Robot Vacuum and Mop

What is a robot vacuum and mop?

A robot vacuum and mop is a single robot that does two jobs. Under the body, side brushes sweep debris towards a main brush and the suction inlet, as on any robot vacuum cleaner. Behind them sits a damp pad, plate or roller that wipes the floor the vacuum has just cleared. Most let you choose vacuum only, mop only or both at once from the app, room by room.

The idea is simple: dry dirt comes up first, so the wet pad isn't pushing grit and hair around. That is why testers at Ideal Home and PCMag now tend to recommend a 2-in-1 robot vacuum over a suction-only model for homes with a lot of hard flooring. Big names including Dyson, Shark, Samsung and Eufy now sell them alongside robot specialists such as Roborock, Ecovacs and Dreame.

Combo or a separate robot mop?

There are still single-purpose mopping robots such as the iRobot Braava Jet m6, which only wets and scrubs. They make sense if you already own a vacuum robot you're happy with. For most people a mop combo is the better buy. You get one machine, one app, one map and one charging spot. Running them together also means wiping always follows a fresh vacuum pass.

The trade-off is that a combo has to manage water near carpets. Cheaper units drag a wet cloth everywhere unless you take it off. Better ones lift the pads or roller when they sense a rug, or you mark carpets as off-limits in the app.

The four mop systems compared

How a robot scrubs makes more difference to the result than the suction figure. These are the four designs you'll find in this range:

Mop system	How it works	Good for	Example in this range
Static drag cloth	A damp cloth under a water tank is pulled along behind the robot	Light daily dust and footprints	Coredy R750, HONITURE G20 Pro
Vibrating / sonic plate	The pad vibrates or scrubs back and forth as it moves	Dried drips in kitchens and hallways	Roborock Q10 S5 (3,000 vibrations a minute), Shark Stratos (100 scrubs a minute)
Rotating pads	Two round pads spin with downward pressure	Sticky marks and edges; most popular design	Eufy X10 Pro Omni (180rpm), Lefant M3 (200rpm), Dreame L50 Ultra
Roller mop	A long roller is washed with clean water as it turns	Heavier messes; it never re-wipes with dirty water	Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni, Mova Z60 Ultra Roller, Lefant M5 Max

Which docking station do you need?

The base station sets your price and how much hands-on cleaning is left to you.

Charging dock only

The robot charges and that's it. You empty a small onboard bin (often 250-600ml) and refill the water tank by hand before each wet clean. These are the cheapest way in and fine for a flat or a single floor you clean every day.

Auto-empty dock

The base sucks the dust out of the robot into a bag or bagless bin. The Eureka E20 Plus quotes 45 days between empties and the Proscenic Q8 Max+ about 60. You still rinse the cloth and top up the water yourself. If dust is your main worry, see our self-emptying robot mops.

All-in-one station

Sold as Omni, Ultra or Complete, these empty the dust, wash the pads, dry them with warm air and refill the robot from a clean-water tank. Dirty water goes into a separate tank you pour away. Many now offer hot mop washing at 70-80°C: 70°C on the Ecovacs Deebot T30S, 80°C on the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 and Xiaomi 5 Pro. Browse our all-in-one robot mops or, if you want the hottest wash, the hot water robot vacuum mops.

2-in-1 robot vacuum specs compared

Figures are the manufacturers' own, taken from the product listings in this collection.

Model	Base	Suction	Mop detail	Runtime
Coredy R750	Charging dock	2,200Pa	Cloth, 500ml tank	Up to 2 hrs
HONITURE G20 Pro	Charging dock	4,500Pa	Cloth, 250ml tank, 3 water levels	150 min
Tapo RV30 Max Plus	Self-emptying (3L bag)	5,300Pa	Cloth, 3 water levels	150 min
Eureka E20 Plus	Self-emptying, bagless (45 days)	8,000Pa	Lifts 10mm on carpet	180 min
Roborock Q10 S5	Self-emptying (2.7L bag)	10,000Pa	VibraRise plate, lifts 8mm	-
Shark Stratos AV2700ZE	Self-emptying (60 days)	-	Sonic plate, 100 scrubs/min	110 min
Ecovacs Deebot T30S	All-in-one	11,000Pa	70°C hot water wash	180 min
Eufy X10 Pro Omni	All-in-one	8,000Pa	Rotating, 1kg pressure, lifts 12mm	180 min
Lefant M3	All-in-one	12,000Pa	Rotating 200rpm, lifts 9mm	220 min
Dreame L50 Ultra	All-in-one (100-day dust)	19,500Pa	Rotating, lifts 10.5mm	180 min
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni	All-in-one	18,000Pa	OZMO roller, 75°C wash	-
Roborock Qrevo Edge 2	All-in-one	25,000Pa	80°C wash, 8N pressure	-
Mova Z60 Ultra Roller	All-in-one	28,000Pa	Roller, 12-nozzle wash	3.5 hrs

How to choose a robot vacuum and mop

Suction power

Suction is quoted in pascals (Pa) and runs from 1,400Pa on the cheapest units here to 28,000Pa on the Mova Z60. Brands measure it differently, so treat it as a rough guide. Anything from 4,000-5,000Pa copes with hard floors and low-pile rugs. Higher figures help with deep carpet and embedded pet hair. For the most powerful, see our strong suction robot vacuums.

