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The best robot vacuum and mop to buy right now

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The best robot vacuum and mop to buy right now

Robot vacuums that can both mop and sweep your floors have improved significantly in recent years. While they are still not as effective as good ol’ manual labor, if you run them regularly, they will help keep your floors cleaner with much less effort on your part.

The difference is that newer “combo” robot vacuum and mop models are designed to actually scrub your floors. The first robot vacuums that could also “mop” simply slapped a thin, flat microfiber pad on the bot that kind of Swiffer-ed your floor. Basically, all this was good for was getting up fine dirt that the vacuum left behind.

A robot vacuum with a real mopping system will make your life easier

Newer models now come with vibrating or oscillating mop pads, and some even have roller mops. Most models have onboard water tanks to keep the mops wet while in use, and many can wash and dry their mops in their charging docks, which also automatically empty and refill their water tanks, meaning less work for you.

While most robot vacuums today come with some sort of mopping feature, this guide focuses on those that excel at mopping. If you’re more interested in the best vacuum, check out my guide to floor-sweeping bots.

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The downside to these combo bots with serious mopping chops is that they tend to be bigger and heavier and need more frequent intervention than regular vacuum bots. Water equals gunk, and cleaning their giant multifunction docks, even the self-cleaning ones, can be an icky job. You also have to empty and refill their tanks about once a week.

Mopping bots also need to return to their docks more frequently than robot vacuums in order to refill their onboard water tanks. This means they’ll take longer to clean your floors than a dedicated vacuuming model, but they are doing two jobs at once. Robot mops with roller mops will self-clean as they work, negating this issue, but these models are also the largest and bulkiest, as they carry a bigger water tank on board.

Combo bots can mop and vacuum simultaneously, but for especially dirty floors, it’s best to have the option to vacuum first and then mop. A mop-only mode is also good, as you can send the bot to clean up a wet spill without it sucking up water — something they’re not designed to do yet.

If you have a lot of hardwood or tile floors and constantly struggle with muddy paw prints or the general dirtiness of life with multiple pets, people, and kids, a good robot vacuum and mop combo will definitely make your life easier.

What I’m looking for

I’ve been testing robot vacuums for more than six years and have tested over 60 models. I wrote The Verge’s best robot vacuum buying guide and the best budget robot vacuum guide, and for this guide, I tested 15 different mopping robots.To evaluate the bots, I ran each regularly for at least a week and measured their progress, evaluating how clean the floor stays, how well they navigate, how often I had to refill the tanks, how well the auto-empty function worked, and how easy the app was to use.I run them in my kitchen, where I have hardwood floors, and in a large bathroom with a white tile floor — one that looks filthy just a day after being cleaned. For specific tests, I deploy a wet and dry challenge. The wet challenge features dried-on OJ and ketchup, plus fresh spills of milk, water, and some kind of sauce. For the dry challenge, I place cereal (usually Cheerios) and oatmeal (a really tough one to clean). I evaluate how well the bots deal with mopping the stains and vacuuming the debris.Finally, I test their obstacle detection by running them through an obstacle course featuring common robot trip-ups, including fake dog poop, cables, socks, and tricky chair legs.

This is a charging base that empties the robot’s bin, washes and dries the bot’s mops, and empties and refills its water tank. This is essential if you want to be as hands-free as possible when mopping your floor. Some offer hot-water washing and drying options that will keep your pads cleaner for longer. But you’ll want to throw them in the wash eventually. A dock that can self-clean the washboard (the area where it cleans the mops) is a nice upgrade, as you won’t have to do it yourself as often.

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The bigger the clean and dirty water tanks on the dock, the less often you’ll have to refill them. If the dock can connect directly to the plumbing, even better; it’s a more complicated install, but it makes for a more hands-off experience long-term.

Mop type matters. The main options are circular and spinning, flat and vibrating, or rolling and self-cleaning. Rolling (like the beater bar on a vacuum cleaner) is my favorite because it does a better job of getting floors really clean. The greater surface area of a roller mop, combined with the self-cleaning function — the vac sprays water onto the mop as it runs — makes it a more effective option than flat or spinning mops in most cases. However, oscillating mops that can extend outward are better at getting into grout between tiles, along baseboards, and under low furniture.

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If you have low-pile rugs and carpet, mop pads that the robot can lift up (by at least 10mm) should prevent your carpets from getting damp when the robot rolls over them. However, robots that can remove the mop pads entirely before vacuuming carpets are a good option, especially if you have high-pile rugs.

Specs around mop pressure and rotation speed are similar to those for suction power on the vacuum; they matter to some extent, but what’s more important is how effective the pads are. The higher the pressure, the more effective it should be on tougher stains. The higher the rotations per minute (RPMs), the more friction the stain has to deal with. It’s hard to judge pressure, as several manufacturers don’t list it and those that do use different measurements, but 12 Newtons, roughly 2.2 pounds of downward pressure, is very good.

