If you want an AI companion robot under $300 that you can actually order in the US today, the honest shortlist is short. Eilik at $139.99 is the value anchor, and even with its $99 AI Station conversation add-on the pair stays at $238.99. Eiliko at $59.90 is the cheapest way into the category that is not a toy-store impulse buy. And as of this week, Ropet’s KAMOMO starts at $299.00, down from a $469 list price, which puts the most customizable pet in the category inside the $300 line for the first time since we started tracking it. Our HOYHO code takes another $8 off. Everything else you have heard of either costs more, has no US price yet, or is a crowdfunding promise rather than a checkout page.
The catch is the word “under.” Sticker prices in this category are quoted before shipping, and both of the stores above tell you plainly that customs charges are not included. This guide prices the field the way your credit card statement will, not the way the product page does.
Disclosure: CyberPals participates in the Ropet and Energize Lab (Eilik) affiliate programs, and purchases made through those links may earn us a commission. No other brand on this page has any commercial relationship with us, and our affiliate status never changes what we report. All prices were pulled from the official US stores on October 4, 2026, and every claim below reflects a store page, a policy page, or a dated report we link to. CyberPals has not conducted hands-on testing of these units.
Why “under $300” is a landed-cost question now
Until last year, a $299 gadget shipped from overseas usually arrived with no extra charges, because US customs waived duties on packages under $800. That exemption ended on August 29, 2025, under Executive Order 14324, for shipments from every country. Since then, any order that ships from an overseas warehouse can legally attract duties, processing fees, or a carrier’s brokerage charge, even when the merchandise is cheap.
Both stores in this guide are upfront about it. Energize Lab’s FAQ states that its prices do not include “any customs duties, taxes, fees, or any other country-specific charges.” Ropet’s shipping policy says duties and taxes it collects will show at checkout, and warns that “free standard shipping does not mean that import duties and taxes are included.”
What that means in practice: treat the checkout total as the real price only if duties were collected there, and leave a small buffer if they were not. A $299 unit that picks up a duty bill at the door is not an under-$300 purchase anymore. That is not a reason to skip these products. It is a reason to read the next table before deciding which side of $300 you are really on.
The under-$300 field, priced at checkout
| Model | Sticker (Oct 4, 2026) | US shipping | Duties and taxes | Returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eilik (Energize Lab) | $139.99, was $149.99 | Free on qualifying orders, calculated at checkout | Not included, per store FAQ | 14-day moneyback, 90-day quality assurance |
| Eilik + AI Station | $238.99 combined | Same order, same policy | Not included | Same |
| Eilik Desert Quester | $199.98, was $209 | Same policy | Not included | Same |
| Eiliko | $59.90, was $69.90 | Calculated at checkout | Not included | Same |
| Ropet KAMOMO | From $299.00, list $469 | Free at $99+, else $9.90 | Collected at checkout when applicable; extra charges possible | 30-day returns, 1-year warranty |
Prices read directly from store.energizelab.com and ropetai.com on October 4, 2026. Sale prices in this category move often, so expect drift. “From $299” is the entry configuration; Ropet bundles with extra accessories cost more.
Two things the table cannot show. First, delivery time: Ropet quotes 1 to 3 business days of processing plus 8 to 18 calendar days of transit to US addresses, and ships only to the 48 contiguous states plus DC, not Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico. If you are buying for a December birthday, order in November. Second, neither store runs a subscription, which is not true across this category; we verified who charges ongoing fees in our subscription-fee guide.
Eilik at $139.99: the default answer
Eilik has been the entry recommendation in this category for years, and the price has drifted down, not up. At $139.99 from the official Energize Lab store, you get the desktop robot with 1,162 store reviews averaging 4.67 stars, working out of the box with no Wi-Fi, no app pairing, and no account. Touch it, pick it up, tickle it, and it reacts with animations on its OLED face. Two Eiliks interact with each other, which is why the $269.98 two-pack exists.
The honest limits: the battery is a 450mAh cell rated for about 1.5 hours off the cable, so it effectively lives plugged in, and out of the box it does not hold conversations. Conversation is sold separately as the AI Station dock, currently $99, down from $149. The combined $238.99 is still comfortably under $300 and is, in our view, the strongest total package on this page. If you are weighing Eilik against its smaller sibling, our Eilik vs Eiliko comparison covers what changed between them.
