Dad’s short answer: Different jobs. A robot does daily maintenance while you're out. A floor washer does an actual deep clean in ten minutes when the floor is genuinely dirty. If you can only buy one, pick based on whether your problem is upkeep or messes.

What each one is genuinely good at

A robot mop is about consistency. It runs every day, keeps the dust film and the paw prints from building up, and you never think about it. What it can't do is scrub. It passes over the floor with a damp pad and it doesn't lean into anything.

A floor washer is about power. The roller scrubs, the suction lifts, and it'll take on a dried spill, muddy boot tracks, or the sticky patch in front of the highchair that a robot has been politely gliding over for a week.

How to choose if it's one or the other

If your complaint is "my floors always have a film of dust and crumbs on them," buy the robot. That's an upkeep problem and automation solves it.

If your complaint is "I hate mopping and my kitchen floor gets genuinely dirty," buy the floor washer. That's a mess problem and a robot won't fix it.

Most people I hear from who own both end up running the robot daily and pulling the floor washer out once or twice a week. That combination covers everything, and it's what I run in my own house.

Dad’s Take: The robot keeps it from getting dirty. The floor washer gets it clean. They're not competitors.