A well-laid-out app is key. It should let you choose which rooms to clean, and in what order. Generally, you want a mopping bot to clean the dirtiest room last (think bathroom or hallway) to avoid cross-contamination. I also look for the option to mop only, in addition to mop and vacuum, or vacuum then mop, and, of course, vacuum only.

Best robot vacuum and mop

$700

The Good

  • Self-cleaning roller mop
  • Extendable mop
  • Excellent obstacle avoidance
  • Smaller, sleeker dock

The Bad

  • Limited mop lift
  • Heavy, struggles with transitions
  • Single roller brush

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto empty (3L) and drain/refill (4L dirty, 4L clean) / Mop style: Roller / Mop washing: Yes, hot water and hot air drying / Mop pressure: 4,000Pa at 200 RPM / Mop lift: Yes, 10mm / Edge cleaning: Yes, mop extension / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 18,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Single rubber/bristle / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Matter

Ecovacs’ Deebot X8 Pro Omni is a welcome return to form for Ecovacs’ flagship line. Its new tower-less lidar navigation system did a much better job of mapping and navigating than the previous flagship, the Deebot X2 Omni, which was constantly getting lost in my tests. However, the most notable thing about the X8 is the Ozmo Roller Mop.

This is the best roller mopping bot I’ve tested, thanks mostly to the Ozmo’s ability to extend outwards to clean along baseboards and furniture. This is a unique feature on a roller mop (for now) that makes up for the mop’s relatively short length (both the Eufy S1 and Switchbot S10 have longer roller mops). At $1,299, the X8 is also one of the less expensive flagship models (though the new X9 Pro Omni retails for $1,599.99).

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The roller mop can extend outwards.

The tank for cleaning solution is refillable.

The X8 did an excellent job on my milk, OJ, and dried ketchup tests, absorbing the small spills with one or two passes. It covered the floors evenly, without leaving any streaks or gaps, something that I’ve seen happen with spinning mop pads. When it comes across an edge — be it a baseboard, furniture like a chair or table leg, or any obstacle — it extends out its mop to the right to clean as close as possible. It did an excellent job getting the grime up from the stools around my kitchen counter, something most other bots struggle to do.

This is the best roller mopping bot I’ve tested

The self-cleaning brush system kept the bot from smearing any spills it encountered. As it’s cleaning, a scraper squeegees off the dirty water and 16 nozzles spray it with fresh water and solution, if you use it. As with most high-end mopping bots, the dock has the option of auto-dispensing cleaning solution.

The X8 was the best vacuuming robot among the serious combo bots I tested, outperforming my Cheerio and oatmeal tests and doing a good job on rugs (when it could reach them). However, its vacuum has a relatively small, single rubber roller brush, which is less effective than Roborock’s dual roller brush models (which include the S8 MaxV Ultra and the 10 Max).

The water tanks are easily accessible.

The dock is small with nice rose gold accents.

The X8 uses lidar and a 3D camera for mapping; the latter also facilitates its obstacle detection, which is very good — it easily navigated fake dog turds and cables while sucking up oatmeal and Cheerios. It’s much better at navigating than the X2, but it did occasionally get itself trapped, including when it went under a chair that was too low for it to get out from. The top of the robot was fairly scratched up after just one week of use. (Worth noting, Ecovacs suffered a hack last year in which bad actors could access the camera and microphone on the X2)

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The X8’s multifunction dock is much smaller than the X2’s and has some nice rose gold accents. Its water tanks are integrated into the dock and supereasy to remove to empty and refill — there’s no lid to mess with, you just lift up and go. The X8 doesn’t self-clean its washboard, however, and while it’s removable to make it easier to clean, I still had to get on my knees and scrub its base station after just a week of use.

It easily navigated fake dog turds and cables while sucking up oatmeal and Cheerios

The downside of roller mop bots is that they are big and heavy: the X8 weighs a whopping 12 pounds. Despite an ability to lift itself up to clear thresholds, the X8 isn’t as agile as smaller, lighter robot vacs. It struggled with the combo challenge of a large, tasseled, high-pile rug and spindly chair leg. Very few robot vacs tackle that one well, but it got stuck on the chair leg and sucked up the rug tassels. I ended up setting a keep-out zone so it could complete its job.

The integrated nature of the roller mop means the bot can’t remove it when it goes to vacuum carpet, as some mopping bots with pads can. It can lift it, but only 10mm, which isn’t going to work for the fluffiest rugs. The X8 does have carpet sensors, and you can choose to avoid them automatically, pass over them, or vacuum only. But its best carpet feature is the option to have it vacuum the carpets first, then mop everywhere else.

Overall, the Deebot X8 is a stellar vacuum mop combo for anyone seeking a robot that will thoroughly scrub and sweep their floors. With high-end features at a decent price, the X8’s roller mop, slick navigation, and excellent obstacle avoidance will get the job done.

