Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best method to keep your home tidy is to use a robot vacuum. It can remove dust, pet hair and other debris from the surface before it becomes a bigger problem.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Find models that can be recharged 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 features a superb navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with a lot of features and control options that can be accessed through the app. It also comes with a useful feature that allows you to create Cleaning zones for specific areas that require more attention, as well as Keep Out zones where you do not want it to be. Like all Roomba devices, it is updated with new software updates that make it better over time.
It's expensive, but it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has evaluated. It comes with a powerful battery that can clean the entire house in less than two hours. It can also switch between mopping and vacuuming with the press of the button. It automatically emptys the dust bin above its charging station, unlike other self emptying robots which require you to empty the bin after each run.
It also comes with a variety of other options, like intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It rarely gets derailed or stuck during a cleaning process, and it's the best at avoiding power cables and other objects in my tests. It's not as reliable in detecting pet waste or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy is owned by Anker is now an established brand in the world of low-cost robot vacuums. But 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 most significant selling point for Eufy with the X8 is its laser navigation. The previous Eufy devices have built up a rough map of your home using infrared sensors and bumping into things, but the X8's laser mapping technology is much more accurate. It takes less time to create a comprehensive map of your home. It can also store multiple maps. This is perfect for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It can easily sling debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dustbin. Its tyres are also very adept at hugging corners and edges, even though they're circular. It's not the best cat litter picker, though as our tests show it can only remove about 90 percent of the fur off hard floors.
The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. While this is a good option for spills that are not too large, you can't regulate the amount of water it uses and this will reduce its effectiveness for more severe staining. It's effective of removing pet hair. It has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
The company is known for its quiet home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum comes with outstanding cleaning power, gorgeous design, and a great navigation. However, it has some operational hiccups that prevent it from being ranked as the best overall smart robot vacuum.
Similar to the latest models of iRobot like the RX2 features dual-sensor mapping technology that utilizes an LIDAR sensor to map the space and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to identify and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real-time. Once the room is identified it is possible to assign virtual no-go zones and sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also begin an automatic clean or manually change the cleaning mode, view a live feed from the onboard cameras and more from the main screen.
The RX2 has superior sensors that can detect furniture and other obstructions immediately. The suction and sweeping power are top of the line cleaning up surface debris from carpets with medium piles and dust in bare floors. It's not the fastest robot on the market. It's not the best climber and has issues with metal threshold transition strips.
Many people purchase robot vacuums because of the ease of setting up a schedule on an app, and then forgetting about them for weeks. It is essential that a robot is able to do the job so our ZDNet staff has compared and examined some of the most popular models in order to help you choose the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot looks like a typical robot, but it's upgraded in performance and features. Its smart mapping system generates 2D and 3-D maps of your house and uses them to navigate and stay clear of obstructions. It can even identify 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 off steps makes it one our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it easily could climb over the thick shag rug and didn't end up stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation abilities were impressive as well; its composite score in carpet and bare floors topped the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of surface pet hair and litter from our lab test samples.
The controls are more basic than those of the competitors. There's an oblong cleaning button at the top. You can start it from the app, or by voice commands using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule weekly or daily cleanings, create no-go zones and check its cleaning history. In a smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks attractive in your home. Its rear dustbin is accessible for emptying, and removing the filters is also easy.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic low-cost robot vacuum at a reasonable cost, the Eufy 11S vacuum mop robot cleaner might be your best bet. It doesn't have many of the advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in higher-end models but if you don't need those functions you can save cost with this model.
The robot is simple to set up and use. It doesn't require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include a remote control which lets you choose between different modes and alter the suction level. It also allows you to manually turn off the robovac for scheduled cleaning.
In our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in removing pet hair and dirt on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. Its slim profile made it easier to reach under furniture and other items that more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was able to pass easily over thresholds of doorways and move between floors of different types to another.
The 11S, as with other robots, can also eat some items, including cords and cat toys. The manufacturer states that you can avoid this by keeping such objects off the floor and using the possibility of a cord organizer. It also suggests that you regularly clean the dustbin, change the filters and change or wash the brushes as needed.
Roomba 990 from iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum. It's costly but it's top-performing and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum available. 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 create virtual boundary markers through its mobile application. Although its app is a little sluggish and the 980 can spin out a bit while crossing cables, it's still a highly efficient robot vacuum.
We really like the 980, because it makes use of its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneity mapping and localisation (or vSLAM) to remember your home's floor plan. It uses this information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum cleaner than the majority of high-end robots.
Other features of the 980 include two multi-surface rubber brushes that pick up dirt from carpets and hard floors, along with a spinning brush that sweeps debris into the bin of the robotic vacuum. Its floor tracking sensors help it navigate across furniture and along edges, while Cliff Detect helps to prevent the Roomba from slipping down stairs. It will automatically return to its base station to ensure hassle-free recharging between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren't as great as those of other robot vacuums. However, it's an extremely reliable and sturdy machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.