Shark's new robot vacuum has a mopping feature I've never seen before — and it's not the only brand to level-up its mop setup

1. Home
2. Smart Home
3. Robot Vacuums

Shark's new robot vacuum has a mopping feature I've never seen before — and it's not the only brand to level-up its mop setup Features By Ruth Hamilton published 3 March 2026

All the big brands are mixing up their mops

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Shark (center); Future owns (left and right))

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Reddit
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Threads
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

Robot vacuum brands have cottoned on to the fact that the mopping part of their bots is a major asset. Early robovacs had mop pads tagged on as an added extra; a nice-to-have that worked pretty well, but only for the most straightforward wipe-downs. However, I've started to see some seriously innovative mopping setups join the party recently — ones that promise to mop much more intelligently, and might even be good enough to rival human efforts.

One example is the newly announced Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal. Notably, this product's press release focuses almost entirely on the mopping element and its supporting dock functions, while the vacuuming details are relegated to side notes. The USP here is that the PowerDetect UV Reveal is equipped with an ultraviolet light, which can illuminate hidden messes like dried juice, sweat, and pet wee.

Once a spill has been identified, the robot kicks into 'HyperSonic Mopping' mode, where it moves in a deliberate scrubbing motion over the stain until it's clear. Shark claims that this delivers seven times the scrubbing power of traditional mopping... although a footnote reveals that by 'traditional mopping' what it actually means is 'mopping conducted by an old Shark robot vacuum'. I haven't had a chance to see this robot in action yet, but I'm intrigued to see how it works in practice.

You may like

• Roborock's new robot vacuum has the best mopping system I've seen
• Dreame's new robovac has the most advanced mop setup I've seen, and the jukebox-style mop dispenser is just the start of it
• This shapeshifting cleaner can be a robot vacuum, a stick vacuum or a mop

(Image credit: Shark)

The idea — minus the flashy UV light part — is similar to another new robot vacuum. The Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai is also designed to identify hidden stains, and then run back and forth over them until they've been fully dealt with. Unfortunately, my reviewer didn't see too much evidence of this feature in day-to-day use, but it's a clever idea nonetheless.

More of 2026's new robot vacuums show an increased focus on mopping, too. The new Roborock Saros 20 Sonic has a wide, flat mop pad that can extend to one side to get close to the edges of rooms, and attaches magnetically so it can be dropped off in its dock when not required. We've seen both of these features with the dual, disc-shaped mop pads, but never before with a D-shaped mop pad. Roborock has also announced a roller mop robot vacuum, as part of a wider drive to offer customers a broader range of options to choose from.

(Image credit: Future)

That's not to mention the brands experimenting with offering more specialized mop pads. The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra has three sets of mop pads with different properties for different tasks. It dispenses them automatically using a jukebox-style dock, along with one of three different cleaning fluid options. Roborock is currently putting the final touches to a similar setup to accompany its 2026 flagships.

(Image credit: Future)

I'm pleased to see this renewed focus on mopping. Manual mopping is a messier and more involved job than manual vacuuming, and it's common these days for homes to include a mixture of hard flooring and carpet. Effective mopping capabilities can make a big difference to how useful a robot vacuum can be. Which of the new mopping setups prove the most genuinely useful remains to be seen, but a greater focus on this capability, and its effort-saving potential, can only be a good thing.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The best robot vacuumsOur top picks, based on real-world testing

➡️ Read our full guide to the best robovacs1. Best overall:Roborock Qrevo Curv2. Runner up:Eufy X10 Pro Omni3. Best budget:Roborock Q7 M54. Best for pet hair:Dreame L40 Ultra

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

Ruth HamiltonSocial Links NavigationCollections Editor

Ruth is TechRadar's Collections Editor, responsible for masterminding TechRadar's approach towards the new Collections format — a themed, curated selection of product recommendations designed to provide readers with an exciting new way to shop for the very best products.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more This shapeshifting cleaner can be a robot vacuum, a stick vacuum or a mop    7 big robot vacuum upgrades I'm desperate to see in 2026    Dreame's X60 Max Ultra robovac looks amazing, but is it a big-enough leap?    8 big misconceptions people have about robot vacuums    Roborock's new hovering robovac is perfect for cleaning thick carpet    This Eufy robovac has some of the best mopping I've seen    Latest in Robot Vacuums 8 big misconceptions people have about robot vacuums    Dyson Beauty's new limited-edition colorway is 'inspired by the summer solstice', and it might be my favorite yet    A simple hack gives a DJI Romo owner access to a global army of robovacs    The iRobot takeover is complete – but it looks like the Roomba brand is clinging on to its US roots    Segway Navimow CEO on why it won't be 'simply piling on features' in its robot lawn mowers    Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: an advanced robot vacuum that excels on carpet    Latest in Features Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, MWC 2026 is full of brilliant mobile gaming devices, including the Red Magic Astra    No, the sub-$500 PC market will not disappear by 2028 - Au contraire, I expect it to thrive. Here's why    'She's a 10, but also decaying' — the five zombies from Resident Evil Requiem I wish I could be friends with    Hands on with the Honor Magic V6, the new wafer-thin foldable battery behemoth    5 things nobody tells you when you move from ChatGPT to Claude    Xiaomi 17 Ultra hands-on: 3 upgrades I love and 2 things it's missing    LATEST ARTICLES

1. 1Shark's new robot vacuum has a mopping feature I've never seen before — and it's not the only brand to level-up its mop setup
2. 2Seagate reveals Mozaic 4+, its highest-capacity hard drives ever, offering up to 44TB for the next generation of storage
3. 3'A marriage of hue and form' — IKEA's donut-shaped Varmblixt smart lamp has started landing in stores early, and we can't wait to get our hands on it again
4. 4Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, MWC 2026 is full of brilliant mobile gaming devices, including the Red Magic Astra
5. 5Google patches 129 Android security flaws — including a potentially dangerous Qualcomm zero-day