The iLife Shinebot W400 diligently scrubs away stains from your hard floors. But it can’t get under most cabinets and between tight spaces, so it’s less than ideal for small bathrooms and kitchens.

And so it came to pass that the bullet was bitten and a product request sent to iLife, the Chinese producers of what some users hail as one of the best – and cheapest – mopping bots on the market. You ...