Want a new laptop with a side of Billy bookcase? Ikea and Best Buy’s new collaboration has you covered. | Image: Ikea
Ikea has announced that it’s opening mini retail experiences in a handful of Best Buy stores in the southern US later this year. It’s the first time Ikea’s products and services will be available through another US retailer, saving shoppers from having to visit and navigate the chain’s warehouse-sized stores which aren’t as plentiful in the US as Best Buy locations.
Although Ikea has had a strong push into offering its own smart home products in recent years including lights and plugs, its new shop-in-shops won’t be focusing on electronics like the Apple-branded shops already located in most Best Buy stores. Instead, they’re designed to lure shoppers who are already at Best Buy to purchase appliances like fridges and washing machines into potentially redesigning their kitchens and laundry rooms.
“By bringing together our home furnishing expertise, products, and services with Best Buy’s leadership in appliances and technology, we’re creating a one-stop destination where customers can design their dream kitchen, storage solutions or laundry space with ease,” said Rob Olson, chief operation officer, Ikea US, in a press release. You won’t be able to walk out of Best Buy with a new Billy bookcase, but you will be able to sit down with an Ikea rep in a mini showroom environment who can help you find new home furnishings and then order Ikea products for delivery.
The Ikea shop-in-shops will be 1,000-square-feet in size and will launch at 10 Best Buy locations in Florida and Texas including Daytona Beach, South Austin, and Mesquite. Ikea hasn’t announced plans to open more than the initial 10 next year, but it seems like an easier way for the Swedish home furnishings chain to expand its presence since it currently has just 52 locations in the US while Best Buy has over 1,000.
A three-pack of TP-Link’s BE25 Wi-Fi 7 routers is $90 off at Amazon.
Having a solid set of Wi-Fi routers is essential, whether you’re working from home, playing online games , or streaming a movie. I’ve used this three-pack of TP-Link’s Deco BE26 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Routers for months without any issues, and I’m eager to recommend them, especially since it’s currently on sale for $188.89 ($90 off) at Amazon (with an on-page promo code) or $199.99 ($80 off) at Best Buy.
TP-Link claims this array of routers can create a network that covers up to 6,600 square feet, with speeds up to 5Gbps, and with support for over 150 devices at once. The speeds you actually get will, of course, depend on the service you pay for, the layout of your home, and lastly, the kind of Wi-Fi chip that’s in your devices. While I don’t own any Wi-Fi 7 gadgets yet, these routers have worked wonderfully in a three-floor 3,000-square foot condo.
I’ve got a mix of gadgets connected to them, including ones that support Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, along with smart home accessories. So far, I haven’t noticed network congestion issues or dropped connections. Even stress tests, like streaming multiple 4K movies while downloading a larger video game on various gadgets, didn’t pose a problem. Similarly, I’ve never had an issue with a smart thermostat, robot vacuum, speaker, or TV randomly losing its connection.
It took me about half an hour to set up the routers using the required TP-Link Deco app. It may take a little longer than that to tinker with router placement — an annoying, but worthwhile process to get the best speeds. In case you’re new to mesh Wi-Fi routers, one of the three in this kit must be wired directly to your cable modem, then the others can be installed anywhere there’s a power outlet.
Three more great deals
If you want to bolster your home’s security, Ring’s Battery Doorbell Plus is one of our favorites video doorbells, and is currently $79.99 ($70 off) at Best Buy and Target. It can stream and record 1536p video, and will send your phone an alert each time it senses motion. You can view a live video feed from your smartphone and communicate with whoever you see using its microphone and speaker system, if you wish. The doorbell’s rechargeable batteries last about two months, and you can replace them without having to take the entire unit down.
Roborock’s S8 robot vacuum and mop cleaner is one of the best budget-friendly robot vacuums we’ve tested, and it’s currently $349.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Walmart. It has AI-powered object avoidance to prevent it from bumping into things, 6,000 Pa (pascals) of suction. The vacuum component can clean both hardwood and carpeted floors effectively, and can even automatically raise its mopping pads when cleaning the carpet to avoid getting it wet.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is far more discreet than a smartwatch, yet it can do many of the same things: it can still track your sleep, heart rate, activity, and more. If that sounds appealing, it’s currently $299.99 ($100 off), an all-time low price at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The Android-only smart ring is the thinnest and most comfortable model we’ve tested, and it comes in four colors and nine sizes. Its battery lasts up to seven days, so you won’t have to worry about reaching for the charger every night.
Cluttered spaces and matching furniture can cheapen your space.