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Best midrange robot vacuum and mop

$495

The Good

  • Good AI-powered obstacle detection
  • Effective mopping
  • Excellent value
  • Nice dock

The Bad

  • Single rubber / bristle brush
  • Lower suction power
  • No heated mop washing
  • Some navigation issues

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto empty (2.5L) and drain/refill (2.7L dirty, 3L clean) / Mop style: Dual spinning pads / Mop washing: Yes, hot air drying / Mop pressure: 2.2 lbs at 180 RPM / Mop lift: Yes, 12 mm / Edge cleaning: Yes, swinging motion / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 8,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Single rubber bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is an excellent mop vacuum hybrid with a full multifunction dock. It can wash its mop, drain, and refill its water tank. It’s also the cheapest model to offer dual spinning mop pads, and it has very good obstacle detection for this price range.

However, the X10 has just 8,000Pa suction, no hot water washing, and smaller water tanks. While it has most of the same functions as the top-of-the-line mopping bots, it’s not quite as effective at any of them. Which is sort of the definition of “midrange.”

An edge-hugging mode makes the robot swing its behind into the baseboards to help mop edges, but this is less effective than mop extension found on the more expensive models. With its squarish shape, it gets into corners better than most of the round bots, but its 12mm mop pad lift over carpet wasn’t effective, resulting in its pads getting hung up in a few places.

1/4

The Eufy is a large robot with a square-shaped front.
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The Eufy performed very well in my mopping tests, eradicating dried stains with its 2.2 pounds of downward pressure. Thanks to an onboard water reservoir, it didn’t have to head home to fill up as frequently as some bots do. It also has heated mop drying to help prevent the base from getting stinky — a first in this price range.

The X10 has great object recognition, allowing it to suck up Cheerios and piles of oatmeal while deftly navigating fake dog turds and cables. However, its navigation sometimes got screwy; it would go into a corner and stay there for a while, trying to figure itself out.

Read more of my Eufy X10 review.

Best robot vacuum and mop for a mix of hard floors and rugs

$500

The Good

  • Self-removing mop pads
  • Mop extension reaches under edges
  • Self-cleaning washboard
  • Dirt detection tech

The Bad

  • Middling AI obstacle detection
  • Single rubber roller brush
  • App can be flaky

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto empty (3L) and drain/refill (4L dirty, 4.5L clean) / Mop style: Dual spinning pads / Mop washing: Yes, hot water and hot air drying / Mop pressure: Unknown / Mop lift: Yes, 10.5 mm / Edge cleaning: Yes, mop extension Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 12,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Single, rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

If you have a lot of fluffy rugs or carpets as well as hard floors, the Dreame X40 Ultra is the best robot vacuum for you. It’s not quite as effective as a mop or vacuum as the Ecovacs Deebot X8, but it’s better suited for high-pile carpet and rugs because it can automatically drop and reattach its mopping pads during vacuuming, eliminating the risk of getting your rugs wet or stained. The Ecovacs X8 can only raise its mop 10mm, not remove it, so it struggles on high-pile carpets.

Along with dropping its pads, the X40 can also extend and swing them to get under your cabinets and consoles. The X8 can extend to an edge, but won’t get under those low cabinets or furniture. I watched the X40 spread its mops wide apart and swing behind my TV console, allowing it to access the dust wedged a good inch under it.

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However, because the X40 features dual spinning mop pads rather than a self-cleaning roller mop, it requires more frequent returns to clean the mops, which means it takes longer to clean your home. The X40’s spinning pads are effective at scrubbing your floors, but I found the X8’s roller mop to be better overall and more consistent.

1/3

The X40 Ultra has self-removable, dual spinning mopping pads.

The X40 can clean its washboard and features AI-powered smart dirt detection, which uses its cameras to identify spills, such as milk, or particularly dirty areas. When it spots something, it slows down and performs a more thorough cleaning. It also has an option to just mop. These are features the Ecovacs X8 doesn’t offer.

Dreame recently released the X50 Ultra, which adds 20,000Pa suction power and the ability to climb over higher thresholds. I’m currently testing this model.

Read more of my Dream X40 Ultra review.

Best robot vacuum and mop for hardwood floors

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$540

The Good

  • Long roller mop
  • Sleek, futuristic design
  • Dual side brushes
  • Square shape helps with corners

The Bad

  • Middling vacuum performance
  • No self-cleaning base
  • No mop extension

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto empty (2.5L) and drain/refill (2L dirty, 3L clean) / Mop style: Roller / Mop washing: Yes, warm water and hot air drying / Mop pressure: 10N, 170 RPM / Mop lift: Yes, 12mm / Edge cleaning: No Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 8,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts

If you have mostly hardwood floors, the Eufy Omni S1 Pro is an excellent option. With its sleek, high-tech design and a long 11.4-inch roller mop, this product did an excellent job of keeping the hardwood floors of my main living area spotless.

I found the Eufy’s longer roller mop to be slightly more effective than the Deebot X8’s, mopping evenly and getting up more dirt on its first pass. While there is no mop extension of edge mopping, its square shape does help it get into corners, and its dual spinning side brushes help pull in debris.

