Are robot vacuum cleaner mops any good?

Anula Wiwatowska
Jul 31, 2024
Icon Time To Read3 min read
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Robot vacuum cleaners now mostly come with mops included as well, but are those mops actually any good? Well the answer is yes, and also no. How well a robot mop performs varies depending on a few factors; what kind of mop head being used, how smart the robot vacuum cleaner is, whether you can use a cleaning solution with it, the saturation levels, and how clean the mop head is.

Yeah, there is a lot to unpack here but generally speaking robot vacuum cleaner mops have gotten really good over the past few years. Not enough to replace some manual mopping, but enough to make those sessions few and far between.

What to look for in a robot vacuum cleaner mop

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Mop pad type

At its most basic, the mop type will give you some indication of how well a robot mop will perform. A basic microfibre pad will be worse than dual rotating pads, and a roller will do better than both. It is also worth considering bonus mopping technologies like extendable mop arms for edge cleaning.

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Saturation levels

How a mop moistens itself plays a big part in its efficiency as well. If it just lets water leak out and pushes it around, the mopping prowess will be dismal. However devices with varying and smart saturation technology will perform better against more messes.

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Self-cleaning

Vacuums that regularly return to the base station, and clean the mops themselves will once again make for better cleaning. Rather than just sliding around the dirty mop, these robovacs frequently clean themselves so less dirt is trailed around.

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Cleaning solution

Most robot mops don’t allow for cleaning solution, but some do. Since no robovac can handle water hot enough to actually sterilize a floor, cleaning solution helps to bridge that gap and make the clean more sanitary. 

Types of robot vacuum cleaner mops and if they’re any good

Microfibre pad

Microfibre pads are probably the robot vacuum mop you are most familiar with, and they generally suck. These mop pads are now seen almost exclusively on budget models, and are synonymous with leaky water canisters, and dragging dirt around the house. They were the first iteration of robot mops, and while we owe them for their service we couldn’t recommend using them now.

Pads like this are usually a single sheet of thin microfibre that attaches to the robot vacuum using velcro. When the water tank is inserted the robot vac will let water slowly stream out, and the mop will slide across the floor. In our testing this kind of mop head is more useful for picking up extra dust than scrubbing your floors.

The upside is that they’re very easy to clean. You can tear them off the velcro and just chuck them in the washing machine.

Rotating pads

A more advanced robot vacuum mopping technique employs rotating pads. These pads still use microfibre, but tend to have ropey tendrils as well which help to agitate debris from the floor. 

Everything about these mopping pads is designed to add more pressure to the ground, resulting in a better mopping experience. The rotation gets at debris from more angles to help get it off the ground, the sturdier ropes are more abrasive, and in many cases the mops exert more downwards force to amplify this.

These mop heads are generally more permanent than microfibre pads, and can be removed to wash or entirely replace, but are usually on robovacs with self-cleaning features. Top-tier robot vacuums now clean their mop heads with water at up to 80 degrees celsius, and will do so periodically throughout a vacuuming cycle. This keeps them much cleaner than older versions, and somewhat eliminates the problem of dragging dirt around the home.

Rotating rollers

While rotating rollers aren’t everywhere, there is a small selection of robot vacuum cleaners that use rotating mop head rollers similar to what we see in wet vacuum cleaners. These allow for better saturation as the rollers are continuously being sprayed with water, and the old dirty water being squeegeed off and sucked away with the debris.

For now these are few and far between, but they employ the same kind of technology as the Dyson Wash G1, which is an effective mop despite only using cold water and no cleaning solution.

roller mop

As seen on:

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What’s new in robot vacuum mops?

One of the biggest trends in robot vacuum cleaner mops that has popped up in 2024 is edge cleaning technology. Almost every premium robovac has some kind of extendable mop arm in order to clean closer to the edge of the wall.

In some cases these are one of the rotating pads, which slides out when it approaches a wall. In other cases there is a mini microfibre cloth that does the same. This feature has greatly improved the mopping performance for every robot vacuum cleaner that has employed them. You love to see it.

FAQs

Why can’t you use a cleaning solution in robot mops?

Almost every cleaning solution is abrasive and acidic, both things that electronics hate. Many cleaning solutions can cause corrosion and rust inside of the robot vacuum cleaner which leads to the device breaking down prematurely. Some robot mops have approved cleaning solutions, and if you want your robot to last you a while it is best to use them. Even if they are a bit more expensive.

Can robot vacuum mops tell the difference between hard floors and carpet?

Generally speaking, yes robot vacuum cleaners can tell the difference between hard floors and carpet. In older and cheaper models the device will simple not enter carpeted areas when the mop is attached, but more advanced models will stop mopping and lift the mop head out of the way when it hits carpet. This allows the robot vacuum to still vacuum without the need for human intervention.

Robot vacuum cleaners compared

Australia has a bunch of robot vacuum cleaners available on the market, starting as low as $300 if you can get a good deal. We have reviewed and rated more than 20 units over the past few years. Here are how the most recent robovacs compare.
Model
Suction
Auto-empty station
Self-cleaning mop
Our rating
Retailers
DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS White8,000pa pro con
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
ECOVACS Deebot T30 Omni Robot Vacuum11,000pa pro pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Ecovacs Deebot N20 Plus product card8,000pa pro con
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
qrevo master10,000pa pro pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
qrevo s product image7,000pa pro pro
4 out of 5 stars
4
Eufy S1 Pro8,000pa pro pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
12,000pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
eureka j208,000pa pro pro
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
deebot x5 pro omni12,800pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
dreame x40 ultra robot vacuum12,000pa con pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Narwal Freo X Ultra8,200pa con pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
t30 omni pro11,000pa pro pro
4 out of 5 stars
4
DEEBOT NEO 2.0 PLUS5,000pa pro con
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Deebot OZMO T8+ robot vacuum cleaner1,500pa pro con
4 out of 5 stars
4
Deebot U2 review26W con con
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
DreameBot l20 ultra7,000pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
deebot x1 plus5,000pa pro con
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
roborock s8 mxv ultra10,000pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Deebot N10 Plus robot vacuum cleaner4,300pa pro con
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
deebot x5 pro omni12,800pa pro pro
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Ecovacs Deebot X2 OMNI8,000pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Dyson 360 Vis Nav65AW con con
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Yeedi Cube vacuum cleaner4,300pa pro con
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
roborock s8 pro ultra6,000pa pro pro
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
Deebot X1 Turbo5,000pa con con
4 out of 5 stars
4
Ecovacs Deebot T9+ - Robot Vacuum Cleaner3,000pa pro con
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Roborock S6 Pure robot vacuum2,500pa con con
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
Viomi V32,600pa con con
3.3 out of 5 stars
3.25
Anula Wiwatowska
Written by
Anula is the Home and Lifestyle Tech Editor within the Reviews.org extended universe. Working in the tech space since 2020, she covers phone and internet plans, gadgets, smart devices, and the intersection of technology and culture. Anula was a finalist for Best Feature Writer at the 2022 Consensus Awards, and an eight time finalist across categories at the IT Journalism Awards. Her work contributed to WhistleOut's Best Consumer Coverage win in 2023.

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