iRobot's cordless Scooba is a robotic time-saver that methodically vacuums, washes, scrubs and squeegee-dries all kinds of floor surfaces in a single pass with the push of a button. The Scooba works on tile, linoleum, slate, marble, sealed hardwood and other floors as long as the surface is hard and sealed. Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, this clever device is equipped with smart sensors that guide it into corners and small spaces without crossing carpet, steps or any boundary that's over three millimeters high. Scooba is compact enough to clean underneath most furniture and cabinet kickboards that have at least three inches of clearance. A Virtual Wall unit is included to keep Scooba from crossing an open area.

We tested Scooba on a 20X20-foot sealed linoleum floor and found it to be surprisingly effective. This self-navigating cleaning machine coursed its way through the room multiple times, gently passing around table legs, in and out of corners and underneath kickboards. As Scooba learns the layout of the room, it follows the best navigational pattern possible. Ours was a bit irregular, with a large island breaking up the room on the diagonal. Scooba ventured to the other side only briefly, but treating the two areas as separate rooms resulted in the unit cleaning every square inch of space.

The first stage of the Scooba's cleaning ritual is a preparatory vacuuming that picks up loose dirt and light debris. Areas that were once sticky messes or smudged with muddy footprints are then scrubbed clean via the specialized cleaning solution and rapidly rotating brush. (You can also use tap water or white vinegar.) Finally, Scooba's squeegee vacuum sucks up dirty water and debris, squeegee-drying the floor to near perfection while disposing of the dirty water in a separate tank. Keep in mind that this is not a robotic paper towel; it's still best to clean large spills and grimy messes by hand.

Once Scooba does its job, the only effort that you need to add is to empty and rinse the tanks, then remove and rinse the filter and vacuum port; this is a job that is easily complete in minutes. The Scooba includes a built-in rechargeable battery, an AC adapter, the Virtual Wall and an 8-ounce bottle of cleaning solution. Three models are available: Scooba 5800 ($299.99) cleans 250 square feet per charge, Scooba 350 ($399.99) covers 500 square feet per charge, and Scooba 380 covers 850 square feet per charge.


Pros: Automatically prepares, washes, scrubs and squeegee dries sealed hardwood floors on its own; sucks up dirty water into separate holding tank; smart sensors calculate best navigational pattern possible; quieter than vacuum cleaner; can use water or white vinegar rather than cleaning solution; easy clean-up; easy to store
Cons: Not for use with unsealed or laminated wood floors, not suited to stubborn stains, doesn't effectively navigate and clean large irregularly-shaped kitchens as one room

Warranty
1 year