Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is a great tool for maintaining the cleanliness of your home. It can remove dust, pet hair, and other debris from the surface before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots connect to smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Look for models that can recharge and resume cleaning the area they left.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is a fantastic option for a wide range of homes. It features a superb navigation system that incorporates GPS and laser sensors. It also has many features and controls that are accessible through the app. It has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones in areas that require extra attention, and also to create Keep Out zones in areas where you don't wish it to go. It also receives software updates, just like the other Roomba products, that 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's got a huge battery that can clean an entire home in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming at the push of a button. And, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the trash bin after each run, it automatically empties into the larger waste container that is above its charging dock.
It has a wide range of other features that make it a good choice for homes of all sizes, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses both a camera and 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 at avoiding objects like power cables. It's not as reliable in detecting pet waste, or other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy owned by Anker, has become a household name in the world of low-cost robot vacuums. However, it did not offer the option of a model that could mop. That changes with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features and can compete well against much more expensive models.
The most significant selling point for Eufy with this machine is its laser navigation. The X8 makes use of laser mapping technology that is more accurate than the previous Eufy devices. It takes less time to create a comprehensive map of your home and can store multiple maps. This is perfect for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is still a good vacuum for floors that are not clean that can carry debris under its side brushes and into the 400ml dust bin with relative ease. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are very efficient in grabbing corners and edges. Our tests revealed that it could only remove 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
There's a mopping mode that utilizes the same water tank as the vacuuming one. This is ideal for spills that are not too serious, but you cannot control the amount of water it consumes. It is effective of removing pet hair. It has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances, Miele's RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, stunning design and great navigation. But it has some operational hiccups which prevent it from being considered as the top overall smart robot vacuum.
Like the latest models from iRobot, the RX2 has dual-sensor mapping that utilizes a LIDAR sensor to map out a room and two 3D scanning cameras to identify and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real time. Once the room has been mapped, you can assign virtual no go areas and preferred sections to the robot. You can also begin an automatic clean or manually change the cleaning mode, watch live feeds from the onboard cameras, and more on the main screen.
The sensors of the RX2 work well, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping capabilities are exceptional, removing surface litter from carpets of medium pile as well as embedded dust on bare floors. It's not the fastest robot available. Like many other robots it's not a great climber and is prone to problems with things like thresholds made of metal transition strips.
Some people buy robot vacuums because of the ease of setting up a schedule using an app, only to forget about them for weeks. It is essential for a robot able to do the job and that's why our ZDNet staff has compared and looked over some of the most popular models in order to help you choose the best one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget-friendly robot looks like a typical robot, but it's upgraded in terms of performance and features. Its smart mapping system generates 3D and 2D maps of your house and makes use of to navigate and avoid obstructions. It can even identify common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This get more info combination of sensors, together with a bump sensor and an infrared drop sensor which keeps it off steps is what makes it one of the most agile vacs we've tried.
In our tests, it easily climbed over thick shag rugs 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 surface litter and embedded dog hair from our laboratory test samples.
Its controls are a bit simpler than the competition; there's a round cleaning button on the top, and you can access it via the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set a schedule for weekly or daily cleaning, set no-go zones, and see the history of its cleaning. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that feels and looks appealing in your home. Its rear dust bin is easy to empty and cleaning the filter is just as simple.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a great choice if you want a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use and doesn't have any frills at a cost that is low. It doesn't have many of the smart features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are available in more expensive models, however, if you don't require those functions you can save a little 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 the remote control that lets you choose between different modes and adjust suction level. It also lets you manually turn off the robovac on a scheduled cleaning.
During our tests during our tests, the 11S was extremely efficient in cleaning pet hair and dirt on hard floors and in carpets with a low pile. Its slim profile helped it reach under furniture and other low items that more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was also able to traverse door thresholds and move from one type of floor to another.
The 11S, just like other robots will also suckup certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can keep these objects off the ground and using a cord organizer if possible. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis replacing the filters, and changing or washing the brushes as required.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba is the flagship model of iRobot's robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's the best robot vacuum that you can purchase. Its self-navigation feature and environmental mapping is something to behold. It has more advanced automation than its competitors, including the ability to set up virtual boundary markers through its mobile app. It's a capable robot vacuum, even though its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins out when it is pushed over cables.
We love the 980 due to its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneity localisation and mapping (or vSLAM), to memorise your home's floor plan. It will then use the information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum than most high-end robots.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes which grab dirt from hard floors and carpets, as well as an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The floor tracking sensor assists it in maneuvering around furniture, along edges and on stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to the base station to allow for recharges between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren't as great as other robot vacuums. However, it is an extremely reliable and sturdy machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.