The Eufy S1 has a unique “love it or hate it” look. I kind of love it.

The Eufy S1 has a unique “love it or hate it” look. I kind of love it.

However, its vacuuming prowess is middling; this really is a dedicated mopping robot. With just 8,000Pa suction power and a small rubber brush, it did a decent job of getting up debris, but left several flakes of oatmeal, thanks to its side brushes spinning the debris out beyond the bot’s reach. Its obstacle avoidance is also fairly average; it dodged larger items but struggled with cables.

The S1’s omni station is quite eye-catching, with a tall, futuristic design, and clear water tanks with glowing lights inside — although it might be considered an eyesore, depending on your style. Usefully, everything you need to interact with is located at the top, so there’s no need to bend down: a touchscreen display provides controls and the clean and dirty water tanks are easy to remove.

If you have tile or scraped wood floors, a bot with oscillating mop pads will be better at getting into the crevices

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While it has a mop lift of 12mm (which is higher than the X8’s), it really struggled on my high-pile carpets, to the point where I had to set keep-out zones around them.

Like the X8, the S1 self-cleans the mop with water jets as it’s working, and you can set how frequently it returns to the base station for a thorough clean with warm water before continuing to mop. It will also dry the mop with hot air, which is effective, if noisy.

The Eufy’s 11.4-inch roller brush extends almost the entire length of the front.

The Eufy has two spinning side brushes, which help get dirt into the bot’s path.

Neither the X8 nor the S1 have self-cleaning washboards, something Dreame offers. This is where the dock automatically washes the mopping tray in the dock – Dreame’s uses little wipers that go back and forth. It still needs to be cleaned eventually, but it does help keep the ick at bay for longer.

The S1 station’s debris filter got grungy fast and required manual cleaning, although this is fairly straightforward. After a month of use, I also had to disassemble the scraper and filter inside the bot, as well as remove the roller mop. This is something you’ll need to do for all mopping bots, but the Eufy’s was the most involved process, requiring me to disassemble multiple parts.

In my testing, I found that roller mops are great for most hardwood floors, but if you have lots of tile or scraped wood floors with grooves and nooks and crannies, a bot with oscillating mop pads will be better, as these do a better job of getting into crevices such as grout lines.

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Best robot vacuum and mop for tile floors

$650

The Good

  • Superb mopping
  • Great obstacle avoidance
  • Excellent dirt detection
  • Self-cleans its washboard
  • Very quiet

The Bad

  • Minimal mop lift
  • Edge cleaning just okay
  • Uses a lot of water
  • App is unreliable

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto, empty (2.5L) and drain/refill (4.1L dirty, 4.5L clean) / Mop style: Dual triangular spinning pads / Mop washing: Yes, hot air drying / Mop Pressure: 2.6lbs at 180 RPM / Mop lift: Yes, 12mm / Edge cleaning: Yes, robot swing and fluffer / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 12,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Single, conical rubber bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcut

Narwal’s latest flagship mopping bot, the Freo Z Ultra, combines everything I loved about the Freo X Ultra, and adds better vacuuming, better object avoidance, an auto-empty dock (a first for Narwal), and a fluffy side brush to polish your baseboards. It also now comes in gray (white robot vacuums are not a good idea, unless you like cleaning your robot vacuum).

With its dual, triangular spinning mop pads (the unique shape helps avoid missing spots), the Freo Z is a great choice for homes with lots of hard floors, and especially tile. The oscillating mop pads are slightly better than roller mops at getting into grout lines and other crevices found on natural surfaces. The Freo Z’s downward pressure of 2.6 lbs meant it did a great job of scrubbing up dried-on debris, excelling in my dried ketchup test, even getting the red gunk up from tile grout.

A fluffy sidebrush and swinging motion help the bot clean along edges and baseboards.

Triangular-shaped mopping pads meet in the middle, meaning fewer missed spots.

Like the Deebot X8, the Freo Z can recognize various floor materials, including tile, hardwood, and marble, and clean in the direction of the flooring, such as along the wood grain. Unlike the X8, it automatically adjusts pressure and “mopping humidity” based on the floor type, using higher humidity on tile floors than on wood floors, which can be impacted by excessive moisture. The Freo Z also self-cleans its station and has a removable tray, making maintenance easier.

The Freo Z is remarkably quiet, making it a great option for running in a bedroom

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Vacuuming is much better than the Freo X, with the Z boasting 12,000Pa. While that’s not as high as the X8, the Freo Z is remarkably quiet, making it a great option for running in a primary bedroom suite where you may have a tile bathroom combined with carpet.

As with the X8, the Narwal doesn’t deal well with high-pile rugs, as there’s still only a 12 mm mop lift and no automatic mop removal. However, you can set it to perform one of four actions when it encounters a carpet: sidestep, cross it without cleaning, power boost to clean the carpet more effectively, or regular cleaning.

