A ton of robot vacuums claim to mop, but these 5 hybrids actually do the job

Why we picked this:

As the number and letter mashup in the title suggests, the Combo j9+ finally combines the best features of the older high-end Roombas: the small obstacle detection and retractable mop of the Roomba Combo j7+ (which we also tested and really liked), and even better suction power than the Roomba s9+, which was previously the most powerful Roomba. The Combo j9+ also beats the suction power of the aforementioned Combo j7+, which was noticeably worse at picking up chip crumbs and cat hair than the new Combo j9+ in our comparative tests in the same apartment.

The mop on the Combo j9+ is also better than that of the all of the other hybrid Roombas, as well as many competing hybrids from other brands that drag a wet cloth across the floor with one or two passes. We could see iRobot's new SmartScrub working, successfully attacking dried stains on a hardwood floor by persistently scrubbing back and forth with force. The Combo j9+ can also accommodate both water and the cleaning solution of your choice in its water tank, which automatically refills the vacuum itself when the small onboard tank runs dry.

Who it's for:

For those who are ready to test out Roomba's latest-and-greatest (only rolled out in September), the Roomba Combo j9+ is a fab way to do so. If your floors are well-loved — in the sense that they have some pretty deep, dried stains on them or are your pet's favorite spot to roll around — you'll be wowed by this Roomba's scrubbing and suction power alike. Unlike previous Roombas, this one saves you even more time, by freeing you from manually refilling the water tank for 30 days at a time.

As an added bonus, if you're someone for whom the "aesthetic factor" ranks highly among robot vac criteria, rest assured that the Combo j9+ is sheer eye candy. I mean, its dock is literally topped with chic wood accents — allowing it to double as a side table. In the world of robovacs, this is quite rare.

Why we picked this:

The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 (previously the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1) really surprised us, which is why it earned a spot among the very best robot vacuum and mop hybrids and as our favorite Shark robot vacuum. Both the standalone and self-emptying versions of the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 can be scored for less than that when they're on sale at Shark's website, which they almost always are — firmly in the budget category compared to bots from iRobot and Roborock.

Despite its budget status, the Shark AI Ultra proved to be a feature-packed robovac that aced Mashable's at-home cleaning tests. Activating Matrix cleaning mode while mopping triggers the mopping pad to vibrate 100 times per minute and goes over the desired scuffed or stained area multiple times. During dry vacuuming, Matrix mode also hits the designated area from multiple angles in a crosshatch pattern, upping the likelihood of picking up hair or debris that couldn't quite be grabbed on the first pass. And that's on thoroughness.

Who it's for:

We suggest the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 if your main concern with a robot mop is whether it actually scrubs (with more than water, at that) but also that its advanced mopping capabilities can be secured for a few hundred dollars. We will say that the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 is best for homes without a heavy rug situation, as the bot requires you to manually point out rugs or carpets in the app and can't vacuum while the water tank is attached.

Read our full review of the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1.

Why we picked this:

Autonomous wet and dry cleaning plus auto-emptying is typically a pricey checklist, but this Yeedi makes the whole process hands-free for less than $300 on sale (which it almost always is at Amazon).

The presence of room mapping is also impressive at such a practical price point, despite undercooked quirks like only having the capacity to hold a map of one floor at a time. This Yeedi model's shaky navigation (when it comes to whizzing past furniture) is less annoying when you can still enjoy the convenience of targeting specific rooms and setting virtual boundaries in the app.

Who it's for:

This packed budget model has serious value for folks who would like to try the triple threat that is room mapping, mopping, and automatic emptying, but who definitely don't want to spend more than $300 — the sale price we see constantly on the Yeedi Vac Station.

While we were totally satisfied by its debris pickup and light mopping in our hands-on tests, we could see the Yeedi running into problems in homes larger than a two-bedroom apartment or two-floor homes, as its VSLAM mapping isn't quite as accurate as the laser-based LiDAR system used by more expensive robot vacuums. Its slender, minimalist dock is similarly ideal for smaller spaces.

Why we picked this:

The Combo j7+ was the very first true vacuum and mop hybrid from iRobot. Though it's since been upstaged by the 2023 Combo j9+, the 2022 Combo j7+ will always be pivotal for iRobot's legacy. If you can find it at its relatively-frequent sale price of $799, you'll be scoring one of the smartest robot vacuums on the market for a pretty digestible cost.

Our hands-on comparison between the Combo j9+ and Combo j7+ did show an obvious trailing in the Combo j7+'s scrubbing power but particularly its suction power, which wasn't ideal for large crumbs on carpet or rugs. However, the Combo j7+ is still the only other Roomba (than the Combo j9+) with a retractable mop that's onboard 24/7 and lifts the mop overtop of the vacuum itself when carpet is sensed. As a j Series Roomba, it's also armed with iRobot's signature PrecisionVision front-facing camera that lights the way to perceive small obstacles that other robot vacuums eat (and subsequently get stuck on).

Who it's for:

If you've confirmed that you definitely want a Roomba that mops, the next question is how much you'll need to count on your 2-in-1 Roomba to clean on a whim when you're not home. Even on sale, $799 is a pretty hefty investment — but unless you have multiple pets that shed onto thick carpet and hard floors with heavy foot traffic, the Combo j7+ provides a nearly-identical hands off experience to the Combo j9+ for much less money.

The Combo j7+ is the cheapest Roomba that doesn't require you to be around to manually swap out the dry dust bin to mop like you do with the Combo i5 or even Combo j6. The Combo j7+ also has more meticulous obstacle avoidance smarts than cheaper Roomba Combo j5 or j6. If you're iffy on whether you need obstacle avoidance at all, we're all for it if you have the budget — in our experience, being able to trust the Combo j7+ to not eat a phone charger totally made up for its meh carpet cleaning.

Read our full review of the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+.