When it comes to keeping flooring clean, we’ve all used the traditional mop and bucket to wipe up spills and stains, but moving dirty water around the room never quite does the job. Thankfully, we have reviewed a selection of 2-in-1 vacuum mops that make household chores much easier to manage.
What is a vacuum mop?
A vacuum mop is an appliance that can vacuum and mop flooring simultaneously making it easy to clean hard surfaces in your home with minimum fuss. There are a range of options on offer, from robot vacuum mops, to vacuums that have interchangeable heads for wet and dry use.
Why should I use a vacuum mop?
With a vacuum mop, you are buying an all-in-one machine that will lift crumbs and spillages, and actively keep flooring clean. They are a time saver and improve the hygiene of your home, with all machines listed cleaning germs and hidden mess as standard. To get the best from a vacuum mop we recommend cleaning it regularly. Some models have a self-cleaning function, others require washing of the filter and regular checking to ensure no debris is embedded in the brush or mop head.
We have reviewed a variety of appliances across a range of price points from affordable purchases to investment buys. All of our choices are lightweight and can be manoeuvred around your home with ease, and stored away without taking up lots of space.
How we tested
We tested these vacuum mops on wooden flooring and bathroom tiles to ensure they cleaned spills and collected debris efficiently.
Keep reading for our selection of the best vacuum mops for clean floors at the touch of a button.
Best vacuum mops at a glance:
- Best overall: Shark HydroVac Hard Floor Cleaner - £229.99, Shark
- Best investment buy: Roomba Combo j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop - £999, iRobot
- Best for self-cleaning: Bissell Crosswave HF2 - £179.20, Amazon
- Best all-rounder: DYSON V15s Detect Submarine Cordless Vacuum Cleaner - £799.99, Dyson
- Best battery life: Swan Dirtmaster Crossover All-in-One Hard Floor Cleaner - £199.99, Swan
- Best steam cleaner: Tineco Floor One S5 Steam Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner - £369, Amazon
- Best digital display: VAX ONEPWR Glide 2 - £249.99, Vax
- Best for quick cleans: Beldray Wet & Dry Cordless Vacuum Cleaner - £160, Argos
- Best for separating wet and dry dirt: Dyson WashG1 wet floor cleaner - £599.99, Dyson
Shark HydroVac Hard Floor Cleaner
Best: overall
As one of the most popular appliance brands on the market, Shark vacuums have a reputation for quality and efficiency. This zippy little appliance does not disappoint with its sleek stature holding plenty of power to clean dirty floors and scoop up debris all at once. With one click the handle is connected, power plugged in and with the press of a button, it’s time to whizz around the kitchen picking up crumbs, easing out age-old stains and catching clusters of dust. Even sticky raisins aren’t safe.
It can handle wet spills and crumbs that have gathered in corners with the easy-to-manoeuvre pivoting head. Handy headlights lead the way, shining from the cleaning head to guide your progress underneath furniture and around corners. Effective across all hard floor types including wood, tiles, marble and laminate, this vacuum mop makes light work of everything from kitchen spills to bathroom messes. One of the other added benefits of this cleaner is the freshen mode, which can be used to clean rugs and floor mats, from kitchen runners to bath mats and doormats. This vacuum has a long 7.6 m cable so you can move around your home easily without having to unplug every few minutes.
Although this vacuum mop doesn’t saturate the floor in water, it doesn’t need to, because the combination of function and cleaning solution does the job without leaving a slippery floor behind. The box comes with a starter kit of solution but we recommend ordering a larger bottle because vacuum mopping is addictive and you’ll need to keep supplies going. It’s rather like giving your floor a spa treatment and leaves the space smelling fresher. What’s more, you can even see the muck that has been collected in the dirty water canister, showing just how much hidden grime really does live on our hard floors.
Buy now £229.99, John Lewis
Roomba Combo j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop
Best: investment buy
As much as we joke about the robots taking over, we didn’t think it would happen so soon. If you’re looking for a machine to do all the hard work for you, look no further. The Roomba Combo j7+ robot vacuum and mop is the luxurious choice, allowing you to put your feet up and watch as it glides around cleaning your home like a digital Mary Poppins on wheels.
This isn’t just a clever gadget, it’s a fully functioning 2-in-1 vacuum and mop with high suction power and self-emptying dirt disposal. We tested the Roomba robot on carpet and wooden flooring and were particularly impressed with the fully retractable mop that is stored away within the machine when not in use, keeping carpets dry and allowing for seamless transitions between different floor types.
The set-up was easy to navigate with a simple app download that walked through instructions and offered us a vacuum everything function to get started. Once running the robot uses its camera to avoid furniture but we recommend keeping your floors as tidy as possible so it can clean efficiently. Once the bin is full the robot returns to its dock, empties its own bin then keeps on cleaning. An investment buy that the whole family will enjoy.
Buy now £999.00, iRobot
Bissell CROSSWAVE HF2
Best for: self-cleaning
This upright vacuum and mop combination catches crumbs and cleans floors in one go. It’s an all-in-one machine designed for use on hard floors, including wood, tile, linoleum, and laminate. Trade in the mop and bucket for this clever option that keeps clean and dirty water separate, ensuring your floor is always washed with clean water.
Once the job is done, the machine self-cleans with a push of a button, keeping the brush roll free from debris and ensuring the mop function is always ready to use. A useful all-rounder that would fit seamlessly into any household, from busy families who notice dust and dirt gathering but don’t have time to vacuum and mop every day to people with limited mobility who find household cleaning difficult.