The obstacle detection is vastly improved and very good. A dual camera system allows the bot to not only see objects but uses AI to identify what they are and “decide” how to clean them. The best use of this I saw in testing is when there was a large puddle of water and it automatically switched to mop-only so as not to suck up liquid.

Similarly, Narwal’s dirt detect feature is very good. The bot goes back and forth over a stain or dirty area to ensure it’s clean.

A control panel on the top provides quick access to control the robot.

The dock contains a dustbin, two water tanks, and a non-refillable proprietary cleaning solution.

My two biggest gripes with the Freo Z are that it uses a lot of water; it doesn’t have an onboard water tank, so it has to return frequently to refill — and could only clean my 800 square foot area once before I needed to refill the main tank in the dock. By comparison, the X8’s tank only needed refilling after three runs.

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Additionally, its app can be frustrating. It’s not easy to navigate, gets hung up between screens, and frequently disconnects from the robot. However, unlike the X8, the Narwal has controls on top of the station to start a clean, and once I had programmed a schedule, I didn’t find myself needing to use the app much at all.

The fluffy sidebrush feels more of a novelty than a necessity and doesn’t really seem to do much. Also, at this price, it would be nice if the Narwal offered a self-cleaning washboard. However, its washboard is removable, which makes it easier to clean manually.

Best robot vacuum and mop with a plumbing hookup

$400

The Good

  • Almost hands-free
  • Excellent roller mop
  • Self-cleans
  • Battery-powered water station
  • Supports Matter

The Bad

  • Big and wide
  • Can’t mop a second floor; it will only vacuum
  • Short battery life
  • Low suction power

Multifunction Dock: Yes, auto, empty (4L) and drain/refill (two separate devices) / Mop style: Roller / Mop washing: Yes (during use), hot air drying / Mop Pressure: 2.2lbs at 300 RPM / Mop lift: Yes, 7mm / Edge cleaning: No / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 6,500Pa / Vacuum brush style: Single rubber bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcut, Matter

The SwitchBot S10 is a multitasking robot that hooks into your plumbing for a virtually hands-free sweeping and mopping experience. It’s one of the best robot mops I’ve tested, thanks to its self-cleaning roller mop and the fact that I never had to empty or fill its water tanks. These two features meant I could set it and forget it and have clean floors for weeks.

My other favorite feature of the S10 is its dual docking system. Its main dock is a charging / auto-empty dock, and there’s a separate battery-powered dock water station that you can put in a different room. This battery-powered dock is what makes the S10 the best plumbing hookup option, as it gives you much more flexibility with placement. Roborock, Dreame, and Narwal also have plumbing hookup docks, but they require power (I’ve not tested either of those yet).

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1/5

The S10 is a very large and heavy robot.

While the SwitchBot is a decent vacuum, it’s not the best. Its relatively paltry 6,500Pa of suction power is low compared to the competition, but the bot’s weight did help the rubber roller brush dig into the carpet and get up most of the cat hair.

S10 frequently got stuck on clothes left on my floor and bath mats — which are the bane of most mopping bots

Other downsides include the AI obstacle avoidance, which isn’t great. The S10 frequently got stuck on clothes left on my floor and bath mats, its battery life is short, and it lacks high-end features like dirt detection. There is also no edge cleaning function, meaning it didn’t do a great job along baseboards and around furniture.

SwitchBot recently released the Switchbot S20 ($480 $799.99), which looks like the Pro model that made its debut at CES. The upgrade addresses some of my issues with the S10, including adding an extendable roller mop and side brush to add edge cleaning, as well as 15,000Pa. It also comes with the option of two all-in-one auto-empty base stations: one with a regular water tank you manually refill, or one that can hook into your plumbing. But it will also work with the battery-powered water station. I plan on testing this soon.

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Read my full SwitchBot S10 review.

What I’m currently testing and what’s coming next

Narwal’s upcoming Narwal Flow features a big and wide extendable roller mop.

