Best Self-Emptying vacuum Self-Empting Robot Vacuums and Mops
The Eufy 11S is among the most affordable self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. In our tests it was able to remove dry oats from hard floors and carpets with low pile. Its dust bin is simple to open and empty -it’s much simpler than some other models in its price range.
It is charged at its base and then begins cleaning as soon as it’s clean. Its obstacle-avoidance tech gets tangled in socks and cords and it can’t get under low thresholds.
1. iRobot Roomba 11S
The 11S is one the cheapest self-emptying robots and lots of people seem to like it. It is good at moving under furniture and is a good option for people with hard floors or daily cleaning. Its suction might be less powerful than those of our top picks, but it’s still able to get the job completed. It has a large dust bin and a long-lasting battery. The app lets you schedule daily cleanings or pick a room. You can also map your home to help the device avoid areas you don’t want it visit.
The app is easy to use and has a clean layout. It’s not a full-featured app, but it is easy to use and allows you to check the status of your robot. It has a tutorial that will walk you through the basics.
The cleaning pattern of Bounce Navigation isn’t always logical. Sometimes it follows straight lines while other times, it focuses on the edges of the space. But it is able to clean your entire floor. It is not the best at climbing obstacles – it struggled to get under our pet food bowls and pedals for the piano, and ended up getting caught in our 2.25 inch shag carpet a few times.
We believe there are better robot vacuum with self emptying vacuums available than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba 694 is better-built and easier to maintain, incurs lower recurring costs, and is less time-consuming to charge. It has a bigger bin, is more effective on any surface and can scale obstacles that are low in elevation (like electrical cables) more easily.
The eufy RoboVac 11S makes a good choice for regular vacuuming. It’s designed in a similar way to our top choice, and is excellent for picking up fine dirt and larger debris on hard flooring. It is able to do a great job on low-pile or medium-pile carpet. Similar to the Roomba from iRobot Roomba, it has a huge dirt compartment, and it uses BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It has an easy-to-use remote control and you can schedule daily cleanings using the app. Its battery lasts for about an hour and the dustbin is able to be cleaned without taking it from the dock.
2. Roborock S7 maxV Ultra
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is a great robot vacuum and mop, with a wide range of automation options. The Roborock S7 MaxV is available in three versions of the basic S7 model and the S7 Plus model, and the S7 Ultra. The S7 MaxV Ultra is the only one with an Empty Wash Fillet Dock (or an alternate Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its home base and empty the debris in a dust bag, or reservoir, empty the dirty water tank, and wash its mopping pads.
Sensors on the S7 work in tandem to clean and avoid obstacles. It can detect floor types, save maps of rooms and zones and even detect dirt levels. It can also schedule and execute spot cleaning sessions. It was able to perform well in standard tests, however it could not match the iRobot Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep cleaning test.
With the companion app you can program the S7 to run a cleaning cycle in accordance with your schedule. You can select a cleaning mode, best self-emptying vacuum such as automatic or eco, and the day, week, or time. You can also decide whether the robot should stop if it is running out of power or encounters an obstacle.
If you don’t have a smartphone but you can still use the S7 by connecting a remote to the charging dock. The controls can be confusing at first however they are very effective after you’ve become accustomed to them. The power button doubles as the general ‘Clean’ function and the ‘Spot Clean’ button directs the robot to clean the area around it. The “Spot Clean” button also triggers the child lock.
Roborock’s mobile app has been enhanced to include a live view feature that lets you see what the S7 does at home. You can enable this by pressing a particular sequence of buttons on the S7 and then creating an unlock code in the app that you can use at any time you want to see what the robot is doing.
3. Shark IQ XL
Shark’s robot vacuums aren’t as a hit than those from iRobot or Roborock. But our hands-on tests have shown that this model is one of the most efficient self-emptying vacuums that are available. It’s easy to set up and has an enormous bin that can be easily emptied (albeit loudly) to a trashcan when 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 and allow you to track its cleaning progress from the Shark app. The app lets you create a cleaning schedule, receive notifications via push about its current status, the ability to pause and resume cleaning, or limit it to one room. It can also be controlled by voice commands using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will show you which the current power mode is – Eco, Maximum, or Normal – however we found that none of these settings made any significant difference in the cleaning performance.
The IQ XL will automatically empty the dustbin at the end of each cleaning cycle into the base, and then automatically empty itself. The bin can store up to 60 days of debris so it won’t be required to empty it more than once, unless your pets have hair that is long. If you do have to empty it, all you have to do is remove the side bin, put it up to a trash can, and press a button that will let you eject its contents.
There isn’t much to dislike about the Shark IQ XL, although it feels a bit less well-built than the Roomba 694. It removes a lot of debris on carpeted floors and does a good job at maneuvering itself however it isn’t close to matching the iRobot Roomba i7 in regards to performance on carpeted floors. The i7 is also better-built and feels more durable and robust, has less demanding maintenance requirements, is able to charge lower recurring costs, charges faster, while offering similar battery performance and the most advanced automation features, such as no-go zones and the ability to choose certain rooms to be cleaned.
iRobot j7+
This robotic mop and vacuum combination is a rare machine that can do both tasks well. iRobot’s Combo J7+ comes with all the features of its j7 counterpart including LiDAR mapping and self-emptying vacuum, but with additional features for both mopping and vacuuming.
The j7+ makes use of the latest acoustic sensor to detect the type of floor and allows it to vacuum or mop the room on its first pass. It also makes use of this information to prioritize cleaning rooms with carpets and rug flooring over rooms with hard floors.
The J7+ is quieter than most robotic vacuums when it’s running and is even quieter when it’s mopping. The maximum reading of 64 decibels on our decibel meter is similar to office chatter.
It’s easy to set the schedule for cleaning and change the way that the j7+ operates when its dust canister is full. The j7+ can be controlled by voice assistants, such as Alexa, Google Assistant and others. The app allows you to create and view maps in your home.
The j7+ performed admirably in our tests of both carpeted and hard floors, getting rid of all the dirt we threw at it. It struggles a bit with pet hair and larger debris like sand, however it can clean these things with a little more effort. It also has decent navigation capabilities, as well as a set of cliff sensors to stop it from falling down a flight of stairs or getting stuck on furniture legs.
The J7+ has some minor flaws, for instance, it could get stuck on cords or rugs and it doesn’t always turn off the mopping function when it is done vacuuming. Otherwise, this is an excellent model that ticks all the right boxes.
The j7+ from iRobot also comes with one of the top self-emptying systems that we’ve tested. It deposits its 14oz / 0.4-liter dust canister into the base station where it will automatically empty itself for you. This helps reduce the amount of trash that you need to dispose of. You’ll only need to replace the bag at the dock every 60 days, depending on how often you use the j7+.