When we talk about why people purchase robots to help out around the house, the main reason is to save time. Robot vacuums, mops, mowers, and other devices help out by automating a certain chore that you don’t want, or have time, to do regularly.
This definitely sounds great and all, but rest assured that this type of home automation does come with a high price tag, in most cases.
So that brings us to the big question. Are robots worth the expense to help out around the house? And, more specially, for this article, Are Robot Mops Worth It?
In short – Yes, I do believe robot mops are worth it. But let’s dive into why I think robot mops are a good investment and which ones I like and why.
Benefits Of Robot Mops
Like any big purchase you are going to make, you need to weigh the pros and cons and see if the benefits can justify the price.
There are many things to consider and we’ll cover some of those now to try and help make the decision easier on you.
1. Robot Mops Save You Time
If you are considering buying a new robot mop then your main driver is probably TIME.
Let’s face it, you have so many things going on each day and getting down on your hands and knees to clean your floors is definitely not high on the priority list. At least, not on mine!
My wife used to do these deep cleans of our title floors, where should would use shaving cream and a hard brush. She’d spend like an hour or more on her hands and knees, crawling around and scrubbing like crazy.
Yep, there is a little hidden gem for you – shaving cream is awesome for cleaning floors.
Now that we have a robot mop, the deep cleans are far less common. Keeping up with regular a mopping schedule from our robot mop has made it so much easier to keep the floors clean.
Now we really only have to do spot cleans for those really tough marks and stains. And honestly, we only do that when we know we are having guests over.
2. No Dirty Mops Or Buckets
Nothing says sanitary and cleanliness like sloshing a dirty, wet mop around in a bucket full of dirty water. Sorry, but whenever I used a mop and bucket that is all I think about.
Not only do you feel like you are just spreading more germs and crud around, but you also have to go through the pain of filling up and emptying the bucket. I’ll pass.
You also need to ring out the mop and leave it somewhere to dry so it doesn’t get all nasty and smelly (more smelly).
3. No Strain On Your Back
We do have a Shark steamer that we use to get those hard-to-remove stains. And that thing does work really well. But, they don’t make the dang thing long enough, so you are constantly bending over to use it. Not great for your back!
So, whether you are using a steamer or a traditional mop, you are at risk of some strain on your lower back. No questions about it.
If you take it a step farther and actually get down on your hands and knees to scrub the floors you are talking about a whole new set of aches and pains.
4. Setting A Schedule Is Easy
This goes along with the first benefit, which was saving time. Being able to set a schedule allows for more regular and frequent cleaning.
This keeps your floors looking nice and prevents stains and dirt from setting in and being harder to remove.
As a father of 3, all under the age of 6, trust me – frequent mopping is key removing stains on your floors. If you wait too long, those ketchup and grape juice stains are only going to be harder to remove.
The great thing about most robot mops, is that you can schedule them to work, regardless of if you are home or not. This way you don’t have to worry about tripping over them when you are cooking.
5. Maintenance Is Easy On Robot Mops
Maintaining your robot mop is fairly easy to do, if you keep up with it. That is the same with anything, really.
What Kind of Maintenance Is There For A Robot Mop?
Fill the water reservoir – This is something you’ll need to do before each job is started. Some models use only water, where other models sell cleaning solution to use.
Clean the pads or brushes – You’ll want to remove and cleaning the pads, rollers, and/or brushes after each mopping session. This will help keep your machine more efficient and prevent the spread of more germs and bacteria on your floors.
Some devices have pads that simply clip on and off. This makes it easy to swap them out in between cleanings. Then you can just clean the used one while the new one is ready for the next job.
Other options require you to remove the brushes or rollers and give them a good rinse.
Replacing the battery – If you have your robot mop for several years, you will most-likely have to replace the battery at some point.
So that is really about it. A few steps you have to perform before or after each cleaning make up the only regular maintenance you’ll need to perform.
In my eyes this is a pretty small price to pay to have a robot butler in your home, making it another reason I feel that robot mops are worth it.
