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69 models with a self-emptying station: the station empties the bin, you look after the mop. Ranked by our score from lab tests and owners’ ratings, with today’s lowest price.
A self-emptying station does one thing: after every run it sucks the robot's bin into a bag that lasts for weeks. That removes the daily chore that makes many people tire of a simple robot after a few weeks. Mopping stays manual: you remove, rinse and dry the pad yourself, or leave mopping out altogether.
This class makes most sense when vacuuming is what you want, for example in a house with a lot of carpet or with pets, and you do not want or cannot place a large all-in-one station. The stations are smaller and the robots cheaper. The order below is our score: lab tests first, then owners’ ratings and the maker’s facts. The price is today's lowest including shipping.
The three station types compared
With self-emptying station this page
The station
Charges the robot and after every run sucks its bin empty into a bag that lasts for weeks.
Left to you
Replacing the dust bag when it is full, and rinsing and drying the mop if the robot mops.
Median price today
$360 · 69 models on sale
Dust bag
lasts 60 days by the makers' own figures (median of 64 models)
Charges the robot. It is no bigger than a book and fits anywhere.
Left to you
Emptying the bin, every few days in an average home, and rinsing the mop if the robot mops.
Median price today
$184 · 65 models on sale
Dust bag
none: you empty the robot's bin yourself
The price is the median of today's lowest price per model, shipping included. How long a dust bag lasts is what the makers state themselves: new bags are the running cost of a station.
Mopping freshens the floor; real stains rarely come off. Spinning or roller mops paired with self-cleaning stations deliver the most effective floor cleaning.
Score out of 10: 60% lab tests, 25% owners’ ratings at the stores that ship to the United States, 15% the maker’s facts. Price does not count. Only models a lab has tested are ranked, and only models sold in the United States count. Method.
With self-emptying station
The station empties the bin. You clean the mop yourself. 5 models, ranked by our score.
#3
