Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops

The Eufy 11S is one the most affordable self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It ably sucked up dry oats from hard floors and carpets with a low pile during our tests. Its dust bin is simple to open and empty -much easier than other models in its price range.

It is charged at its base and then it resumes cleaning when it's done. But its obstacle-avoidance technology is caught in cords and socks, and it's unable to operate 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 great for scooting under furniture and is thought to be a good option for people with hard floors or who want to do light daily cleans. The suction might be a little weaker than the suction of our top picks, but it gets the job done. It has a big dust bin as well as a long-lasting battery. The app lets you schedule daily cleanings or choose a specific room. You can also map your home to allow the device to avoid areas that you don't want it visit.

The app is easy to use and has a clear layout. It's not a feature-rich app however it's easy to use and allows you to monitor your robot's status. It has a tutorial that will guide you through the basics.

Its cleaning pattern doesn't always appear logical - sometimes it is straight lines, and other times it focuses on the edges of the room - however Bounce Navigation ensures your entire floor gets cleaned. It's not the most effective at climbing over obstacles. It was unable to get under our pet food bowls as well as piano pedals, and got caught up in our 2.25 inch shag carpet multiple times.

While it is a good option for light cleaning, we think there are better robot vacuums than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is much easier to maintain and has lower costs for recurring maintenance and is charged faster. It has a larger bin, is more effective on any surface and is able to climb over low-lying obstacles (like electrical cables) more easily.

The RoboVac 11S from Eufy is another good option for regular vacuuming. It is designed very similarly to our top pick, and it excels for mopping picking up fine dirt and larger debris on hard floors. It also does a great job on medium and low-pile carpet. Similar to the iRobot Roomba it also has a very large dirt compartment and utilizes BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It comes with a user-friendly remote control and you can set up daily cleanings with the app. Its battery lasts about an hour, and the dustbin can be empty without taking it from the dock.

2. Roborock S7 maxV Ultra

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is a fantastic robot vacuum and mop self empty vacuum and mop, with a wide range of features for automation. It is available in three models, the basic S7, the S7 MaxV Plus, and the S7 MaxV Ultra. The S7 MaxV Ultra is the only model with an Empty Wash Fillet Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks let the robot return to its home base after a cleaning session and empty the debris into a dust collection bag or reservoir, empty its dirty water tank, and wash its mopping pad.

The S7's sensors work together to avoid obstacles and clean floors. It can recognize floor types and save a map of rooms and zones, and even detect levels of dirt. It's also capable of scheduling and running spot cleaning sessions. It performed well in standard tests, but couldn't match the iRobot Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep cleaning test.

Utilizing the companion app, you can program the S7 to perform a cleaning cycle based on your schedule. You can select a cleaning mode, such as automatic or eco, and a day, week or even a time. You can also select whether the robot will stop if it runs out of energy or encounters an obstacle.

You can still use the S7 if you don't own a smartphone by connecting an charging dock to the remote control. The remote controls are a little confusing, but once you've got the hang of them, they work great. The power button also functions as a 'Cleaning' button, and the Spot Clean button directs 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 features that lets you observe what the S7 is doing at home. You can enable this feature by pressing a specific sequence of buttons on the S7 and then creating an unlock pattern in the app that you can use any time you wish to observe what the robot is up to.

3. Shark IQ Large

Shark's robot vacuums aren't as a hit than those from iRobot or Roborock. But our tests have shown that this model is among the most effective self-emptying vacuums on the market. It's easy to set up, has a huge bin that is easy to empty (albeit a bit loudly) into a trash can when it is full and can be programmed to do a complete home clean on a regular basis or as needed.

The IQ XL is able to connect to your WiFi at home, allowing you to monitor its progress in cleaning using the Shark app. The app lets you create cleaning schedules, get push notifications about its status as well as pause and resume cleaning, or set it to a single room. It can also be controlled with voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app can tell you what power mode it's currently in--Eco, Normal, or Max--but we didn't find that any of the modes had a significant impact in cleaning performance.

The IQ XL will automatically empty the dustbin at the end of each cleaning cycle into the base, and then self-empty. Its bin holds up to 60 days of waste It won't require emptying more often than that, unless you own several pets with hair that is long. If you do need to empty it, simply remove the side container and place it on top of your trash bin and push a button.

The Shark IQ XL is a great vacuum cleaner. It does a good job cleaning floors that are not bare and can move well. However, the Shark IQ XL feels a slightly less sturdy than the Roomba 694. It is able to remove a lot of debris on carpeted flooring and does a decent job of moving itself around however it isn't close to matching the iRobot Roomba i7 in regards to performance on carpeted floors. The i7 is also built better, feels more durable and sturdy, has less maintenance requirements, is able to charge lower monthly costs, and is faster to charge, and offers comparable battery performance, and comes with much more advanced automation features like no-go zones as well as the ability to choose specific rooms to keep clean.

iRobot J7+

This robotic mop and vacuum combo is a rare beast that does both jobs well. iRobot's Combo j7+ offers all the features of its j7 counterpart, including self-emptying and LiDAR mapping however, it also comes with additional features for vacuuming and mopping.

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

Like most robotic vacuums, the j7+ is quiet when running and it's even less noisy when it's mopping. The maximum reading of 64db on our decibel scale is comparable to general office chatter.

It is easy to set up a cleaning schedule and change the way that dust is cleaned when the canister is full. The j7+ can also be controlled by voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.) The app allows you to create and view maps from your home.

In our tests, we found that the j7+ performed well on carpeted and hard floors, cleaning most of the dirt we threw at it. It isn't the best at dealing with pet hair and larger debris such as sand, but it is able to clean these things with a bit of effort. It also has decent navigation abilities and a set of cliff sensors to stop it from falling down stairs or getting stuck on furniture legs.

We did find some minor issues with the j7+. These include that it can snag on cords and rugs, and that it doesn't always turn off its mopping when done vacuuming. Overall, this is an excellent product that ticks all the right boxes.

iRobot j7+ has also one of the top auto-emptying systems we've ever examined. It deposits its 14oz / 0.4-liter dust container into the base station where it will automatically empty itself for you. This reduces the amount of trash you need to dispose of. You will only have to change the dust disposal bag on the dock every 60 days, depending on how frequently you use the J7+.