Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best method to keep your home clean is to use a robotic vacuum. It can pick up pet hair, dust, 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 pick up the area they left.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is a fantastic choice for many homes. It can be used to vacuum and mop and has a great navigation system that includes both GPS and laser sensors, and comes with a variety of controls and features accessible via the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones for specific areas that need extra attention, and also to keep Out zones that you don't want it to go. Like all Roomba devices, it receives new software updates that make it better over time.
It's expensive however, it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has evaluated. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can sweep an entire home in less than two hours, and it can switch between vacuuming and mopping with the press of a button. And unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the bin after each run, this one automatically emptys itself into a larger waste container above its charging dock.
It also comes with a variety of other options, like intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts in order to detect obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning cycle. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects such as power cables. However, it's not as reliable at detecting pet waste or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy, owned by Anker It has become an established brand in the world of budget robot vacuums. However, it didn't offer the option of a model that could mop. That changes with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features and is able to compete against more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the main selling point of this machine. The X8 uses laser mapping technology that is more precise than the previous Eufy devices. It also takes significantly less time to create an accurate map of your space and stores multiple maps, which is great for multi-floor homes.
The X8 is still a decent vacuum on floors with no dust and can sling debris over its side brushes and into the 400ml dust bin with ease. The X8's tyres, despite having a circular shape, are very efficient at grabbing corners and edges. It's not the best cat litter eater, however as our tests show it is able to remove around 90 percent of the fur off hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same reservoir of water as the vacuuming mode. This is great for spills that aren't too serious, but you cannot limit the amount of water it consumes. It is effective in removing pet hair. see this page has a higher rate of pick-up 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 a great navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that keep it from being named the best smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology that makes use of LIDAR to map a room as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and staying clear of obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room is mapped the app allows you to assign virtual no-go areas and areas that you want to clean. will automatically clean. You can also start an automatic clean or manually change the cleaning mode, view live feeds from the onboard cameras, and more on the main screen.
The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can detect furniture and other obstructions in a flash. And its sweeping and suction power are top of the line and cleans up surface debris from medium-pile carpeting and embedded dust on floors with no floor. It's not the fastest robot available. It's not the greatest climber, and it has problems with metal threshold transition strips.
Many people purchase robot vacuums for the convenience of setting up a schedule on an app, and then forgetting about them for weeks. It's crucial for a robot able to do the job and that's why our ZDNet staff has tested and looked over some of the most popular models in order to help you choose the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot looks like your typical robot but it's a step up in terms of performance and features. Its smart mapping system generates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses them to navigate around obstacles and avoid them. It can even detect common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump detector, and an infrared sensor to keep the vacuum away from the stairs makes it one of our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it easily climbed over thick shag rugs and didn't get stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation abilities were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors topped the competition. It was able to pick up 98.5 percent of the surface pet hair and litter from our lab test samples.
Its controls are a bit simpler than the competitors. There's an oblong cleaning button at the top. You can launch it via the app, or by voice command with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set a schedule for your daily or weekly cleans, set areas that are not allowed to be cleaned, and check its cleaning history. Clad in smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks stylish in your home. Its rear dustbin is easily accessible to empty, and the removal of the filters is also easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is an excellent choice if you want an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and has no frills at a reasonable price. It doesn't have many of the advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in higher-end models, but if you're not looking for these functions, you can save a little cost with this model.
This robot is simple to use and set up. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with a remote control which allows you to choose between different modes and adjust suction levels. It also allows you to manually turn off the robovac on a scheduled cleaning.
During our tests, the 11S was very effective at cleaning pet hair and dirt on hard floors and in carpets with low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to fit under furniture with low hanging and other items that larger robots are unable to reach. It was also able to easily get over thresholds for doors and move from one type of floor to another.
Like other robots, the 11S is able to suck up some objects like cords, drawstrings on hoodies and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests you keep these objects off the ground and by using a cord organizer whenever possible. It also suggests that you regularly clean the dustbin, change the filters and wash or change the brushes when required.
iRobot Roomba 990
The Roomba 980 is the flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's the most powerful robot vacuum you can buy. Its self-navigation feature and 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 application. It's a dependable robot vacuum, even if the app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins out when rolling over cables.
One thing we love about the 980 is that it makes use of its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to memorise the floor plan of your home. It will use this data to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path in every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a better robot vacuum than most high-end robots.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes that pick up dirt from hard floors and carpet, along with an ejector brush that moves debris into the bin of the robotic vacuum. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating around furniture, along edges and up the stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to its base station for hassle-free recharging between sessions. Although the 980's battery life and bin size isn't as efficient as other robot vacuums, it's a solid and reliable machine that can keep your floors clean for hours and hours.