We independently review everything we recommend.We may earn a commission when you purchase through our links.Learn more

We independently review everything we recommend.We may earn a commission when you purchase through our links.Learn more >
We mistakenly pointed out that the Lunaglow Nano we introduced in the competition can connect to the app via WiFi.
Vacuum and mop combos, wet and dry vacuums—whatever you want to call them, we found in our tests that these machines can clean the dirtiest, bare floors faster than any other cleaning tool.It might be better to use a different type of product.However, if you think the sheer speed of a vac-mop combo is your best bet, consider the plug-in version of Bissell CrossWave first.
The vacuum mop combo wicks away debris, absorbs moisture, and wipes away stains and grime—all in one go.
The best models pick up almost any dry debris and can handle sticky stuff like a traditional mop.
To find the best option, we used six different models to clean stubborn stains on several bare floors.
The classic CrossWave leaves floors virtually spotless faster than any other floor care tool.It absorbs solid debris, sips spills, and wipes away stains all at once.This CrossWave is a plug-in model, so it’s more powerful and durable than countless cordless vacuum cleaner combinations on the market.Fair warning: regular maintenance is essential.
The Pet Pro is essentially the same machine as the standard CrossWave.But this model has pet-centric brushes and cleaners, plus a filter (which makes dealing with the inevitable wet hair in a dirty tank slightly less harsh).
Bissell’s standard green CrossWave and purple CrossWave Pet Pros (they’re very similar) both make bare floors look neater and shinier than any other vacuum mop combo we’ve tested.Spills, solids, stains – CrossWave easily and safely removes all stains from most wood, stone, ceramic, vinyl, laminate and linoleum floors.We expect the plug-in CrossWave to be more durable than its competitors, which are mostly wireless, battery-powered models—a technology that tends to stop working after a few years.Bissell also has a proven track record of widely selling its branded detergents and essential spares for many years, even in some brick-and-mortar stores.While CrossWave isn’t a replacement for a real carpet cleaner, it can suck up fresh spills before the carpet turns into a stain (not all vacuum mop models do this).It also works as a decent regular dry vacuum (some other vacuum mop combos, including our other pick, the Tineco iFloor3, can’t).The only major downside to the CrossWave — aside from the pseudo-burden of being tied to an electrical outlet, and assuming the vacuum mop model makes practical and economic sense for your home — is that emptying and rinsing after cleaning is pretty nasty. But that works on all vac-mop combinations.
The Tineco iFloor3 has no cords, so mopping and vacuuming is easier than with the classic Bissell CrossWave.But it’s not as strong at cleaning and probably not as durable.The iFloor3 lacks some versatility — it can’t vacuum dry, and it can’t really suck up wet stuff from carpets.
If you’re willing to pay a premium for the convenience of a cordless vacuum model—even one that doesn’t clean well and may not last as long as the plug-in CrossWave—we recommend the Tineco iFloor3.It can still handle almost any stain, solid or spill, but we found it leaves more residue than the super absorbent CrossWave, so your floors won’t look as smooth.It’s also not very good at sucking up spills from carpets.One unique feature is that it works more or less automatically: you turn it on and it starts mopping and vacuuming immediately, and you don’t have to remember to press any buttons or fiddle with any settings.As for the availability of detergents, brushes and filters, we don’t know what to expect.It’s easy to find them these days, but Tineco doesn’t do a good job of stocking spare parts for its popular cordless vacuums.
The classic CrossWave leaves floors virtually spotless faster than any other floor care tool.It absorbs solid debris, sips spills, and wipes away stains all at once.This CrossWave is a plug-in model, so it’s more powerful and durable than countless cordless vacuum cleaner combinations on the market.Fair warning: regular maintenance is essential.
The Pet Pro is essentially the same machine as the standard CrossWave.But this model has pet-centric brushes and cleaners, plus a filter (which makes dealing with the inevitable wet hair in a dirty tank slightly less harsh).
