Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops

The Eufy 11S is one of the most affordable self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It efficiently sucked up dry oatmeal from hard floors and carpets with low pile in our tests. The dust bin opens and empty easily, making it easier to use than some other models in the same price.

It is charged at its base and then begins cleaning when it's clean. However, its obstacle-avoidance technology is caught in socks and cords, and it's not able to go below low thresholds.

1. iRobot Roomba 11S

The 11S is a more affordable self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner that many users seem to enjoy. It's good at scooting under furniture and is thought to be a great option for people with hard floors or who want to perform light daily cleaning. Its suction might be a bit weaker than those of our top picks, but it's still able to get the job done. It has a large dust bin and a durable battery. The app allows you to schedule your daily cleaning chores or choose a particular room. It's also possible to create a map of your home, which could help the device avoid areas you don't want to visit.

The app is easy to use and has a simple layout. It's not a full-featured app however, it's simple to use and lets you monitor your robot's status. It comes with a tutorial that will guide you through the basics.

Bounce Navigation's cleaning pattern isn't always intuitive. Sometimes it follows straight lines while other times, it focuses on the edges of a space. However, it is able to clean your entire floor. It's not the greatest at navigating obstacles, though - it struggled to get underneath our piano pedals as well as pet food bowls, and ended up getting caught in our 2.25-inch shag rug multiple times.

We think that there are better robot vacuums than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba 694 is stronger and easier to maintain, has lower ongoing costs, and is less time-consuming to charge. It also has a larger dustbin, and performs better on all surface types and is able to climb over low-lying obstructions (like electrical cords) more easily.

The eufy RoboVac11S is another good alternative for regular vacuuming. It is a close design to our top pick and is excellent in removing fine dust and larger debris from hard floors. It does a good job on low-pile or medium-pile carpet. Like the Roomba from iRobot Roomba it also comes with a large dirt compartment, and it uses BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It also has an easy-to-use remote control to use, and you can program daily cleanings using the app. The battery lasts about an hour and the bin is easily emptied by removing it from its dock.

2. Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is a fantastic self-empty robot vacuum vacuum cleaner and mop with a surprising array of automation options. The Roborock S7 MaxV comes in three different versions that include the basic S7 model as well as the S7 Plus model, and the S7 Ultra. The latter model is the only one with an Empty Wash Fill Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its original location and empty the debris it has collected in a dust bag or reservoir, empty the dirty water tank and wash its mopping pads.

Sensors on the S7 collaborate to clear obstacles and clean them. It can detect the types of floors, save the map of rooms and zones, and even detect levels of dirt. It also has the ability to plan and conduct spot cleaning sessions. It did well in standard tests, however it could not match the iRobot Roomba j7+ for the carpet deep cleaning test.

With the companion app you can program the S7 to run a cleansing cycle based on your schedule. You can specify a time either day or week and select from several cleaning modes, such as eco, automatic and deep clean. You can also choose whether the robot will stop if it runs out of power or comes across an obstacle.

If you don't own a smartphone however, you can still utilize the S7 by connecting a remote to its charging dock. The remote controls are a little confusing, but once you've mastered the use of them, they work great. The power button acts as the 'Cleaning' option, and the Spot Clean button directs the robot to clean up an area around it. The "Spot Clean" button also activates the child lock.

In addition to the new mapping features, Roborock improved its mobile app by adding live view 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 creating an unlock pattern in the app to use at any time you want to check out what the robot is doing.

3. Shark IQ XL

Shark's robot vacuums aren't as well-known as those made by iRobot or Roborock. But our tests have shown that Shark's model is among the most effective self-emptying vacuums that are available. It's easy to set up and comes with an enormous bin that is able to be easily empty (albeit loudly) to a trashcan when it's full. It can also be programmed to sweep the entire house on a schedule.

The IQ XL is able to connect to your WiFi at home which allows you to keep track of its progress in cleaning using the Shark app. The app lets you set cleaning schedules, receive push notifications about its current status, pause and resume cleaning, or set it to only one room. You can also control it with voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will tell the user which power mode is currently selected - Eco, Maximum, or Normal - however we found that none of these modes produced a noticeable difference in cleaning performance.

Once it finishes cleaning when it's finished, the IQ XL will automatically empty the dustbin into its base, and it automatically emptys. Its bin can hold up 60 days worth of debris It won't require emptying more frequently than that, unless you own lots of pets with long hair. If you do need to empty it, you can simply take the side container off and place it on top of the trash can, and then press the button.

The Shark IQ XL is a good vacuum cleaner. It does a decent job cleaning floors that are not bare and can maneuver itself well. However it's not the best choice for carpeted floors. Shark IQ XL feels a bit less sturdy than the Roomba 694. It's good of cleaning carpeted floors however, it isn't as efficient as the iRobot Roomba i7 when it comes to the performance of bare floors. The i7 also feels more durable, is more robust and requires less maintenance. It also has lower recurring costs, charges faster, and offers comparable battery performance. It also comes with more advanced features for automation, like no-go zones and the ability to choose specific rooms to be cleaned.

4. iRobot J7+

This robot mop/vac combo is a rarity as it does both jobs exceptionally efficiently. iRobot Combo j7+ has all the features and smarts similar to its j7 counterpart including LiDAR maps and self-emptying. However, it also has additional features for vacuuming and mopping.

The new acoustic sensors help the j7+ recognize floor types, so it can decide between vacuuming and mopping during the first time it passes through a room. It also makes use of this information to prioritize cleaning rooms with carpet and rug flooring over rooms with hard floors.

Like most robotic vacuums, the j7+ is relatively quiet when it's running, and much quieter when mopping. Its maximum reading on our decibel meter was 64db, which is comparable to the noise of general office chatter.

It's simple to establish a schedule for cleaning and adjust the way that the j7+ operates when its dust container is full. The j7+ is also controlled by voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant and others. The app lets you create and view maps from your home.

The j7+ performed well in our tests on both carpeted and hard floors, removing most of the dirt that we threw at it. It has some issues with pet hair as well as large particles like sand, but it can clean these things with a bit of effort. It also has good navigation abilities and a pair of cliff sensors to keep it from falling down the stairs or stumbling on furniture legs.

We did discover a couple of small niggles with the j7+, mostly that it could snag rugs and cords and that it doesn't always shut off its mopping when it's done vacuuming. This is a great model that ticks off all the boxes.

iRobot j7+ has also one of the best auto-emptying systems we've examined. It spits out its 14oz / 0.4-liter dust canister into the base station, where it automatically emptys itself for you to. This reduces the amount of garbage you must dispose of. You'll only need to replace the dust disposal bag at the dock once every 60 days, depending on how often you use the j7+.