Have you ever had that moment? Your robot vacuum is quietly waiting in the corner, but your kid just spilled an entire bowl of cereal. Or your parents are arriving in ten minutes and there’s still juice stains from last night on the floor. In situations like this, the robot can’t save you—you need a machine you “push yourself.”

After more than a decade as the robot vacuum king, iRobot finally launched its first non-plug-in, non-self-propelled manual floor washer last July—the Roomba Electro Plus. This is iRobot’s first non-robot product, priced at $399.99 and going head-to-head with the Dyson WashG1 released in 2024. Today we’ll test which of these cordless vacuum-mop floor washers is better for your home.

Not Just Absorbing Water, It’s Truly “Sterilizing”: The Core Advantage of the Roomba Electro Plus

Both machines can vacuum and mop at the same time, but their underlying logic is completely different.

The most impressive feature of the Roomba Electro Plus is its electrolysis water technology. You don’t need to add any chemical cleaners—the machine passes tap water through a trace amount of salt to generate “hypochlorous acid,” the same compound your own immune system uses to fight pathogens. iRobot claims it can kill 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

If you have at home:

• Toddlers in the crawling stage
• Pets that track mud inside from outdoors
• Family members with allergies

Then the Electro Plus’s sterilization function will give you much greater peace of mind. Its Dirt Detect technology automatically senses the level of dirt and adjusts cleaning intensity—no need to frantically adjust settings.

Dyson WashG1: The Dual Roller Expert for Stubborn Stains

Dyson’s advantage lies in its “physical attack.” It features two counter-rotating ultra-fine fiber rollers with 64,800 fibers per square centimeter—twice the cleaning area in one pass.

Even smarter is its 26 water-injection hole system. You can choose low, medium, or high water volume based on stain severity, or even activate “power mode” to fully soak the rollers. This is especially effective against dried-on sauce or chewing gum residue stuck to the floor. Its clean water tank can handle up to about 3,100 square feet (roughly 87 ping/288 m²) in one fill—ideal for large spaces without frequent refills.

Lazy Person Must-See: Automatic Cleaning Base Comparison

Both have automatic cleaning functions, but the convenience level differs greatly:

• Roomba ThermaClean Base: Simply place it back after use. It automatically cleans the rollers, disinfects, and dries them. No hands required.
• Dyson Automatic Cleaning Mode: You must manually start it. It flushes the system at maximum water volume; wastewater and dry debris are separated through a 500-micron filter so you never touch dirt when emptying. Some parts are even dishwasher-safe.

Price & Final Recommendation: Your Needs Decide Everything

The Roomba Electro Plus is priced at $399.99, while the Dyson WashG1 is $769.99 (though often on sale for $428 or even $399.99).

Neither machine is meant to replace your robot vacuum. Robots handle daily “maintenance,” while these two are “rescue” units for sudden messes.

• Choose the Roomba Electro Plus if you prioritize sterilization, have kids or pets, want a budget-friendly option, and prefer the most hands-free automatic cleaning base.
• Choose the Dyson WashG1 if you have a large open space, frequently deal with dried stubborn stains, or like the control of manually adjusting water volume.

For most families, the Roomba Electro Plus delivers the sterilization you need most at half the price and includes a more fully automatic base—making it the smarter choice. But if your home has concrete floors or is a large studio space, Dyson’s physical cleaning power will feel worth every penny.

You don’t want to stare at the floor every day, but when a crisis hits, having a true emergency-response tool ready to deploy immediately—that sense of security is absolutely worth the investment.