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Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are smiling at the workout that is manually mopping their floors.
If you experience similar dread when faced with vacuuming, the best robot vacuum and mop combos will cross those two chores off of your list (three, if you count digging your old mop out of the closet as a chore in itself).
Are robot vacuums good at mopping?
I'm not saying you can expect a hybrid robot vacuum to scrub your kitchen grout with the same tenacity you would get with a toothbrush, but robot vacuums have gotten much better at mopping over the past few years.
Since 2020-ish, most robot vacuum companies have added at least one (several, in most cases) hybrid model to their lineup, with prices ranging from $200 to well over $1,000. You can generally expect the mopping technique to get a little more meticulous as price goes up, so the type of mess that your 2-in-1 model will need to conquer becomes a big deciding factor. Are you mostly concerned with wiping up spur-of-the-moment spills, or will you be a stickler about dried-on stains that call for more heavy-duty scrubbing?
Fortunately, both ends of the pricing spectrum provide way more bang for their buck in 2024 than they did in the early 2020s. The mere presence of a cloth and a water tank is far from good enough at this point — now, the best robot vacuums and mops are armed with more mechanics attempting to mimic the elbow grease that a human with a mop or Swiffer would provide, like pressurized and/or spinning mopping pads (rather than lackadaisical, stationary ones). Most modern 2-in-1 robot vacuums can also mop with real germ-fighting cleaning solution rather than just water — key in upping my own personal confidence in walking around barefoot.
But arguably the most pivotal shift 2-in-1 robot vacuums saw in the past year isn't on the robot vacuums themselves, but in their docks. Past automatically emptying the dust bin, the best robot mop combos also cross post-mopping maintenance off of your list by automatically washing and drying their own mopping pads, then refilling themselves with clean water from the dock. With one of these self-cleaning stations, your robovac will be ready to mop again almost immediately — a clutch change from an older, more basic design that had us all choosing between manually washing a smelly mopping pad after each use, letting it mop with a dirty pad, or just avoiding the mopping feature altogether.
Is Black Friday a good time to buy a robot vacuum?
Yep, robot vacuum deals are a huge deal on Black Friday. This is especially true for more premium robot vacuum hybrids (like the full self-cleaning ones I just mentioned above) — while most 2-in-1 models that wash their own mopping pads usually run you at least $700 (but probably more) any other time, Black Friday is prime time to shave a few hundred dollars off to make the investment a little more digestible.
Aside from one or two straggler models that might be super new or a brand's most premium option, almost every robot vacuum that's worth your time will probably be on sale by the time Black Friday officially starts — maybe even hit a new record low price compared to October Prime Day. Naturally, I'm tracking all of the best Black Friday robot vacuum deals for you in an expertly curated list, including a ton of early deals.
Not sure how fancy of a hybrid robot vacuum you even need at home, or where to start your Black Friday search? I've tested 15+ of the most popular robot vacuum and mop combos on my own floors at home, narrowing down your options to the top four robot vacuums that also wash your floors.
The Roborock Qrevo Master is the robot vacuum to go for if you prioritize meticulous cleaning over staying within a certain budget. With self-washing and self-drying mopping pads, above-average suction power, and extending side arms that reach out to vacuum and mop in corners, the Roborock Qrevo Master is an exhaustive floor care suite best-suited for those who are willing to pay extra for the utmost barefoot readiness.
If you're like me — someone who cringes watching a robot vacuum almost spitefully ignore dust bunnies that have blown into a corner or sticky dried drops hiding under the kitchen cabinets — I'd say the wet and dry versions of the FlexiArm are fully worth the splurge.
Why we picked this:
Roborock has been on the self-washing and self-drying mopping pad beat since 2022, a year or two earlier than most of its biggest competitors. But there's one big innovation that made me choose the Qrevo Master over Roborock's more expensive S8 Max V Ultra: a smaller third mopping pad that extends out from the side of the botvac to scrub in corners. (The Qrevo Master also has the vacuuming version of this.) This, plus sensors that enact another pass if a spill is particularly messy, makes the Qrevo Master's mopping feel much more thorough than a vac that kind of just mops aimlessly.
The Qrevo Master also stays on pace with the S8 MaxV Ultra with 10,000 Pa of suction power (some of the most powerful on the market), automatic suction boost when carpet is detected, and a pet camera that can livestream everything the robot vacuum sees as it's cleaning. All three have been a relief to rely on as a mom of two cats who shed constantly, dig in potted plants, and find new ways to mess around every time I'm not home.
