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The Best Robot Mops That Aced My Cleaning Tests
An earlier version of this story named the iRobot Braava Jet 240 the "best value robot mop." Since testing, this product has been discontinued. To determine a new winning budget-friendly pick, we are working on an update to this story.
If you have messy dogs (like me), you know that using a vacuum isn't enough to clean all the dirt and grime they track onto your floors. But who has time to pull out a traditional mop several times a week? The best robot mops address this problem by autonomously scrubbing hard floors and leaving them clean—all without you having to lift a finger. After rigorously testing eight different models over the course of several weeks, I chose the Bissell SpinWave Wet And Dry as the best robot vacuum; the powerful device employs rotating mop heads to lift all kinds of messes and stains.
For its unmatched scrubbing power, the Bissell SpinWave Wet And Dry Robotic Vacuum is the best robot ... [+] mop you can buy.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / IMAGE: RETAILERThe following is a list of all the winners from my testing process:
"The biggest benefits of having a robot mop are that you aren't the one mopping and that you can run it frequently on a timer at your preferred schedule," says Michael Silva-Nash, executive vice president of Molly Maid of Greater Little Rock, Arkansas. "They can eliminate allergens, dust and other debris from your floors, which prevents them from tracking throughout your home."
However, not all robot mops can handle tough stains—and some actually do more harm than good by simply smearing dirt around. To determine which of today's popular robot mops are most effective, I put eight of them through weeks of testing, evaluating each of them on ease of use, cleaning performance, navigation abilities and more. Here are the best options you can buy, based on rigorous testing.
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Bissell SpinWave Wet And Dry Robotic Vacuum
Water tank: 13.5 ouncesPad type: ReusableVacuuming: YesSmart features: YesBattery life: 130 minutesWarranty: 1 year
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The Bissell SpinWave Wet And Dry Robotic Vacuum came out on top for cleaning performance and ease of use. This robotic mop is one of only two models I tested with rotating mop heads—all the others simply pushed a flat mop pad around the floor—and that scrubbing action made a huge difference in its ability to lift all types of stains from the floor. Better yet, the microfiber pads are reusable, meaning you can simply toss them in the washing machine once you're finished cleaning.
The mop goes over its path several times when cleaning, and while this does prolong each cycle, it ultimately leaves fewer streaks and allows the machine to tackle tough stains more effectively. The SpinWave lifted a dried mud stain off the floor after just two passes thanks to its rotating heads—a task with which several other mops struggled. To clean up a sticky soda spill, I used the mop's spot cleaning mode, which uses more scrubbing action and works in a spiral pattern covering a roughly 3-foot circle. It went over the spill several times and removed the majority of the stickiness—there was a slight residue left behind, but it was only noticeable if you were looking for it.
The Bissell SpinWave can either mop and vacuum, depending on which canister you insert.
Camryn RabideauThis two-in-one robot is able to vacuum and mop, and it actually comes with two separate canisters—one for each function. When the vacuum canister is attached, two spinning edge brushes help get dirt out of corners, and debris is sucked up by the rotating brush roll. It cleans low- and medium-pile carpets while vacuuming, but when the robot is mopping, it automatically avoids soft surfaces like area rugs. On its first pass, it would bump into the edge of the rug I set out, but when it came back to the area, its cleaning algorithm "knew" to turn around before it ran into the carpeting.
The Bissell app is very straightforward and easy to navigate, but it doesn't have mapping abilities and can't memorize your home's layout, which means you won't be able to set up virtual barriers or direct the robot to spot clean one particular area. (It was still able to recognize and avoid obstacles while cleaning, though.) However, you can start and stop the robot remotely, create an automatic cleaning schedule and even monitor when the mop needs maintenance like a filter change.
Alongside the device, the Bissell SpinWave comes with a spare set of cleaning pads and a trial-size bottle of one of its cleaning formulas. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, the brand only recommends using its own formulas in the mop. The manual warns that using another cleaning solution may harm the machine and will void its warranty.) For more details on how I put the Bissell SpinWave through its paces, read my full product review.
Water tank: 10.1 oz.Pad type: ReusableVacuuming: YesSmart features: YesBattery life: 180 minutesWarranty: 1 year
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The Roborock S7+ Robot Vacuum and Sonic Mop outperformed several of the two-in-one units I tested. Unlike the latter, which placed more emphasis on vacuuming or had extremely small water tanks, the Roborock S7+ excelled, thanks to its wide range of customizable settings and outstanding obstacle avoidance.