The Tineco iFloor3 has no cords, so mopping and vacuuming is easier than with the classic Bissell CrossWave.But it’s not as strong at cleaning and probably not as durable.The iFloor3 lacks some versatility — it can’t vacuum dry, and it can’t really suck up wet stuff from carpets.
In this guide, I tested six upright vacuum mop combinations (or wet and dry vacuums, or CrossWave knockoffs—they can go by many names that haven’t been agreed upon).The bulk of testing will take place between late spring and early fall of 2021.
Wirecutter also recently analyzed some 6,000 Amazon user reviews for eight popular mops, including traditional mops and some flat spray mops, with the help of an AI-powered tool called FindOurView.It gave us a lot of detail about the features owners appreciate the most, and helped us understand what real owners think about the relative strengths and weaknesses of each tool.(Particularly for vac-mop combos, a favorite quality is how quickly and easily they make floors nearly spotless, which helps us frame our minds.)
Personally, I’ve also written or edited the Wirecutter guide for many other floor care products, including all types of conventional vacuums, carpet cleaners, and robotic mops (while I’m testing these upright vacuum mop models) .
The vacuum mop combo can vacuum and wet-clean bare floors at the same time.It’s arguably the quickest and most convenient tool for thoroughly cleaning the dirtiest floors – usually kitchens and mudrooms, but it works everywhere.
But we don’t think most (or many) people actually need a vacuum combo.There are many other tools that work just as well, and most of them cost a lot less, even if they take longer to get the job done.
However, in the right home, a vacuum and mop combo can make your floor care routine even easier.The best models are decent quality appliances that do what they say they do.In homes where messy floors seem to come from nowhere, a vacuum mop combo can be especially valuable.They’re also great for soaking up spills, especially when solid pieces are mixed with liquid (some models can even do this on carpet).Personally, I’ve seen the dirty tank on the best vacuum mop models fill up with muddy swamp water, and I’m visibly excited to know that the dirt is no longer on my floor.
On the downside, vacuum mop combos are significantly more expensive than almost any other type of mop, and they don’t clean edges or grout lines well.Only some vacuum mop combinations work in dry, vacuum-only mode.Even those were worse at scooping up dust and hair from carpets than most standalone vacuums.Emptying the dirty tank of a vac-mop combo can also be a bit of a nuisance, especially if the machine sucks up a bunch of food and pet hair and mixes it up with all the cloudy liquids.
The vacuum mop combo has suction, just like a regular vacuum cleaner.But they also drip out some cleaning fluid and automatically scrub the floor with a rotating brush, kind of like an electrified mop scrubber.They can safely absorb and store solids and liquids.
Some models, including the Bissell CrossWave (our top pick), have the option to operate as a dry vacuum and won’t dispense liquid until you press a button.Others, like the Tineco iFloor3 (another model we recommend), automatically wet-clean whenever the power is turned on—there’s no vacuum-only mode.There are advantages to both styles, which we’ll cover in the selection section below.
Many people (and even brands) call this type of product a “wet and dry vacuum.”But it’s also a common term for a shop vacuum, which safely picks up solids and liquids, but doesn’t wet floors (no cleaning fluid, no brush).So we’ve decided (somewhat awkwardly) to call something like the Bissell CrossWave a “vacuum mop combo” to avoid confusion with other types of floor care products.
In some homes, certain vacuum mop combinations may be the primary floor care product (replacing a separate vacuum and mop).The more floors you have and the more you’ll want to mop, the more reason why vacuum mops are a priority.This doesn’t seem like a common use for these cleaners, and most bare floors don’t need constant mopping.But it’s an option that makes the price of the vac-mop combo look less intimidating.If you want to go this route, be sure to choose a model that can operate in dry vacuum mode alone, such as the Bissell CrossWave.