6. Control Your Robot Mop From Your Phone
Did you forget to mop before you have the in-laws over for dinner after work? Not a problem. You can pull up the app on your phone and send your robot mop on its way, from your office, your car, or wherever you may be.
Other cools things you can do in most robot mop apps:
- See what areas your mop cleaned or missed
- Set the schedule
- Select or exclude certain rooms
- Start a new job
- Send the robot mop home
- And more
The Cons Of A Robot Mop
I am a fan of robot mops in general, so it is hard for me to come up with too many cons or negatives to talk about.
This is also because I just really do not see that many downsides to owning a robot mop, once you get pass the initial investment.
That brings us to the only real negative that I have about robot mops…
The Cost – Robot Mops Are Expensive
If you want a quality robot mop, you are going to have to pay a decent amount for. That is the same with anything though, really.
There are definitely some brands and models that are better than others. There are also some decent budget options out there if you do your research.
Robot mops can start around $175 and quickly climb north of $400.
Types Of Robot Mops
Now that we’ve covered some of the benefits, as well as the main negative of robot mops, let’s talk about the different types that you can pick from.
There are really 2 main options when you are considering a robot mop.
Robot Vacuum/Mop Hybrids
A robot vacuum and mop hybrid is a machine that does both. Not only will it mop the tile floor in your kitchen, but it can also move on to the carpet in your living room.
This is a great option if you like the idea of having robots to help out, but don’t really want a separate robot for mopping and one for vacuuming. You also save on the cost of purchasing 2 different robots.
The only really negative to a vacuum/mop hybrid is that they don’t have very bigger reservoirs for the mop’s water or solution storage. So they will not be as efficient as the other option if you are buying a robot mop.
The Best Robot Vaccum/Mop Combo
I’d have to say the best option is the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI.The Deebot is the best performing hybrid option, hands down. But, it is also the most expensive. So you need to weigh your options here, for sure.
Budget Pick – Best Vacuum/Mop Combo
You can still get a quality vacuum/mop robot and not spending $600-$700.
There are several reasonable priced options on the market that perform just fine for the money.
My top pick for a budget robot vacuum and mop would be the Bissell SpinWave. This hybrid option will set you back around $300, which is a pretty good value when you consider you are getting a robot vacuum and a robot mop.
Single Function or Dedicated Robot Mop
This is a robot mop that was made to do one thing and one thing only. Mop.
They come with large reservoirs so they are able to mop a large area at one time.
They also tend to have better cleaning pads or brushes when compared to vacuum/mop hybrids.
The Best All Around Robot Mop
I have to give my vote to the iRobot Braava M6 for the best overall robot mop. At around $400 it isn’t awful, but I definitely wouldn’t call it the budget option.
To me, this is by far the best dedicated robot mop you can buy. It comes with replaceable pads, so you can rinse one while the mop is still working. The app is very easy to use and has many options.
iRobot also uses its own cleaning solution that you mix with water in the robot’s reservoir. this solution works very well on cleaning our tile floors.
Budget Pick For A Dedicated Robot Mop
There are a couple that I have tried and liked, but for the budget pick I’ll have to tip the hate to the iLife W400. You can usually find this on Amazon for under $250.
The iLife uses rollers instead of pads and actually drips water as it goes instead of spraying it out in its path, like the Braava.
The only thing I don’t like about the iLife Shinebot is its size. It is rather tall and has trouble getting under some chairs and cabinets.
Final Thoughts On Robot Mops – Are They Worth It?
Again, in my mind, robot mops are totally worth it. Yes, you do have to pay a pretty penny for it, but the pros just far outweigh the cons.
When you think about the fact that a good robot should last several years, the price really starts to look more reasonable. I mean, would you pay a maid to clean your floors for like less than $20 a year? Yes, you would!
The main thing to remember is that robot mops are a maintenance tool. If used frequently they help maintain your clean floors so you have to do less work, less often.
You can’t have a floor that has been stained with pasta sauce for 3 years, turn on the robot mop and expect it to remove the stain. That just isn’t realistic. A little elbow grease will still be required on your part, from time to time.
