Running a robot vacuum several times over the course of a week will pick up just as much as the upright based on how often we currently use it. Plus, it works well in medium and large spaces, thanks to its longer battery life, whereas other models we tested sometimes died before they could finish cleaning. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Clean debris in dry vacuuming mode with the rotating brush roll, dual spinning brushes and powerful suction with up to 1500 Pa.

We also liked that the app features a maintenance tab to keep track of how many times you’ve used the robot and offers recommendations on when to replace the mopping pads, side brushes, filter and more. This is an useful feature, and surprisingly rare—the only other robot mop I've tested with this ability is the Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI.Just register BISSELL products, make online purchases, and participate in special events and online activities. Because, honestly, who doesn’t want to know more about a device that will both vacuum and mop your home for you?

The app will walk you through getting your bot connected to Wi-Fi and that took me just a couple of minutes. We ran each mop, including the SpinWave, a minimum of four times, assessing how well they were able to clean a water spill, a sticky soda spill and dried-on mud stains off a laminate floor. While you may want this for a set-it-and-forget-it type of cleaning experience, it’s not quite there. There’s more than enough battery life on hand for most cleanings, and the SpinWave R5 is efficient enough that you’ll still get solid battery life with more energy taxing cleaning modes.I have two kids and two dogs, my house is a split-level, meaning there are stairs everywhere, and we also vacuum our house maybe quarterly. It's a solid vacuum that reliably sucks up debris from low-pile carpeting and hard floors, and it truly shines when it comes to mopping, with two spinning microfiber pads and support for several different cleaning solutions to scrub away dirt and keep your floors looking as good as new. It got closer to 80% of some debris on the floor, but when it was finished, I could still see a substantial amount of flour on the floor and needed to manually clean it up (I guess I could also have run the mop too). Bissell also offers cleaning solutions for sanitizing or cleaning pet messes; just be sure the products you check out work for this specific model. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security.

While I won’t spend much time on the other tabs as they’re straight forward and much easier to navigate, the app includes a tab for scheduling cleanings, one to see your cleaning history, as well as a maintenance tab that shows the various parts of the vacuum and their level of functionality. With the sole exception of the iRobot Braava Jet 240, all the robot mops we tested in our larger evaluation process offer app connectivity, allowing you to control their actions right from your smartphone. When you press the button to select zones, a new page appears with a map of your space where you can create zones. Deciding to add one to your home is a big decision, and there are several different variables to consider before picking one up. I consider basic hazard and object avoidance to be table stakes when it comes to investing in a robot vacuum.It’s usually on the lower back or bottom of the machine (for Lift-Off® models, remove the Lift-Off pod to find label) or behind the cleaning tanks . It’s the same cleaning solution I already use for my manual Bissell SpinWave (which I also LOVE), so it makes life easy. In our testing, we found that the rotating pads do the best job removing dirt and stains from hard floors. The SpinWave R5 has dual spinning mopping pads and the ability to add cleanser to the mopping tank, while the vacuum suction is rated at 2,000Pa. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news.

I watched it work its magic and sometimes lack thereof on different surfaces and obstacles including hardwood floors, rugs of various thickness, and door frames as well as cat toys and cables. Even iRobot's dedicated Braava Jet m6 robot mop sprays floors with less cleaning solution on its maximum spray setting. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option and only have a small area that needs regular cleaning, the iRobot Braava Jet is another worthwhile contender. Quite often during my testing I would hear the bot shut down because it had become tangled on something and I would have to go and untangle and rescue it. Adding to the sleek aesthetics is an attractive light ring circling the top, which indicates the robot's status.

While it took a couple tries to get the robot paired with our phone, setting up the Bissell app was otherwise extremely straightforward.