Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best way to keep your home tidy is with a robot vacuum. It can pick up dust, pet hair and other debris on surfaces.
Some robots can sync with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free environment. Find models that are rechargeable and continue cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop is a fantastic choice for many homes. It has a great navigation system that incorporates GPS and laser sensors. It also has a lot of features and control options that can be accessed through the app. It comes with a useful feature that lets you create cleaning zones in areas that require extra attention, and Keep Out zones in areas you do not want it to go. As with all Roomba devices, it gets new software updates that make it even better over time.
It's expensive however, it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can vacuum the entire house in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming at the press of one button. And unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the dust bin after each run, this one automatically empties into the larger waste container that is above its charging dock.
It comes with a variety of other features that make it a great choice for homes of all sizes, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It's not often damaged or stuck during a cleaning cycle and is also the most effective in avoiding power cables and other objects I've tested. It's not as precise at detecting pet waste or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Eufy is owned by Anker, has become an established brand in the world of robots that are budget-friendly vacuums. However, it didn't offer an option to mop. This is changing with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features and is able to compete against much more expensive models.
The main selling point of Eufy's this machine is its laser navigation. The previous Eufy devices have built up a rough map of your home utilizing infrared sensors and bumping into objects, but the X8's laser mapping technology is far more precise. It also takes a lot less time to create an accurate map of your space and stores multiple maps, which is ideal for multi-floor homes.
The X8 is a decent vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It can easily sling debris under the side brushes and into its 400ml dustbin. Its tyres are adept at securing corners and edges despite being circular. Our tests showed that it was able to remove 90% of the fur on hard floors.
The basic mopping mode utilizes the same reservoir of water as the vacuuming mode. While this is great for spills that are not too large but you cannot limit the amount of water it uses which can limit its effectiveness on more severe stains. It does, however, do an excellent job of removing pet hair, with a higher pickup rate than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, efficient appliances. It features a stunning design, a great navigation system and a powerful cleaning power. It has a few oddities in its operation that keep it from being ranked as the top smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 comes with a dual-sensor mapping technique which uses LIDAR to map the space, and a pair 3D scanning cameras to detect and eliminating obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). After the room has been defined, you can designate virtual no-go areas and preferred sections to the robot. You can also begin a manual clean or manually change the cleaning mode, watch 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. Its sweeping and suction power are top-notch and cleans up surface debris from carpets with medium piles and dust on floors with no floor. However, it's not exactly the most efficient robot available. Like many others it's not a great climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of steel transition strips.
A lot of people purchase a robotic vacuum for the ease of setting a schedule in an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's crucial that a robot can get the job done and that's the reason our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular ones to help you choose the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac is a robot that is similar to other, but has a few more features and a better performance. Its smart mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home and uses those to navigate around obstacles and avoid them. It can even detect common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump detector, and an infrared sensor that keeps the vacuum away from steps makes it one our most flexible vacuums.
It was able to walk over the thick shag carpets and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigational skills were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors was better than the competition, and it took in 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are less basic than the competitors. There is a cleaning button at 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 daily or weekly cleans, create areas that are not allowed to be cleaned, and check its cleaning history. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that looks and feels attractive in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easily accessible to empty, and the removal of the filters is also simple.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is an excellent choice if you want an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and doesn't have any frills at a cost that is low. This model lacks some smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping that are found in more expensive models. However, if you don't need these features, you could save money.
This robot is simple to setup and use. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include an remote control that lets you choose between various modes and adjust the suction level. You can also assign the robotvac to an cleaning schedule.
In our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in getting dirt and pet fur from robot vacuum that vacuums and mops hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile allowed it to get under furniture and other objects that larger robots could not reach. It could also easily get over thresholds for doors and change between floors and another.
Like other robots, the 11S can suck up some objects, such as cords drawstrings on hoodies and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you keep these objects off the ground and by using a cord organizer if possible. It also recommends that you regularly clean the dustbin, change the filters and wash or change the brushes as needed.
6. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's the best robot vacuum that you can buy. Its self-navigating features and environmental mapping are a wonder to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than most competitors, such as the ability to create virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. While its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 may spin a bit when crossing cables, it's still a highly efficient robot vacuum.
One thing we really like 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 store the floor plan of your home. It will use this information to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path through each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum cleaner than the majority of high-end robots.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt on carpets and hard floors and the spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The floor tracking sensor assists in navigating between furniture, along edges and up steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It will automatically return to its base station for hassle-free charging between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren't as good as those of other robot vacuums. However, it is a solid and reliable machine that will keep floors clean for a long time. hours.