Narwal’s upcoming Narwal Flow features a big and wide extendable roller mop.
  • We’re currently in the process of testing the $329.99 $549.99 Roborock Q10 S5 Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop, but so far are impressed. It delivers 10,000Pa of suction power and uses a sonic mop that scrubs floors 3,000 times per minute. It also comes with a 2.7-liter self-emptying base that can hold up to 70 days’ worth of debris, along with room-specific cleaning, no-go zones, and customizable cleaning schedules.
  • As mentioned before, Ecovacs recently released a successor to the Deebot X8 Pro Omni, aptly called the X9 Pro Omni ($1,299.99). It sports a roller mop like the X8 Pro, but the big difference is that the new model is designed to optimize airflow from intake to exhaust rather than relying solely on suction power. The upgrade could lead to better deep-cleaning.
  • The Ecovacs X11 OmniCyclone ($1,099.99 $1,499.99) is a bagless robot vac that features a roller mop and an impressive 19,500Pa of suction. It comes with a multifunction dock, and its mop can extend up to 15mm to reach into corners. It should also handle floor transitions well, thanks to its built-in mechanical climbing levers.
  • The Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai Robot comes with a multifunctional dock along with a self-cleaning roller mop, lidar navigation, and onboard cameras that can detect stains and clean accordingly. The company has yet to release details about its price or release date, though you can read our hands-on for more details.
  • The Eureka J15 Max Ultra ($1,199) can detect liquids with precision and automatically rotate its body to clean wet spills using its dual spinning pads, all while keeping its vacuum duct dry, which most mopping vacs can’t manage.
  • Roborock’s Saros 10 ($1,299.99 $1,599.99) and Saros 10R ($999.99 $1,599.99) are upgrades to my pick for the best overall robot vacuum, the S8 MaxV Ultra. Both can automatically remove their mop pads when not needed, which is a new option for Roborock. One uses dual spinning mops, the other a flat vibrating pad.
  • Roborock also recently released the Saros Z70 ($1,999.99 $2,599), the first mass-produced robovac to feature a robotic arm that can pick up light objects — including socks, tissues, and sandals. The arm isn’t the most reliable, and the vacuum occasionally struggles with correctly identifying items, but it’s otherwise an excellent model with 22,000Pa of suction power and dual spinning mop pads that it can remove on its own. Read our review.
  • Roborock’s cheaper Qrevo Curv ($899.99 $1,599.99) also has dual spinning mop pads (which you have to remove) and can raise itself to clear thresholds up to 40mm. The company’s Qrevo Slim ($799.99 $1,399.99) offers similar functions but features a new navigation system and lacks a lidar tower, allowing it to fit under low furniture.
  • iRobot’s new Roomba lineup features two models with dual spinning mopping pads and auto-wash docks. The new Roomba Plus 505 Combo Robot Plus AutoWash Dock ($549.99 $999.99) also offers heated mop drying, a feature the higher-end Roomba Combo 10 Max lacks. However, in early testing, the 505 has shown some problems, including failing to return to its dock. The redesigned Roomba app has also been unexpectedly fiddly and less intuitive than the older version used by previous models. It’s also worth noting that iRobot’s future is extremely uncertain. While it is able to work offline, if the company closes, then app and voice-control support could be affected.
  • iRobot also recently introduced an upgraded version of the Roomba Max 705, the Roomba Max 705 Combo, which is available for $899.99 $1,299.99. Like the Max 705, it features dual rubber roller brushes that are resistant to tangling, along with AI-powered obstacle detection. It also comes with a unique roller mop cover that automatically deploys as it cleans, as well as a design that allows the mop to extend into corners and clean along wall edges.
  • Priced at $699.99 (with code WS24T2352111), Eufy’s new Robot Vacuum Omni E28 is a self-emptying, self-refilling, and self-washing robot vacuum with a rolling mop that can go over tough stains a second time if needed. The charging dock also includes a built-in deep cleaner that sprays water to tackle stains before sucking the mess into a separate wastewater tank.
  • The recently launched Narwal Flow costs $1,099.99 with code NFLOW $1,499.99, and features the company’s first roller mop, which can also extend. We haven’t spent any time with it yet, but Narwal claims it can easily tackle thick, fluffy carpets thanks to its deep carpet boost mode.
  • The Matic is a $1,245 robot vacuum that doesn’t need a cloud connection to work and can suck up wet spills as well as dry ones. This is easily one of the smartest cleaners I’ve tried, with great mapping and cleaning performance that feels surprisingly close to what a person would typically achieve. It’s also simple to run, easy to maintain, and reliable. We’ll have a full review soon, but for now, here’s some video of it in action.
  • The $1,099.99 Eureka J20 features a very wide roller mop but only 8,000Pa suction, but it is no longer available on Eureka’s website. The new J15 Max Ultra ($1,199.99) can accurately spot liquids and automatically rotate its body to tackle wet spills with its dual spinning mopping pads. It’s an upgrade to the J15 Pro Ultra ($999.99), which can identify colored liquids but not clear or white ones.
  • The Dreame X50 Ultra ($899.99 $1,699.99 with code X50UXM) features a “motorized swing arm” that functions like a leg, enabling the robovac to climb over transitions up to 6cm tall. Otherwise, it’s a lot like the X40 Ultra in this guide, only with higher suction power and a retractable lidar tower.
  • The Switchbot S20 ($639.99 with code KLKS20, $799.99), which resembles the Pro model announced at CES earlier this year, is now available. It’s essentially the successor to our previous pick for the best mopping vacuum, the Switchbot S10, with an extendable roller mop / side brush and 15,000Pa of suction power.
  • SharkNinja’s PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 robot vacuum mop ($599.99 $999.99) can lift itself up as high as 20mm to get over rugs and transitions. Its automatic empty /wash / dry cleaning station doesn’t require bags, either.
  • The $999.99 $1,599.99 (with code M10UXM) Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller Complete features a roller-style mopping system that continuously cleans itself in real time. Its companion model, the Aqua10 Ultra Track Complete, adds hot-water mopping and automatically adds cleaning solution as it moves about, so you don’t have to stop and refill anything.
  • The $1,599.99 $1,999.99 (with code M10UXM) Dreame Matrix 10 Ultra comes with a multi-mop switching dock, one that lets it automatically swap between nylon scrub pads, sponge pads, and thermal mop pads based on where it’s cleaning. Its three-solution compartment also holds separate cleaners aimed at tackling pet odors, wood floors, and general messes, which the robovac will dispense on its own depending on the situation.

Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Update, December 8th: Adjusted pricing / availability. Mentioned the Ecovacs X11 OmniCyclone, Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai Robot, and Eureka J15 Max Ultra, while adding information regarding the Roborock Q10 S5 Plus and iRobot’s latest Roombas. Sheena Vasani also contributed to this post.

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Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months

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Barret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months

Five months after returning to OpenAI, Barret Zoph — the company’s head of enterprise AI sales — has departed, The Verge has learned.

Zoph returned to OpenAI in mid-January after a stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Shortly after Zoph returned to OpenAI, the company said he would lead its push into enterprise — a significant role at OpenAI, since in recent months it had vowed to stop chasing so-called “side quests” and focus on key revenue drivers like enterprise and coding ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that Zoph will be departing. He posted a goodbye message in the company’s Slack channels. Zoph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zoph originally left OpenAI in the fall of 2024 for Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, but departed the role abruptly in January 2026 after reports of alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. Murati posted on X in January that Thinking Machines Lab had “parted ways” with Zoph and that he would be replaced as CTO.

Thinking Machines Lab has its own tensions with OpenAI. Murati briefly took over as CEO from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his November 2023 ouster, and during the recent OpenAI trial, Murati testified that she couldn’t trust everything Altman said. In September 2024, when Murati left OpenAI to start Thinking Machines Lab, a group of OpenAI employees followed shortly after. But three of them — including Zoph — all returned to OpenAI together this past January. Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, wrote on X at the time that she was “excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back” and that the decision had “been in the works for several weeks.”

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6 in 10 identity crimes now begin with a new account

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6 in 10 identity crimes now begin with a new account

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For years, two women in Bremerton, Washington, opened credit cards and lines of credit in other people’s names, working from documents they pulled out of stolen mail. Emily Vranic and Heather Marquis redirected the new accounts’ statements to an address they controlled, so no bill ever reached the victims. They pleaded guilty in federal court this month to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme prosecutors say stole nearly $229,000 from banks and bank customers.

If you have ever worried about a credit card opened in your name, this case shows how quickly stolen mail can turn into a much bigger identity theft problem. Opening a new account is the leading form of identity misuse reported to the Identity Theft Resource Center. In its latest data, 62.1% of attempted misuse cases began with a new account application rather than the takeover of an account the victim already held.

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WARNING SIGNS YOUR MAIL HAS BEEN FRAUDULENTLY REDIRECTED

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A credit card opened in your name can start with stolen mail, exposed personal details or documents pulled from the trash. (Nastasic/Getty Images)

How stolen mail helped thieves open credit cards

When people picture an account opened in their name, they may imagine a checking account at a bank they have never set foot in. The more likely target is a credit card. Credit cards made up 41% of attempted account misuse reported to the ITRC last year. Checking accounts came to 17.7% and personal loans to 8.5%.

A credit card is one of the easier accounts to open in someone else’s name, and the reason is in how the application is cleared. A lender matches the submitted name, date of birth, address and Social Security number (SSN) against the bureau file. When those details fit a record that already exists, an automated system can approve the application with no one confirming that the applicant is the person being described. Assemble enough of someone’s information from breaches and stolen mail, and the check clears.

Why identity thieves rarely stop at one account

Vranic and Marquis did not stop at one account per victim. Once they controlled someone’s identity, they activated existing cards, opened new credit lines and moved money out of bank accounts tied to the same name.

This is common. The ITRC found that 25.6% of victims are now handling two or more identity incidents at once, up from 23.5% the year before. The same stolen details, including name, date of birth, address and SSN, can open the next account as easily as the first.

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DON’T LET THIS CREDIT CARD FRAUD NIGHTMARE HAPPEN TO YOU

A fraudulent credit card may stay hidden for weeks if statements and notices are sent to an address controlled by the thief. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why weeks can pass before you learn about the account

A new account does not announce itself. It reaches your credit report only after the first statement closes, which puts the first record 30 to 60 days behind the opening. Banks report to the bureaus monthly, and the bureaus need up to two weeks more to post the change.

The first paper notice goes wherever the application is listed. Vranic and Marquis had the statements mailed to their own address, not the victims’. When the mail reaches the right house, it may read like a routine offer or a card no one ordered, which makes it easy to set aside.

By the time a denied loan or a collections call makes the account impossible to ignore, it has been open and drawing money for weeks.

