"Ask Me Anything": Ten Responses To Your Questions About Best Robot Vacuums

Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos

The best vacuum and mop combo method to keep your home tidy is with a robot vacuum cleaner and mop. It can remove dust, pet hair and other particles from the floor before it becomes a larger problem.

Some robots can sync with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free environment. 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 great option for a wide range of households. It has a great navigation system that includes GPS and laser sensors. It also has many features and controls that are accessible through the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you add Cleaning zones for certain areas that need extra attention, and also to keep Out zones where you don't want it to go. As with all Roomba devices, it receives new software updates that make it even more efficient over time.

It's costly, but it's also among the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has tested. It has a powerful battery that can clean the entire house in less than two hours. It also switches between mopping and vacuuming at the touch of one button. And, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the dust bin after each run, this one automatically emptys into a larger waste container above its charging dock.

It also has many other features, such as intelligent obstacle avoidance which uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best in avoiding objects such as power cables. However, it isn't as accurate in detecting pet waste or other dangers.

2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid

Although Anker-owned Eufy has earned its name in low-cost robot vacuums it's not yet an all-in-one model that can also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that offers a range of modern features and can compete with more expensive models.

The most significant selling point for Eufy with this device is its laser navigation. The X8 utilizes a laser mapping system that is more accurate than previous Eufy devices. It also takes significantly less time to build up an accurate map of your space and stores multiple maps, which is great for multi-floor homes.

The X8 is a great vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It can easily sling debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. The tyres are adept at hugging corners and edges, even though they're circular. It's not a great kitty litter scooper, however, with our tests showing it can only remove about 90% of the fur from hard floors.

The basic mopping mode utilizes the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is great for spills that aren't dangerous, but you are unable to regulate the amount of water it consumes. That said, it does an admirable job of picking up pet hair, with a better speed of pickup than the Roborock S7.

3. Miele RX2

Known for quietly effective home appliances, Miele's RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, gorgeous design and excellent navigation. It has a few oddities in its operation that prevent it from being ranked as the top smart robot vacuum.

The RX2 comes with a dual-sensor mapping technology which uses LIDAR to map an area as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoiding obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). After the room has been mapped and assigned, you can designate virtual no-go areas and sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also alter the cleaning options, begin cleaning manually or watch live feeds from the onboard cameras from the main screen.

The RX2's sensors are effective in registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. Its sweeping and suction powers are excellent, taking away surface debris from carpets of medium pile and also removing dust that has been deposited on floors. However, it's not exactly the most efficient robot available. As with many others, it's not a good climber and has trouble with things like thresholds made of steel transition strips.

Some people buy a robot vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting a schedule on an app and forgetting about it for weeks at an time. It's crucial for a robot mop vacuum to be capable of the task and that's why our ZDNet staff has compared and looked over some of the most popular models in order to help you select the right one for your home.

4. Shark ION

This budget robovac is a robot that is similar to other, but comes with several more features and is more efficient. Its smart mapping system creates 3D and best vacuum and mop combo 2D maps of your home and uses them to navigate around obstacles and avoid them. It is able to detect common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor and an infrared drop sensor which keeps it off the stairs is what makes it one of the most flexible vacuums we've tested.

In our tests, it easily could climb over the thick shag rug and didn't end up stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation skills were also impressive; its composite score in carpet and bare floors was better than the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5 percent of the surface litter and embedded pet hair from our lab test samples.

The controls are less basic than those of the competition's. 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 set a schedule for your daily or weekly cleans, create no-go zones, and view the history of its cleaning. Ion is clad in a sophisticated dark gray plastic that is both attractive and beautiful in your home. The rear dust bin is easy to empty and cleaning the filter is equally easy.

5. Eufy 11S

Eufy 11S is a good option if you're looking for a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use and doesn't have any frills at a cost that is low. It isn't equipped with some of the advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are available in more expensive models, however, if you don't require those functions you can save cost with this model.

This robot is very easy to setup and use. It doesn't require a smartphone app or Wi-Fi pairing, however it does have an remote control that lets you choose between various modes and adjust the suction level. You can also manually assign the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.

In our tests, we found that the 11S was extremely efficient at cleaning pet fur and dirt from carpets with low pile and hard floors. Its slim profile helped it get under furniture and other low items that larger robots could not reach. It was also able to traverse door thresholds and change from one type of floor to another.

Like other robots, the 11S can suck up some objects like cords, drawstrings for hoodies and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you keep these objects off the ground and using a cord organizer if possible. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin periodically, replacing the filters and washing or changing the brushes as required.

iRobot Roomba 990

The Roomba is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum. It's pricey, but it's top-performing and arguably the most advanced robot vacuum available. Its self-navigation feature and environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than most competitors, including the ability to create virtual boundary markers with its mobile app. It's a powerful robot vacuum, even though its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins out when it comes across cables.

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

Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that grab dirt from floors and carpets, as well as a spinning brush to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensors help it navigate between furniture and around edges, while Cliff Detect keeps the Roomba from falling down the stairs. It also automatically returns to its base station for easy recharging between sessions. The bin capacity and the battery life of the 980 aren't as great as some other robot vacuums. However, it's a reliable and solid machine that can keep floors clean for a long time. hours.