The Good
Often on sale for under $1,000
Dual spinning mopping pads plus an extending side mop
Mops spin 200 times per second
Same livestream pet camera as the pricier Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
Washes mopping pads mid-job to prevent smearing
Dock is compact and chic for all that it does
The Bad
Might get small rugs and bath mats wet
Room separating in app is a little nit-picky
Cleaning solution shouldn't have to be manually filled at this price
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni will appeal to a specific group of people doing a balancing act between budget and automation. If you're down to splurge past a few hundred dollars to outsource not only mopping, but also maintenance of those soggy mopping pads through a more advanced self-empty dock, Eufy's flagship model is the rare option that'll bring that home for less than $1,000. (The same can't be said for similarly-priced hybrids like the Roomba Combo j7+ or Roborock Q8 Max+.)
For large homes where a majority of the flooring demands both mopping and vacuuming, the exceptional battery life here will really sweeten the deal. Whether that space comes in the form of multiple stories or just square footage on a main floor, the X10 Pro Omni will be able to clean in a variety of intensity modes for at least two hours without needing to charge.
Why we picked this:
Eufy's first stab at the fully self-sufficient tank and mopping system — the main thing that separates average hybrids from premium hybrids — was a major win. Past the self-cleaning dock, I was surprised to see a hybrid in this price range with dual spinning mopping pads, which scrub a little more ferociously than stationary pads. Eufy's new hybrid had no issues wiping up splatters of buffalo sauce, dusty paw prints, and small chunks of wet cat food off of her hardwood floor.
Success on the tiled bathroom floor was hindered by overly cautious obstacle avoidance that mistook a bath mat for a towel and refused to even vacuum the area. Even so, having small obstacle avoidance at all is still crucial for confidently sending the robot vacuum out to clean when you're not home to get it unstuck. No laptop chargers or socks were harmed in my apartment, though even when set directly in front of the X10 Pro Omni's cleaning path on purpose.
If you've confirmed that you definitely want a Roomba, the decision boils down to how much you want to spend. Anyone firmly in the "absolutely nowhere near $1,000 category" should opt for the Roomba Combo j5+ — if you can wait for it to drop to its sub-$500 sale price. Unlike the Combo i5+, the Combo j5+ is the cheapest mopping Roomba with obstacle avoidance technology — a must if you don't feel like removing items like cords or slippers out of the way before a robot vacuum can do its thing.
Why we picked this:
iRobot's small obstacle avoidance technology is simply the best I've tested, which is reason enough to choose it over a competitor depending on the level of lived in a home is. In my experience with small obstacle avoidance from multiple brands, Roombas have the best track record when it comes to correctly avoiding my laptop charger and extension cords, and have been the least likely to accidentally mistake a bath rug for a piece of laundry to avoid.
The combination of that, smart mapping, self-emptying, and mopping make it a quadruple threat in the $400 to $600 category, depending on the sale price you come across. It also has the same suction power (decent, but not heavy duty enough to keep up with serious shedding) and self-empty dock as the slightly pricier Roomba Combo j7+.
In terms of mopping, the Roomba Combo j5+ is sufficient but basic. Rather than having a water tank and mopping pad on board full time like more advanced 2-in-1s, the mopping gear here needs to be manually clicked on and off by a human to differentiate between vacuuming and mopping modes. That manual involvement does make mopping a little less spontaneous, but it's still sufficient for spills here and there, as well as daily surface-level dustings.
The Good
Frequently on sale for $500
Better small obstacle detection than more expensive competitors
Dual rubber brush rolls are good at sweeping up long hair and large crumbs
Stylish, compact self-emptying dock
The Bad
Too expensive at full price for the feature set
Automatic emptying is painfully loud
Suction isn't powerful enough for debris-heavy carpets or rugs
If you can live without the fancy self-cleaning dock that deals with soggy mopping pads for you, as long as your robot mop actually scrubs the floor well, then consider the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1. This hybrid will do a more meticulous job than other hybrids in the same price range.
While the Shark Matrix 2-in-1 is safe to send into fully carpeted rooms, you also have to manually draw a no-mopping box around every single rug on the map. People in homes with a complex rug situation may want to opt for a more advanced bot that automatically stops mopping when it senses soft floors.
Why we picked this:
The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 (previously the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1) really surprised me and Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth, which is why this vac also earned the spot as our favorite Shark robot vacuum. Despite its budget status, the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 proved itself in our at-home cleaning tests, particularly when it came to spot cleaning. Activating Matrix cleaning mode while mopping triggers the mopping pad to vibrate 100 times per minute and go over the desired area multiple times. When I'm wiping up a spill with a paper towel by hand, I wouldn't settle for a single, initial wipe. Why should my robot vacuum?