The Desert Quester variant at $199.98 is the same robot in an adventure trim. Buy it for the look, not for extra function.
Ropet KAMOMO at $299: newly inside the line
This is the price move that made us re-run this guide. When we checked Ropet’s store in early September, the going configuration was a $339 Pro bundle. As of October 4, the official catalog lists KAMOMO from $299.00 against a $469 list price. Our code HOYHO takes $8 off at the official store, bringing the entry unit to $291 before any taxes or duties.
What you get for that money is a very different animal from Eilik. Ropet is a furry pet that reacts with warmth and expressive eyes rather than a plastic desk robot, and it has the deepest customization ecosystem in the category: washable fur coats at $25 to $40, magnetic masks at $26 to $30, limited-run eye sets, and a licensed line we covered in our Toothless edition brief. There is no subscription. The company confirmed US and Canada shipping with 30-day returns and a 1-year warranty.
The honest counterweights. Ropet does not talk, a trade-off we unpacked in Ropet vs Pophie, and owner reports we have logged flag unimpressive battery life, with the charging base sold separately at $55.99. And the accessory catalog is designed to keep billing you after the $299. That is a feature if you wanted a dress-up pet, which is exactly who this product is for; our design and customization guide ranks the field on that axis. But if $300 is a hard ceiling rather than a starting point, Eilik respects the ceiling better.
Eiliko at $59.90: the floor that still counts
Eiliko is Energize Lab’s smaller, cheaper companion at $59.90. It keeps the touch reactions and the personality animations at well under half Eilik’s price, and it is the unit we point to when someone wants to test whether a desk companion fits their life at all before spending real money. You give up size, servo range and some presence. For a first robot for a teenager, or a desk toy you will not mourn if the novelty fades, it is the rational floor. We compared the trade-offs in detail in the Eilik vs Eiliko piece.
If your budget is closer to $200 than $300, our earlier desktop companions under $200 guide covers that bracket, though the prices in it predate the current sales.
What $300 cannot buy you in 2026
It helps to know what sits just above the line, because that is where most of the regret purchases come from.
Moflin, Casio’s weighted sensory pet, launched in the US at $398 plus an optional Club Moflin care plan at roughly $44 a year, per launch-period reporting we cited in our subscription guide; one 2026 retail listing we have seen puts it at $429, so treat the exact figure as moving. Either way it is a $400-class purchase. Lovot is in another bracket entirely. And the crowdfunded wave, including Joobie and the still-unpriced Pophie, either has no shipping US price or asks you to pay now for delivery promises later, which is not the same thing as a store with a 30-day return window.
One category note for gift buyers: a $299 price with a duty bill at the door can quietly become a $320 purchase, while a $239 Eilik-plus-Station order stays under the line even after surprises. If the number matters, buy the buffer.
Who should buy which
You want the most robot per dollar and a hard ceiling. Buy Eilik at $139.99, and add the AI Station only if talking matters to you. At $238.99 for the pair, it is the best total package under $300 right now.
You want a pet, not a gadget, and you like dressing things up. Buy the Ropet KAMOMO at $299 with the HOYHO code, and budget another $30 to $60 a year for fur sets, because you will want them. If you need it to talk, it never will; read the Pophie comparison first.
You are not sure this category is for you. Spend $59.90 on Eiliko. It answers the question for less than the cost of being wrong about a $300 unit.
You can stretch past $400 and want a living-thing feel. That is Moflin territory, and our tactile companions piece is the better guide.
Sources and verification
Prices and policies were read directly from store.energizelab.com and ropetai.com on October 4, 2026, including Energize Lab’s customs FAQ and Ropet’s published shipping-rate table. The end of the US de minimis exemption on August 29, 2025 is documented in Executive Order 14324 coverage by multiple trade-compliance publishers. Moflin pricing reflects launch-period reporting and is flagged where dated. Sale prices change without notice; if the numbers above have moved by the time you read this, the official store links are the source of truth.