Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops
The Eufy 11S robot vacuum is one of the most affordable self-emptying vacuums available on the market. It ably sucked up dry oats from hard floors and low-pile carpeting in our tests. Its dust bin is open and empty easily, making it more convenient to use than other models in the same price.
It recharges at the base and then cleans when it's fully charged. Its obstacle-avoidance technology is caught in socks and cords, and it can't get under low thresholds.
1. iRobot Roomba 11S
The 11S is among the most affordable self-emptying robots and a lot of people seem to like it. It's good at scooting under furniture and appears to be a smart choice for people with hard floors or who wish to perform light cleaning. Its suction is less powerful than our top picks but it's still effective. It also has a huge dirt bin and a battery that lasts for more than an hour. The app allows you to schedule your daily cleaning or select a particular room. You can also create a map of your home to help the device stay clear of areas you don't wish it to visit.
The app is simple to use and has an intuitive layout. It doesn't include any advanced features, but it's simple enough to use and makes it easy to keep track of the progress 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 goes in straight lines, and other times it seeks out the edges of the room - however, Bounce Navigation ensures your entire floor is cleaned. It is not the best at climbing over obstacles. It struggled to get under our pet food bowls and pedals for the piano, and ended up getting caught up in our 2.25 inch shag carpet a few times.
We believe there are better robot vacuums available than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is much easier to maintain and has lower costs for recurring maintenance and is charged faster. It also has a bigger dustbin and is more effective on all surfaces, and it can climb over low-lying obstructions (like electrical cords) more easily.
The RoboVac 11S from Eufy is a different alternative for regular vacuuming. It's design is very similar to our top pick and it excels in removing smaller and fine dirt on hard floors. It also does a great job on medium and low-pile carpet. Like the Roomba by iRobot Roomba, it comes with a large dirt compartment, and it uses BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It also comes with an adjustable remote that is easy to use, and you can program daily cleanings using the app. The battery can last for about an hour, and the dustbin is easily emptied by removing it from its 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 different versions that include the basic S7 model as well as the S7 Plus model and the S7 Ultra. The latter model is the only one with an Empty Wash Fill Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks let the robot return to its home base after cleaning and empty the debris it has collected into a dust collection bag or reservoir, drain its clogged water tank and clean its mopping pad.
The S7's sensors work together to eliminate obstacles and clean the floors. It can identify flooring types, save a map of rooms and zones, and even detect levels of dirt. It can also plan and conduct spot cleaning sessions. It did well in our standard tests, though it couldn't exactly match the Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep clean test.
You can program the S7 by using the companion app to run a cleaning cycle according to your schedule. You can select a cleaning mode like eco or automatic, and a weekday, day or even a time. You can also choose whether the robot should stop if it runs out of power or comes across an obstacle.
If you don't own an Android device however, you can still utilize the S7 by connecting a remote control to the dock that charges it. The controls on the remote are a little confusing however once you get the hang of them, they work great. The power button functions as a general 'Clean' button and the "Spot Clean" button directs the robot to clean small areas around itself. The "Spot Clean" button also triggers the child lock.
Roborock's mobile application has been improved to include a live-view feature that lets you observe what the S7 does at home. You can enable it by pressing a particular sequence of buttons on your S7 and then creating an unlock pattern within the mobile app, which is available at any time you want to check out what the S7 is doing.
3. Shark IQ XL
Shark's robot vacuums aren't as well-known as those made by iRobot or Roborock. But our tests on the ground have proven that Shark's model is among the most effective self-emptying vacuums on the market. It's easy to set up and has a large bin which can be easily emptied (albeit loudly) to a trashcan when it's full. It can also be programmed to sweep the entire house on a schedule.
The IQ XL can connect to your home WiFi and allows you to monitor it through the Shark app and see its battery level as it cleans. The app lets you set up a cleaning routine, receive push notifications regarding its status in cleaning, pause it and then resume cleaning or set it to clean only one area. It can also be controlled using voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app can tell you which power mode it is currently in--Eco, Normal, or Max. We didn't discover that any of the modes made a huge difference to the cleaning performance.
Once it finishes a cleaning cycle when it's finished, the IQ XL automatically empty the dustbin into its base, which then self-empties. The bin can store up to 60 days of debris, meaning you don't need to empty it more than once, unless your pets have hair that is long. If you need to empty it you can simply take the side container off and place it over your trash bin and push a button.
The Shark IQ XL is a excellent vacuum cleaner. It does a great job cleaning floors that are not bare and can move well. However, the Shark IQ XL feels a little less solidly built than the Roomba 694. It is able to remove a lot of debris on bare floors and does a good job of moving itself around however it isn't as close to achieving the same performance as the iRobot Roomba i7 in terms of performance on carpeted floors. The i7 also feels more robust, more durable and requires less maintenance. It incurs lower recurring cost, charges faster and has similar battery performance. It also has more advanced features for automation, like no-go zones and the ability to select the rooms that should be cleaned.
4. iRobot J7+
This robot vacuum and mop combination is a rare find that does both jobs well. The iRobot Combo j7+ has all the features of its j7 counterpart, including self-emptying and LiDAR mapping, but with additional features for both mopping and vacuuming.
The j7+ utilizes the latest acoustic sensor technology to determine the type of floor, so that it can vacuum or mop the room during its initial pass. This information is also utilized to help prioritize cleaning rooms with carpets and rugs versus those with hard flooring.
The J7+ is quieter than most robotic vacuums when it's in use and is even quieter when it's mopping. Its maximum reading on our decibel meter was 64db, which is similar to the background noise of office chatter.
You can easily set up a cleaning schedule and alter what happens when the dust canister is full. The j7+ can also be controlled by voice assistants, such as Alexa, Google Assistant and others. The app allows you to create and view maps within your home.
In our tests, the J7+ was a solid performer on both hard and carpeted floors, cleaning most of the dirt we tossed at it. self emptying robot vacuum isn't the best at dealing with pet hair and larger debris like sand, but it is able to remove these items with a little more effort. It also has decent navigation capabilities and a pair of cliff sensors to keep it from falling down a flight of stairs or getting stuck on furniture legs.
The j7+ has a few minor flaws, for instance, it can get caught on rugs or cords and it doesn't always turn off the mopping feature when it is done vacuuming. Overall, this is an excellent model that ticks all the right boxes.
The j7+ by iRobot has one of the best self-emptying systems we've tested. It dumps its 14oz/0.4-liter dust container into the base station, and it automatically empties for you. This helps reduce the amount of garbage you'll need to dispose of and you'll need to replace the reusable dust bag that is on the dock about every 60 days or so, based on how often you use the J7+.