During dry vacuuming, Matrix mode also hits the designated area from multiple angles in a crosshatch pattern. A guaranteed second pass from a different angle definitely upped my trust that I wouldn't walk back into that room to find scattered crumbs or missed tufts of cat hair that weren't grabbed on a single first try. I particularly noticed the extra effort in my bathroom where there's a constant layer of kitty litter dust and rogue litter — the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 honestly left the floor more spotless than several more expensive vacuums I've tried.
As a senior shopping reporter, I have been testing popular robot vacuums for Mashable in the various apartments I've lived in since 2019. My hands-on analyses span from budget models under $200 that just cover the basics to $1,500 (or more) premium models that are the market’s most advanced in the way they clean, navigate my home, and take care of their own recurring maintenance.
So far in 2024, I’ve had hands-on experience with the Roborock Qrevo Master, Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Eufy X10 Pro Omni, Shark Matrix RV2300, Shark Detect Pro, Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1, Roomba Combo j9+, Roomba Combo j5+, Narwal Freo X Ultra, Dyson 360 Vis Nav and Yeedi M12 Pro+. I am also currently working with the Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash Dock and Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with neverTouch Pro Base.
My own personal three-bedroom apartment — not a lab — makes up the testing grounds for every robot vacuum, where a combination of hardwood floors, tile floors, and rugs of various piles are tackled. Over the course of at least four weeks, each robot vacuum is put through a series of standardized tests that flow into a scoring rubric that I’ve created to exemplify all factors of owning a robot vacuum and trusting it on a daily basis. That rubric is made up of four pillars:
Cleaning thoroughness: I’m pickier than average about what it takes for a floor to feel “clean,” and I’m trusting these robot vacuums in my own home — and pitting them against my trusty Dyson. To encapsulate the full spectrum of debris a robot vacuum might encounter, each robot vacuum and its suction power settings complete an obstacle course of standardized tests for multiple types of debris on both hard floors and rugs, an efficiency score being given to each. The robot vacuum and mop combos also complete three additional scrubbing tests on hardwood and tile. As for the actual “dirty” status of those floors being tackled, each robot vac is sent over both fresh messes (like crumbs, drinks, and sauces I spill purposefully) and more lived-in messes that build up over time (like dried or sticky splatters, shoe prints near the door, dust bunnies in corners, and matted-down cat hair on the rug).
Navigation: I consider a robot vacuum’s ability to maneuver to the right spot in the first place as a litmus test ahead of getting into any nitty gritty cleaning capabilities. In my testing, each vac’s navigational brainpower is analyzed by its smart mapping accuracy and ability to find specific rooms and zones for spot cleaning, as well as its ability to swerve safely around walls or between chair or table legs. Robot vacuums that can successfully detect phone chargers, pet waste, and laundry with small obstacle avoidance technology are given an extra star.
User-friendliness and politeness as a house guest: The ideal robot vacuum will be a relatively seamless addition to your household, and blend in nearly as easily as any other appliance used daily would. If a robot vacuum is loud, clunky, or generally a pain to use, you're not going to want it in your house at all — so things like noise level, battery life, size, aesthetic design, and the intuitiveness of using the app can make or break the experience.
Maintenance: Some robot vacuums are more automated than others when it comes to how they take care of themselves past the actual cleaning. If someone is already considering the robot vacuum route because of the hands-off cleaning experience, they might want that convenience to extend to dustbin emptying or mopping pad cleaning, too, which would get them off the hook from maintenance for days or weeks at a time.
Finally, I can't not consider the overall bang for your buck for each robot vacuum. Are its features on paper and actual cleaning competence worth the price tag, and how practical is that cost for the average household?
Frequently Asked Questions
At their core, robot vacuum mop combos are really just robot vacuums with an attached water reservoir and scrubbing pad. Thus, they work identically to regular robot vacuums on dry debris like crumbs and pet hair, but also dispense water or cleaning solution for mopping when on a hard floor.
The mopping mechanism can look a little different from there. Cheaper hybrid models require a person to manually attach a water tank or mopping pad to switch to mopping mode, while more advanced models always have mopping gear on board and are ready to start mopping whenever called upon. When the water tank is built in like that, these hybrid models are typically equipped with heightened floor type sensors and are smart enough to stay away from carpet or rugs while mopping while the hybrids that require manual swapping often need you to denote spots that they shouldn't mop through the app.
