The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot vacuum will vacuum and mop your floors without your involvement. It will also leave the floors spotless. Its price is affordable and its high-end functions (such as dirt detectors) are both positives.
Be sure to regularly examine the brushes of your robot for hair tangled and large debris and clean them as required. Some models also self-empty their onboard dust bin into a larger bin in the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro and its sibling, the pricier Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've tested. They have motors that are top of the quality and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other iRobots with premium features (including the top model), they use smart mapping to create detailed floor plans and eliminate household obstacles like cords and furniture leg. They also feature carpet boost, a feature that increases the robot's power when it detects an abundance of dirt on the carpet to get it cleaned quickly.
The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored very well in our tests of floors with no carpet and are especially adept at cleaning hair from dogs. There are some issues, however, that prevent them from being our first choice. One of the flaws of the Q5 is its navigation system does not include AI-powered obstacle avoidance. It's thus susceptible to getting stuck on socks and shoes and could not navigate rooms with lots of people well during our tests. Also, it doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of the room.
It's still a good deal, especially if your home or office has a lot of unfinished floors and you're looking to save some money. It's also very quiet and operates while you're at work or school. It lacks the edge-to-edge bare floor vacuuming that is available in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes that don't stick very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 does come with an auto-emptying dock, however. If you're required to mop, the mopping pad can be changed for a wet one in minutes.
2. IRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact sleek and stylish vacuum cleaner that can mop floors. Its intelligent cleaning maps as well as nimble navigation make it easy to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also comes with an impressive suction system and a self-emptying bin. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, although it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.
This top-performing mop and vacuum combo makes use of advanced sensors to dodge obstacles and pet waste, and it will learn the layout of your home over time to provide more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. Its battery life is average compared to other models.
When the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can instruct it to remove and extend its mop. This helps prevent cross-contamination. Its flex arm is also ideal for getting under low-lying furniture and along baseboards. It doesn't perform as well on the washboard as our other Editors' Choice Picks, the Ecovacs Ozmo N8Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.
During tests, X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to complete the task of cleaning a whole home with just 66 percent of its battery remaining. It also did a great job cleaning a variety of floors and rooms with various flooring types, such as some area carpets. Its obstacle detection was great, and it avoided fake dog turds and socks, shoes and bundles of cables.
It's a bit more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but has superior suction and an onboard bin that automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after vacuuming, a feature that we haven't seen in other robotic vacuum/mop combos.
3. iRobot Roomba X40
With an elegant circular design that appears more like a regular Roomba than the competition's boxy units This mop and robot vacuum is one of the most attractive looking models in our evaluations. The latest flagship model from iRobot is also the most intelligent. It comes with advanced features like Enhanced Dirt Detection as well as future compatibility (another company’s robot that can wash mop pads autonomously).
It's also the only robotic vacuum or mop that scored an absolute 10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is thanks to a combination high-tech sensors including a structured light system, camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that can fully autonomously refill and empty its base station, and it boasts the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.
The X40 is, like the other iRobot products, is easy to operate. It has an intuitive mobile application interface, and it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only real drawback is that it's still quite an eerily noisy device which could be an issue if you use it in the morning before work or in the evening as you attempt to sleep.
It's also quite expensive, although it's not as pricey as the Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally capable and better-looking. This is a two-in-one vacuum that's very capable however it will cost you more and produce more noise.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop, with many advanced features to help you forget about your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning machine that is similar to Ecovacs top-of-the-line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It has a multifunction dock which automatically emptys the vacuum's bin and fills up the water tank, and cleans and dry the mop pads.
The smart robot makes use of LIDAR and structured lighting to create floor plans and detect obstacles. It navigates more intelligently than its top competitors. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards however, it wasn't 100% foolproof during our tests and was often confused by power cords or other obstructions.
The vacuum has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to finish the job. It also comes with "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates the intensity at which the vacuum works and also adjusts the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the house depending on the degree of dirt they tend to be.
If you own a larger home, you should consider choosing a model that has the option of cleaning zones or spots. This allows you to tell the robot which area of your house needs to be cleaned by using the app or voice command. If you have a lot of furniture, a stair mode is also a good option. Additionally a recharge and resume function that allows your robot vacuum to pick up right where it left off is ideal for busy families.
5. iRobot Roomba RX3
The RX3 is a cleaner with more intelligence than you would expect from its price tag. robot vacuums uk 's a pro at vacuuming, picking up 55% of debris in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses with a single pad that uses a reciprocating motion that cleans better than most of the other mop cleaners for robots we've examined. It's also self-sufficient with a fully-featured app, and a self emptying, washable base.
The iRobot app is designed to guide you through an exercise in mapping, which gathers information on your floorplan, as well as any "no go" areas you've marked on the map. It can be used to make cleaning schedules, set up an area for cleaning or to sort out your rooms with the most dirt for better performance. The app also grants access to a host of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.
It also has the ability to reach corners and under furniture better because its shape is more rectangular. It also has strong 8000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for hair of pets. And you can create a spot-clean that intensely cleans a localized area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and cheaper alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, however it is more likely to get stuck on low thresholds. It also has a higher noise than other top robot vacuums that we've tested. It also comes with an app that is less intuitive and a small base station that does not double as a bin to empty.