Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops
The Eufy 11S is among the cheapest self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It ably sucked up dry Oats from hard floors as well as low-pile carpeting in our tests. Its dustbin is easy to empty and openmuch easier than other models in the same price range.
self-empty robot vacuum charges at its base, and then it resumes cleaning when it's clean. But its obstacle-avoidance technology gets tangled up in socks and cords and it's not able to go below low thresholds.
1. iRobot Roomba 11S
The 11S is one the cheaper self-emptying robots available and lots of people seem to adore it. It's good at scooting under furniture and appears to be a good choice for people with hard floors or who want to do light daily cleans. Its suction is less powerful than our top picks but it's still effective. It also has a large dirt bin and a battery which lasts for over an hour. The app lets you schedule your daily cleaning or select a particular room. It's also possible to create a map of your home, which could assist in avoiding areas you don't want to visit.
The app is simple to use and has a simple layout. It doesn't include any advanced features, but it's simple enough to use and allows you to track the status of your robot. It also comes with a helpful tutorial to help you understand the basics.
The pattern of cleaning doesn't always look logical - sometimes it follows straight lines, while other times it seeks out the edges of a room - but Bounce Navigation ensures your entire floor is cleaned. It's not the most effective at climbing obstacles - it struggled to get under our pet food bowls and piano pedals, and was stuck in our 2.25 inch shag carpet multiple times.
While it's a great option for light daily cleanings however, we believe there are better robot vacuums than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is much easier to maintain and has lower costs for recurring maintenance and charges more quickly. It has a bigger bin, and performs better on any surface type and can climb over low-lying obstacles (like electrical cables) more easily.
The eufy RoboVac 11S makes a good choice for regular vacuuming. It is designed very similarly to our top choice, and is excellent for picking up fine dirt and larger debris on hard flooring. It's a great choice on low-pile or medium-pile carpet. Similar to the Roomba from iRobot Roomba, it comes with a large dirt compartment, and it uses BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It comes with a user-friendly remote control and you can schedule daily cleanings using the app. Its battery lasts about an hour, and the dustbin can be empty without taking it from the dock.
2. Roborock S7 maxV Ultra
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is a fantastic robot vacuum and mop with a surprising array of automation options. The Roborock S7 MaxV is available in three models that include the basic S7 model and the S7 Plus model, and the S7 Ultra. The S7 MaxV Ultra is the only model equipped with an Empty Wash Fillet Dock (or an alternate Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its base and empty the debris it has collected in a dust bag, or reservoir, empty the dirty water tank, and wash its mopping pads.
The S7's sensors work in tandem to avoid obstacles and clean floors. It can recognize floor types and save maps of rooms and zones, and even detect dirt levels. It's also capable of scheduling and carrying out spot-cleaning sessions. It was able to perform well in standard tests, however it could not match the iRobot Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep cleaning test.
You can program the S7 with the companion app to run a cleansing cycle according to your schedule. You can select a cleaning mode, such as eco or automatic, as well as the day, week or even a time. You can also select whether the robot will cease operation if its power runs out or in the event of an obstacle.
If you don't have a smartphone, you can still use the S7 by connecting a remote control to the charging dock. The controls on the remote are a little confusing, but once you've mastered the use of them, they work great. The power button also acts as an 'Cleaning' button and the Spot Clean button directs the robot to clean an area around itself. The 'Spot Clean" button also triggers the child lock.
Roborock's mobile application has been upgraded to include a live-view function that allows you to observe what the S7 does at home. You can enable it by pressing a particular sequence of buttons on your S7, and then create an unlock pattern in the mobile app, which you can use whenever you wish to see what the S7 is doing.
3. Shark IQ XL
Shark isn't as well-known in the field of robot vacuums as iRobot and Roborock however our tests on Shark has proven it to be one of the top self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It is simple to set up, has a huge bin that is easy to empty (albeit a bit loudly) into a trash bin when full, and can easily be programmed to do a complete home clean on a schedule or as needed.
The IQ XL is able to connect to your WiFi at home which allows you to keep track of its progress in cleaning using the Shark app. The app allows you to set up a cleaning routine, receive push notifications regarding its status, pause cleaning and clean up, or set it for only one area. It can also be controlled using voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will tell you which the current power mode is - Eco, Normal, or Maximum - however we found that none of these modes produced a noticeable difference in cleaning performance.
When it's finished a cleaning cycle, the IQ XL automatically empty the dustbin into its base, which then automatically emptys. The bin can store up to 60 days of debris so it won't be required to empty it more than once, unless your pets have hair that is long. If you need to empty it, simply detach the side container and place it on top of your trash can and press the button.
The Shark IQ XL is a excellent vacuum cleaner. It does a good job of cleaning floors with no dust and can move well. However it's not the best choice for carpeted floors. Shark IQ XL feels a bit less sturdy than the Roomba 694. It removes lots of dirt from carpeted floors and does a good job at maneuvering itself, but it doesn't come even close to the iRobot Roomba i7 in terms of performance on carpeted floors. The i7 is also better-built and feels more durable and robust, has less demanding maintenance requirements, is able to charge lower monthly costs, and charges faster while offering comparable battery performance, and offers the most advanced automation features like no-go zones and the ability to choose certain rooms to be cleaned.
iRobot j7+
This robot vac and mop combo is a rare beast that does both jobs well. IRobot's Combo J7+ comes with all the features of its j7-based counterpart, including self-emptying and LiDAR mapping however, it also comes with additional features for both vacuuming and mopping.
The j7+ uses the new acoustic sensor to identify the floor type, so that it can clean or mop the area in its first attempt. It also uses this info to prioritize cleaning rooms with carpet and rug flooring over rooms with hard floors.
Like most robotic vacuums, the j7+ is quiet when running and it's quieter when mopping. The maximum reading of 64db on our decibel scale is comparable to general office chatter.
It is easy to set up a cleaning schedule and alter what happens when the dust canister gets full. The j7+ can be controlled with voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.) The app lets you create and view maps within your home.
In our tests, the j7+ performed admirably on carpeted and hard floors, and it cleaned up most of the dirt we tossed at it. It has some issues with pet hair and larger particles like sand, but it is able to clean these things with a little more effort. It also has good navigation capabilities and a pair of cliff sensors to keep it from falling down the stairs or stumbling on furniture legs.
We did find a couple of small niggles with the j7+, mostly that it could snag rugs and cords and that it doesn't always switch off its mopping when done vacuuming. This is a fantastic model that checks all the boxes.
The j7+ from iRobot also has one of the best self-emptying systems we've seen. It puts its 14oz 0.4-liter dust canister into the base station where it will automatically empty itself for you. This reduces the amount of garbage you have to throw away and you'll need to replace the dust disposal bag from the dock around every 60 days or so, based on how often you use the j7+.