Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is a great device to keep the cleanliness of your home. It will remove pet hair, dust and other particles from the floor before it becomes a larger 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 recharge and resume cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot mop and vacuum is an excellent option for households with a variety of. It comes with a fantastic navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with a lot of features and controls that are accessible through the app. It also comes with a useful feature that allows you to add Cleaning zones for certain areas that require more attention and Keep Out zones where you don't want it to be. It also receives software updates, similar to the other Roomba products, which enhance it over time.
It's costly, but it's is also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can sweep all of your home in less than two hours. It also switches between vacuuming and mopping at the touch of the button. And unlike other self-emptying robotics that require you to empty the bin after each run, it automatically empties into an even larger waste container on top of its charging dock.
It comes with a variety of other features that make it a good choice for homes of all sizes, including intelligent obstacle avoidance, which uses the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It rarely gets derailed or stuck during a cleaning process and is also the most effective in avoiding power cables and other objects I've tested. It's not as precise at detecting pet waste or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Although Anker-owned Eufy has made 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 has a wide range of features that are advanced and can compete with much more expensive models.
Eufy's main selling point with this device is its laser navigation. Previous Eufy devices have built up 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 create an accurate map of your home. It can also store multiple maps. This is ideal for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a decent vacuum cleaner for floors that are clean. It can easily sling debris under the side brushes and into the 400ml dustbin. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are very efficient in grabbing corners and edges. It's not a fantastic cat litter scooper, however our tests have shown it only removes about 90% of the fur from hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is ideal for spills that aren't serious, but you can't limit the amount of water it uses. It does, however, do an admirable job of removing pet hair, and has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Known for quietly effective home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum comes with outstanding cleaning power, stunning design, and a great navigation. It has a few oddities in its operation, which prevent it from being ranked as the best smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology that uses a LIDAR to map the space and a pair of 3D scanning cameras for detecting and staying clear of obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room has been mapped it is possible to assign virtual no go areas and sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also initiate cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, view live feeds from the onboard cameras and more from the main screen.
The RX2 has excellent sensors that can identify furniture and other obstructions immediately. Its sweeping and suction power are top-of-the-line cleaning up surface debris from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors that are unfinished. However, it's not the most flexible robot available. It's not the greatest climber and has issues with transition strips made of steel.
A lot of people purchase a robotic vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting a schedule in an app and not thinking about it for weeks at one time. However, it's essential that a machine can accomplish the task and that's the reason why our ZDNet staff tested and reviewed several of the most well-known models to help you choose the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac is a robot that looks just like the other, but it has some extra features and better performance. Its intelligent mapping system creates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses those to avoid obstacles and navigate. It can even detect common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump detector and an infrared sensor to keep the vacuum away from steps makes it one our most flexible vacuums.
It was able to walk over the thick shag carpets and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigation skills were impressive as well; its composite score in carpet and bare floors topped the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our lab test samples.
The controls are less basic than the competitors. There's a clean button at the top, and you can choose to start it with the app or voice commands using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also create a schedule for weekly or daily cleans, set areas that are not allowed to be cleaned, and check the history of its cleaning. Clad in smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks stylish in your home. Its rear dust bin is easy to empty and removing the filter is the same.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic low-cost robot vacuum at a reasonable cost, the Eufy 11S might be your best bet. The model isn't equipped with smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping found in more expensive models. However, if you don't need these features, you could save money.
This robot is simple to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include an remote control that lets you choose between different modes and adjust suction levels. It also allows you to manually take the robovac off during scheduled cleaning.
During our tests, we found that the 11S was extremely efficient at removing dirt and fur from carpets and floors with low pile. Its slim profile made it easier to get under furniture and other low items that more bulkier robots were unable to reach. It was able to get easily over thresholds of doorways and switch from one floor type to another.
Like other robots, the 11S is able to suck up some objects like cords, drawstrings on hoodies, and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you avoid this by keeping these objects off the ground and using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends that you periodically clean the dustbin, change the filters and clean or change the brushes as required.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's the best robot vacuum you can buy. Its self navigation and environmental mapping are something to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than the majority of its competitors, including the capability to set up virtual boundary markers with its mobile application. Although the application is a bit slow, and the 980 does spin out a bit while crossing cables, it's an extremely efficient more info robot vacuum.
We really like the 980, because it makes use of its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneity localisation and mapping (or vSLAM), to memorise your home's floor plan. It will use this data to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors, and a more efficient vacuum than other high-end robot vacuums.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes, which grab dirt from carpet and hard floors and an ejector brush that moves debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The sensor for floor tracking assists in navigating between furniture as well as along edges and the stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to the base station for easy charging between sessions. The battery life and bin capacity of the 980 aren't as impressive as those of other robot vacuums. However, it's an extremely reliable and sturdy machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.