Navigation and mapping

LiDAR navigation (the spinning turret on top) builds an accurate floor plan fast, even in the dark, and lets you draw no-go zones, pick rooms for cleaning and save maps for several floors. 3D and camera-based AI systems, such as Ecovacs' AIVI 3D, add the ability to recognise socks, cables, furniture legs and pet mess. Cheaper robot vacuum cleaners use gyroscopes and bump sensors and clean in rows without a saved map. Compare options in our smart mapping and obstacle avoidance ranges.

Carpets and rugs

Check how the robot keeps carpet dry. Most mid-range and premium models lift the pads 8-12mm when the sensors spot carpet, which keeps short pile dry but not shaggy rugs. Some go further and leave the pads in the dock for carpet-only cleaning runs. If yours has no lift, use the app's no-mop zones or carpet avoidance setting.

Height and thresholds

Measure the gap under your sofa and beds. Standard robot vacuum cleaners are about 9.5-10cm tall, while slim models such as the Ecovacs Deebot T50 Pro Omni (8.1cm) and Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 (8.0cm) reach further under furniture. Most climb ledges of about 2cm. The Mova Z60 is listed at up to 8cm, which helps with door bars and thick carpet edges. See robots that climb thresholds if your home has steps between rooms.

Battery and runtime

PCMag treats 60 minutes as enough for a small home and 90 minutes as the target. Most models in this range quote 110-220 minutes, and the Lefant M3 claims 220. Mopping and maximum suction shorten it. A good robot vacuum cleaner returns to charge and carries on where it stopped. Our long battery life models suit larger houses.

Water tanks

Onboard tanks hold 90-500ml, enough for one or two rooms of damp mopping. Stations with 2.5-4L clean and dirty tanks cover a whole house for days. Keeping the used water away from the robot also stops smells building up; see our robot mops with a dirty water tank.

Noise

Listed levels run from 40dB (HONITURE G20 Pro) to 76dB (Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P). Washing and drying at the station adds its own hum. If you want to run it while working from home or at night, look at our quiet robot vacuums.

App, voice and smart home

Nearly every model has an app for cleaning schedules, maps and water flow. Many work with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can say "clean the kitchen". Since April 2024, UK law requires connected devices to meet minimum security standards, including no easily guessed default passwords. Still keep the app updated, especially on camera models. More in our Alexa voice-controlled robots.

Pets, allergies and floor types

Pet hair

Look for anti-tangle or rubber brushes, a large bin or auto empty base, and obstacle avoidance that spots pet accidents before driving through them. Our robot vacuum mops for pet hair are picked for exactly that.

Allergies and dust

A sealed self-emptying bin means you aren't tipping out a cloud of dust, and many models use HEPA filters. Allergy UK advises vacuuming hard floors regularly with a high-filtration vacuum cleaner to keep dust mites down, and a daily robot run does that without effort.

Tile, laminate and wood

Tile and vinyl cope with any water setting. On laminate and sealed wood, use the lowest flow so seams don't swell, and never wet-mop waxed, oiled or unsealed boards. Wood floor specialists such as Bona sell cleaners made for mopping robots. Check your manual first, because the wrong product can block pumps or void the warranty. We have separate ranges for tile floors, laminate and hardwood floors.

Getting the best results

1. Let it map the whole floor on a vacuum-only run first, with doors open and cables tidied.
2. Set no-go zones round pet bowls and rugs, and no-mop zones on carpet.
3. Schedule daily light cleaning runs rather than one heavy clean a week.
4. Use only the detergent the maker approves; see robot mops that use cleaning solution.
5. Give the dock clear space at the sides and in front, on a hard floor.
6. Empty the dirty water tank after use, and leave its lid open to dry.

Upkeep and running costs

Budget for spares. Pads or rollers, dust bags, filters and side brushes all wear out. Replace pads every few months, or sooner if they stay grey after a wash. Self-emptying bases need a new bag every 45-120 days depending on the model, and bagless ones need the bin washing. Descale the station now and then in hard-water areas. These costs are the main difference between a budget robot vacuum cleaner and a flagship over three years. Check that a brand sells spare parts in the UK before you buy.

Is a 2-in-1 robot worth it?

For daily upkeep, yes. A robot vacuum and mop keeps dust, hair and footprints under control without you lifting a finger, which matters most in busy homes and with pets. Which? found robot mopping is useful for light stains but generally no substitute for a traditional mop, and stairs still need a cordless vacuum. If your budget is tight, a self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner with a vibrating plate covers most homes. If you hate maintenance, an all-in-one station is worth the extra. See our premium models for the top end.

Robot vacuum and mop FAQs

Can a robot vacuum and mop do both at the same time?

Yes. Most vacuum and mop in the same pass, with the brushes and suction in front and the wet pads behind. You can usually switch to vacuum only or mop only per room in the app.

Will it make my rugs wet?

Not if it lifts the pads (8-12mm on many models), detaches the pads, or you set carpet avoidance or no-mop zones. Basic models with a fixed cloth need the pad removed before carpet runs.

Is wet mopping safe on wooden floors?

On sealed wood and laminate, yes, on a low water setting. Avoid wet mopping waxed, oiled or unsealed boards.

Can I put floor cleaner in the water tank?

Only cleaners the manufacturer approves. Many stations have their own detergent tank that doses automatically.

Does it need Wi-Fi?

It will start cleaning from the button, but you need Wi-Fi (usually 2.4GHz) and the app for maps, schedules, zones and voice control.

How long do they last?

Several years with regular care. Batteries and consumables wear first, so choose a brand that sells spare batteries, pads and bags in the UK.