The best robotic mops of 2024

These top tools earn top marks for convenience, cleaning your floors without the mess of picking up a mop

The robotic mops in our tests range in price and performance.

By Mary HJ Farrell

Robotic mops offer less messy cleaning than the traditional mop and bucket, but how well do robotic mops, also called robot mops and robomops, clean? To find out, Consumer Reports tests models that range in complexity from basic to elaborate and in prices from $200 to $1,400.

The simplest ones we test are operated from the remote control and can only erase. At the other end of the spectrum are hybrid robot mops that also wipe vacuum; you control them either from a remote control or from an app on your smartphone. The fancier ones have docking stations where the mops turn around to dump dirty water and fill with clean water. There were winners between both types in our robotic mop tests.

CR members can read on for more on the top five robotic mops we’re testing. For more information, consult us buying guide. And to see the extensive list of robot mops we’ve tested, check out full ratings.

The best robotic mops

Below are the top five mops out of the nine we tested. In our tests, they score well for cleaning. “Although some models also have a vacuum function, for the purposes of our tests we only evaluated their performance as robot mops,” says Susan Booth, who oversees our robot vacuum tests.

How CR tests robotic mops

We put their robot mops in the same lab where we test their big brothers, robotic vacuum cleaners. To test wipeability, our technicians apply multiple stains of two tough stains—espresso coffee and V8 vegetable juice—to ceramic tile and vinyl plank floors. We let the stains dry, just like on your kitchen floor.

Our technicians then set each robot mop to go into normal operation as recommended by the manufacturer, mopping the entire floor (not just the stained spots). Cleaning modes vary from model to model, so we choose the most suitable one for the task at hand. The best performers remove stains and leave a clean floor behind.

Most of the robotic mops we test cross a room in a grid pattern, starting around the perimeter and then criss-crossing it from side to side, first in one direction, then the other. A few follow a random pattern. To test navigation, we evaluate the mop’s ability to avoid obstacles, maneuver past carpet fringes or tufts, go over electrical cables, and move under furniture. “Many of the mops can be programmed to avoid the carpet,” says Booth. “If not, we put up a physical barrier. For connected models, I used the app. For those not connected, I used the remote.”

The mop heads work by either rotating, vibrating, or just sweeping across the floor (similar to a real mop). Our testers found that rotating heads do a better job.

The run time of robotic mops in our tests varies from 50 to 100 minutes. Clearance ranges from 3 inches to 5.25 inches—the latter being too tall to fit under some couches or under the legs of many kitchen cabinets, which are typically 4 inches from the floor.

Finally, we’re asking our digital lab to evaluate how connected models collect and share data, as well as how easy it is to set the level of privacy you’re comfortable with and delete data that isn’t necessary for the mop to function. Unlike robot vacuums, however, we didn’t award points for data security or data privacy. Note that any additional device you use to interact with the robot mop, such as a mobile phone or smart speaker, may introduce additional privacy and security implications.

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2024, Consumer Reports, Inc.