Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
The best way to keep your home clean is with a robot vacuum. It can remove dust, pet hair, and other particles from the floor before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots connect to smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that recharge and pick up where they left off.
- iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop is an excellent option for homes with a variety of. It features a superb navigation system that incorporates GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with numerous features and controls that are accessible through the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you add cleaning zones to certain areas that need extra attention and Keep Out zones where you do not want it to be. It also gets software updates, like all Roomba products, that improve the quality of the product over time.
It's expensive but it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has tested. It's got a huge battery that can sweep the entire house in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming at the push of a button. It automatically empties the dust bin above its charging station, in contrast to other self emptying robots which require you to empty the bin after every run.
It also has many other options, like intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses cameras in conjunction with processor-powered smarts in order to detect obstacles. It's not often damaged or trapped during cleaning, and it's the best at avoiding power cables as well as other objects I've tested. It is not as accurate at detecting pet waste or other hazards.
- Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
While the Anker-owned Eufy has made an impact in budget robot vacuums, it's never offered an all-in-one model that can also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that has a wide range of advanced features, and can compete with much more expensive models.
Laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. The X8 utilizes laser mapping technology that is more accurate than the previous Eufy devices. It takes less time to create an accurate map of your home and can store multiple maps. This is ideal for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a great vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It is able to easily throw debris under the side brushes and into its 400ml dustbin. Its tyres are also very adept at securing corners and edges even though they are circular. Our tests revealed that it could only remove 90% of the fur on hard floors.
The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is ideal for spills that are not serious, but you cannot control the amount of water that it uses. It is effective of removing hair from pets. It has a higher rate of pick-up than the Roborock S7.
- Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, powerful appliances. It features a stunning design, a great navigation system and an impressive cleaning power. However, it does have a few operational oddities which prevent it from being considered as the best buy robot vacuum overall smart robot vacuum.
Similar to the latest models of iRobot, the RX2 features a dual-sensor mapping system which uses an LIDAR sensor to map a room and two 3D scanning cameras that can detect and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real time. After the room has been identified, you can assign virtual no go areas and preferred sections to the robot. You can also begin cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, view a live feed from the onboard cameras, and more from the main screen.
The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can identify furniture and other obstructions immediately. Its sweeping and suction power are top of the line, picking up surface litter from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors with no floor. However, it's not the most agile robot on the market. Like many other robots it's not a great climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of metal 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 for a robot to be able to do the job, so our ZDNet staff has tested and looked over some of the most popular models in order to help you select the right one for your home.
- Shark ION
This budget robot is just like your typical robot but it's an upgrade in terms of performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses those to navigate and avoid obstacles. It can even identify common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors with a bump detector and an infrared sensor that keeps the vacuum off stairs makes it one of our most flexible vacuums.
It was able to climb over thick shag carpets and did not get 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. It picked up 98.5 percent of surface pet hair and litter from our lab test samples.
The controls are simpler than the competitors. There's a clean button on the top and you can start it using the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule daily or weekly cleanings, set up no-go zones and view its cleaning history. Ion is covered in a stylish dark gray plastic that feels and looks attractive in your home. The dust bin on the rear is easily accessible for emptying, and taking out the filters is also simple.
- Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a great option if you're looking for an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and simple at a reasonable price. It doesn't have many of the more advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in higher-end models but if you're not looking for these features, you can save a little cost with this model.
This robot is simple to set up and use. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with the remote control that lets you select between various modes and adjust the suction level. You can also manually set the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.
In our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in removing dirt and fur from carpets and floors with low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to get under low-hanging furniture and other items that some bulkier robots could not reach. It could also easily traverse door thresholds and transition from one type of floor to another.
The 11S, as with other robots will also suckup certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can keep these items off the ground and by using a cord organizer if possible. It also recommends that you clean the dustbin, replace the filters, and wash or change the brushes when needed.
Roomba 990 by iRobot
The Roomba 980 is the flagship robot vacuum. It's pricey, but it's also the best robot vacuum that you can buy. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping are a joy to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than the majority of its rivals, for instance the capability to set up virtual boundary markers using its mobile application. Although the app is a little sluggish, and the 980 does spin out a bit when rolling over cables, it's an extremely efficient robot vacuum.
We love the 980 because it uses its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneity mapping and localisation (or vSLAM) to remember your home's floor plan. It will then use the information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than the majority of high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt from carpets and hard floors and an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. The sensors for floor tracking help it navigate between furniture and around edges, and Cliff Detect helps to prevent the Roomba from slipping down stairs. It also automatically returns to its base station for easy recharges between sessions. The battery life and bin capacity of the 980 aren't as great as some other robot vacuums. However, it's a solid and reliable machine that will keep floors clean for many hours.