triangle pads designed to offer an effective and efficient clean that covers every inch of your floor - something that robot vacuums with round pads often miss.

And this is what Dyson wants from this new era of robotics. Speaking at the event, Jake Dyson explained, ‘With the Dyson Nurovi robots, we’ve rethought things from the ground up – from how debris is captured, to how edges and corners are cleaned, and how the machine senses and adapts to its environment.’

‘The result is a range of robots that clean intelligently, precisely, and effectively across every surface,’ he added.

But if you’re not a fan of robot vacuums, you don’t have to worry. Dyson unveiled a whopping 12 new home appliances at the unveiling - including the new Dyson W1 PencilWash (£299 at Dyson), which builds on the success of the original PencilWash by offering a self-cleaning roller dock and a more absorbent roller.

Or if you’re in the market for an old-school vacuum cleaner with a twist, the iconic vacuum brand has also reimagined the Dyson Big Ball Konical Vacuum Cleaner (£399.99 at Dyson).

You’ll probably recognise this classic design as one of Dyson’s first big successes, but this new model has been upgraded to include the Konical head (which can be seen on the Dyson V16 Piston Animal), improved cyclone technology for powerful suction power, and self-righting ball technology - which means it’ll never fall over.

Fans of the best cordless vacuums, and more specifically the hugely popular Dyson V15 Cordless Vacuum, will also be happy to hear that the brand will release its most powerful V15 model ever in 2027.

I’ll share more details on this in the coming months, but from what I hear, it’s going to be extremely versatile and very powerful.

Things are looking exciting over at camp Dyson!