ZDNET Names $1,400 Eufy Omni S2 Best Robot Vacuum Mop of 2026

Q: Why might spending $1,600 on the top-rated robot vacuum actually leave you frustrated when it encounters a simple floor threshold?

Because the top-rated Eufy Omni S2 appears to have a real-world weak spot: threshold climbing. ZDNET praised it for suction, navigation, and especially mopping, but independent testing cited in the supporting material says the S2 can be inconsistent when crossing raised floor transitions. Vacuum Wars reported it “struggled to consistently clear 32mm thresholds,” even though the robot has strong obstacle avoidance and premium automation elsewhere. That means a simple divider between rooms, a sliding-door track, or a slightly raised doorway can stop or delay a machine that costs around $1,600. This matters because threshold performance affects whether a robot can actually clean the whole home without help. A robot that vacuums and mops brilliantly on open floors can still frustrate owners if it gets hung up moving from tile to wood, from hallway to bathroom, or over common room dividers. In practice, that can mean missed rooms, repeated rescue alerts, or the need to add ramps or threshold strips. The frustration is sharper at this price because rival premium models now advertise and demonstrate better climbing ability. The broader review material points to alternatives such as Dreame’s higher-end robots and some Ecovacs models that handle taller thresholds more reliably. So the issue is not that the Omni S2 is a poor cleaner. It is that even an excellent, expensive robot can feel less “hands-free” if your home has modest floor transitions it cannot clear consistently.

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 19

ZDNET’s August 2026 update put the Eufy Omni S2 at No. 1 after hands-on testing, citing standout cleaning, navigation, self-emptying and self-cleaning features, and a near-perfect mop roller.
30,000Pa of suction and a self-washing roller mop helped the Omni S2 beat rivals; ZDNET said it suits hard-floor homes, pets, and sticky messes, though its regular $1,600 price remains a hurdle.
Three of the five top picks were replaced in the August refresh, with the Tapo RV20 Max named best budget option at $120 and the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCycle highlighted for vacuum performance at $700.
Yeedi’s S14 Plus at $427 and Mova’s P50 Pro Ultra at $436 rounded out the list, reflecting ZDNET’s broader view that strong midrange models now offer self-emptying and self-washing features once limited to flagships.