2-in-1 robot vacuums (aka hybrids or combo models) aren't to be confused with dedicated robot mops like iRobot's Braava Jet, which is often sold in a bundle with a Roomba. Rather, true hybrids are robot vacuums with a water reservoir and mopping pad attached somewhere. Some mop more intensely than others, but the bottom line is the same: They vacuum identically to their non-mopping counterparts, but also dispense water to wipe hard floors.
For instance, when eyeing a mopping Roomba, there's virtually no reason to choose the $300 to $450 (depending on a discount) on the iRobot Braava Jet m6 when a similarly-priced Roomba Combo j5+ exists. The Braava Jet m6 on its own won't vacuum, so you'd need to already have a robot vacuum, buy one, or do the vacuuming yourself before sending it out to mop. The Roomba, on the other hand, can do both, as well as empty itself and use small obstacle detection tech to avoid cords and pet waste. While the Combo j6+'s scrubbing may be slightly less meticulous than that of the Braava Jet m6, the discrepancy isn't enough to buy a standalone robotic mop.
The traditional mop and bucket is a logistical headache, but a 2-in-1 robot vacuum can be just as frustrating if they're not doing what you bought them to do. If you've decided you're down to pay to cross two chores off your list with one purchase, then the following factors are key in ensuring an experience that's actually worthwhile:
Floor type sensors: A robot vacuum's ability to adjust suction based on floor type is important even just in the dry sweeping realm. But for robot mops, this is exactly the feature that will keep your carpets from getting soggy. Most hybrids automatically start to mop once their water tank is attached, but only the smarter ones know to pause the water flow and lift their wet cloth above the carpet. Bots that remember your rooms or follow virtual boundaries can also be programmed to avoid carpeted areas while mopping altogether.
Mopping with movement and force: The best robot vacuum and mops may not scrub with as much "oomph" as your own two hands, but they can tackle shoe prints or water marks better than those that just lightly put wet cloth to floor. While most 2-in-1 models can successfully wipe up a fresh juice or wine spill, a mopping mechanism like Roborock's sonic mopping or iRobot's SmartScrub technology actually exerts force in tandem with rapid back-and-forth movement to penetrate stubborn dried stains and render the most noticeable results on hard floors.
Smart mapping: A robot vacuum's navigation tech decides how accurately it can remember your home's layout (if at all). Currently, the golden standard for smart mapping is LiDAR: A laser that scans different points in your home to determine where walls are. On the other hand, there's also VSLAM technology — which instead uses cameras for mapping and navigation. While the camera system is typically more accurate when it comes to eyeing smaller obstacles like phone chargers or pet toys, the major downside of VSLAM is that it needs light to operate, so vacuuming in the dark is typically a no go.
Once a robot vacuum has made its rounds and gotten its bearings, it creates a floor plan to reference for future cleanings. You'll be able to modify and label rooms as necessary in your robot vacuum's corresponding app, as well as send the botvac to specific rooms.
Most modern robot vacuums with smart mapping also offer zone cleaning, where you can set up virtual boundaries inside or around smaller areas rather than broadly cleaning the whole room. Zones come in handy for recurrent vacuuming or mopping of areas that get dirty faster, like the floor by the front door. If your robot vacuum mop combo isn't one that automatically cuts water flow when it crosses a rug, you can draw a zone around that area to ensure the vac doesn't attempt to mop there.
Automatic mopping pad washing and drying: The effort that you save by having a robot vacuum that mops your floors can feel less clutch when you're the one responsible for washing that mildewy mopping pad each time. If that sounds like a pain to you, some hybrid models take self-sufficiency past self-emptying to self-washing and drying mopping pads. These mopping robot vacuums return to a self-emptying dock that also houses a dirty water tank and a full washing and drying system for used mops.
Battery life: A 90 to 100-minute battery life should be sufficient to cover an apartment in one charge, or if most of your cleaning will be done on a room-by-room basis. Battery life of 170 to over 200 minutes isn't hard to find and would be ideal for square footage above 1,500. Even the cheapest robot vacuums nowadays should recharge on their own and automatically resume cleaning, meaning you won't have to pick them up and escort them back to base.
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
The robot vacuum beat in particular has cemented itself as Leah's main ~thing~ across the past few years. Since 2019, her expertise has been perpetually bolstered by the meticulous eye she keeps on robot vacuum deals and new releases, but more importantly, her hands-on experience with more than 25 robot vacuums tested in her own home. (This number has probably gone up by the time you're reading this.) That at-home testing is standardized through Mashable's robot testing guide — a granular scoring rubric for assessing all aspects of owning and using a robot vacuum on the daily — that Leah created herself.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].
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