UPDATE: Jan. 19, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EST Roborock, Ecovacs, Eufy, and Samsung debuted new mopping robot vacuums at CES 2024. We're awaiting their release for hands-on testing and will update our top picks in this story accordingly.
Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are foaming at the mouth when they think about the prospect of manually mopping their floors.
We've already got so much on our plate, and pulling out a mop and exerting elbow grease until scrubbing starts to feel like a workout is a recipe for us to stop mopping altogether. The best robot vacuum and mop combos can solve this problem — if they actually mop your floors properly.
Are robot vacuum and mop combos worth it?
Since 2020-ish, countless vacuum companies have added at least one hybrid model to their lineup, with prices ranging from $100 to well over $1,000. Price is one thing, but whether the wet mopping feature does much more than create a puddle is another story.
Fortunately, there are several robot mops that excel at making dry floors gleam. Brands like iRobot, Roborock, and Shark are moving far past the bare minimum — the technical presence of mopping gear — with features that actually make autonomous mopping effective, like pressurized and/or spinning mopping pads (rather than lackadaisical, stationary ones) and water tanks that allow cleaning solution to be mixed in (rather than cleaning with just water).
The theme of the fleet of new hybrid models released at CES 2024 was an automatic system for washing and drying mopping pads, as well as the automatic refilling of the botvac's water tank through a bigger water tank in the dock.
Below, we’re outlining some of the best robot mop combos on the market right now, including detailed explanations of the standout features that set them apart. So put that manual mop back in the closet. It's somehow 2024, after all, and you need a break.
via Zero Tech Blog