The Evolution of Robot Vacuum and Mop Combos: A Breakthrough in Automated Floor Cleaning

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Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are smiling at the thought of manually mopping their floors.

Digging a mop out of the closet and exerting enough elbow grease to constitute as an arm workout is a recipe for us to skip mopping altogether. The best robot vacuum and mop combos can solve this problem — if they actually mop your floors properly.

The Evolution of Robot Vacuum and Mop Combos

Since 2020-ish, countless vacuum companies have added at least one hybrid model to their lineup, with prices ranging from $100 to well over $1,000. Price is one thing, but whether the wet mopping feature does much more than create a puddle is another story.

Fortunately, the past few years have seen serious strides in the automated mopping department. Brands like iRobot, Roborock, and Shark are moving far past the bare minimum — the technical presence of mopping gear — with features that actually make autonomous mopping effective, like pressurized and/or spinning mopping pads (rather than lackadaisical, stationary ones) and water tanks that allow cleaning solution to be mixed in (rather than cleaning with just water).

This shift is particularly exemplified in the fleet of new hybrid models released at CES 2024, where two clear themes for the future of 2-in-1 robot vacuums were unofficially set: The best robot hybrids will not only excel at making dry floors gleam but will take care of themselves post-mopping through an automatic system for washing and drying mopping pads, as well as the automatic refilling of the botvac's water tank through a bigger water tank in the dock.

The Best Robot Mop Combos on the Market

Below, we’re outlining some of the best robot mop combos on the market right now, including detailed explanations of the standout features that set them apart. So put that manual mop back in the closet. It's somehow 2024, after all, and you need a break.