In terms of performance, vacuum mops tend to have the same suction power as cheap stick vacs — removing almost any type of debris from bare floors, but being nearly ineffective on carpets, especially those with long, dense fibers.
The mopping performance of most vac-mop combinations is powerful enough to wipe away any stuck-on stains and heavy buildup of grime, leaving the floor looking very smooth.As with any wet mopping tool that uses water or mild detergent, the vacuum mop combo is safe to use on any sealed bare floor, including most wood and stone tile, and all tile, laminate, vinyl, and linoleum surfaces.Relatively speaking, a vacuum mop combo works better than a wet Swiffer or robotic mop (or other pad cleaner).But they are not as effective or versatile (if used properly) as traditional wet mops; combos don’t clean grout lines like traditional mops, for example.
Some vac-mop combos claim to work on rugs to “refresh” their look (we saw this claim in an ad for the Bissell CrossWave Max).It’s a meaningless term, and based on our testing, we think it’s misleading.The combination can be used to absorb fresh spills on carpets.But we’ve yet to find one that does as noticeable a dent in fixing stains or grime as a dedicated carpet cleaner.
With a vacuum mop combo, you should use the cleaning solution provided by the manufacturer; this may or may not be ideal for your floor type or fragrance preference, and it costs more than many common cleaners.All user manuals suggest that using third-party cleaning solutions (Bona, Murphy’s, Mrs. Meyer’s, Mr. Clean, etc.) may cause long-term problems with the machine’s liquid dispenser, but we don’t know to take this seriously.
The Vac-mop combo can clean your floors faster than other floor care tools, but it still requires some cleaning after you’ve used them.This requires at least a few minutes of hands-on operation, which is far more cumbersome than what other types of mops require.
Immediately after cleaning or when the DWT is full, you need to dump and rinse the dirty water tank (usually marked “DWT” on the machine).Hidden in the murky liquid of the DWT, you’ll often find chunks of food and grit and anything else on the floor, along with some slender hair.Solids tend to stick to the sides of the DWT, even if you shake the waste a little before dumping it.Sticky stuff usually loosens up when rinsing with water, but you may have to brush it off manually (while trying not to bounce any dirt back on your face).
After each use of the vac-mop, you should allow the entire DWT assembly (including the filter) to dry for 24 hours before reassembling and placing it back in the main unit.If you become lazy or distracted in the days after cleaning and neglect to empty the dirty tank, it can get dirty — as we’ve learned in our own testing, it can be really smelly and sticky.Several models have modes that automatically wash the brush rollers, while others require more manual action to rinse away fuzzy residue.You’ll end up having to bend over, remove the splashback, and pull or cut some tousled hair by hand anyway.
Maybe I’m just more disgusting than the typical owner by the nature of DWT, and I’m blowing it out of proportion: according to us, only a fraction of user reviews of any vac-mop combination even mention this step as disgusting AI-assisted analysis.However, nearly 20% of popular model owners criticized the overall effort required to properly clean the machine after each use.
Another major disadvantage of vacuum mop combos is the high cost of the best models.No doubt many people will find them useful for cleaning some super dirty rooms, but maybe the convenience isn’t worth the price.For illustration purposes, here are conservative price estimates for some other floor care product portfolios (some of which are Wirecutter picks) that work roughly the same way as the vac-mop portfolio:
What is the best option?Price aside, the best option depends on how much cleaning you need to do — and how much time you need to spend doing it.The best products in each category have similar user ratings, showing that no category of mops is significantly better.
My personal opinion: when I’m testing the vac-mop combo, I’m also testing the robotic mop.Also, I own a Swiffer WetJet spray mop.So, for almost six months, I could use any fancy mop I wanted—I found myself spinning fairly consistently between mop types, with no strong, persistent preference for one.The Swiffer WetJet is almost always the quickest way to wipe up a small spill or stain, and I’m glad I have one around.When I have to clean up a lot of crumbs and splatters – maybe after cooking a big meal – the vacuum mop combo is the quickest way to fix that.If I’m not at home or just don’t need to use the kitchen for a while, robots can be a great way to pack.I’ve never used a traditional mop because I don’t have one around.But I do wish I had one that could clean edges and tight spaces better.