Maren Winter/Getty Images/iStockphoto
It's easy to make mistakes when you're trying to make your home look high-end.
Luxury interior designer Bilal Rehman said small furniture and cluttered spaces can look cheap.
Rehman also advised against sacrificing aesthetics for comfort when decorating a luxury space.
If I've learned anything from watching Architectural Digest home tours, it's that everyone wants a luxury home.
Figuring out how to create that high-end feel is easier said than done, though, particularly if you're working with a tight budget or small space. Some people inadvertently make their spaces look second-rate when they aim for a luxury look.
Bilal Rehman, a luxury interior designer, told Business Insider about the most common ways he sees people make their homes look cheap — and how to avoid the mistakes in your own home.
Luxury interior designer Bilal Rehman has gone viral for his decor takes.
Bilal Rehman is a luxury interior designer.
Bilal Rehman
Rehman owns Bilal Rehman Studio, a luxury design studio based in Houston, Texas.
Rehman designs for people of all incomes, but he got his start in luxury decor, specializing in high-end spaces.
"I have an appreciation for the world of luxury because of the attention to detail and the craftsmanship," he told BI of why he likes to work in luxury homes.
Rehman turned his expertise into a viral sensation with his TikTok account, where he shares his home decor advice and has amassed millions of views on his videos.
He spoke to BI about one of the most popular topics on his TikTok, sharing ways people miss opportunities to make their spaces look luxurious in almost every room of their homes.
Buying furniture that's the wrong size for your space quickly makes it look cheap, Rehman said.
Jacek Kadaj/Getty Images
"I think the No. 1 thing that they do is that they don't use the proper scale of furniture or accessories or rugs in their space," Rehman said when asked how people most often make their homes look cheap.
If you don't have much floor space, it might be your instinct to fill your home with small pieces, but Rehman said that may actually make your space look less put together.
"People think that just because you're in an apartment, you have to buy small-scale furniture, and that's not true," he said. "Go buy the big couch, buy the big rug, buy the coffee table that's oversized because what people don't realize is that scale makes your space feel bigger."
Rehman said your space will look more luxurious if you fill it with a handful of statement pieces rather than too many small pieces.
"There's a fine art of not cramming your space with too much stuff and underdoing it to where all the furniture feels like it's miniature," Rehman said.
Kitchens can look cheap when they aren't cohesive.
brebca/Getty Images
Rehman said kitchens often look "cluttered" and cheap when you fill your cabinets with flatware, dinnerware, and glassware that don't match, particularly if you have open cabinetry.
"It doesn't look cohesive or expensive. It starts to look like you went and dug through a bargain bin to find all these pieces, but for the same price, you could buy a really beautiful matching set of mugs or plates or appliances to elevate your space," Rehman said.
He also advised people to think about aesthetics as well as function for any item that will live on their countertops, pointing to Smeg toasters as an example.
"There are cheaper alternatives, of course, but Smeg is a great player in the game of taking something utilitarian and making it artistic," he added. "I have a chrome Smeg toaster on my countertop and I love it. It's just so pretty to look at, and it's taking something so basic and making it elevated."
A cluttered bathroom can look really low-end.
Meaghan Skinner Photography/Getty Images
It can be natural to fill your bathroom counters with products, but Rehman told BI that not having more sophisticated storage can make your space feel cheap.
"Do not have all your products on the countertop," Rehman said. "Especially if you're dealing with a smaller bathroom, that empty visual space is your friend that makes your bathroom feel high-end."
He said to prioritize putting out items you use daily, and find other storage solutions for things you use less often.
"It makes it feel bigger. It makes it feel cleaner. And honestly, when everything is organized, it's so much easier to get ready in the morning and get ready at nighttime when you know where everything is," Rehman said. "When you're dealing with a bathroom, really be intentional on what's out and what's hidden and put away."
And if you don't have much storage space, remember to invest in functional items with aesthetic appeal, like coordinating soap-bottle sets or a nice toothbrush holder.
Rehman also thinks traditional bath mats don't create a luxurious look.
Solidago/Getty Images
Rehman said thinking strategically about your choice of bath mat can make a huge difference in your home, particularly if you have limited space in your bathroom.
"Don't buy a whole bunch of different bath mats, like the small bath mats meant to go in front of the toilet or the shower or the sink," Rehman advised. "Instead, try to get a large-scale rug or a large-scale runner that creates this unified piece in your bathroom and makes it feel clean and simple."
If you're hesitant about putting a real rug in your bathroom, Rehman said to remember that there are plenty of water-friendly rugs on the market.
