How To Get More Value From Your Robot Hoover
The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It will leave your floors spotless. Its surprisingly affordable price and features that are high-end (such as dirt detection) are a plus.
Check your robot's brushes regularly for tangled debris as well as hair. Clean them as needed. Some models can also automatically empty their onboard dustbin into a larger one at the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust that is released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive cousin the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums we've tested. They are equipped with motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. And, like other premium iRobot models (including the top-rated model), they use smart mapping technology to design detailed floor plans and avoid common obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also have a feature called carpet boost that boosts the robot's performance when it detects the presence of dirt on the carpet to get it cleaned up quickly.
The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored very well in our tests of floors with no carpet, and they are particularly adept at cleaning hair from dogs. However, they have a few flaws that keep them from being our top pick. One of them is that the Q5's navigation doesn't include AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so it's prone to become entangled in shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate tight spaces very well in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera that can see around corners.
Still, it's very good, especially if you want to save money on an iRobot Roomba and you have a mostly bare-floor home or office. Plus, it's very quiet and can work when you're at work or school. The only thing it lacks that you don't get in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming of floors with no floor. It's also less effective at mopping. It relies on disposable wet wipes that don't stick well and aren't able to deal with dried-on debris. The Q5 comes with a self-emptying cradle, however. And, if you have to change the mopping pad for dry ones in a matter of just a few seconds.
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 efficient in dealing with larger particles like pet hair. It also features self-emptying dustbins, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, though it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mop uses sensors that help it stay clear of obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the layout of your home over time to offer more efficient cleaning. The app lets you modify zones and alter the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is comparable to other models.
It is possible to instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when it's in a room with carpet to prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm is perfect to get under furniture with low levels and along baseboards. It's not as effective on the washboard as our other Editors' Choice Picks, the Ecovacs Ozmo N8Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.
During testing during testing, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuums uk vacuum/mop that could complete the entire house with 66 percent of its battery left. It did a great cleaning job on different flooring and rooms with different flooring types including certain area rugs. Its obstacle detection was excellent and it was able to avoid 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 it has superior suction and an onboard bin that automatically empties into the base. It also supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after it vacuums this feature, which we haven't seen in other robotic cleaner and mop vacuum/mop combos.
3. Roomba X40 from iRobot
With an elegant circular design that looks like a regular Roomba than the competitors' boxes, this robot vacuum and mop combo is among the most attractive designs in our tests. The newest model from iRobot happens to be its smartest and has advanced features like enhanced dirt detection technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that can autonomously wash mop pads).
It's also the sole robot automatic vacuum and mop/mop to score an absolute 10 out of 10 in our testing. This is thanks to a combination modern sensors, including a restructured light system, camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could refill and empty its basestation autonomously. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa as well as self-cleaning mops.
As with other iRobot models as well, the X40 is user-friendly, offering an easy mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. The only drawback is that it's still quite an eerily noisy device that could be problematic if you run it in the morning before work or at night as you try to sleep.
It's also a bit expensive, but not as much as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or the Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally capable and better looking. It's a dual-purpose vacuum that's extremely powerful however, it will cost you more and make more noise.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with a variety of sophisticated features that let you forget about your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning device, similar to Ecovacs' top-of-the-range X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It features a multi-functional dock that can automatically emptys the vacuum's bin, refills the water tank, as well as washes and drys the mop pads.
The smart robot utilizes LIDAR and structured lighting to create floorplans and identify obstacles. It navigates more intelligently than its premium competitors. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time hazard detection, although this wasn't quite reliable in our tests and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.
The vacuum has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also comes with an attribute known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the vacuum's power and adjusts cleaning frequency for different areas in the house depending on how dirty these areas tend to be.
If you own a larger home, it is worth selecting a model with a the option of cleaning zones or spots. This lets you instruct the robot on which part of your home needs to be cleaned with the help of an app or voice control. A stairway mode is useful if you own a lot furniture. For families with busy schedules recharge functions and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to pick up where it left off can be extremely useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is a cleaner with more intelligence than you might think from its price. It vacuums well and picked up 55% debris in our tests. (It was only second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using a single pad that uses a reciprocating motion, which is cleaner than the other robot mop cleaners we've tested. It's also self-sufficient with a fully-featured application, and a self emptying, washable base.
The well-designed iRobot app will guide you through an initial mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan as well as any "no-go" areas you set on the map. It can be used to design cleaning robot mop and vacuum schedules or set up a spot-clean. It can also be used to it to rank your most filthy areas for better performance. The app comes with a variety of features, such as seasonal suggestions, custom mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.
Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, meaning it can get to corners and underneath furniture better. It also has a powerful 8000 Pascal suction and combs with intelligent technology for pet hair. You can also organize a spot-cleaner that will thoroughly clean a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek, cheaper alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive style, much like Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are shaped like cute little eyes. It is great at vacuuming, but it is more likely to be caught on low thresholds. It is also noisier than other top robot vacuums that we've tested. It also has a less user-friendly app and a small base station that isn't able to double as an emptying bin.