Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops

The Eufy 11S robotic vacuum is one of the most affordable self-emptying vacuums available that are available. It efficiently sucked up dry oatmeal from hard floors and low-pile carpeting in our tests. Its dust bin is open and empty quickly, making it much easier to use than other models in its price.

It recharges at its base and resumes cleaning when it's at its best. Its obstacle-avoidance technology gets caught in cords and socks and it can't get under thresholds that are low.

1. iRobot Roomba 11S

The 11S is one the cheapest self-emptying robots and lots of people seem to like it. It is great at maneuvering under furniture and is thought to be a smart option for people with hard floors or who wish to do light daily cleans. Its suction is a bit less powerful than our top picks, but it's still effective. It has a big dust bin and a durable battery. The app lets you schedule your daily cleaning routine, or select a specific room. You can also create a map of your home to allow the device to avoid areas that you don't want it visit.

The app is simple to use and has a clean layout. It's not a full-featured app, but it is easy to use and lets you check the status of your robot. It also comes with an informative tutorial that can provide you with the basics.

The cleaning pattern of Bounce Navigation isn't always intuitive. Sometimes it follows straight lines, and other times it focuses on the edges of a space. But it cleans your entire floor. It is not the best at navigating obstacles, it was unable to get under our pet food bowls and piano pedals, and was caught in our 2.25 inch shag carpet multiple times.

While it's a great option for light cleaning, we think there are better robot vacuums than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is much easier to maintain and has lower costs for recurring maintenance and is charged faster. It has a larger bin, is more effective on any type of surface and is able to climb over low-lying obstacles (like electrical cables) more easily.

The RoboVac 11S from Eufy is a different alternative for regular vacuuming. It's design is very similar to our top choice, and it is great at picking up small particles and dirt on hard flooring. It also does a good job on medium and low-pile carpet. It has a large dirt container and uses BoostIQ for automatic suction power adjustment. It also has a remote control that's easy to operate and you can schedule daily cleanings using the app. The battery can last for about an hour, self-emptying robot vacuums and the dustbin is easy to empty by taking it from its dock.

2. Roborock S7 maxV Ultra

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra robot vacuum and mop is a fantastic robot that comes with a a surprising array of features for automation. It comes in three options that include the basic S7, the S7 MaxV Plus and the S7 MaxV Ultra. The latter model is the only one with an Empty Wash Fill Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks let the robot return to its base after cleaning, empty the collected debris into a dust bag or reservoir, empty the dirty water tank and clean its mopping pad.

The S7's sensors work to stay clear of obstacles and clean the floors. It can recognize the types of floors and save a map of rooms and zones, and even detect levels of dirt. It's also capable of scheduling and carrying out spot-cleaning sessions. It did well in the standard tests, but could not match the iRobot Roomba j7+ in the carpet deep cleaning test.

You can program the S7 using the companion app to run a cleaning routine according to your schedule. You can select the cleaning mode like eco or automatic, as well as a weekday, day or even a time. You can also choose whether the robot will cease operation if its power is exhausted or when it comes across an obstruction.

You can still use the S7 if you don't own an Android phone by connecting a charging dock to a remote control. The controls can be confusing initially however they are very effective once you've mastered them. The power button also functions as an 'Cleaning' button and the Spot Clean button instructs the robot to clean an area around it. The "Spot Clean" button also triggers the child lock.

Roborock's mobile application has been improved to include a live view function that lets you see what the S7 does at home. You can enable this feature by pressing a specific sequence of buttons on the S7 and then creating an unlock pattern within the app to use whenever you want to see what the robot is up to.

3. Shark IQ SX

Shark isn't as well-known for robot vacuums as iRobot and Roborock, but our experience with Shark has proven it to be among the top self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It's simple to set up and has a large bin which can be easily emptied (albeit loudly) into a trashcan once it's full. It can also be programmed to clean the whole house on a schedule.

The IQ XL can connect to your home WiFi, which lets you monitor it via the Shark app and check its battery level as it cleans. The app lets you create a cleaning schedule and receive push notifications about its status, pause cleaning and resume cleaning or set it for only one area. It can also be controlled by voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will inform you what power mode it's currently in--Eco, Normal, or Max--but we didn't find that any of these modes made a significant difference to the cleaning performance.

After it has completed a cleaning cycle, the IQ XL automatically empty the dust bin into its base, and it automatically emptys. Its bin can hold up 60 days of trash, so it won't need emptying more frequently than that, unless you have lots of pets with long hair. If you have to empty it you can simply detach the side container and place it over your trash can and press a button.

There isn't much to dislike about the Shark IQ XL, although it feels a bit less robust than the Roomba 694. It does a good job in cleaning carpeted floors however, it's not as effective as the iRobot Roomba i7 in terms of bare floor performance. The i7 also feels more sturdy, is more durable and requires less maintenance. It also has lower recurring costs and charges faster and has comparable battery performance. It also has more advanced automation features, such as no-go areas and the ability choose specific rooms to be cleaned.

4. iRobot J7+

This robot vac and mop combination is a rare machine that can perform both tasks efficiently. The iRobot Combo j7+ offers all the smarts of its j7-based counterpart, including self emptying robot vacuum mop-emptying and LiDAR mapping but also includes additional features for both vacuuming and mopping.

The new acoustic sensors help the j7+ to identify flooring types, meaning it can choose between mopping and vacuuming during the first time it passes through a room. This information can also be used to determine the best cleaning options for rooms that have carpets and rug versus those with hard flooring.

Like most robotic vacuums, the j7+ is quiet while it's running. It's much quieter when mopping. The maximum reading of 64db on our decibel meter is similar to office chatter.

It's simple to establish the schedule for cleaning and adjust the way that the j7+ operates when its dust canister is full. The j7+ can also be controlled using voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.).) The app lets you create and view maps in your home.

In our tests, we found that the j7+ performed admirably on carpeted and hard flooring, removing the majority of the dirt we tossed at it. It has a hard time with pet hair, large debris and sand. However, it is able to clean them with more effort. It has excellent navigational capabilities and two cliff sensors to prevent it from falling down stairs or getting caught on furniture legs.

We did find some minor issues with the j7+, mainly that it can snag on cords and carpets, and it doesn't always shut off its mopping when it's done vacuuming. This is a great model that ticks off all the boxes.

The j7+ from iRobot also has one of the best self-emptying systems we've seen. It spits out its 14oz / 0.4-liter dust canister into the base station where it will automatically empty itself for you. This helps to reduce the amount of trash you need to dispose of and you'll need to change the reusable dust disposal bag from the dock about every 60 days or so, depending on how often you use the J7+.