"Just get a cool rug from Ruggable and throw it in your washing machine every couple of weeks," he added. "That looks so much better in the end than all these mismatched mats that are moving all over the place."
Rehman thinks matching bedroom sets can look cheap.
Francois Lariviere/Shutterstock
Matching bedroom sets might seem like the easiest solution to making your room look cohesive, but Rehman said it's rare for the set to look as good in your home as it does in the store.
"It looks so good when you walk into a store, and everything matches because they set it up in a certain way, but the second you take it home and you put it in your bedroom, it literally just looks like you went to a big-box store, picked up that room, and dropped it into your house," Rehman said.
"It has no personality, it doesn't look collected, it doesn't look designer, it doesn't feel high-end at all," he said. "Instead of doing that, the same money that you're spending on that, spend it on mismatched pieces that are cohesive."
Rehman said it's a better idea to find pieces that complement each other, as this will make the space look more intentional.
It's also a big mistake to forget to decorate the exterior of your home, according to Rehman.
John Keeble/Getty Images
Rehman advised people to approach decorating the outside of their homes just as they do their interiors.
"Don't be afraid to accessorize your outdoor space," he said, pointing to items like rugs and layered looks. "Put art on your brick on the outside of your house."
"You're going to walk outside, and there's going to be a seamless flow from the inside to the out," Rehman said. "It just makes your space feel so much grander and so much more put together."
He said investing in pieces that complement the natural colors of your environment can help make the space feel even more cohesive and chic.
And most importantly, remember that comfort and aesthetics can go hand in hand.
Robert Daly/Getty Images
Of course, the furniture you choose for your home, especially pieces like couches and beds, should be comfortable, but Rehman said it's just as important to prioritize its appearance.
"When people are going to buy furniture, they focus so heavily on the comfort and they don't focus on the style," he said. "They end up buying this big, bubbly couch that has lots of padding, and it has a built-in cupholder and USB chargers. That's great for maybe a movie room, but in your main living room, where you're entertaining, you want to feel sexy, and you want to have people over, and you want to create different moods."
Rehman said there are so many affordable, comfortable pieces with aesthetic appeal that he doesn't understand why people wouldn't pick prettier pieces whenever possible.
"In today's market, there's been so much innovation with the world of design and furniture that finding things that are stylish and comfortable is so much easier than it was five years ago," he said. "Just take that little extra step and go find things that are the best of both worlds."
Generative AI systems have proliferated across the technology industry over the last several years to such a degree that it can be hard to avoid using them. Google and other big names in AI spend a lot of time talking about AI safety, but the ever-evolving capabilities of AI have also led to a changing landscape of malware threats—or as researchers from Tel Aviv University would say, "promptware." Using simple calendar appointments, this team managed to trick Gemini into manipulating Google smart home devices, which may be the first example of an AI attack having real-world effects.
Gemini has the barest of agentic capabilities by virtue of its connection to the wider Google app ecosystem. It can access your calendar, call on Assistant smart home devices, send messages, and more. That makes it an appealing target for malicious actors looking to cause havoc or steal data. The researchers used Gemini's web of connectivity to perform what's known as an indirect prompt injection attack, in which malicious actions are given to an AI bot by someone other than the user. And it worked startlingly well.
The promptware attack begins with a calendar appointment containing a description that is actually a set of malicious instructions. The hack happens when the user asks Gemini to summarize their schedule, causing the robot to process the poisoned calendar event. Here's an example of one of those prompts.
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.
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.
Featured in this article
Best overall: Deebot X8 Pro Omni
The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is an excellent roller mopping bot that extends to clean along backboards and furniture. It’s also a powerful vacuum with great obstacle avoidance, a small dock, and a convenient self-cleaning brush system.
Roborock’s S8 robot vacuum / mop offers a host of high-end features at an affordable price, including 6,000Pa of suction, AI-powered obstacle detection, and dual rubber roller brushes that perform well on carpet.
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 support promised
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 $1599.99).
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 and Roomba’s dual roller brush models (which include the S8 MaxV Ultra and the 10 Max).
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)
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.
Multifunction Dock: No – just auto empty / Mop style: Vibrating pad / Mop washing: No / Mop pressure: 6N pressure, vibrates 3000 times a minute / Mop lift: Yes, 5mm / Edge cleaning: No / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 6,000Pa / Vacuum brush style: Dual rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts
The Roborock S8 is a great vacuum featuring AI-powered obstacle detection, dual rubber roller brushes, and 6,000Pa of suction. These are all features you won’t find on most budget bots, and combined, they mean the S8 does a good job vacuuming hard floors and carpets. Then, its flat mop, which vibrates 3,000 times a second, is very effective at scrubbing hard floors.
