Mopping is perhaps more loathed than vacuuming (but let’s agree that cleaning toilets is at the top of the list). The dirty water, the back-aching labor, and the fact that most homes have far less moppable flooring than they do carpeting makes the job all too easy to neglect.
Yet, like with vacuuming, robots has come to the rescue. Robot mops do not need the use of bulky buckets or the ringing out of unclean mop heads. Fill their tank with water, place them on the floor, click the start button, and get out of the way. Some may even vacuum or sweep the floor beforehand, freeing you of another work. They won’t eliminate the need to use an old-fashioned stick mop from time to time, but they can make the floor significantly easier to clean when you do.
These are our current top robot mops selections. Since this is a developing category—manufacturers are still experimenting with what makes a successful robot mop—there may be substantial differences in features and functionalities across devices. Still, there are some basic things to look for and we’ve included them below our picks to help guide you if our top picks don’t meet your unique needs.
iRobot Braava Jet m6 — Best robot mop
Pros
- Three mopping modes
- Automatically recognizes and avoids carpet
- Cleans in sequence with some Roomba robot vacuums.
Cons
- Too large for cleaning in small spaces like bathrooms and kitchens.
- Expensive
The iRobot Braava Jet m6 is an excellent robot mop with plenty of smart features for automating a hated household chore. It is perfect for households with a lot of hard flooring.
iLife Shinebot W400 — Best robot mop, runner-up
Pros
- Scrubs dirt and stains off hard-surface flooring
- Separates clean and dirty water for better results
- Excellent navigation
Cons
- Because of its large size, it cannot clean beneath cabinets or other tight spots.
- You should sweep your floors before using this bot.
- When its battery falls low, it does not immediately return to its charging station.
Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra — Best robot vac/mop hybrid
Pros
- Vacuums and mops
- Self-empties dustbin and water tank
- Creates detailed maps in 2D and 3D
Cons
- Bulky base station
- Certain mapping functions are only accessible on later iPhone models.
- Expensive
What to look for in a robot mop
Dedicated floor mop or vacuum/mop hybrid: At their essence, all robot mops operate similarly: You fill a tank with water, and the water is distributed as the robot navigates through your floors, utilizing an attached cloth/pad to brush dirt off your floor.
The robots, on the other hand, are commonly classified into two groups. Models like the iRobot Braava Jet m6 and the iLife Shinebot W400 can’t vacuum your floors (though the former can do a dry sweep of debris) before mopping.
Vacuum/mop hybrids are simply robot vacuums with a water reservoir attached. When you want to mop, you fill this small-capacity tank with tap water, attach a microfiber cloth to it, and slot it onto the bottom of the vacuum.
There are no hard and fast rules on which sort of robot mop is superior, but we have seen certain broad tendencies. Hybrid models are more likely to include features like as smartphone control and smart home connectivity. And, of course, they provide you the benefit of addressing two duties with one gadget. Nevertheless, we’ve discovered that dragging a moist microfiber cloth over the floor isn’t the ideal way for removing difficult stains. Specialized robot mops often use a scouring pad or brush to agitate the floor and spray water directly on it to dissolve dirt and stains. In our testing, they have brushes regularly proved more effective on deeper dirt.
Navigation: Robot mops, like their vacuuming counterparts, use a network of sensors to maneuver around furniture, walls, and other obstructions. Some hybrid models make use of mapping technologies as well. Most of the ones we’ve tried, though, can’t determine what kind of floor they’re on. This might cause issues if the floor you wish to clean is next to a carpeted area, which is common in kitchens and bathrooms. Fortunately, many robot mops come with some kind of virtual barrier you can position between hard flooring and carpeting to keep the robot out of trouble.
Battery Life: Battery life is proportional to how much ground a robot mop can cover on a single charge. We’ve found one hour to be the sweet spot for most apartments and condominiums, but a minimum of 90 minutes is recommended for larger homes. It’s also worth noting that mopping consumes more battery life than vacuuming, so if you choose a hybrid model, expect to obtain less than the manufacturer’s promised run time while mopping.
Related Questions
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Is the mopping feature worth it for robot vacuum?
Are robot vacuum cleaners really worth the money? Robot mops may assist maintain medium sized hardwood or groutless floors dust-free and looking excellent. They also reduce the amount of times you will need to mop.
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Can a robot vacuum mop the floor?
However, robot vacuum and mops use both vacuuming and mopping so do not have this limitation, and can be used on both types of floors. AI-powered models allow you to specify which regions may be cleaned.
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What are the disadvantages of robot vacuum cleaner?
Disadvantage of robot Vacuum Cleaner
- Short Battery Life.
- Inefficient Cleaning.
- Extremely Noisy.
- Frequent Emptying.
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Do robot mops leave streaks?
If streaks appear, the pad should be replaced. Please make sure to only use a water, a mix of water and iRobot Hard Floor Cleaner, or Bona hard floor cleaner with your robot, as other cleaners will increase streaking.