Entertainment
4 best robot vacuums and mops of 2024, tested hands-on at home
How we tested
I have been testing popular hybrid robot vacuums in the various apartments I’ve lived in since 2020. My hands-on analyses have included everything from budget models under $200 that just cover just the basics to $1,500 premium models that are highly advanced in the way they clean, navigate my home, and take care of their own recurring maintenance.
In 2024, I’ve gone hands-on with mopping robots including the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Eufy X10 Pro Omni, Roomba Combo j9+, Roomba Combo j5+, Narwal Freo X Ultra, Yeedi M12 Pro+, and Roborock Qrevo Master. I am also currently working with the Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + AutoWash Dock and Shark PowerDetect.
A quick note about a recent experience: At this time, I’m choosing to leave the Yeedi M12 Pro+ off of the recommendation list. On paper, it checks a ton of premium boxes at a really digestible price point — most notably its self-washing and drying mopping pads and 11,000 Pa in suction power, which (if it actually worked that well in testing), would be some of the most powerful suction power on the market, beating the 10,000 Pa of the $1,799.99 Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. Given the Yeedi M12 Pro+’s sub-$1,000 price point (as low as sub-$700 on sale), it was a budget-friendly rising star that I had to get my hands on ASAP.
While its dry vacuuming performance on rice, kitty litter, and long hair on multiple carpet piles is in line with most other vacuums I’ve tried, I wasn’t necessarily getting “the most powerful suction money can buy” vibes. Then, the eerily low price point started showing itself in how the plastic-y build struggled to hoist itself over bath mats and rugs, often getting stuck in the process. A mopping pad even popped completely off at one point. In terms of mopping itself, again, it was fine, but nothing amazing. Between merely satisfactory cleaning, overall flimsiness, and obstacle avoidance technology that sent it running right over my phone charger, I’m definitely recommending the $799.99 Eufy X10 Pro Omni as the budget pick.
How we assess a robot vacuum’s performance
Ranking 2-in-1 robot vacuums requires testing of all of the factors we consider for regular robot vacuums, plus a few additional points specific to mopping. So, on top of regular vacuuming tests, including the sweeping of dry messes like intentionally smashed chips, intentionally spilled rice, soil from a house plant, and hair (cat and human), all 2-in-1 robot vacuums that come through my doors are faced with a variety of stains and messes that require a mop. I like to splatter some sort of sauce or dressing on the floor, sending the bots over wet and dried versions of those stains.
In my eyes, the only good robot vacuum and mop combos are the ones that do more than drag a wet mop pad lightly across your floor. Ideally, the mopping pad won’t be stationary, either vibrating, wiping back and forth, or exerting downward pressure to mimic human elbow grease. If the robot vacuum’s water tank is also compatible with some sort of cleaning solution mixture rather than just water, that’s even better.
However, to earn a spot in this guide, I have some expectations for these vacuum cleaners past their physical cleaning capabilities. I also consider their navigational abilities — you know, whether they can actually make it to the room that needs to be cleaned in the first place — as well as how well they avoid furniture and, when applicable, smaller obstacles like cords and pet toys.
Most of the big name robot vacuums up for consideration in 2024 can also wash and dry their own mopping pads. While this is absolutely a clutch feature that’s hard to give up once you’ve tried it, these vacuums can sometimes be so overpriced that many people will still opt to wash the mopping pads by hand. The convenience versus value factor is always top of mind for me, and as of Sept. 2024, only five hybrids earned a spot in this guide.
Entertainment
In case you forgot, AMC movie tickets are 50% off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — its a year-round thing
HALF OFF MOVIE TICKETS: AMC Stubs members get 50% off adult evening movie tickets every Tuesday and Wednesday.
All Stubs tiers are eligible for the promo
It’s been over a year since AMC announced that evening movie tickets would be 50% off every Tuesday and Wednesday. That officially bumps the promo into “year-round” territory.
It only feels right to re-remind you of how easy it is to get cheap movie tickets, given the nonstop bangers that summer 2026 is blessing us with. The Odyssey and Evil Dead Burn are the two must-see-in-theaters picks that come to mind as I write this post on July 21, but there’s bound to be a wicked box office lineup regardless of when you’re reading this. Heavy hitters like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Resident Evil, Other Mommy, Verity, Avengers: Doomsday, Werwulf, and Dune: Part III are all making their theater debut in the last quarter of the year.