This robotic mop and vacuum is easy to set up, though I found the app clunky to use. It often took me several minutes to navigate all the different menus and accomplish simple tasks; once I figured it out, however, I found many handy adjustable settings, including four levels of suction and several mopping intensities. You can also create virtual barriers and no-go zones once the robot has finished mapping out your space. I found that this robot does a very good job avoiding obstacles, and if you have it set to both vacuum and mop at the same time, it will lift up the mop pad while driving over carpets. When I tested it against a sticky spill, I put the mop on high scrub intensity, which made the robot go over the area several times. When it was finished, it wasn't sticky at all, which was quite impressive. It didn't fare quite as well against a mud stain, however—the majority of visible dirt was removed, but the spot still felt a little grimy.
Another downside to the S7+ robot is that can't put floor cleaner in it, meaning it cleans with water only. It also takes a long time for the mop pad to get fully wet. During my testing, the S7+ would often make a full lap around the room before it started getting the floor wet. You could pre-wet the pad to get around this, but that's not ideal if it's scheduled to clean when you're not home.
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iRobot Braava Jet m6
Water tank: 15 ouncesPad type: Reusable or disposableVacuuming: No, but pairs with select Roomba robot vacuumsSmart features: YesBattery life: 150 minutesWarranty: 1 year
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The iRobot Braava Jet m6 is the brand's more high-tech robot mop, and I think it's the best choice for anyone who already owns an iRobot Roomba robotic vacuum. This mop can be paired with select Roomba vacuum models; during testing, it automatically imported the map created by my Roomba i7+. The two devices will work together, with the Braava mopping after the vacuum finishes cleaning. The Braava Jet m6 is also extremely easy to sync up to your phone—its setup process was the quickest of all the mops I tested.
The mop does an excellent job cleaning, traveling slowly and going back and forth over each spot, and it even overlaps its paths for maximum coverage. Plus, it does so at whisper-quiet volume. The mop was able to efficiently remove all types of spills and stains during testing, and you can mix the brand's floor-cleaning solution into the water tank for a more thorough clean. It also did a great job cleaning all around the edges of the room, but it did get hung up on the area rug at one point, somehow ending up underneath the corner. It eventually freed itself without any assistance, and on a subsequent run, the robot knew to avoid that area.
The one potential negative that I found with this robot mop is that it lacks any vacuuming abilities. It can be used to "dry mop," which helps collect dust and hair, but when I tested this function, it needed a new dry pad halfway through cleaning, as it was bogged down with pet hair. You need to clean your floors to remove large debris and hair before this mop can do its job—otherwise, it will end up pushing the hair or dirt around the floor. For this reason, I mostly recommend this mop for people who already own a Roomba, as the two devices can work together.
Other Robot Mops I TestedIn the face of the winning models, the following robot mops didn't quite make the cut.
Dreametech Bot W10 ($600): While the design seemed promising with self-cleaning mop pads and the ability to fill its own water tank from a reservoir of clean water, the Dreametech Bot W10 didn't live up to expectations. The app isn't very user-friendly: I experienced pop-ups that blocked the screen and got lost in complicated menus. Plus, the robot frequently gets stuck in places and its cleaning performance wasn't as good as other mops I tested.
Neabot N2 (Out Of Stock): The Neabot N2 is a good robot vacuum, complete with a self-emptying dust bin, but its mopping abilities leave something to be desired. It simply drags a wet pad across the floor, and while you can adjust how much water it uses, the robot just didn't do as good of a job as some of the other mops.
Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid ($230): While it works well as a vacuum, I wasn't impressed with the mopping performance of the Eufy By Anker RoboVac X8 Hybrid. It left streaks on the floor and mopped right over an area rug, and the water tank leaked on the floor when we left it attached to the robot overnight.
Eufy RoboVac L70 Hybrid ($399): Similar to the Eufy X8 Hybrid, the L70 Hybrid didn't wow me with its mopping abilities. It has a larger water tank, but it still failed to remove stains from the floor and mopped straight over an area rug, leaving behind streaks of dirt.
Also, since testing, the iRobot Braava Jet 240, my original pick for the best value robot mop, has been discontinued.
