Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is the ideal tool to maintain a clean home. It will nab pet hair, dust and other particles from the floor before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Look for models that can recharge and pick up where they left off.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot mop and vacuum is a fantastic choice for many households. It vacuums and mops well, has excellent navigation with both GPS and laser sensors, and offers a broad range of controls and features available via the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you create cleaning zones in areas that require more attention, and Keep Out zones in areas you do not want it to go. It also receives software updates, similar to the other Roomba products, which make it better over time.
It's costly but it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has evaluated. It's got a huge battery that can vacuum all of your home in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming with the push of a button. It will automatically empty the trash bin that is above its charging station, unlike other self emptying robots which require you to empty it after each run.
It also has many other features, such as intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses cameras and processor-powered smarts in order to identify obstacles. It isn't often entangled or stuck during a cleaning cycle, and it's the best in avoiding power cables and other objects I've tested. It is not as accurate in detecting pet waste or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Although Anker-owned Eufy has earned an impact in low-cost robot vacuums it's not yet an all-in-one model that could also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that offers a range of advanced features, and can compete with much more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. The X8 makes use of laser mapping technology that is more precise than the previous Eufy devices. It also takes a lot less time to create a comprehensive picture of your space and stores multiple maps, which is ideal for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is still a decent vacuum on floors with no dust that can carry debris under its side brushes and into the 400ml dust bin with relative ease. The Tyres of the X8, despite their circular shape, are very efficient in grabbing corners and edges. It's not a fantastic cat litter eater, however as our tests show it can only remove about 90% of the fur from hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is great for spills that aren't serious, but you cannot control the amount of water it consumes. It's effective at picking up pet hair. It has a higher pick-up rate than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum is a great choice because of its cleaning power, beautiful design and great navigation. But it has some operational issues that keep it from ranking as the best overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 comes with a dual-sensor mapping system that uses a LIDAR to map a room and a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and avoiding 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 initiate cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, see a live feed from the onboard cameras and more on the main screen.
The RX2's sensors are effective by registering furniture and obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping abilities are exceptional, removing surface litter from carpets of medium pile as well as dust that has been deposited on floors. It's not the most powerful robot on the market. As with many others it's not a very good climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of metal 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 an time. It's important that a robot is able to do the job, so our ZDNet staff has compared and reviewed some of the most popular models in order to help you choose the best one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac is a robot that looks like any other, but it has a few more features and a better performance. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2-D maps of your home and makes use of them to navigate around and avoid obstructions. It's also able to detect common obstructions such as power cords and furniture legs in real time. This combination of sensors with a bump detector and an infrared sensor to keep the vacuum away from steps makes it one our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it effortlessly could climb over the thick shag rug and didn't end up stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation skills were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors beat out the competition, and it picked up 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic than the competition; there's a round cleaning button on the top, and you can launch it via the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also create a schedule for weekly or daily cleaning, set no-go zones, and see its history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a sophisticated dark gray plastic that is both attractive and appealing in your home. The dust bin on the rear is accessible for emptying and removing the filter is equally easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a good option if you're looking for an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and simple at a reasonable price. It lacks some of the more advanced features, such as digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in more expensive models, but if you're not looking for these features, you can save some money by purchasing this model.
This robot is very easy to install and use. It doesn't require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include a remote control which allows you to choose between different modes and alter the suction level. You can also manually set the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.
During our tests during our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in cleaning pet hair and dirt from hard floors and in carpets with a low pile. Its slim profile made it possible to pass under furniture that is low-hanging and other items that some larger robots are unable to reach. It was able to pass easily over thresholds of doorways and switch from one type of floor to another.
Like other robots, the 11S will suck up some objects such as cords, drawstrings on hoodies and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can prevent this from happening by keeping these items off the ground and using a cord organiser whenever possible. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin periodically replacing the filters, and washing or vacuum mop robot changing the brushes as required.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's top-performing and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum available. Its self navigation and environmental mapping are something to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than most competitors, including the ability to set virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. It's a powerful robot vacuum, even if its application is a bit slow and the 980 spins when it comes across cables.
One thing we love about the 980 is the fact that it utilizes its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM) to memorise the floor plan of your home. It uses this information to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than the majority of 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 the spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The floor tracking sensor assists in navigating around furniture, along edges and up stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It will automatically return to its base station for easy charging between sessions. The battery life and bin capacity of the 980 aren't as good as some other robot vacuums. However, it's an extremely reliable and sturdy machine that will keep floors clean for many hours.