Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best method to keep your home clean is with a robot vacuum. It can remove pet hair, dust, and other particles on the surface.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that are rechargeable and continue cleaning the area they left.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot mop and vacuum is a great choice for many households. It can be used to vacuum and mop and has a great navigation system that includes both GPS and laser sensors, and comes with a variety of controls and features available via the app. It comes with a useful 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 want it to be. It also gets software updates, just like all Roomba products, that make it better over time.
It's expensive, but it's also one of the most sophisticated robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can vacuum an entire home in less than two hours. It can switch between mopping and vacuuming with the press of one button. And unlike other self-emptying robotics that require you to empty the dust bin after each run, this one automatically empties into an even larger waste container on top of its charging dock.
It's got a range of other features that make it an excellent choice for homes of all sizes with its intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to see obstacles. It is rarely derailed or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects like power cables. However, it's not as effective in detecting pet waste and other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy is owned by Anker It has become an established brand in the world of robots that are budget-friendly vacuums. However, it did not provide the option of a model that could mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive set of modern features that can compete against more expensive models.
The laser navigation system is the most important feature of this machine. The X8 makes use of the laser mapping system, which is more precise than previous Eufy devices. It also takes a lot less time to build up an accurate map of your living space and also stores multiple maps, which is great for multi-floor homes.
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 Tyres of the X8, despite their circular shape, are very efficient at grabbing corners and edges. automatic vacuum cleaner showed that it could only remove 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
The basic mopping mode utilizes the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. While this is a good option for loose spills but you cannot limit the amount of water it is using and this will reduce its effectiveness when dealing with more severe stains. It's effective at picking up pet hair. It has a higher rate of pick-up than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is renowned for its quiet, efficient appliances. It has a beautiful design, a great navigation system and an impressive cleaning power. However, it has a few operational oddities that keep it from ranking as the top overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology which uses LIDAR to map a room and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room is mapped, the app lets you create virtual no-go zones as well as favorite sections that the robot will clean automatically. You can also manually change cleaning options, begin a manual clean, or view a live feed of the onboard cameras from the main screen.
The RX2's sensors are effective, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. And its sweeping and suction power are top-of-the-line cleaning up surface debris from carpets of medium pile and dust in bare floors. It's not the fastest robotics on the market. It's not the most efficient climber and has issues with transition strips made of metal.
Some people buy robot vacuums for the convenience of setting up a schedule on an app, and then forgetting about them for weeks. It is essential for a robot able to do the job and that's why our ZDNet team has tested and examined some of the most popular models in order to help you pick the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac that is similar to other, but comes with some extra features and a better performance. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home and makes use of them to navigate around and avoid obstructions. It can even detect common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump sensor, and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it off stairs, makes it one of the most flexible vacs we've tested.
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 navigational skills were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors beat out the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic than the 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 a schedule for your daily or weekly cleaning, set no-go zones, and view its history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that looks and feels appealing in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easily accessible for emptying, and removing the filters is also simple.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is an excellent option for those looking for a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use and has no frills at a low cost. The model isn't equipped with smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping, which are available in higher-end models. However, if you don't require these functions, you can save money.
This robot is very easy to setup and use. It doesn't require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with an remote control that lets you select between different modes and alter the suction levels. You can also send the robotvac on the schedule of cleaning.
During our tests, the 11S was very effective at cleaning pet hair and dirt from hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile helped it get under furniture and other low items that more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was able to get easily over thresholds of doors and transition from one type of floor to another.
Like other robots, the 11S can suck up some objects such as cords, hoodie drawstrings and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can stop this by keeping these items off the floor and using an organizer for cords if you can. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis, replacing the filters and changing or washing the brushes as needed.
6. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba 980 is the flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's top-performing and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than the majority of its competitors, including the ability to set up virtual boundary markers through its mobile app. It's a dependable robot vacuum, even if the application is a bit slow and the 980's wheels spin out when it comes across cables.
One thing we really like about the 980 is that it uses 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 use this information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path in every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than most high-end robots.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes that pick up dirt from carpet and hard floors and a spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensors aid it navigate around furniture and along edges, and Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling down stairs. It will also return to the base station for simple recharging in between sessions. The bin capacity and battery life of the 980 aren't as great as some other robot vacuums. However, it is a reliable and solid machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.