Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is the ideal tool to maintain the cleanliness of your home. It can pick up pet hair, dust, and other surface debris.
Certain robots can connect to smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide 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 combination is a fantastic option for homes with a variety of. It can be used to vacuum and mop, has excellent navigation with both GPS and laser sensors and offers a broad range of controls and features accessible through the app. It also comes with a helpful feature that allows you to add cleaning zones to certain areas that need extra attention, and also to keep Out zones where you do not want it to be. It also receives software updates, just like all Roomba products, which enhance it over time.
It's expensive however, it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has tested. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can sweep an entire home in less than two hours. It can switch between mopping and vacuuming by pressing one button. And, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the trash bin after each run, it automatically empties into an even larger waste container on top of its charging dock.
It also has many other options, like intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses cameras in conjunction with processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It is rarely derailed or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the most effective at avoiding objects such as power cables. It's not as reliable in detecting pet waste, or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Eufy owned by Anker, has become an iconic name in the world of low-cost robot vacuums. However, it didn't provide a model that could also mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive set of modern features and is able to compete with more expensive models.
The most significant selling point for Eufy with this device is its laser navigation. The X8 uses laser mapping technology that is more accurate than the previous Eufy devices. It takes less time to create a comprehensive map of your home. It can also store multiple maps. This is great for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It is able to effortlessly sling debris through the side brushes and into the 400ml dustbin. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are very efficient in grabbing corners and edges. Our tests revealed that it was able to remove 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
There's a basic mopping option that uses the same water tank as the vacuuming. While this is great for loose spills, you can't regulate the amount of water it uses and this will reduce its effectiveness for more severe staining. That said, it does an admirable job of picking up pet hair, and has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is renowned for its quiet, effective appliances. It has a beautiful design, superb navigation and an impressive cleaning power. It has some oddities in its operation that prevent it from being named the best smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technique which uses LIDAR to map an area and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room is identified and assigned, you can assign virtual no go areas and preferred sections to the robot. You can also alter the cleaning options, begin a manual clean or see a live feed of the cameras onboard from the main screen.
The RX2's sensors are effective, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. Its sweeping and suction power are top-notch, picking up surface litter from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors that are unfinished. It's not the most powerful robot available. It's not the most efficient climber and has issues with transition strips made of steel.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum for the hands-off convenience of setting up a schedule using an app and not thinking about it for weeks at a time. But it's important that a robot can accomplish the task that's the reason why our ZDNet staff examined and reviewed a few of the most popular models to help you select the perfect one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot looks like your standard robot, however it's upgraded in performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses them to navigate around obstacles and avoid them. It is able to detect common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors with a bump detector and an infrared sensor to keep the vacuum from stepping on the stairs makes it one of our most agile vacuums.
It was able to climb over carpets with thick shags and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690-). Its navigation skills were impressive. Its composite score for flooring and carpet beat the competition, and it picked up 98.5% of dirt and embedded dog hair from our lab test samples.
Its controls are a bit more basic than those of the competitors. There's an oblong cleaning button at the top, and you can launch it via the app, or by voice command with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule weekly or daily cleanings, create no-go zones and check the history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that feels and looks attractive in your home. The dust bin on the rear is accessible for emptying and removing the filter is the same.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is an excellent choice if you want a robot vacuum that's simple and doesn't have any frills at a low cost. This model lacks some smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping that are found in higher-end models. However, if you don't need these functions, you can save money.
The robot is simple to use and set up. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with the remote control that lets you select between different modes and alter the suction level. You can also set up a manual schedule to set the robotvac to an cleaning schedule.
During our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely effective at removing dirt and pet fur from carpets and floors with low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to fit under furniture with low hanging and other objects that heavier robots were unable to get at. It was also able to easily pass over doorway thresholds and transition from one type of floor to another.
The 11S, like other robots, will also eat some items, including cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you prevent this from happening by keeping these items off the ground and by using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends that you regularly clean the dustbin, change the filters, and change or wash the brushes when needed.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's a top performer and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum available. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than many competitors, such as the ability to set 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 uses its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It uses this information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path in every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than most competing high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that grab dirt on floors and carpets and the spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. Its floor tracking sensors aid it navigate across furniture and along edges, while Cliff Detect keeps the Roomba from slipping down stairs. It also automatically returns to the base station to allow for recharging in best robot vacuums between sessions. Although the 980's battery lifespan and bin size aren't quite as good as those of some other robot vacuums, it's a sturdy and reliable machine that can keep your floors spotless for hours and hours.