Unlike most robot vacuums in this guide, the S8 won’t automatically fill its water tank or wash its mop; you will have to do that work manually. However, it does have an extra-large onboard water tank, again a feature you won’t find on cheaper mopping bots, which means the mop gets sufficiently wet to be effective.
The S8 wasn’t designed as a budget bot; in fact, it was Roborock’s flagship model in 2023, but buying an older model like this can save you a lot of money while still doing a good job. Once $750 for the robot alone, now you can often find it for well under $500, and that’s with its auto-empty dock.
One of my favorite features of the S8 is that it can be set to mop only, and it does an excellent job, moving in a tighter “Z” pattern and going over the floors twice. It also has a slow option for a more thorough cleaning. I liked to send it out to vacuum everywhere first, then recharge and go out again to mop, which resulted in sparklingly clean floors. It does take a long time, though, and it doesn’t have any edge cleaning options, so it won’t mop as well along baseboards or under low furniture as the more expensive models.
Another great feature at this price is carpet sensing — the S8 can raise its mops a few millimeters to avoid dampening your carpets. Most other budget mopping bots require you to remove the mop pads when vacuuming carpet or set keep-out zones around your rugs. However, the mop-raising feature can only clear low-pile rugs, so I had to set no-mopping zones around my plush floor coverings.
The S8 requires a fair amount of hands-on time since you have to refill its reservoir manually and wash the mopping pads (you can throw them in the washing machine). But if you’re good with a little more manual labor in exchange for cleaner floors, the S8 is a great option.
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. Unlike the Roborock S8, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 announced the SwitchBot S20 Pro, slated to launch this summer. 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.
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, though we haven’t put it through its paces yet.
Roborock’s Saros 10 ($1,599.99) and Saros 10R ($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$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 ($1,399.99$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 ($899.99$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 ($849.99$999.99) also offers heated mop drying, a feature the higher-end Roomba Combo 10 Max lacks.
iRobot also recently introduced an upgraded version of the Roomba Max 705, the Roomba Max 705 Combo, which will be available for preorder in North America “later this year” for around $1,272 (€1099). 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 $999.99, 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 Narwal Flow — which is set to launch at an undisclosed price on August 7th — 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.
Eureka’s J20 ($899.99$1,099.99 ) features a very wide roller mop but only 8,000Pa suction. The forthcoming J15 Max Ultra ($1,299) 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 ($779.98$999.99), which can identify colored liquids but not clear or white ones.
The Dreame X50 Ultra ($1,199.99$1,699.99) 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 ($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 ($699.99$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.
Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Update, August 5th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added a mention of the Roomba Max 705 Combo. Sheena Vasani also contributed to this post.
Whistle pet trackers are headed to the Internet of Things (IoT) graveyard. After releasing its first product in 2013, the Seattle-based Whistle has just been acquired by a competitor that has decided to brick all of Whistle's smart GPS and activity monitors.
Tractive, an Austrian company that has also been selling Internet-connected GPS trackers for pets since 2013, on Monday announced its acquisition of Whistle from Mars Petcare, as spotted by The Verge. Mars Petcare is the pet food subsidiary of Mars Inc (which also makes candies like M&M’s), and it acquired Whistle in 2016 for $117 million.
Tractive bought Whistle to expand its business in the US. Until September 30, Whistle owners can get Tractive devices to replace the Whistle trackers that Tractive is bricking. People currently paying for a Whistle subscription will see their subscriptions transferred to their new Tractive device. People with a Whistle device but no subscription must “pay for a Tractive subscription” in order to get a replacement device, Tractive’s website says. Tractive subscriptions start at $108 per year.
A firmware update has killed key functionality for Echelon smart home gym equipment that isn't connected to the Internet.
As explained in a Tuesday blog post by Roberto Viola, who develops the "QZ (qdomyos-zwift)" app that connects Echelon machines to third-party fitness platforms, like Peloton, Strava, and Apple HealthKit, the firmware update forces Echelon machines to connect to Echelon’s servers in order to work properly. A user online reported that as a result of updating his machine, it is no longer syncing with apps like QZ, and he is unable to view his machine's exercise metrics in the Echelon app without an Internet connection.
Affected Echelon machines reportedly only have full functionality, including the ability to share real-time metrics, if a user has the Echelon app active and if the machine is able to reach Echelon’s servers. Viola wrote:
Login
