Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best way to keep your home clean is to use a robot vacuum. It can remove dust, pet hair and other debris from the surface before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots can sync with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Look for models that recharge and pick up where they left off.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combination is a great choice for many homes. It comes with a fantastic 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 lets you add cleaning zones to certain areas that require extra attention, and also to keep Out zones where you don't want it to go. It also gets software updates, like the other Roomba products, which improve the quality of the product over time.
It's expensive but also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can clean the entire house in less than two hours. It can also switch between vacuuming and mopping at the touch of a button. And, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the trash bin after each run, this one automatically emptys itself into the larger waste container that is above its charging dock.
It has a wide range of other features that make it an excellent choice for homes with a lot of space, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses the camera as well as processor-powered intelligents to identify obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the most effective in avoiding objects such as power cables. However, it isn't as reliable at detecting pet waste and other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy owned by Anker, has become a household name in the world of budget robot vacuums. However, it didn't offer the option of a model that could mop. This is changing with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive suite of advanced features that can compete against more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the main selling point of this machine. The previous Eufy devices have created a rough map of your home using infrared sensors and bumping into things but the X8's laser mapping system is much more accurate. It takes less time to create an extensive map of your home. It also has the ability to store multiple maps. This is perfect for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It is able to effortlessly sling debris under the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are very good at grabbing corners and edges. It's not a great kitty litter picker, though our tests have shown it only removes about 90 percent of the fur off hard floors.
There's a basic mopping option that utilizes the same water tank as the vacuuming. While this is good for spills that are not too large, you can't control how much water it is using and this will reduce its effectiveness on more serious stains. It's effective of removing hair from pets. It has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, powerful appliances. It is a stunning design, a great navigation system and a powerful cleaning power. It has some oddities in its operation that prevent it from being named the top smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 comes with a dual-sensor mapping technique vacuum mop cleaner robot that makes use of LIDAR to map a room and a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and eliminating obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room has been mapped, you can assign virtual no-go zones and favorite sections to the robot. You can also manually change cleaning options, begin an automatic clean, or view live feeds from the onboard cameras from the main screen.
The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can detect furniture and other obstructions instantly. The suction and sweeping abilities are excellent, taking away surface debris from medium pile carpeting as well as embedded dust on floors. But it's not the most efficient robot available. As with many others, it's not a good climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of metal transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting a schedule on an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's important that a robot is capable of the task 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 house.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac is a robot that looks just like the other, but has a few more features and a better performance. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home and makes use of to navigate and avoid obstacles. It's even able to spot common obstructions such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor and an infrared sensor for dropping that keeps it from falling down steps make it one of the most agile vacuums we've tested.
It was able to walk over the thick shag carpets and was not stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigational skills were impressive as well as its score for composite tests on carpet and bare floors was better than the competition and it took in 98.5 percent of the surface pet hair and litter from our laboratory test samples.
Its controls are a bit simpler than the competition; there's an oblong cleaning button at the top. You can launch it via the app, or by voice command with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also create a schedule for your daily or weekly cleaning, set no-go zones, and view its cleaning history. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that looks and feels appealing in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easy to access for emptying and removing the filter is equally easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a great option for those looking for an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and simple at a low cost. It's not equipped with some advanced features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping that are found in higher-end models. If you don't require these features, you can save money.
This robot is very easy to install and use. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However, it does come with an remote control that lets you choose between different modes and adjust suction levels. It also allows you to manually take the robovac off on a scheduled cleaning.
In our tests, we found that the 11S was extremely effective at removing dirt and pet fur from carpets with low pile and hard floors. Its slim profile allowed it to pass under furniture that is low-hanging and other items that some bulkier robots could not reach. It was able to pass easily over thresholds of doors and move from one floor type to another.
The 11S, as with other robots, will also eat some objects, such as cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests you avoid this by keeping these items off the ground and using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends that you clean the dustbin, change the filters and clean or change the brushes as required.
6. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's the best robot vacuum that you can buy. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is something to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than most of its competitors, including the ability to set up virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. Although its application is a bit slow and the 980 can spin out a bit while moving over cables, it's still a highly efficient robot vacuum.
One thing we love about the 980 is the fact that it utilizes its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It will then use that information to create an efficient and consistent cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum than many high-end robotics.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes which grab dirt from carpets and hard floors and a spinning brush to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists it in maneuvering around furniture, along edges and up steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. And it automatically returns to its base station to ensure hassle-free recharging between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren't as good as other robot vacuums. However, it's a reliable and solid machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.