Is there anything more frustrating than watching your kids or pets tromp through your freshly mopped floor? Or admiring your nice, clean, shiny floors only to watch someone spill something sticky or gooey onto it a few minutes later?
All your hard work, for what? But what if you didn’t have to put all the effort into mopping? What if you didn’t have to mess with filling up the bucket and wringing out the mop? What if you could just push a button and watch someone (or something) else take care of it for you?
There is an easier, less frustrating way of getting your floors mopped. We’re referring to robot mops, of course. But how do you go about choosing the right robot mop? And what do some of the best models on the market have to offer?
Let’s take a closer look at how you can select the robot mop that works best for you, along with a few offerings from iRobot, one of the best robot mop manufacturers in the industry.
Selecting the Right Robot Mop
Whether you realize it or not, there are a lot of robot mops to choose from and they all have their own distinct capabilities. Every home has its own unique needs, so you want to carefully determine what exactly you’ll need from a robot mop.
Taking a moment to consider what makes sense for your home means you’re spending your money on a device that does exactly what you need. Here are some tips on how to choose the right robot mop for you and your home.
Things to Consider
Here are a few items to consider as you go about looking at the robot mops available on the market.
Flooring
Some robot mops on the market are designed only to clean hard floors like wood flooring, laminate, and tile. If these are the types of floors you have in your home, then you’ll want to have a robot mop suited to clean them.
However, if your home is mostly carpet, then you’ll need to keep an eye out for a robot mop that cleans both hard flooring and areas of your home covered by carpet.
Size of Your Home
There are some robot mops on the market that have longer-lasting batteries or reservoirs than other options. These are a few of the biggest complaints when it comes to those who are dissatisfied with their robot mop.
If you have a large house or big rooms, then be sure to do your research and find a robot mop that features long run-times and a big reservoir. You may also want a unit that offers an automatic charge. Using this feature, you can schedule when your robot cleaner will charge itself so it’s not constantly running out of juice.
Pets
If you love pets and have several of them in your home, then you’ll need a robot mop that can handle it. For instance, a lot of pets shed quite a bit, so you’ll need to find a robot mop that won’t clog up when it cleans.
There are some robot mops that are built specifically to clean up pet hair, dander, and other stains that come along with owning animals. Take a moment to find a robot mop that won’t clog up or quit working when cleaning up after your pets.
How Clean is Your Home?
You don’t need to tell us the answer to this question, but important that you be honest with yourself. How many people live in your home? Is it usually pretty clean or does it get dirty more often than you’d like?
Think about the activities your family participates in on a regular basis. Do you have a baseball player? A soccer player? If so, you may need a robot mop that offers more power to pick up all the dirt that comes with outdoor activities.
There are robot mops on the market that are specifically designed to handle more dirt and grime. These units have vibrating cleanings pads that work to pick up stains like mud and grass. Others may work faster, but they won’t clean up the heavy stains that come with a lot of outdoor activity.
Size and Weight
While this is last on our list of things to look for, it might be the first thing you need to consider. For example, if you live in a small home, then the size of your robot mop may be important. This is especially true if you don’t have much room for storage. Where will your robot mop live?
Along those same lines, a heavier mop is going to be more difficult to pick up and transport. If the weight of your unit is a concern, then you should take the time to find a robot mop that is light enough for you to move it from room to room or put it away for storing once it’s done cleaning.
Best iRobot Mop Models
Some of the best robot mops on the market are made by iRobot. While the manufacturer currently only offers three robot mops, they are three excellent choices. Here’s a quick review of what each iRobot robot mop has to offer.
iRobot Braava Jet M6
The Braava Jet M6 (read my full review here!) is a great robot mop for cleaning up grim and other sticky messes. It offers a jet spray system that assists the unit is cleaning all your hard floors like tile, marble, stone, and hardwood.
The only thing you have to worry about it attaching the cleaning pad to the robot mop and the M6 will take care of the rest. Additionally, the Braava Jet M6 features iRobot’s iAdapt 3.0 Navigation.