Bissell CrossWave has been around for a while – at least since I helped test Wirecutter’s guide to upstanding carpet cleaners in 2017.But we overlooked its potential as a bare floor cleaner.
Then in 2020, there was a surge of interest in the vac-mop-combos category (probably because some video clips of Tineco iFloor, mopping floors, and sucking dog hair are unlikely to be popular on TikTok).I also noticed that my local Target permanently moved the Bissell CrossWave from a shelf in the back aisle to a monitor closer to the checkout.My Wirecutter inbox eventually started to fill with emails from PR people telling me about new CrossWave and iFloor knockoffs from various brands I’d never heard of.So now seems like the right time to revisit the category.
My house is very busy with two adults working from home full time, a 3 year old and an elderly longhair cat.The floors of our kitchens and mudrooms get dirty very quickly, collecting greasy residue from cooking, breadcrumbs, street grit and yard waste, cat litter particles, and all the random debris that comes with living with young children.
Between late spring and early fall 2021, I use each vac-mop model to clean vinyl floors in the kitchen and entryway for at least a week.If I find a model effective and easy to use, I’ll keep using it for at least a week, and I’ll try it on wood floors and my stone tile bathroom.Sometimes I use several models in a row, back to back, in a dirty room to see if one can clean the grime that others can’t.
I also did some “challenge tests” where I would brush my cat and try to suck out a large clump of the resulting fur, or pour some maple syrup and marinara on the floor and let it dry for a few seconds.But I didn’t learn a lot from it because all the contenders did a great job.
After research and testing, we believe that the most important differences between the models come down to a few factors:
Cleaning power: Ideally, the vacuum mop combo should be able to wipe away adhering stains and grime, suck up all solids, and completely suck up spills and cleaning fluids—leaving floors smooth and a little shiny.
The best model, the Bissell CrossWave plug-in, makes almost dream scenarios possible thanks to its superior suction power.It just doesn’t clean edges or grout lines very well.
A battery-powered combo like the Tineco iFloor3 does a great job of vacuuming up solid debris.But they don’t wash off as much dirt as the plug-in CrossWave, and they don’t fully absorb their own dirty cleaning solution.So your floors won’t have the near shiny finish of the CrossWave plug-in, but they’ll still look and feel cleaner than using a Swiffer WetJet or other pad mop.
On the low end, the Shark VacMop is pretty much the equivalent of a spray mop like the Swiffer WetJet and an extremely cheap vacuum.The rest are in between.
Life expectancy: This is how long you can use the vac-mop combination before you can no longer use it continuously.This can be due to a major hardware failure, such as a battery pack losing its ability to keep a charge.Or, the manufacturer may simply stop selling fresh supplies like cleaners, filters or brushes.
We can’t predict which brands are likely to do the best job of keeping fresh supplies in the future.But some brands (Bissell) do have a good track record of keeping their products in stock for long periods of time, while others have a mixed record (Tineco) or none at all (Lunaglow, etc.).
As for durability, we don’t have clear information on whether some makes or models are stronger than others.But based on what we know about the mediocre reliability of cordless stick vacuums after nearly a decade of testing and reporting, we think it’s safe to assume that battery-powered vacuum-mop combos won’t be as reliable as plug-in models like the standard CrossWave. Battery packs often fail after a few years and are expensive to replace — in some cases, they don’t even need to be replaced.For example, the Tineco iFloor3 clearly states in its manual that if the battery stops working, you should throw away the entire machine.
That said, we recognize that some people are willing to ignore the high price and mediocre longevity of cordless appliances; without a cord to wrap around, these machines feel much more convenient than plug-in models.Therefore, we recommend both types in this guide.This is your phone.