How I Tested The Best Robot MopsWhen selecting products to test, I looked for highly rated robot mops from well-known brands, including iRobot (the maker of Roomba), Bissell, Roborock and Eufy. Because robot mops are newer to the market and are somewhat less versatile than robot vacuums, there are fewer models to choose from.
I began by evaluating each mop on how easy it was to unbox and set up. All of the models I tested connected to an app via either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so I also noted how easy it was to sync each one to my phone. Then, I put it to the test in a 200-square-foot room with linoleum flooring. Samson tells me, "Robot mops typically work best on hard floors with lots of open space and minimal obstacles." So, to challenge the mops, I set up several obstacles for them to avoid, including a small area rug and dining room chair. Each mop also had to navigate around things like curtains and the occasional dog toy.
To test each model, I ran the device four or five times, depending on the different settings they offered. On the first cleaning cycle, I let the mop run on its default settings. I noted how well it covered the floor, if it was able to avoid obstacles and how loud it was. (For units that can also vacuum, I also ran a vacuuming cycle beforhand.) On subsequent runs, I added different spills and stains for the mop to tackle, including a half cup of water, a quarter cup of soda dried onto the floor and dried mud stains. I then evaluated how well each mop was able to handle these situations, all the while making notes on the robot's battery life, app design and other features.
How To Choose A Robot MopTo help you find the best robot mop for your home, here are a few factors to take into consideration.
A selection of the robot mops I tested, from left to right: the Bissell SpinWave, the iRobot Braava ... [+] Jet m6, the iRobot Braava Jet 240 and the Roborock S7+.
Camryn Rabideau Room SizeAs you shop for a robot mop, it's important to think about where you plan to use it. If you're going to put the device in a large room or open floor plan, you need a model with a long battery life or the ability to recharge itself and continue cleaning. "The longer the battery life, the less hassle it will be for you to charge it and keep it operational," says Jessica Samson a cleaning expert at Maids.Com.
Mop Style And SettingsThere are two main styles of robot mops. The best robot mops have rotating pads on the bottom of the robot (the Bissell SpinWave and Dreametech Bot W10 use these). The most common design, which you can find on iRobot's Braava Jet m6 and Braava Jet 240 (discontinued), uses a flat mopping pad that's pushed back and forth across the floor. In general, rotating pads are more effective at removing tough stains, but flat pads can be just as effective if the mop does multiple passes over the same area.
You may also want to look at the mopping settings offered by each robot. Some robot mops, such as the Bissell SpinWave and the Braava Jet m6, allow you to select how much water they use or how hard they scrub—a useful feature when it comes to removing mud or stains from your floors.
VacuumingThere are quite a few robot mops that can also vacuum. While it's undeniably convenient to have one gadget that does both, my testing revealed that two-in-one models typically don't perform quite as well when it comes to deep cleaning. If you do want a model that does both, I recommend the Bissell SpinWave, which has separate attachments for vacuuming and mopping. Otherwise, be sure to look at the water tank capacity of the robot mop—it can range anywhere from 5 to 15 ounces—and see if it can be used with a floor-cleaning solution. You also want to look at whether the gadget knows to avoid carpeting when it's mopping; otherwise, it may track dirty water over your area rugs.
Through Bissell's easy-to-use app, you can set up automatic cleaning schedules and adjust the ... [+] SpinWave's scrubbing intensity with ease.
Camryn Rabideau Smart FeaturesYou can sync many of today's best robot mops to your smartphone via an app, a feature that makes them much easier to operate. "The number one feature I recommend consumers invest in is app integration," says Andrii Gurskyi, owner and operator of HomeClean. "I can't tell you how convenient it is to have a phone application to control and manage your robotic mop from wherever you are."
When your robot mop has smart features, you're able to put it on a set cleaning schedule, start and stop it from your phone and monitor when it needs maintenance. Additionally, some apps offer smart mapping, which means the robot will create a virtual map of your home. Once the map is complete, you're able to create virtual barriers and no-go zones for your mop and can direct it to clean a specific spot on the floor.
Noise LevelOne common complaint about robot vacuums is that they can be quite noisy during operation, so this is another factor to keep in mind as you shop. In general, robot mops are quieter, as they're not using suction, but combo units can be quite loud and may interrupt your daily activities.
