Cleaning the floor just got a whole lot easier thanks to new devices just tested by the experts at Consumer Reports. While it looks a lot like a robotic vacuum, it’s actually a robotic mop — or robomop.
Robotic mops are designed to clean hard surface floors like tile, vinyl, or some hardwood — not carpet.
“Robotic mops range from basic models that are operated by remote control to sophisticated hybrid ones that mop and vacuum and are controlled by a remote or an app,” explained Tyler Ivester with Consumer Reports.
To test how well a robotic mop can mop, Consumer Reports’ testers spilled espresso and V-8 juice on ceramic tile and vinyl flooring and then let it dry.
The best robomops tackle the stains and leave a clean floor behind. And here’s a hint: models with spinning mop heads did the best job.
CONSUMER REPORTS: Best Robotic Mops of 2023
“In our navigation test, we see how well a mop can avoid obstacles, we see how well they steer around furniture as well as how they interact with both cords and carpet fringe,” said Ivester.
In Consumer Reports’ tests, the pricey hybrid Narwal T10 4 in 1 Robotic Mop — normally $1,050 but is on sale for as low as $699 — came out on top, and it has an auto-clean function that will wash the spinning mop heads as well.
For much less, the basic $300 Samsung Jetbot Mop (also on sale for as low as $150) matched the Narwal test for test. But it won’t clean itself like the Narwal model. However, as a bonus, it can also be used as a handheld scrubber for surfaces like your shower. Testers did find one downside. The Samsung is more than five inches tall, which means it may not fit under some furniture or the toe kick of your kitchen cabinets.
If height is an issue for you, the $212 Bissell Spinwave Wet and Dry Robotic Vacuum (3115) also did well in Consumer Reports’ tests and is less than three and a half inches tall.
CONSUMER REPORTS: How To Choose A Robotic Mop
So how long does it take for a robomop to clean your floors? Consumer Reports says the models in its ratings range from 50 to 100 minutes.
