Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is the ideal tool for maintaining a clean home. It will pick up dust, pet hair, and other debris on surfaces.
Some robots connect to smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Look for models that can recharge and then resume cleaning the area they left.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is an excellent choice for many homes. It features a superb navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also has many features and controls accessible via the app. It also has a handy feature which allows you to create Cleaning zones in areas that require extra attention, and also to create Keep Out zones in areas you don’t want it to be. As with all Roomba devices, it is updated with new software updates that make it even better over time.
It’s costly however, it’s also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has evaluated. It’s equipped with a powerful battery that can clean a large home in under two hours, and it can switch between vacuuming and mopping by pressing a button. And unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the bin after each run, this one automatically emptys itself into an even larger waste container on top of its charging dock.
It has a wide range of other features that make it an excellent option for most homes that include intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It rarely gets derailed or stuck during cleaning, and it’s the best robot vacuum for large house at avoiding power cables and other objects in my tests. It’s not as precise in detecting pet waste or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
While Anker-owned Eufy has made its name in budget robot vacuums, it hasn’t previously offered an all-in-one model that can also mop. That’s changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive set of modern features and is able to compete against more expensive models.
The most significant selling point for Eufy with the X8 is its laser navigation. The previous Eufy devices have constructed an outline of your home by using infrared sensors and bumping into things but the X8’s laser mapping technology is far more precise. It also takes significantly less time to construct a comprehensive picture of your home and can store multiple maps, which is ideal for multi-floor homes.
The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It can easily sling debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. The Tyres of the X8, despite their circular shape, are good in grabbing corners and edges. Our tests showed that it was able to remove 90 percent of the fur on hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. While this is good for spills that aren’t too big but you cannot control how much water it uses which can limit its effectiveness on more serious staining. It does, however, do an excellent job of removing pet hair, and has a higher speed of pickup than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Known for quietly effective home appliances, Miele’s RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, gorgeous design and excellent navigation. There are a few niggles in its operation that keep it from being ranked as the top smart robot vacuum.
Like the latest models from iRobot, the RX2 has dual-sensor mapping technology that uses a LIDAR sensor to map the space and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real-time. Once the room is mapped, the app lets you designate virtual no-go zones and favorite sections that the robot will clean automatically. You can also start a manual clean or manually change the cleaning mode, view a live feed from the onboard cameras, and more from the main screen.
The sensors of the RX2 work well by registering furniture and obstructions in real-time. Its sweeping and suction power are top-of-the-line, picking up surface litter from medium-pile carpeting and HOME embedded dust in bare floors. It’s not the most powerful robot available. Like many others, it’s not a good climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of steel transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum for the ease of setting up a schedule using an app and forgetting about it for weeks at a time. But it’s important that a robot is able to accomplish the task and that’s why our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular models to help you choose the perfect one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget-friendly robot looks like a typical robot, but it’s a step up in terms of performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home and uses them to avoid obstacles and navigate. It can even identify common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor, and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it away from steps is what makes it one of the most agile vacuums we’ve tried.
It was able to walk over carpets with thick shags and didn’t get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690-). Its navigation capabilities were impressive. Its composite score for carpet and bare flooring beat the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5% of surface litter and embedded dog hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are simpler than the competitors. There’s a cleaning button at the top and you can either start it with the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set a schedule for daily or weekly cleans, create no-go zones, and view the history of its cleaning. Clad in smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks attractive in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easy to access for emptying and removing the filter just as simple.
5. Eufy 11S
If you’re looking for a simple robotic vacuum that is simple and has no frills for a reasonable cost, the Eufy11S could be a good choice. The model isn’t equipped with smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping that are found in more expensive models. If you don’t need these features, you could save money.
The robot is simple to use and set up. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with a remote control which lets you select between different modes and adjust suction levels. You can also set up a manual schedule to send the robotvac on an cleaning schedule.
During our tests during our tests, the 11S was extremely efficient in getting rid of dirt and pet hair from hard floors as well as in carpets with low pile. Its slim profile helped it reach under furniture and other items that more bulkier robots were unable to reach. It was able to go effortlessly over door thresholds and transition between floors of different types to another.
The 11S, just like other robots, will also eat certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer says that you can prevent this by keeping these objects off the floor and by using an organizer for cords if you can. It also suggests that you clean the dustbin, change the filters, and change or wash the brushes when required.
Roomba 990 from iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum. It’s pricey but it’s a top performer and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum available. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping are a joy to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than most of its competitors, including the ability to set up virtual boundary markers with its mobile app. It’s a dependable robot vacuum, even if its app isn’t the most responsive and the 980 spins when rolling over cables.
One thing we really like about the 980 is that it makes use of its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM) to memorise the floor plan of your home. It then uses the information to create an efficient and consistent cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a cleaner vacuum than most competing high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt from hard floors and carpets, as well as an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. The sensor for floor tracking helps it navigate through furniture, along edges and on stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to its base station for hassle-free charging between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren’t as good as some other robot vacuums. However, it’s a reliable and solid machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.