- THE ULTIMATE ROBOT MOP - The Braava jet m6 robot mops like you would. You can tell it where and when to clean, and Precision Jet Spray helps tackle sticky messes and kitchen grease.Runtime : 150 minutes
- MOPPING THAT FITS SEAMLESSLY INTO YOUR LIFE - Ideal for multiple rooms and larger spaces. Navigates around objects and under furniture. Cleans finished hard floors including hardwood, tile and stone. The Braava jet m6 can cover between 400 sq.ft. and 1000 sq.ft
- GUIDED BY SERIOUS SMARTS - With vSLAM navigation, the m6 learns the layout of your homeand builds personal Smart Maps, enabling it to expertly clean and navigate in neat, efficient rows. If it’s running low on battery, it recharges and resumes cleaning
- MOPS MESSES IN THE MOMENT - Coffee spill on the floor, Dog track in mud, The m6 can target specific areas within your rooms, like in front of the couch or under a table, for easy, hands-free mopping, with a request to your voice assistant or via the app
- COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR CLEAN - With Smart Mapping, your robot knows your kitchen from your living room, so you can decide where it cleans and when. With Keep Out Zones, your robot knows to avoid sensitive areas like pet bowls or play areas
This technology allows your robot mop to move throughout your home effortlessly, knowing exactly where it needs to go. When it’s done, the M6 will automatically head back to its dock to charge.
What Comes with the Braava Jet M6?
You’ll get plenty of accessories with your Braava Jet M6 including four cleaning pads. Two you use for wet mopping and two are for dry sweeping. These are really simple to use. They slide onto the bottom of the robot mop, then you select which cleaning type you want based on the pad.
Once your robot mop is done cleaning, you can remove the pads by tapping on the button located on the front of the unit. Based on the type of pad you used to clean the floors, you can either put it in the wash or just throw it away.
Also included with the Jet M6 is a small bottle of cleaning detergent. This is meant to be used on hard floors only, so don’t try using it on your carpet. It’s concentrate, so be sure you dilute it down with water before you start your robot mop.
If you’re using the bottle that came with the robot mop, then only use half of it. The sample should be good for two cleaning cycles. However, once you’ve used it all, you’ll need to purchase a full-sized bottle for future uses.
When it comes to charging your robot mop, be sure you connect your docking station to an outlet that has solid wifi connectivity. Now you’re all set and ready to use your robot mop. Slide it onto the dock to activate the battery, then let it charge up.
Once it’s all charged, just tell your robot mop to get to work. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and let the Braava Jet M6 do all the hard work.
Smart Capabilities
There are plenty of smart features available on the Braava Jet M6 that make cleaning nice and easy. Here are some of the ones you can expect to see on your unit.
- Imprint Link Technology
One of the key features with the Braava Jet M6 is its Imprint Link Technology. With this technology, the M6 can communicate with certain iRobot robot vacuums. When the robot vacuum finishes cleaning, it tells the M6, so it can start mopping.
This is one less step you have to worry about when it comes to vacuuming and mopping.
- iAdapt 3.0 Navigation
With iAdapt 3.0 Navigation, the Braava Jet M6 can move throughout your home with ease. The idea behind this technology is to give your robot mop the ability to map its surroundings. That means it will know exactly where it has already cleaned and what still needs to be cleaned.
Plus, with Smart Imprint Mapping, you can tell your Braava Jet M6 when you want it to clean every room in your home if you don’t want them all cleaned at the same time.
- THE ULTIMATE ROBOT MOP - The Braava jet m6 robot mops like you would. You can tell it where and when to clean, and Precision Jet Spray helps tackle sticky messes and kitchen grease.Runtime : 150 minutes
- MOPPING THAT FITS SEAMLESSLY INTO YOUR LIFE - Ideal for multiple rooms and larger spaces. Navigates around objects and under furniture. Cleans finished hard floors including hardwood, tile and stone. The Braava jet m6 can cover between 400 sq.ft. and 1000 sq.ft
- GUIDED BY SERIOUS SMARTS - With vSLAM navigation, the m6 learns the layout of your homeand builds personal Smart Maps, enabling it to expertly clean and navigate in neat, efficient rows. If it’s running low on battery, it recharges and resumes cleaning
- MOPS MESSES IN THE MOMENT - Coffee spill on the floor, Dog track in mud, The m6 can target specific areas within your rooms, like in front of the couch or under a table, for easy, hands-free mopping, with a request to your voice assistant or via the app
- COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR CLEAN - With Smart Mapping, your robot knows your kitchen from your living room, so you can decide where it cleans and when. With Keep Out Zones, your robot knows to avoid sensitive areas like pet bowls or play areas
- iRobot Smartphone App
Most of the smart devices in the iRobot lineup have the ability to be controlled through the iRobot smartphone app. You can download the app through both the Android and iOS marketplaces, which will then connect you to your robot mop.
Once you’re all set up, you can start a cleaning cycle, pause cleaning tasks, or completely stop a cleaning, no matter where you are. You can also create a schedule for cleaning, monitor the activity of your robot mop, and customize the settings, all right from your smartphone.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Jet spray aids in getting dirt and grime up off your floors.
- Control the robot mop through the iRobot smartphone app.
- Includes smart mapping technology for efficient cleaning.