As long as you’re an AMC Stubs member, you can catch all of them for around $9 per person (ticket prices may vary slightly depending on your location). All tiers of the AMC Stubs membership have access to the promo, and Stubs members can buy up to 10 tickets at 50% off per showing. The discount applies to the base price of a standard adult evening ticket only — no IMAX.
Mashable Deals
To elevate the in-theater experience even more, Stubs members can also get 50% off small combos on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, like the heavenly pairing of popcorn and that good movie theater Coke. AMC’s snacks are apparently so elite that people are paying to order them at home through Uber Eats — and here you are, getting ’em for cheap.
Entertainment
Light Flip is a minimalistic, cheap flip phone that wont distract you
Remember Light, the New York-based company that builds super-simple, distraction-free, cheap smartphones?
It’s back with a new device; its first-ever flip phone called the Light Flip.
Once again, this is a cheap phone designed to free you from endless scrolling and social media addiction, while still offering the basic tools you need for everyday life. To do this, the company has built an Android-based, minimalistic operating system called LightOS that’s mostly textual and displays everything in just two colors. You do get access to music, messages, alarms, and other basic apps, but you don’t get to scroll the flashy new TIkTok video; that’s what your other phone is for.
The Light Flip is available in six colors: Black, Navy, Red, Pink, Yellow, and Light Gray.
Credit: Light Phone
The Light Flip doesn’t stray far from the formula, but approaches it with the body of a flip phone. In many ways, it’s far more simple than the company’s previous phone, the Light Phone III, which has an OLED touchscreen. The Light Flip is basically your flip phone of old, with a plastic body, a numeric, T9 keypad, some function buttons, and a 2.8-inch, non-touch display.
Mashable Light Speed
Numeric keypad? That’s right, but at least it supports T9 predictive input.
Credit: Light Phone
Inside, it’s powered by a MediaTek MT8873 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and has a 50-megapixel camera and a (replaceable) 1,800mAh battery. Other amenities include a headphone jack (nice!), a USB-C port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G connectivity.
The camera on the back has a 50-megapixel sensor but takes 12-megapixel images.
Credit: Light Phone
The numeric keypad might be a tough sell to folks that are used to touchscreens or at least QWERTY keyboards. Fortunately, the Light Flip does support voice-to-text and audio messaging, too.
The phone is available in six colors: Black, Navy, Red, Pink, Yellow, and Light Gray.
The Light Flip retails for $299 or $39 per month with the Light Service plan. It starts shipping in April 2027.
Entertainment
The Ecovacs Goat 01000 RTK robot lawn mower is on sale for under $700 at Amazon
SAVE $301: The Ecovacs Goat 01000 RTK robot lawn mower is on sale for $698.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $999.99. That’s a 30% discount.
$698.99
at Amazon
$999.99
Save $301
Not many people consider the chore of mowing the lawn to be enjoyable. It’s a task we often hand off to the neighborhood kids or a professional landscaping crew. But if you’d rather take matters into your own hands, we have a great solution these days. Plus, an affordable model is on sale.
As of July 21, the Ecovacs Goat 01000 RTK robot lawn mower is on sale for $698.99 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $999.99. That winds up being a savings of $301 from a 30% discount.
By now you’ve probably seen a robot lawn mower rolling around someone’s yard, but it’s still an abnormal sight. Just like the rollout of robot vacuums, we’ll slowly start to see more and more robots take over mowing the lawn. As someone with allergies, I’m totally cool with never touching a lawn mower ever again.
The Ecovacs Goat 01000 is designed to maintain lawns that span up to 0.25 acres in size. You don’t need to worry about a wire perimeter because it maps your yard and stays on course thanks to LiDAR RTK navigation that even works in the shade or under trees. It can even avoid obstacles when mowing in dark conditions.
Mashable Deals
The small mower body that measures 2.3 feet means it can mow in tight areas like between raised vegetable beds or small walkways. Plus, it has an IPX6 waterproof design. You get to decide on your ideal cutting length between 1.2 and 3.2 inches.
Today’s Amazon deal on the Ecovacs Goat 01000 applies to the robot mower with a care kit which includes 36 blades and an RTK AC adapter. Since the mower and the care kit are on sale for under $700, today is a great day to wave goodbye to the heavy and loud push mower and make the upgrade. Spend the rest of summer perfecting homemade slushies instead of doing yardwork.
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