"Some robotic vacuums are noisier than others, so keep that in mind if you want something quiet," says Gurskyi. "Also, since robotic mops require more time to clean a space, you want something that fits your lifestyle in terms of noise."
MaintenanceMost robot mops require some maintenance before and after use. Before you run the mop, you need to pick up power cords, toys and other items on the floor, as well as fill the water tank. "You have to make sure that you have your floors decluttered," says Samson. "The robot will get confused if there are too many things on the floor." Further, she adds, "They also have small water tanks and need to be constantly refilled."
After the robot has finished mopping, you may need to wash or change the pad, depending on whether you have a model with disposable or reusable mopping pads. If you have a model that vacuums, as well, you may also need to empty its dust bin, unless it has a self-emptying design.
My ExpertiseI've been a professional product tester for more than seven years, and I've written for publications including Consumer Reports, The Spruce and Business Insider. I have firsthand experience testing a wide range of cleaning products, including robot vacuums, robot mops and regular mops. During the testing process, I also spoke with cleaning experts, including Jessica Samson (cleaning expert at Maids.Com), Andrii Gurskyi (owner and operator of HomeClean) and Michael Silva-Nash, executive vice president of Molly Maid. Each of them provided insights on the benefits and limitations of robotic mops, how to use the cleaning devices effectively and what to look for when shopping.
Do Robotic Mops Actually Work?It's true that certain robot mops are more effective than others. In general, robot mops that have rotating cleaning heads and can be used with floor cleaners will do a better job of removing dirt and stains from your floors. Models that just use water, on the other hand, don't do as thorough a job when cleaning and are better suited for everyday maintenance than cleaning tough messes.
Additionally, most robotic mops are best suited for everyday maintenance and small cleanup jobs—not big spills or messes. "Some downsides to cleaning with robotic mops is that they aren't particularly effective at cleaning big messes," says Samson. "You will still have to vacuum and mop big messes because if you just let the robotic mop clean it, it will likely just smear the mess around and do little to clean it up."
The best robot mops are adept at avoiding obstacles, such as area rugs.
Camryn Rabideau Are Robot Mops Safe For Hardwood Floors?You can use robot mops on virtually any type of sealed hard flooring, including hardwood, tile and laminate. Additionally, some models, such as the Bissell SpinWave or iRobot's Braava Jet m6, can be used with a special cleaning solution specifically designed for hardwood.
Most manufacturers only recommend using specific brands of cleaning solution in their robot mops, so consult your user manual before pouring in your favorite floor cleaner. If you use a noncompatible cleaning solution, you may end up damaging your machine and voiding the warranty.
How Do You Clean A Robot Mop?Like any cleaning tool, robot mops can get fairly dirty after repeated use, and there are several maintenance steps you can take to ensure your gadget continues working as intended. In addition to emptying the dust and/or water tanks, wash all reusable pads according to the manufacturer's instructions or dispose of single-use pads. On most robot mops, the water reservoir doesn't need to be emptied after each cleaning, but if you're not planning to use the mop again for some time, it's a good idea to empty the water tank and let it air dry to prevent any mold from forming.
If you purchase a model that doubles as a robot vacuum, you also need to check the brush roll and edge-cleaning brushes to ensure there's no hair or other debris wrapped around them. If your model uses disposable dust bags (like the Roborock S7+ Robot Vacuum and Sonic Mop does), you'll want to make sure to dispose of those regularly and have a stock on hand. You also want to periodically clean off the mop's sensors and charging station by gently wiping away any dust or dirt.
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Optimus Gen 2: Tesla Unveils Next-Generation Humanoid Robot
Tesla, the electric car manufacturer led by tech visionary Elon Musk, is once again pushing the boundaries of innovation with the introduction of the latest Optimus Gen 2 humanoid robot.
This latest version builds on the success of its predecessor, promising to be lighter, faster, smoother, and more capable in various domains.
As Tesla makes strides in electric vehicles, solar panels, and batteries, the Optimus Gen 2 represents the company's ambitious venture into the world of robotics.
Elon Musk unveiled the initial prototype of the humanoid robot, Optimus, during a Silicon Valley event in 2022. The robot, a work-in-progress at the time, was wheeled out onto the stage during an annual Tesla AI Day presentation.
The prototype showcased its ability to wave and raise its knees, capturing the audience's excitement and attention.
After a year in development the Optimus Gen 2 Robot can walk on stage by itself.
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