Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best way to keep your home clean is with a robot vacuum. It will remove pet hair, dust and other debris from the surface before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a environment that is hands-free. Look for models that recharge and resume cleaning the area they left.
- iRobot s8
This smart robot mop and vacuum combo is a fantastic choice for many households. It is able to vacuum and mop well, has excellent navigation with both GPS and laser sensors and has a wide range of features and controls that are accessible via the app. It also comes with a useful feature that lets you add Cleaning zones for certain areas that require more attention, as well as Keep Out zones where you don't want it to go. It also gets software updates, like the other Roomba products, that improve the quality of the product over time.
It's expensive, but it's is also one of the most sophisticated robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It's got a huge battery that can sweep all of your home in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming with the touch of a button. It will automatically empty the bin of dust above its charging station, in contrast to other self emptying robots which require you to empty the bin after each run.
It's got a range of other features that make it a great option for most homes that include intelligent obstacle avoidance that utilizes both a camera and processor-powered intelligents to identify obstacles. It rarely gets derailed or entrapped during a cleaning cycle, and it's the best at avoiding power cables and other objects in my tests. However, it's not as accurate in detecting pet waste and other hazards.
- Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Although Anker-owned Eufy has made an impact in budget robot vacuums, it's never offered an all-in-one model that could also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that comes with a variety of advanced features, and can compete with more expensive models.
The most significant selling point for Eufy with this device is its laser navigation. The previous Eufy devices have created a rough map of your home using infrared sensors and bumping into objects, but the X8's laser mapping system is far more precise. It takes less time to create a comprehensive map of your home. It also has the ability to store multiple maps. This is great for multi-floored homes.
The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It is able to effortlessly sling debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dustbin. The tyres are adept at hugging corners and edges, even though they're circular. It's not a great kitty litter scooper, however, with our tests showing it can only remove about 90% of the fur from hard floors.
The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same reservoir of water as the vacuuming mode. This is great for spills that aren't too serious, but you cannot control the amount of water that it uses. It is effective in removing hair from pets. It has a higher rate of pick-up than the Roborock S7.
- Miele RX2
Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum comes with outstanding cleaning power, beautiful design and great navigation. It has some oddities in its operation, which prevent it from being ranked as the best smart robot vacuum.
Like iRobot's latest models, the RX2 comes with dual-sensor mapping technology which uses a LIDAR sensor to map an area and three 3D scanning cameras to identify and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real time. Once the room is mapped and assigned, you can assign virtual no go areas and favorite sections to the robot. You can also alter the cleaning modes, start cleaning manually, or view a live feed of the onboard cameras from the main screen.
The RX2's sensors work well by registering furniture and obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping power are top-of-the-line cleaning up surface debris from carpets of medium pile and dust in bare floors. It's not the fastest robotics on the market. It's not the best vacuum with mop robot climber, and it has problems with metal threshold transition strips.
Some people buy robot vacuums due to the ease of setting up a schedule in an app, only to forget about them for weeks. However, it's essential that a robot can get the job done and that's the reason why our ZDNet staff examined and reviewed a few of the most popular ones to help you find the right one for your home.
- Shark ION
This round, budget robot looks like your standard robot, however it's a step up in terms of performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2-D maps of your house and makes use of them to navigate around and stay clear of obstructions. It can even identify common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor and an infrared sensor for dropping that keeps it from falling down the stairs make it one of the fastest vacs we've tried.
In our tests, it easily moved over large shag rug and didn't get stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation abilities were also impressive. Its composite score for flooring and carpet was higher than the competition, and it picked up 98.5 percent of the dirt and embedded dog hair that we tested in our lab samples.
The controls are simpler than the competitors. There's a clean button on the top and you can choose to start it using the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set up a schedule for weekly or daily cleaning, set no-go zones, and view the history of its cleaning. Ion is covered in a sophisticated dark gray plastic that is both attractive and beautiful in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easy to access for emptying and cleaning the filter is the same.
- Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic, no-frills robot vacuum at a reasonable cost, the Eufy11S is a great option. It doesn't have many of the more advanced features, such as digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in more expensive models, however, if you don't require these functions, you can save some cost with this model.
The robot is easy to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone app or Wi-Fi pairing, however it does have a remote control that lets you select various modes and adjust the suction level. It also allows you to manually turn off the robovac on a scheduled cleaning.
During our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in removing pet fur and dirt from carpets and floors with low pile. Its slim profile made it possible to pass under furniture that is low-hanging and other items that heavier robots were unable to get at. It was also able to get over thresholds for doors and change from one floor type to another.
The 11S, as with other robots will also suckup some objects, such as cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can prevent this by keeping these items off the floor and by using an organizer for cords if you can. It also recommends that you clean the dustbin, replace the filters, and wash or change the brushes as needed.
- IRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's costly but it's an excellent performer and is arguably the most sophisticated robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigation feature and environmental mapping is something to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than many competitors, including the ability to set virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. It's a powerful robot vacuum, even if its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins when it comes across cables.
One thing we really like about the 980 is the fact that it utilizes 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 then uses the information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum than most high-end robots.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt from carpets and hard floors and a spinning brush to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensors aid it navigate around furniture and along edges, and Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling down the stairs. It will also return to the base station for simple charging between sessions. Although the 980's battery lifespan and bin size aren't as good as those of some other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that can keep your floors clean for hours on end.