Cons:
- Dark-colored floors can cause confusion for the robot mop.
- Not great on rugs or carpets.
- May leave tire marks after cleaning.
How does the iRobot Braava Jet M6 compare to other mop models?
iRobot Braava Jet 240
While the Braava Jet 420 (read my full review here!) doesn’t offer al the fancy features that the M6 does, it’s still a great robot mop for getting your floors looking good. It’s compact and small, which means it can get into harder to reach areas that other robot mops can’t.
The 240 is really handy for mopping under your cabinets and around your toilet. You’ll get a robot mop with a precision jet spray and a vibrating cleaning feature that helps the 240 pick up tough stains that linger on your floors.
- Superior robot mop with precision jet spray and vibrating cleaning head helps tackles dirt and stains
- Gets into hard to reach places, including under and around toilets, into corners, and below cabinets, using an efficient, systematic cleaning pattern; Navigates under and around objects and furniture
- Automatically selects the correct cleaning mode based on the braava jet pad type; choose from wet mopping, damp mopping and dry sweeping; For long lasting scent, add braava jet hard floor cleaning solution
- Mops and sweeps finished hard floors including hardwood, tile, and stone; Ideal for kitchens and bathrooms
- Maximized edge design gets into corners and along edges; Cleans under furniture and in other hard to reach places
This smart robot mop will avoid obstacles and objects that sit in its way. It will also move around steps without falling down them. The Braava Jet 240 supports Bluetooth and connects to your wifi network. It will work with many surfaces, including stone, tile, marble, and hardwood.
What Comes with the Braava Jet 240?
The Braava Jet 240 comes with three different cleaning pad types, all of which have a specific purpose. First, however, you’ll want to charge up your robot mop so it can get to work as soon as possible. Just find an outlet and plug it in.
When it’s ready to go, choose which cleaning pad you want to use for your flooring and slide it into the track located on the underside of the unit. It will make a click once it’s in place. That’s it. The 240 will automatically recognize which cleaning pad is inserted, then clean based on that pad type.
You can choose between:
- Wet pads: Ideal for mopping hard flooring types.
- Damp pads: Used with a cleaning detergent to pick up dirt and dust.
- Dry pads: Picks up animal hair, dirt, dust, and debris.
Keep in mind that these cleaning pads are disposable, which means they’ll more than likely only last a few cleaning cycles before you need to throw them out. However, there are reusable pads you can purchase if you want something that will last longer.
There are also washable cleaning pads which will last much longer and also provide a more economical option over the long run.
Smart Capabilities
There are a few features built into the Braava Jet 240 robot mop that allows it to clean and mop your home with little to no supervision on your part.
- Virtual Boundaries
Virtual Wall Mode is a feature that lets you tell the 240 exactly where you want it to go. Basically, you can create invisible walls that keep it from entering or leaving a specific room or area. You can divide a room into smaller chunks if you want, which might help make the robot mop clean more efficiently.
If you want to turn this mode on, just press down the “Clean” button until you see two lines on the top of the unit. When it enters this mode, the 240 will automatically create a virtual boundary on its map. As a result, even when it’s in the middle of mopping, it won’t move past that invisible wall.
- Navigation
Similar to the M6, the 240 includes a feature that allows the robot mop to remember areas in which it has already cleaned. That means you don’t have to worry about it going over the same place again and again.
Plus, it will slow down when approaching obstacles so as to avoid damage to itself and the obstacle. The 240 robot vacuum avoids stairs and won’t ride up on rugs. When it finishes a cleaning cycle, it will head back to where it started so you can plug it in and have it ready to go for the next time it needs to mop.
- Superior robot mop with precision jet spray and vibrating cleaning head helps tackles dirt and stains
- Gets into hard to reach places, including under and around toilets, into corners, and below cabinets, using an efficient, systematic cleaning pattern; Navigates under and around objects and furniture
- Automatically selects the correct cleaning mode based on the braava jet pad type; choose from wet mopping, damp mopping and dry sweeping; For long lasting scent, add braava jet hard floor cleaning solution
- Mops and sweeps finished hard floors including hardwood, tile, and stone; Ideal for kitchens and bathrooms
- Maximized edge design gets into corners and along edges; Cleans under furniture and in other hard to reach places
- iRobot Smartphone App
The Braava Jet 240 can also connect to the iRobot smartphone app. Once it syncs, you can have it clean anywhere in your home just by pressing a button. Even if you’re away from home, you can monitor your robot mop’s activity, schedule a cleaning, or start and stop a cleaning cycle.
