Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best method to keep your home clean is to use a robot vacuum. It will remove dust, pet hair, and other surface debris before it causes a bigger problem.
Some robots can sync with smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Look for models that are rechargeable and continue cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot mop and vacuum combo is an excellent option for a wide range of households. It comes with a fantastic navigation system that includes GPS and laser sensors. It also has many features and controls that are accessible through the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones for specific areas that require extra attention, as well as Keep Out zones that you don't want it to move. And, like all Roomba devices, it receives new software updates that make it better over time.
It's expensive but is also one of the most sophisticated robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can sweep a large home in under two hours. It can switch between mopping and vacuuming at the touch of a button. It automatically empties the dust bin above its charging station, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty it after every run.
It also has a number of other features, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It isn't often entangled or stuck during a cleaning process and is the best in avoiding power cables and other objects in my tests. It's not as precise in detecting pet waste, or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
While the Anker-owned Eufy has earned an impact in low-cost robot vacuums it's never offered 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 most significant selling point for Eufy with this device is its laser navigation. The X8 makes use of the laser mapping system, which is more accurate than previous Eufy devices. It takes less time to build a comprehensive map of your home. It can also store multiple maps. This is perfect for multi-floored homes.
The X8 is still a decent vacuum on bare floors that can carry debris under its side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin with relative ease. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are adept at grabbing corners and edges. Our tests showed that it was able to remove 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same reservoir of water as the vacuuming mode. While this is a good option for loose spills, you can't limit the amount of water it consumes and this will reduce its effectiveness for more severe stains. However, it does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, and has a higher speed of pickup than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Known for quietly effective home appliances, Miele's RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, stunning design, and a great navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that prevent it from being named the top smart robot vacuum.
Similar to the latest models of iRobot like the RX2 comes with dual-sensor mapping that utilizes the LIDAR sensor to map out a room and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to identify and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real-time. After the room has been identified, you can assign virtual no-go zones and sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also start an automatic clean or manually change the cleaning mode, view live feeds from the onboard cameras, and more from the main screen.
The RX2's sensors work well, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. And its sweeping and suction power are top of the line and cleans up surface debris from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors with no floor. It's not the fastest robotics available. Like many website others it's not a great climber and has issues with things like thresholds made of steel transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum for the ease of setting up a schedule using an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's crucial for a robot capable of doing the job and that's why our ZDNet staff has tested and reviewed some of the most popular models to help you pick the right one for your house.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot is just like your typical robot but it's upgraded in performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your house and makes use of them to navigate around and avoid obstacles. It's even able to spot common obstacles like power cords and furniture legs in real time. This combination of sensors along with a bump sensor, and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it from falling down stairs is what makes it one of the most agile vacs we've tried.
In our tests, it easily climbed over thick shag rug and didn't get stuck on them (like 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 pet hair and litter from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic than the competition's. There is a cleaning button at the top, and you can either start it using the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set 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 stylish dark gray plastic that feels and looks beautiful in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easy to empty and cleaning the filter is the same.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking for a basic low-cost robot vacuum at a reasonable price, the Eufy 11S could be a good choice. It lacks some of the advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in more expensive models, however, if you don't require these features, you can save a little money with this model.
This robot is very easy to install and use. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with an remote control that lets you select between various modes and adjust the suction levels. It also lets you manually take the robovac off on a scheduled cleaning.
In our tests during our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in cleaning dirt and pet hair from hard floors and in carpets with low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to get under furniture and other objects that more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was able to pass easily over thresholds of doorways and transition between floors of different types to another.
Like other robots, the 11S is able to take in some objects, such as cords hoodie drawstrings, and cat toys. The manufacturer states that you can avoid this by keeping such objects off the floor and using an organizer for cords if you can. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin regularly, replacing the filters and washing or changing the brushes as needed.
6. IRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba 980 is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's the most powerful robot vacuum you can buy. Its self navigation and environmental mapping are a wonder to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than many competitors, including the ability to set virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. Although the app is a little sluggish, and the 980 does spin out a bit while crossing cables, it's a very capable robot vacuum.
We really like the 980 because it uses its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneity mapping and localisation (or vSLAM) to store your home's floor plan. It uses this information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path through each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than most high-end robots.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface rubber brushes that pick up dirt from carpet and hard floors as well as an ejector brush that moves debris into the bin of the robotic vacuum. The floor tracking sensor helps it navigate around furniture, along edges and on stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. And it automatically returns to its base station for hassle-free recharging between sessions. While the 980's battery life and bin size isn't as impressive as some other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that will keep your floors spotless for hours at a time.