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WHY THAT $4 CHARGE ON YOUR STATEMENT COULD BE FRAUD

Freezing your credit, watching for new accounts and acting quickly can help limit the damage if your identity is used. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What to do if a credit card appears in your name

Move quickly, because every day an account stays open gives a thief more time to spend money, damage your credit or try the same information somewhere else.

1) Contact the card issuer immediately

Call the credit card company or lender that opened the account and tell them the account is fraudulent. Ask them to close or freeze the account, stop any pending charges and send written confirmation that you are not responsible for the debt.

2) Start at IdentityTheft.gov

Go to IdentityTheft.gov. The Federal Trade Commission’s site generates an Identity Theft Report and recovery plan to help you report identity theft, limit the damage and fix your credit.

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3) File a police report if a creditor asks for one

Your FTC Identity Theft Report is usually the key document for disputing fraudulent accounts. Some lenders, banks or debt collectors may also ask for a police report. If that happens, file one with your local police department and keep a copy for your records.

4) Save every document and confirmation number

Keep copies of account statements, collection letters, emails, dispute letters, FTC reports, police reports and confirmation numbers. A clear paper trail can make it easier to prove the account was fraudulent if a creditor, credit bureau or debt collector questions your claim.

5) Dispute the account in writing

Dispute the fraudulent account directly with the lender that opened it, in writing. Also dispute it with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion if it appears on your credit reports. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, companies that furnish information to credit bureaus have a duty to investigate disputed information.

6) Freeze your credit at all three bureaus

Place a freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to help block the next application. Freezes have been free since 2018 and can be lifted online when you need to apply for credit.

7) Add a fraud alert

A credit freeze blocks access to your credit file. A fraud alert tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. You only need to contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert, and that bureau must notify the other two.

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8) Report suspected mail theft

If you believe stolen mail helped someone open the account, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. You can report mail theft, identity theft, fraudulent change-of-address requests, fraudulent mail holds and fake Informed Delivery accounts at mailtheft.uspis.gov.

9) Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN

If your Social Security number was used, request an IRS Identity Protection PIN at irs.gov/ippin. This helps keep a thief from filing a tax return in your name.

10) Change passwords and lock down your accounts

Change the passwords on your bank, credit card and email accounts, especially if your email address was part of the fraud. Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for each account, so one exposed password cannot unlock the rest of your financial life. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) where available. Then review recent transactions, saved payment methods and automatic payments for anything you do not recognize. 

11) Get help cleaning up the damage

Cleaning up identity theft can mean dealing with creditors, credit bureaus, debt collectors and repeat follow-ups. Keep copies of every report, dispute letter, confirmation number and account closure notice so you have a clear paper trail if the fraud resurfaces.

No service can prevent every account opened in your name. Continuous three-bureau credit monitoring may alert you to new accounts as they are reported, rather than weeks later when a lender turns you down or a collections notice arrives. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt’s key takeaways

A stolen credit card account can quietly grow into a much bigger identity theft mess before you ever see a bill. That is what makes this Washington case so alarming. The victims were not ignoring warning signs. The statements were being sent somewhere else. The best move is to make it harder for thieves to open the next account. Freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, watch for hard inquiries and check your credit reports for accounts you do not recognize. If something appears, go straight to IdentityTheft.gov, file a report and dispute the account in writing with the lender. Credit monitoring can also give you a faster heads-up when a new account or inquiry hits your file. It will not stop every scam, but it can shorten the time between the fraud starting and you finding out.

Have you ever found a credit card, loan or account on your credit report that you did not open? Let us know how you discovered it and what it took to fix it by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027

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Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027

Valve has some good news and bad news about Steam Controllers. The good news: if you make a reservation for a Steam Controller, the company will now show you one of three estimates of when you’ll be able to actually order your gamepad: by September 2026, by December 2026, or sometime in 2027. The bad news: any reservations made today “indicate a 2027 date for shipping,” Valve says.

“We have no plans to stop making Steam Controller,” according to Valve. “But as we look at the current demand compared to how many we know we can make by the end of the year, we want to manage expectations as much as we can with regards to when folks can expect to receive their order.”

Valve’s very good new Steam Controller went on sale in early May, and the initial rush led some people to run into frustrating problems with trying to check out ahead of the controllers eventually going out of stock. A few days later, the company announced that it would be implementing a reservations queue for interested buyers so they could get on a waitlist. If you’re on the waitlist, when you get notified that a Steam Controller is ready for you to buy, you have 72 hours to actually make the order.

“When we launched Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations,” Valve says. “Switching to a reservation queue has (hopefully) cut down on the headaches on the customer side, and for us it’s also been helpful as we plan ahead and try to get as many out as quickly as we are able.”

All three of Valve’s big hardware products were delayed from a planned early 2026 launch because of the component crisis, Valve still hasn’t announced when the Steam Machine PC or Steam Frame VR headset might go on sale. However, just yesterday, Valve officially launched its big SteamOS 3.8 update with support for the Steam Machine. It’s also been importing a lot of hardware into the US as of late.

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