Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos

A robot vacuum is the ideal tool for maintaining an orderly home. It can remove dust, pet hair and other debris on surfaces.

Some robots connect to smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Look for models that can be recharged and continue cleaning where they left off.

1. iRobot S8

This smart robot mop and vacuum is a fantastic choice for many households. It has a great navigation system that includes GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with numerous features and controls that are accessible through the app. It has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones in areas that require additional attention, and Keep Out zones in areas you don't want it to be. It also gets software updates, just like all Roomba products, which make it better over time.

It's expensive however, it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has evaluated. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can sweep a large area in less than two hours. It can switch between vacuuming and mopping at the touch of one button. It automatically empties the trash bin that is above its charging station, in contrast to other self Cleaning vacuum emptying robots which require you to empty it after every run.

It's got a range of other features that make it an excellent choice for homes with a lot of space, including intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning cycle. In my tests, it was the best in avoiding objects such as power cables. It's not as precise in detecting pet waste, or other dangers.

2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8

While the Anker-owned Eufy has earned its name in the field of low-cost robot vacuums, it's never offered an all-in-one model which can also mop. That changes with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features and is able to compete with more expensive models.

The laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. Previous Eufy devices have built up an approximate map of your home by using infrared sensors and bumping into objects but the X8's laser mapping technology is more precise. It also takes significantly less time to build up an accurate map of your living space and also stores multiple maps, which 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 ease. Its tyres are also very adept at securing corners and edges despite being circular. Our tests showed that it was able to remove 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.

There's a basic mopping option that utilizes the same water tank as the vacuuming one. This is great for spills that are not serious, but you can't control the amount of water that it uses. However, it does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, and has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.

3. Miele RX2

Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is renowned for its quiet, effective appliances. It is a stunning design, excellent navigation and a powerful cleaning power. But it has some operational issues that keep it from ranking as the best inexpensive robot vacuum overall smart robot vacuum.

The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technology that uses a LIDAR to map a room as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once mapped the app allows you to assign virtual no-go areas and favorite sections that the robot will clean automatically. You can also start cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, watch live feeds from the cameras onboard and more from the main screen.

The RX2's sensors are effective, registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping power are top-of-the-line cleaning up surface debris from carpets of medium pile and dust on floors that are unfinished. It's not the most powerful robot on the market. Like many other robots, it's not a good climber and has issues with things like metal threshold transition strips.

Many people purchase a robot vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting up a schedule using an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's crucial that a robot is able to get the job done, which is the reason our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular models to help you select the perfect one for your home.

4. Shark ION

This budget robot looks like your typical robot but it's a step up in terms of performance and features. Its smart mapping system creates 2D and 3-D maps of your house and uses to navigate and avoid obstructions. It can even identify common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors, together with a bump sensor and an infrared sensor for dropping that keeps it away from steps is what makes it one of the most agile vacs we've tested.

It was able to climb over thick shag carpets and didn't get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigation abilities were impressive as well and its overall score on carpet and bare floors beat out the competition and it took in 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.

Its controls are a bit simpler than the competitors. There's a round cleaning button on the top. You can access it via the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule weekly or daily cleanings, create no-go zones and view the history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a stylish dark gray plastic that looks and feels attractive in your home. Its rear dustbin is easily accessible for emptying, and removing the filters is also simple.

5. Eufy 11S

Eufy 11S is a good option for those looking for a robot vacuum that's simple and simple at a low cost. It doesn't have many of the smart features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are available in more expensive models, but if you don't need these features, you can save a little money by purchasing this model.

This robot is simple to set up and use. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include the remote control that lets you select between different modes and alter the suction levels. It also lets you manually send the robovac off during scheduled cleaning.

In our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in removing pet hair and dirt from hard floors and in low-pile carpets. Its slim profile made it possible to get under low-hanging furniture and other items that some heavier robots were unable to get at. It was able to get easily over thresholds of doors and switch from one type of floor to another.

The 11S, as with other robots, can also eat some objects, such as cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can avoid this by keeping such objects off the floor and by using an organizer for cords if you can. It also suggests that you clean the dustbin, replace the filters, and clean or change the brushes when necessary.

6. IRobot Roomba 990

The Roomba 980 is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's costly, but it's an excellent performer and Self Cleaning Vacuum is arguably the most sophisticated robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigation and environmental mapping are a joy to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than most competitors, including the ability to create virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. Although the application is a bit slow and the 980 may spin a bit when rolling over cables, it's a highly efficient robot vacuum.

We really like the 980 due to its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and visual simultaneity localisation and mapping (or vSLAM) to store your home's floor plan. It will use this data to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path through each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum cleaner than the majority of high-end robots.

Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt from 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 stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It can also return automatically to the base station for simple charging between sessions. Although the 980's battery life and bin size aren't as good as those of other robot vacuums it's a sturdy and reliable machine that will keep your floors clean for hours at a time.