The Best Robot Mops for 2022

No one likes mopping. From buckets full of dirty water, to unsanitary (and gross) mop fibers, it's a labor-intensive chore that's in dire need of an upgrade. Thankfully, robot mops are here to make your life easier. All you have to do is fill up the tank, press start, and let them do their thing. Some of them can be controlled by your phone or voice, and some even double as robot vacuums. We've rounded up the best we've tested here, along with some buying tips to help you keep your floors sparkling.

iRobot Braava Jet 240

To Hybrid or Not To Hybrid?

Every robot mop shares a few things in common. They generally come with reservoirs you need to fill up with water and/or cleaning solution, and microfiber cloths that scrub your floors and pick up dirt. They also feature sensors to help them autonomously navigate around your furniture.

Robot mops generally come in one of two flavors: single purpose or hybrid. Single-purpose mops, like the iRobot Braava Jet 240 and Braava 380t, can't vacuum your floors. Some can however, perform a dry sweep to clear the area before they start mopping.

You Can Trust Our Reviews

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. (Read our editorial mission.)

iLife V8s Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Hybrids, as you might expect, can mop and vacuum. They typically have attachments for microfiber cloths that wipe or scrub your floors as the robot runs around your home. Some feature an interchangeable dustbin and water tank, and don't require any presoaking before cleaning.

These hybrid models are typically more expensive, but they're also more likely to have features like app control via your phone, voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and even interactivity with other smart home devices.

How We Test Robot Mops

We test robot mops in our actual homes, keeping the following criteria in mind: battery life, navigation, ease of setup and operation, and performance.

The whole point of robotic cleaners is to let them do the work for you. Having to intervene defeats the purpose. To that end, we look to see whether the robot is able to handle different floor types such as tile and wood with equal ease. We also check to see if it's able to avoid textiles like rugs and carpeting, or if it comes with peripherals like virtual walls (or app control) to make this easier.

Battery life is also important. This will help determine what robot you should pick based on the size of your home. The longer you get on one charge, the better it is for larger homes. We consider battery life of 60 minutes to be sufficient for small homes and apartments, though ideally we like to see results in the 90-minute range. To test battery life, we fully charge the robot before running a cleaning cycle. We then let it clean for as long as it takes to run the battery down completely.

iLife W400 Floor Washing Robot
(Photo: Angela Moscaritolo)

Setup is another factor we take into consideration. Most involve charging your robot and filling up water tanks. Once again, you want these processes to be as simple as possible, or you wouldn't be buying a robot to do your chores for you. And while not every robot mop comes with app control, hybrid models often do. In these instances, we check to see how intuitive app use is, and what benefits it brings to the table.

Lastly, and most importantly, we check to see how well a robot mop cleans in real-life conditions. We take into consideration things such as whether or not it uses a cleaning solution or water only. We also see how well it tackles dry stains versus wet on a variety of surfaces. We make sure it doesn't scuff tile or wood, and at the end of every cleaning session, we check the microfiber cloth to see how dirty it gets.

Should You Throw Out Your Swiffer?

As with robot vacuums, robot mops do a nice job of keeping your floors clean, but they aren't complete substitutes for a little elbow grease. They're great for maintenance and fresh spills. Deep-set stains, however, will likely require a bit of manual scrubbing.

Robot mops are still a growing category. See our reviews for detailed analysis of each model listed here, and check back soon, because we're reviewing new ones all the time. When you find the right one for you, check out our top tips for robot vacuums, many of which also apply to mops.