Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is a great tool to maintain a clean home. It will pick up dust, pet hair, and other particles on the surface.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that recharge and then resume cleaning the area they left.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combination is a fantastic option for a wide range of homes. It can be used to vacuum and mop, has excellent navigation with both GPS and laser sensors and comes with a variety of controls and features available via the app. It also comes with a useful feature that lets you add Cleaning zones for certain areas that require more attention and Keep Out zones that you don't want it to move. It also receives software updates, like the other Roomba products, which enhance it over time.
It's costly but it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has tested. It's got a huge battery that can sweep the entire house in less than two hours. It can also switch between mopping and vacuuming with the touch of a button. And unlike other self-emptying robotics that require you to empty the trash bin after each run, it automatically emptys itself into an even larger waste container on top of its charging dock.
It has a wide range of other features that make it a good choice for homes of all sizes with its intelligent obstacle avoidance, which uses both a camera and processor-powered intelligents to identify obstacles. It rarely gets derailed or stuck during a cleaning cycle and is also the most effective at avoiding power cables and other objects I've tested. However, it isn't as effective in detecting pet waste or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy, owned by Anker It has become a household name in the world of low-cost robot vacuums. But it didn't provide a model that could also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that offers a range of advanced features, and is able to compete with more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the main selling point of this machine. The previous Eufy devices have constructed an outline of your home utilizing infrared sensors and bumping into objects but the X8's laser mapping system is much more accurate. It takes less time to build an extensive map of your home. It can also store multiple maps. This is ideal for multi-floored homes.
The X8 is still a good vacuum for floors that are not clean that can carry debris under its side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin with ease. Its tyres are adept at securing corners and edges, despite being circular. Our tests revealed that it was able to remove 90 percent of the fur on hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same reservoir of water as the vacuuming mode. This is ideal for spills that aren't serious, but you can't control the amount of water it uses. It is effective of removing pet hair. It has a higher pick-up rate than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Known for quietly effective home appliances, Miele's RX2 robot vacuum is a great choice because of its cleaning power, beautiful design and excellent navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that keep it from being ranked as the best smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technique which uses LIDAR to map an area as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room is defined, you can assign virtual no go areas and favorite sections to the robot. You can also begin cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, watch live feeds from the cameras onboard and more on the main screen.
The sensors of the RX2 work well, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. Its sweeping and suction powers are exceptional, removing surface litter from medium pile carpeting and also removing embedded dust on floors. It's not the fastest robotics on the market. It's not the greatest climber, and it has problems with transition strips made of steel.
Some people buy robot vacuums due to the ease of setting up a schedule in an app, and then forgetting about them for weeks. It's crucial that a robot is able to do the job, so our ZDNet staff has compared and reviewed some of the most popular models to help you select the right one for your house.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot is just like your typical robot but it's an upgrade in performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home, and uses them to avoid obstacles and navigate. It's also able to detect common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. The combination of sensors with a bump detector and an infrared sensor that keeps the vacuum away from the stairs makes it one of our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it was able to climbed over thick shag rug and didn't get stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation capabilities were impressive. Its composite score for carpet and bare flooring beats the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of dirt and embedded dog hair from our lab test samples.
The controls are less basic than the competitors. There's a cleaning button on the top and you can choose to start it by using the app or by voice commands using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set a schedule for weekly or daily cleans, set no-go zones, and see its history of cleaning. In a smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks stylish in your home. Its rear dustbin is easily accessible for emptying, and removing the filters is also easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a good choice if you want an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and doesn't have any frills at a reasonable price. This model lacks some smart features like Alexa integration and digital mapping found in more expensive models. However, if you don't need these features, you could save money.
The robot is simple to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone application check here or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include the remote control that lets you choose between different modes and alter the suction level. You can also manually assign the robotvac to an cleaning schedule.
In our tests, we found that the 11S was extremely effective at getting pet fur and dirt from carpets with low pile and hard floors. Its slim profile made it easier to reach under furniture and other objects that more bulkier robots were unable to reach. It was able to go effortlessly over door thresholds and move from one floor type to another.
The 11S, just like other robots, can also eat certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can stop this by keeping such objects off the floor and using a cord organizer if possible. It also recommends that you periodically clean the dustbin, change the filters and change or wash the brushes as required.
iRobot Roomba 990
The Roomba 980 is iRobot's most popular robot vacuum. It's pricey, but it's also the best robot vacuum that you can buy. Its self navigation and environmental mapping are truly a marvel to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than its competitors, including the ability to create virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. It's a capable robot vacuum, even if the application is a bit slow and the 980's wheels spin out when rolling over cables.
One thing we really like 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 remember the floor plan of your home. It then uses that information to create an efficient and consistent cleaning path for every 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 grab dirt from floors and carpets, as well as an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The sensors for floor tracking help it navigate across furniture and along edges, and Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling down the stairs. It will automatically return to its base station for easy recharging between sessions. While the 980's battery life and bin size aren't as efficient as other robot vacuums it's a reliable and solid machine that can keep your floors clean for hours and hours.