Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best method to keep your home clean is to use a robotic vacuum. It will pick up pet hair, dust, 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 pick up the area they left.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is an excellent option for a wide range of homes. It has a great navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also has numerous features and control options that can be accessed through the app. It also has a handy feature which allows you to create Cleaning zones in areas that require additional attention, as well as Keep Out zones in areas where you don't wish it to go. And, like all Roomba devices, it gets new software updates that make it even better over time.
It's expensive, but it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It has a powerful battery that can clean all of your home in less than two hours. It can also switch between mopping and vacuuming at the touch of one button. And, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the bin after each run, this one automatically emptys itself into the larger waste container that is above its charging dock.
It also has a number of other features, including intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts in order to detect obstacles. It's not often damaged or stuck during a cleaning process and is also the most effective at avoiding power cables as well as other objects in my tests. However, it isn't as effective in detecting pet waste and other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Although Anker-owned Eufy has made a name for itself 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 has a wide range of features that are advanced and can compete with more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. Previous Eufy devices have constructed an approximate map 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 a great vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It is able to easily throw debris under the side brushes and into the 400ml dustbin. The Tyres of the X8, despite their circular shape, are very adept at grabbing corners and edges. It's not a fantastic cat litter eater, however as our tests show it can only remove about 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
There's a mopping mode which uses the same water tank as the vacuuming one. This is great for spills that are not too dangerous, but you are unable to limit the amount of water it consumes. It is effective at picking up pet hair. It has a higher rate of pick-up 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 a great navigation. However, it has a few operational oddities that prevent it from being ranked as the top overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology that makes use of LIDAR to map a room as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once mapped, the app lets you assign virtual no-go areas and areas that you want to clean. will clean automatically. You can also begin a manual clean or manually change the cleaning mode, see live feeds from the onboard cameras, and more on 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-notch, picking up surface litter from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors that are unfinished. It's not the fastest robot available. Like many others, it's not a good climber and is prone to problems with things like metal threshold transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum for the hands-off convenience of setting a schedule in an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's important that a robot is capable of doing the job so our ZDNet staff has tested and reviewed some of the most popular models to help you choose the best one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac that looks just like the other, but it has a few more features and better performance. Its smart mapping system generates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses them to navigate and avoid obstacles. It's even able to spot common obstructions such as power cords and furniture legs in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump detector and an infrared sensor that keeps the vacuum off steps makes it one our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it easily could climb over the thick shag rugs and didn't get stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigational skills were impressive as well and its overall score on carpet and bare floors was better than the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of the surface pet hair and litter from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic than those of competitors. There's an uniform 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 set up a schedule for daily or weekly cleans, set no-go zones, and see its history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a stylish dark gray plastic that looks and feels attractive in your home. The rear dust bin is accessible for emptying and removing the filter just as simple.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic robotic vacuum that is simple and has no frills for a reasonable price, the Eufy 11S is a great option. This model lacks some smart features like Alexa integration and digital mapping found in higher-end models. If you don't require these features, you could save money.
The robot is simple to use and set up. It does not require a smartphone app or Wi-Fi pairing, but it does have an remote control that lets you select different modes and alter the suction level. You can also manually assign the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.
In our tests during our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in cleaning dirt and pet hair from hard floors as well as in carpets with low pile. Its slim profile made it easier to get under furniture and other items that some of the larger robots could not reach. It was able to pass easily over thresholds of doors and move between floors of different types to another.
Like other robots, the 11S is able to take in some objects, such as cords drawstrings for hoodies, and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you prevent this from happening by keeping these items off the ground and using a cord organizer whenever possible. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin regularly replacing the filters, and washing or changing the brushes as needed.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's the best robot vacuum that you can purchase. Its self-navigation feature and environmental mapping is something to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than most competitors, such as the ability to set virtual boundary lines through its mobile application. It's a capable robot vacuum, even though its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins when it comes across cables.
One thing we really like about the 980 is that it makes use of its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It uses this information to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path in every cycle. The result is cleaner floors, and a cleaner vacuum than the majority of high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that grab dirt on carpets and hard floors and a spinning brush to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating between furniture, along edges and up the stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. And it automatically returns to its base station for hassle-free recharges between sessions. Although the 980's battery life and bin size isn't as efficient as other robot vacuums it's a sturdy and reliable machine that will keep your floors clean for hours at a time.