With the iRobot app, you can get real-time alerts, view charging time statistics, analyze reports about cleaning, and use voice commands to tell your robot mop to start mopping.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy to set up and use.
- Includes three different modes and pads for cleaning.
- Use the iRobot smartphone app to control the unit.
Cons:
- Does not have a docking station.
- Short battery life.
- Could use a bigger water tank.
iRobot Braava 380t
Using the iRobot Braava 380t (read my full review here!) allows you a way to maintain the hard flooring in your home with ease. It has a built-in navigation system, which tells the device exactly where it has already cleaned and where it still needs to go. With an internal map of your home, it knows precisely where to go next.
- Advanced Robot Mop with Pro-Clean System enables triple-pass mopping action for everyday dirt and grime.
- Designed to mop and sweep hardwood, tile, and stone. Just attach a cleaning pad and press MOP or SWEEP.
- Cleans multiple rooms and large spaces. Navigates around objects and under furniture.
- iAdapt 2.0 Navigation helps Braava keep track of where it's been and where it needs to go.
- Maximized-Edge Design gets into corners and along edges. Cleans under furniture and in other hard-to-reach places.
This robot mop is built to slide easily under furniture while cleaning hard surfaces like stone, tile, vinyl, marble, and hardwood floors. To use it, just attach the cleaning pad, press the button, and watch your robot mop work.
The two cleaning modes that come with the 380t – damp mop and dry sweep – are perfect for removing grime, dirt, and stains from the floors of your home.
What Comes with the Braava 380t?
One really cool feature of the 380t is that it has an indoor GPS unit. A built-in NorthStar Navigation Cube gives this robot mop the ability to determine exactly where it is, even while in the middle of mopping your floors.
While it cleans, the 380t uses its location technology to map the obstacles, walls, and other obstructions it encounters as it goes about its work.
The 380t also comes with a few different cleaning cloths made of microfiber. There’s a blue one for damp mopping and a white one that you use for dry sweeping. When you are ready for your unit to clean, just attach the one you want and let your robot mop get to work.
Tuck the cloth into the gripping strips, attach the cleaning pad, and watch your floors get clean. Plus, the cloths are reusable, so you can wash them after each cleaning cycle. If you take care of them properly, they can last hundreds of cleanings.
The 380t also has a Turbo Charge Cradle. This is a dock that charges the unit in roughly two hours’ time. Just plug the cradle into an outlet, then put the robot mop on the cradle. When the battery on the device is fully charged, a blue light will flash, letting you know it’s ready to clean.
Smart Capabilities
The iRobot Braava 380t has a few smart features that make it easier for the robot mop to get your floors clean. Let’s take a look at some of them.
- Navigation
This offering from iRobot uses iAdapt 2.0 Navigation, which means it can track exactly where it needs to go in your home. The robot mop develops a floorplan on your home and stores it internally, so it can create an efficient path for cleaning your floors.
Additionally, the 380t uses a sensor that tells it when it is close to obstructions or obstacles so it can avoid them. This includes furniture, walls, stairs, and anything else that might get in the robot’s way.
- Advanced Robot Mop with Pro-Clean System enables triple-pass mopping action for everyday dirt and grime.
- Designed to mop and sweep hardwood, tile, and stone. Just attach a cleaning pad and press MOP or SWEEP.
- Cleans multiple rooms and large spaces. Navigates around objects and under furniture.
- iAdapt 2.0 Navigation helps Braava keep track of where it's been and where it needs to go.
- Maximized-Edge Design gets into corners and along edges. Cleans under furniture and in other hard-to-reach places.
- Cleaning Area
During one cleaning cycle, the 380t will mop nearly 350 square feet. If it’s just dry sweeping, it can handle almost 1,000 square feet. Even if you have a fairly large home, this is pretty good coverage for a smart mop.
- iRobot Smartphone App
Unfortunately, the 380t does not support the iRobot smartphone app, which means you can’t control it remotely. If this is a feature that you must have, you’re better off going with either the iRobot 240 or M6 robot mops.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Works with several different pads and clothes for cleaning.
- Keeps tabs on where it has cleaned using Smart Navigation system.
- Moves easily under and around obstacles and furniture.
Cons:
- Average battery life.
- Does not automatically return to dock when the battery is low.
How does the iRobot Braava 380t compare to other mop models?
Other iRobot Mops to Consider:
There you have it. These are the best robot mops that iRobot has to offer. As you can see, there are plenty of features available with these amazing smart home devices. One awesome feature is the ability to control them from your phone.
That means you no longer have to mess with dragging out the mop and bucket when your floors are filthy! iRobot’s smart mops are easy to set up and do an excellent job of cleaning up messes. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you need one, we highly recommend you do so.