The best floor cleaning robots: Black Friday 2022 buying guide

The market has a new category of products. These are robots capable not only of vacuuming dirt, but of actively washing floors thanks to two rotating cloths that exert force on the surface. To date, there are many solutions and they are positioned in most cases in the high-end range.

However, some products manage to offer good performance with relatively affordable prices but we warn you, we start from a base of around 500 euros to get to over 1300 euros for the most technological and modern products. However, like all new technologies, it is hoped that these products will become more accessible in the future, as functional and truly useful in everyday use. Prices are for the publication period during Black Friday 2022 and may vary.

Robots capable of washing are divided into three broad categories today. The more basic ones have a tank capable of managing the water flow with manual control or by application and a small cloth that is hooked to the back and dragged by the robot during cleaning. Its efficiency is equivalent to that of a wet rag. Then there are the robots with a vibrating cloth. For example the Cecotec Conga 9090IAor theEcovacs T9 AIVI. These robots are equipped with an ad hoc tank for water and a cloth that is always wet but equipped with a small actuator that makes it vibrate up to 480 times per minute. Its effectiveness is greater and is in fact equivalent to wiping a rag with force. Both of these technologies have a limit: the washing cloth tends to get dirty and loses its effectiveness after a few square meters of cleaning.

Finally, there are the robot with two counter-rotating mops. In this case there are two circular supports that hook into the back of the robot using a magnet. The two mops are pushed towards the floor and rotate in opposite directions to improve efficiency.

Robots with counter-rotating mops have a particular structure which in most cases requires a special base to allow correct operation. While traditional robots integrate a water tank, in this case it is the base that wets the rotating cloths. In fact, a small pump has the task of sucking water from a tank contained inside the base and wetting the robot’s clothes. The robot leaves for a cleaning session and returns to its base at regular intervals.

This operation thus allows you to clean the clothes, remove the dirt and wet them again, so that the robot can proceed smoothly and maintain high efficacy. Once the entire surface has been cleaned, the robot loads again and the mops are washed for the last time and, depending on the variant, dried with cold or hot air, so as to avoid the formation of bad odours. However, there are also some robots that do not need the washing base but are still equipped with two mops and in the future we will see more and more of them.

Yeedi Mop Station 2 in 1 is the cheapest alternative among floor cleaning robots with a price that is often equal to or less than 500 euros. The washing base is equipped with two tanks of 3.5 liters each, one for clean water and the other for dirty water. The robot returns to the base to clean and sanitize the rotating brushes, in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the washing. The suction power is 2500Pa which ensures excellent efficiency.

When washing, the brushes are pushed towards the floor with a force of 10 Newton and rotate at 180 rpm for deep cleaning at all times. After the cleaning session, the 2 in 1 Mop Station returns to the base which allows you to clean and dry the mops in a completely automatic way. Thanks to an optical sensor, the robot is able to create a map of the environments and with a power of 2500Pa it is sufficient for daily cleaning. Excellent autonomy, thanks to the large 5200 mAh battery which ensures about three hours of operation.

Let’s start right from the exception, represented by the Dreame L10S Pro. Recently arrived on the market, it is the only robot with washing cloths that does not need a dedicated base. This certainly entails smaller dimensions, but also a slightly lower effectiveness on large surfaces. In fact, mops will tend to get dirty and after each wash it is necessary to remove them and proceed with a manual or washing machine wash.

However, it is a robot to be evaluated for all those who do not want to give up high efficiency: there is Lidar mapping assisted by an optical sensor capable of recognizing even small objects and animal excrement. The water tank has a capacity of 190ml, sufficient for an apartment of over 120 square meters, while that for the powder is about 400ml. It has a great advantage: thanks to the carpet sensor, when it passes over it it automatically lifts the clothes, thus sucking up the dirt without wetting the carpet. It has a suction power of 5000 Pa and a 5200 mAh battery.

It is positioned right in the top end of the market with the price list of 1499 euros. The Ecovacs X1 Omni arrived on the market in April 2022 and today you can take advantage of several discounts which bring the price to around 1000 euros. It is undoubtedly among the most complete. Powerful thanks to the 5000 Pa suction, with two large diameter counter-rotating brushes that exert a force of 6N, rotate 180 times per minute and vibrate up to 600 times per minute.

At the front is a very advanced sensor consisting of an RGB camera designed for spatial photography, which allows optimal interaction with the surrounding environment and allows the robot to avoid any type of obstacle, from cables to excrement. Camera that can also be used as a surveillance camera through the dedicated application. The base, in addition to two water tanks of 3.2 liters each, is able to automatically empty the dirt tank for completely independent operation. The Yiko voice assistant completes the equipment, which allows you to control all functions of the robot using your voice. Ecovacs X1 is also available in the Turbo and Plus versions. The latter however renounces the two counter-rotating mops.

Dreame W10 was an early adopter of counter-rotating cloth technology. It has 4000Pa strong suction and 6400mAh battery (the largest of the lot). The washing base allows you to wet the clothes, clean them and dry them, to avoid the formation of bad smells. The capacity of the tanks is four liters each, for unparalleled autonomy. On the other hand, it is also one of the most cumbersome.

It is the only one in this category to have a D shape instead of a circular one. This allows it to clean really well along edges and especially at corners. It is also one of the robots with the largest front brushes, with a length of over 24 centimeters it can vacuum thoroughly with just a few passes. Mapping via Lidar is precise and allows you to divide the environment according to your preferences. However, a sensor for recognizing small objects is missing, while there is a sensor for carpets, which are automatically avoided during washing.

Dreame L10S Ultra focuses on the relationship between performance and price. In fact, it integrates all the most desirable functions: mapping via Lidar, object recognition via the front optical sensor and the possibility of use as a surveillance camera. Counter-rotating mop pads spin at 180 rpm and automatically lift off when the robot steps onto carpet during washing.

The central brush is perfect for pet hair, which is sucked up without any problems. The two tanks have a capacity of 2.5 liters each and are the only one of its kind to also include a bottle of detergent which is dosed automatically by the washing base. Base which is also able to automatically empty the dirt collection tank. The suction power is 5300Pa while the battery is 5200mAh. In short, everything you could want with a starting price of 1199 euros.

Ecovacs Deebot T10 Turbo is among the more recent arrivals. This is the latest version of the T10 range, already present in the standard version and in the Plus version. The T10 Turbo is the only one in the range to adopt the two counter-rotating cloths. The washing base integrates two 3.2 liter tanks inside and is able to wash and dry clothes with hot air, in order to prevent the formation of bad smells.

At the front is the AIVI 3.0 sensor, which not only recognizes up to 18 different types of objects such as cables, clothes and excrement, but also allows it to be used as a surveillance camera. Finally, the robot has 3000 Pa of power and a 5200 mAh battery which are more than enough for the habits of most users.