Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos

A robot vacuum is the best device to keep the cleanliness of your home. It can remove dust, pet hair and other debris from the surface before it becomes a bigger problem.

Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa and smart robot vacuum Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that can be recharged and continue cleaning where they left off.

1. iRobot S8

This smart robot vacuum and mop is an excellent choice for many homes. It can be used to vacuum and mop and is extremely navigable using both GPS and laser sensors and comes with a variety of features and controls available via the app. It also has a handy feature that allows you to add cleaning zones to certain areas that require more attention, as well as Keep Out zones where you do not want it to move. Like all Roomba devices, it is updated with new software updates that make it more efficient over time.

It's expensive, but it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has evaluated. It comes with a powerful battery that can sweep a large area in less than two hours. It can switch between mopping and vacuuming by pressing a button. It automatically emptys 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 comes with a variety of other features that make it a good choice for homes with a lot of space, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that utilizes both a camera and processor-powered smarts to see obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects such as power cables. However, it's not as accurate in detecting pet waste or other hazards.

2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid

Eufy owned by Anker, has become an iconic name in the world of budget robot vacuums. But it didn't provide the option of a model that could mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that comes with a variety of advanced features, and can compete with more expensive models.

The laser navigation system is the most important feature of this machine. The X8 uses a laser mapping system that is more accurate than previous Eufy devices. 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 still a good vacuum on bare floors and can sling debris over its side brushes and into the 400ml dust bin with relative ease. The X8's tyres, despite their circular shape, are very adept in grabbing corners and edges. Our tests showed that it could only remove 90 percent of the fur on hard floors.

There's a basic mopping mode that utilizes the same water tank as the vacuuming one. This is ideal for spills that are not dangerous, but you are unable to limit the amount of water it consumes. It is effective at picking up hair from pets. It has a higher pick-up rate than the Roborock S7.

3. Miele RX2

Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum comes with outstanding cleaning power, gorgeous design and excellent navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that prevent it from being ranked as the top smart robot vacuum.

Similar to the latest models of iRobot like the RX2 has dual-sensor mapping that utilizes an LIDAR sensor to map out the space and three 3D scanning cameras that can detect and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real time. Once the room is defined it is possible to designate 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, see live feeds from the onboard cameras and more from the main screen.

The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can identify furniture and other obstructions instantly. Its sweeping and suction powers are excellent, getting rid of surface litter from carpets with medium pile as well as embedded dust on bare floors. But it's not the most flexible robot available. Like many others, it's not a good climber and has issues with things like metal threshold transition strips.

A lot of people purchase a robotic vacuum for the ease of setting a schedule on an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at an time. But it's important that a robot can do the job that's the reason why our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular ones to help you select the perfect one for your home.

4. shark 2 in 1 robot vacuum ION

This budget robovac is a robot that looks just like the other, but comes with several more features and better performance. Its smart mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home, and uses them to navigate around obstacles and avoid them. It can even detect common obstructions such as furniture legs and power cords in real time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it from falling down the stairs is what makes it one of the most agile vacuums we've tried.

It was able to walk over carpets with thick shags and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690-). Its navigation capabilities were impressive. Its composite score for carpet and bare flooring was higher than the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5 percent of pet hair from our lab test samples.

The controls are less basic than those of the competition's. There's a clean button at the top, and you can either start it with the app or via voice commands using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule weekly or daily cleanings, set up no-go zones and view the history of cleaning. Ion is covered in a sophisticated dark gray plastic that feels and looks appealing in your home. Its rear dustbin is accessible for emptying, and taking out the filters is also a breeze.

5. Eufy 11S

Eufy 11S is a good option for those looking for an automated vacuum cleaner that is simple and doesn't have any frills at a reasonable price. It lacks some of the advanced features, such as digital mapping and Alexa integration, found in higher-end models however, if you don't require these features, you can save a little cost with this model.

The robot is easy to setup and use. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with an remote control that lets you select between different modes and adjust suction levels. It also allows you to manually turn off the robovac for scheduled cleaning.

In our tests, the 11S was very effective at removing dirt and pet hair from hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile helped it get under furniture and smart robot vacuum other items that some of the more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was able to pass effortlessly over 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 states that you can prevent this by keeping such objects off the floor and using an organizer for cords if you can. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis, replacing the filters and changing or washing the brushes as needed.

Roomba 990 by iRobot

The Roomba 980 is iRobot's most popular robot vacuum. It's expensive, but it's a top performer and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self navigation and environmental mapping are a wonder to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than many competitors, including the ability to set virtual boundary lines using its mobile app. While its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 may spin out a bit while rolling over cables, it's a very capable robot vacuum.

One thing we love about the 980 is that it makes use of its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It will then use that information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for each 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 that grab dirt on carpets and hard floors and the spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. Its floor tracking sensor helps it navigate around furniture, along edges and up steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. And it automatically returns to its base station for easy charging between sessions. Although the 980's battery lifespan and bin size aren't quite as efficient as some other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that can keep your floors spotless for hours on end.