Buy now £179.20, Amazon
DYSON V15s Detect Submarine Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Best: all-rounder
The benefits of Dyson vacuum cleaners are well known and the new Submarine model adds yet another member to the brand’s hard-working cordless range. The Submarine vacuum mop combination comes with a wet roller head, fluffy cleaner head, standard cleaner head and hair screw tool that can all be easily attached and detached depending on the task at hand. The wet roller head works on hard floors releasing clean water to remove spills and stains, from paw prints to toothpaste.
It took us a while to detach and attach the water container but once figured out, the machine was ready and it propelled forward with ease, gathering crumbs and dust along the way, emitting an inoffensive whirring sound whilst in use. This model felt heavier than other Dyson cleaners we have tested, but still moved around the space well and was particularly efficient underneath furniture. We noted that the wet roller did not lose connection to the floor even when tilting the whole vacuum downwards to reach underneath the sofa.
We think the Dyson is the workhorse of the vacuum mop world, with interchangeable tools and heads for every possible household task, including a nozzle to reach tight spaces behind furniture that a larger vacuum can’t reach. The wet roller can be removed from the machine for cleaning and maintenance. Overall it has all the premium features you might expect from a Dyson and is a great option for people who need one appliance that does it all, from a quick run around the house to a full-blown spring clean.
Buy now £799.99, Currys
Swan Dirtmaster Crossover All-in-One Hard Floor Cleaner
Best: battery life
This 2-in-1 cordless vacuum and floor cleaner works across all surfaces, making your home feel much cleaner with minimal effort. It’s easy to manoeuvre this well-equipped machine with simple button controls that adapt it to different floor types including carpet, wood, laminate, tiles and vinyl. Or if you’re feeling fancy, use the voice control option to choose this vacuum’s settings.
The detachable battery provides 50-56 minutes of cleaning and it has large capacity tanks for both clean and dirty water, so you'll be able to move through the whole house without being interrupted. Plus the cordless operation means you won't have any cumbersome wires getting in the way. Like some of the others on our list, this vacuum mop has a self-cleaning mode, meaning it’s ready to use with no additional prep or chores required. An affordable solution to keep your hard flooring consistently clean.
Buy now £199.99, Swan
Tineco Floor One S5 Steam Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner
Best: steam cleaner
Do you have a stain that refuses to budge despite plenty of elbow grease? The Tineco Floor One S5 Steam Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner comes with a high-temperature steam function that’s ideal for tackling the most stubborn marks, from kitchen and bathroom grime to hallways full of muddy trainers. This all-in-one appliance cleans and steams floors in one motion using sensor technology. Cleverly it can adjust suction power, brush roller speed and water flow to suit the floor it’s cleaning.
The soft roller gently cleans the floor using a dual-tank system that keeps clean and dirty water separate, rather than using a traditional mop and bucket. A lightweight option, this vacuum is ideal for small living spaces and for instant fuss-free cleaning. The compact size makes it perfect for flats and quick tasks around the home.
Buy now £369.00, Amazon
VAX ONEPWR Glide 2
Best: digital display
Skip the traditional mop and bucket and try this handy all-in-one floor cleaner. Dragging dirty water across the floor doesn’t get the best results, but this machine always uses fresh water thanks to separate water tanks. One of its best features is the automatic self-cleaning function that flushes through the machine, leaving it clean and ready for the next use, meaning you don’t need to get your hands anywhere near that murky water.
Handy integrated LED headlights in the appliance head illuminate the floor, making sure no dust or dust is missed. This is particularly useful when cleaning underneath furniture. The long-lasting battery (around 20 minutes) gives plenty of time to whizz around the kitchen and hallway without pausing to recharge. On the vacuum itself, there is a useful digital display showing runtime and indicating when the water tank is full. Overall, this is a solid choice from a reliable brand that will suit all house sizes and hard flooring types.
Buy now £249.99, VAX
Beldray Wet & Dry Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Best for: quick cleans
Cordless, rechargeable and lightweight, this hard floor cleaner is a great all-rounder for hassle-free cleaning. This appliance is easy to move around the floor with a swivel head that cleans the hardest-to-reach places, even underneath furniture. Simply move the vacuum across any hard floor and the dual-tank system will separate clean and dirty water, ensuring your floor is washed properly.
With 30 minutes of operating time, you’ll have plenty of charge to freshen up your kitchen and bathroom floors before needing to plug in again. This handy appliance also includes a small tray for convenient storage and charging. An affordable and compact option, we can see it replacing the traditional mop and bucket without a second thought.
Buy now £160.00, Argos
Dyson WashG1 wet floor cleaner
- Battery life: 35 minutes and 4 hours to charge
- Attachments: two water tanks
- Cordless?: Yes
- Unique features: water intensity, wet and dry dirt separation, self-cleaning mode.
- Capacity: 0.8 litres
- Weight: 4.9kg
Designed to clean hard floors such as laminate, vinyl and sealed wood floors with nothing but tap water, the WashG1 will retire your mop and bucket for good.
Counter-revolving rollers glide across the room and under heavy furniture picking up dry and wet mess quickly and efficiently. Dry dirt is collected into a tray, while dirty water empties into a separate tank, so you’re only ever cleaning with fresh water - perfect if you’re trying to avoid harmful chemicals in a house with pets and kids.
The vacuum can clean right up to wall edges when used side-on, erasing everything from accidental food and drink spills to stubborn stains with three levels of water hydration. All that is left behind is a thin film, which dries quickly so that you’re not saturating floors in water for long periods.
Dyson’s vacuum even has a self-cleaning mode to keep the appliance in good working condition, ready for the next clean.
Buy now £599.99, Dyson
Verdict
The Roomba robot vacuum cleaner is an investment buy that combines both high-tech novelty and functionality, plus does the work for you. For a more traditional vacuum mop, the Shark Hydrovac is a smooth operator providing an all-around easy clean, with minimum effort.
