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 efficiently sucked up dry Oats from hard floors as well as carpets with low pile in our tests. Its dust bin is simple to open and empty -- easier than those of some other models in its price range.

It charges at its base and then it resumes cleaning as soon as it's done. Its obstacle-avoidance technology gets caught in cords and socks and it can't get under low thresholds.

1. iRobot Roomba 11S

The 11S is a cheaper self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner that many people seem to like. It is a great choice for getting under furniture and is a good choice for those who have hard floors or for daily cleaning. Its suction might be a bit weaker than our top picks, but it's still able to get the job done. It comes with a huge dust bin and a long-lasting battery. The app lets you schedule your daily cleaning chores or pick a specific room. You can also map your home to allow the device to avoid areas you don't want it visit.

The app is easy to use and has a clear layout. It's not an app with a lot of features however, it's simple to use and lets you check the status of your robot. It has a tutorial that will walk you through the basics.

The cleaning pattern of Bounce Navigation isn't always intuitive. Sometimes it follows straight lines and other times it focuses on the edges of a space. However, it is able to clean your entire floor. It's not the most adept at climbing over obstacles, though - it was unable to climb over our piano pedals and pet food bowls, and ended up getting stuck in our 2.25-inch shag rug several times.

We think that there are better robot vacuums than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is 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 is able to get over obstacles that are low (like electrical cords) more easily.

The RoboVac 11S, which is eufy, is a good choice for regular vacuuming. It has a very similar design to our top pick and is great at picking up small particles and fine dust from hard floors. It does a good job on low-pile or medium-pile carpet. Like the Roomba by iRobot Roomba, it has a huge dirt compartment and utilizes BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It comes with a simple remote control, and it is possible to schedule daily cleanings using the app. The battery lasts for around 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 an excellent robot vacuum and mop with a surprising array of automation features. It comes in three versions that include the basic S7, the S7 MaxV Plus, and the S7 MaxV Ultra. Only the latter has an Empty Wash Fill Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its home base and empty the debris in a dust bag or reservoir, empty the dirty water tank and wash its mopping pads.

The S7's sensors work together to eliminate obstacles and clean the floors. It can recognize the types of floors and save a map of rooms and zones and even detect dirt levels. It also has the ability to plan and robotvacuummops conduct spot cleaning sessions. It did well in standard tests, but could not match the iRobot Roomba j7+ in the carpet deep cleaning test.

You can program the S7 using the companion app to run a cleaning routine in accordance with your schedule. You can choose an option for cleaning like automatic or eco, and a weekday, day, or time. You can also decide whether the robot will stop when its power is exhausted or when it comes across an obstruction.

If you don't have an Android device however, you can still utilize the S7 by connecting a remote to the dock that charges it. The remote controls are a bit confusing, but once you've mastered the use of them, they function well. The power button doubles as an all-purpose 'Clean' button and the "Spot Clean" button instructs the robot to clean the area around it. The "Spot Clean" button also activates the child lock.

In addition to the new mapping capabilities, Roborock improved its mobile app, adding live view that lets you observe what the S7 is up to at home. You can activate it by pressing a particular sequence of buttons on your S7 and then creating an unlock pattern in the mobile app, which you can use whenever you want to check out what the S7 is doing.

3. Shark IQ Large

Shark's robot vacuums aren't as popular than those from iRobot or Roborock. However, our hands-on tests have shown that this model is among the most efficient self-emptying vacuums on the market. It's easy to set up, comes with an enormous bin that is easy to empty (albeit a bit loudly) into a trash can when it is full, and can easily be programmed to complete a home clean on a schedule or as needed.

The IQ XL can connect to your home WiFi and allows you to monitor it through the Shark app and view its battery levels as it cleans. The app lets you create a cleaning schedule, receive notifications via push about its current status as well as it can pause and resume cleaning or limit it to one room. It can also be controlled by voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will tell you what power mode it's currently in--Eco, Normal or Max. However, we couldn't determine that any of these modes made a huge difference to cleaning performance.

When it's finished a cleaning cycle after which the IQ XL will automatically empty the dustbin into its base, and robotvacuummops then self empty robot vacuum-empties. The bin can store up to 60 days of debris, meaning you won't have to empty it more than once unless your pets have hair that is long. If you have to empty it, all you have to do is remove the side bin, place it over a trash container, and press a button to empty the contents.

The Shark IQ XL is a excellent vacuum cleaner. It does a great job of cleaning bare floors and can maneuver itself well. However, the Shark IQ XL feels a bit less sturdy than the Roomba 694. It removes lots of dirt from bare floors and robotvacuummops does a decent job of moving itself around however it's not even close to the iRobot Roomba i7 in terms of performance on carpeted floors. The i7 also feels more durable, is more robust, requires less maintenance, has lower recurring costs and charges faster, and offers comparable battery performance. It also has more advanced technology for automation, such as no-go zones and the ability to select the rooms that should be cleaned.

iRobot J7+

This robot vacuum and mop combination is a rare find that does both jobs well. iRobot Combo j7+ has all the features and smarts of its j7 equivalent, including LiDAR map and self-emptying. But it also offers additional features for vacuuming and mopping.

The new acoustic sensors help the j7+ to identify the types of flooring, so it can choose between mopping and vacuuming during the first time it passes through a room. It also utilizes this information to prioritize cleaning rooms that have carpet or rugs over those with hard floors.

As with most robotic vacuums the j7+ is quiet while it's running. It's quieter when mopping. The maximum reading on our decibel meter was 64db, which is comparable to the sound of normal office chatter.

It's easy to set the schedule for cleaning and change what the j7+ does when its dust canister is full. The j7+ can be controlled using voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.) The app lets you create and view maps from your home.

The j7+ performed well in our tests of both carpeted and hard floors, removing most of the dirt that we tossed at it. It has some issues with pet hair and large debris like sand, however it can remove these items with a bit of effort. It has excellent navigational skills and two cliff sensors that keep it from falling down stairs or becoming caught on furniture legs.

We did notice a couple of small niggles with the j7+, mostly that it can get caught on cords and carpets, and it doesn't always switch off its mopping once it's done vacuuming. Overall, this is an excellent model that checks all the right boxes.

iRobot j7+ has also one of the best auto-emptying systems we've tried. It puts its 14oz 0.4-liter dust container into the base station where it automatically empties itself for you. This helps reduce the amount of garbage you need to dispose of and you'll only need to replace the dust bag from the dock every 60 days or so, based on how often you use the j7+.