Robot Vacuum and Mop - Hands-Free Cleaning Made Easy

Consider this 2-in-1 cleaner if you're looking for a cleaner that does all. It mops hard floors and vacuums low- and medium-pile carpet, and its app lets you create no-mop zones and adjust cleaning schedules and modes.

Find models with sensors that can detect the type of floor they are on as well as empty dirt and water from their own tanks and avoid obstacles such as phone chargers, pet hair and socks. Also, learn how easy it is to install.

Self-Emptying

People are always looking for ways to reducing their workload as the world becomes more frantic and hectic. Robot vacuums and mops are among the best tools on the market to aid in this. They can clean dirt, pet hair and crumbs while simultaneously scrubbing the floors clean. You can also make use of a smartphone or voice assistant to control them using preset schedules and room designations.

One of the best time-savers for both the users and machines are self-emptying models that don't need you to empty out the trash bin after every cleaning cycle. This will save you time and effort and lets your robot clean your whole house more often, without having to worry about running out of space in the bin before it's time for a refill.

If you're thinking about self-emptying models ensure that the dust bin is large enough to accommodate your home's size and cleaning frequency as it will fill up quickly if you opt to run it regularly. Additionally, you'll need to make sure the system won't overfill and create obstructions that prevent the robot from being able to empty it completely.

The self-emptying feature works by taking the dust bin inside the machine and placing it in a larger storage container -- think of it as the bag that comes with the traditional vacuum cleaner- that can be emptied every two or three times. It's a premium feature that makes these robots worth the cost over standard models.

To mop, some models automatically wash and dry their own dirty pads after every use. Some models come with docks which does all the work and you need to empty it twice or once a year.

For a single-function robot that can do both, check out this top-rated model from Roborock. The RockDock-S7 MaxV Ultra can mop and vacuum, and has a the dock that can do all the maintenance for you. It's not necessary to empty the tanks manually and you can also schedule the unit or start it with on-device controls and voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. It even has boundary strips to keep it out of specific areas if you don't want it wandering throughout your home.

Object Avoidance

The best vacuum and mop combo robot vacuums feature object avoidance, which helps the device navigate between furniture legs and children's toys. This feature is crucial for households with pets or children, since the robot can jam or break when it comes into contact with them.

The technology is usually built around a single or couple of sensors situated near the vacuum's shock-absorbing bumpers. When the sensors detect a blockage the robot will then pivot and reorient itself until it finds an open path. Certain models employ lidar technology, which uses lasers for measuring the distance between the robot and the surrounding objects. This allows the robot to create a real-time map of its surroundings, and allows it to move around your home with greater efficiency.

Other robovacs that don't use lidar technology are designed to use monocular or binocular vision to recognize obstacles using cameras. These systems are effective in the best lighting conditions, but don't work as well in low-light settings or with items that have the same color as their surroundings. A robot with monocular sight will be unable to recognize cables and shoes.

Certain advanced robot vacuums can do more than just avoid obstacles, which is the reason they're referred to as smart vacuums. They can create a virtual map for your home and send them to specific rooms or areas by using an app. They'll also remember where they've cleaned before, which can reduce the time spent cleaning and ensure your home is thoroughly clean.

A lot of the most advanced robotic vacuums and mops can switch between different floor types. Some robot vacuums and mops automatically recognize the type of flooring in a specific room and adjust suction and the brush functions in accordance with. Others can even move from carpet to hard floors without losing suction power.

No matter what flooring type any smart vacuums and mops must be equipped with some form of obstacle avoidance. These features prevent the vacuums from getting caught in webs or wires that can cause them to lose their suction. Certain models have a list of objects they know about like shoes, socks and pet waste. The best models can recognize these items and determine their size, distance and avoid them without getting into it.

Floor Mapping

Most robot vacuums have sensors that aid in detecting objects. If an object, like furniture legs or a toy thrown in a random fashion or gets in the the vacuum's path, sensors will inform it to move away and move to move to a cleaner area of the floor. However the sensors aren't 100% reliable. For instance the Roomba 900 Series was able to avoid our shoelaces and wired headphones, but it inadvertently got the USB cord. This is why we suggest removing objects from the robot's path before running it through your home's rooms.

Many of the vacuums and mopping robots that we have tested in The Spruce include an app. You can use it to save maps, create schedules, choose cleaning modes and monitor your robot's performance. The top apps provide features that make your robot more efficient. They are user-friendly and simple to use.

App integration also helps you keep track of your robot's water tank as well as dirty pads. Look for models that let you check the level of filling in the tank, how much the pad is wet, and when it's time to change the cloth. You can also create a schedule that automatically changes the pad when it's damp to prevent mildewy smells from growing on the old one.

Mapping is an essential feature of robot vacuums that work across multiple floors of the home. It lets the robot create an image of your home which it can use to navigate between rooms and clean the different areas more thoroughly. Some robots use sensors in combination with artificial intelligence to create these maps. For instance, iRobot's vacuuming Mapping feature makes use of multiple sensors to scan a room including corners and walls, to determine how far it can go before bumping into obstacles or hitting furniture.

Other robots, including the Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI and the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, use optical sensors to determine where walls are. They can then follow the edges of furniture or use an algorithm for mapping to determine the best route for each room.

Mopping Settings

Robot vacuums work automatically and you do nothing more than hitting the button on a remote, or within an app to clean up a room. You can also set up schedules with voice commands. This is a fantastic feature for busy families who need their robot vacuums to perform their job at the same time every day.

Many robot mops have microfibre pads that are soaked by water tanks that are located at the bottom. These can be used several times before they need to be cleaned or replaced. Models that are able to adjust the flow of water to fit different floors are the best. It is also important to consider the size of your tank, the ability to switch between wet mopping and dry mopping, robot mop vacuum combo and the length of time that a mop from a robotic machine will last on one charge.

The most effective robot mops are able to clean floors quickly and efficiently, even under tables and around obstacles. They're not perfect, however they can be difficult to climb up and down the stairs or over ledges which divide rooms. They can leave streaks on tiles or timber, particularly in sunlight.

A robot vacuum and mop that is of good quality should also have a carpet sensor. This is a crucial feature if you have mixed flooring in your home, since it means that the cleaner won't be caught by or be dragged across the rug. It must also be able to detect other objects that could interfere with the cleaning process like cords or tassels, and allow you to designate zones of no-go that block the robot from entering those areas.

The majority of the robots we test in the Choice lab have a smart app integrations, which lets you save your home's map as well as set cleaning schedules and choose cleaning modes. You'll also be able set up virtual barriers to prevent your robot from certain areas, and receive (sometimes amusing) error alerts if the device encounters issues. Certain applications are more user-friendly than others, and a few offer a webcam for live monitoring of your robot.