No one likes mopping. From buckets full of dirty water to unsanitary (and gross) mop fibers, it's a labor-intensive chore that's in dire need of an upgrade. Thankfully, robot mops are here to make your life easier. All you have to do is fill up the tank, press start, and let them run. You can control some of them via your phone or voice and some even double as robot vacuums.
We've rounded up the best models we've tested here, along with some buying tips to help you keep your floors sparkling.
The Best Robot Vacuums for 2022Which Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo Works Best?
Every robot mop shares a few things in common. They generally come with reservoirs you need to fill up with water or cleaning solution, and microfiber cloths that scrub your floors and pick up dirt. They also feature sensors to help them autonomously navigate around your furniture.
Robot mops generally come in one of two flavors: single-purpose or hybrid. Single-purpose mops, like the iRobot Braava Jet m6, can't vacuum your floors. Some can, however, perform a dry sweep to clear the area before they start mopping.
Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry Robotic VacuumHybrid models, as you might expect, can mop and vacuum. They typically have attachments for microfiber cloths that wipe or scrub your floors as the robot runs around your home. Some feature an interchangeable dustbin and water tank, and don't require any presoaking before cleaning. iRobot, one of the biggest names in robot vacuums and mops, stuck with single-purpose devices for a long time but recently released its first hybrid model, the Roomba Combo j7+.
Hybrid models are typically more expensive, but they're also more likely to have features like app control via your phone, voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and even interactivity with other smart home devices.
We note which models are hybrids in our reviews and test their functionality accordingly. To easily see which models we've selected here are hybrids, check out the table toward the bottom of this page.
How We Test Robot Mops
We test robot mops in our actual homes, keeping the following criteria in mind: battery life, navigation, ease of setup and operation, and performance.
The whole point of robotic cleaners is to let them do the work for you. Having to intervene defeats the purpose. To that end, we look to see whether the robot can handle different floor types such as tile and wood with equal ease. We also check to see if it avoids textiles like rugs and carpeting, or if it comes with peripheral features like virtual walls (or app controls) to make this easier.
Battery life is also important; the size of your home determines what is sufficient. The longer the robot mop can run on one charge, the better it is for larger homes. We consider a battery life of 60 minutes to be sufficient for small homes and apartments, though, ideally, we like to see results in the 90-minute range. To test battery life, we fully charge the robot before running a cleaning cycle. We then let it clean for as long as it takes to completely run down the battery.
The Samsung Jetbot Mop doubles as a wall scrubberSetup is another factor we consider. Most involve charging your robot and filling up water tanks. Once again, you want these processes to be as simple as possible. And although not every robot mop works with an app, hybrid models often do. In these instances, we check to see how intuitive the app is and what benefits it brings to the table.
Lastly, and most importantly, we check to see how well a robot mop cleans in real-life conditions. We consider things such as whether it uses a cleaning solution or water only. We see how well it tackles dry stains versus wet on a variety of surfaces. We also check that it doesn't scuff tile or wood, and at the end of every cleaning session, we examine the microfiber cloth to see how dirty it gets.
Are Robot Mops Worth It?
As with robot vacuums, robot mops do a sufficient job of keeping your floors clean, but they aren't complete substitutes for a little elbow grease. They're great for maintenance and fresh spills. Deep-set stains, however, still likely require a bit of manual scrubbing.
Robot mops are still a growing category. See our reviews for a detailed analysis of each model listed here, and check back soon, because we're reviewing new ones all the time. When you find the right one for you, check out our top tips for robot vacuums, many of which also apply to mops.
