The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot vacuum will clean and vacuum your floors without your involvement. It will also leave the floors spotless. Its price is surprisingly low and high-end features (such as dirt detection) are great features.
Make sure you regularly examine the brushes of your robot for tangled hair and large debris and wash them if needed. Some models also self-empty their dust bin on board into a larger bin at the base, which decreases the amount of fine dust released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 pro
The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive counterpart the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums that we have tested. They are equipped with motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other iRobots with premium features (including the top model) they utilize intelligent mapping to design precise floorplans and avoid household obstacles such as cords and furniture leg. They also come with a feature called carpet boost which boosts the robot's power when it spots the presence of dirt on the carpet, allowing it cleaned up quickly.
Both the Q5 as well as the Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our bare floor tests They're also particularly adept in removing pet hair. However, they have some flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. One of them is that the Q5's navigation doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance and is therefore prone to get caught up in shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate tightly packed rooms very well in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of an area.
It's still a good value, especially if your home or office has a lot of bare flooring and you're looking to save some money. It's also extremely quiet and can be used when you're at work or in school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming that is offered by the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping. It relies on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick well and isn't able to handle dried-on debris. The Q5 is self-emptying cradle however. If you want to, you can swap the mopping pad to a dry one in seconds.
2. iRobot Roomba X30
The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact sleek and stylish vacuum cleaner that can mop floors. Its intelligent cleaning maps as well as fluid navigation make it simple to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also comes with a powerful suction and an automatic bin for emptying. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, though it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mop utilizes sensors to keep away from obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the patterns of your home over time to provide better cleaning. The app lets you customize zones and change the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is similar to other models.
If the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can tell it to pull back and extend its mops. This helps prevent cross contamination. Its flex arm can also be utilized to reach under low-lying furnishings 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+.
In the course of testing, X30 Ultra was the quickest robot vacuum/mop that could sweep the entire house, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It also did an excellent job cleaning a variety of floors and rooms that had different flooring types, including some area rug. Its obstacle detection was superb and it stayed clear of 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 empties into the base. It also supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after it vacuums it, something we haven't seen in other robotic vacuum/mop combos.
3. iRobot Roomba X40
With an elegant, circular design that looks like a regular Roomba than the competitors' boxy units This mop and robot vacuum is among the most attractive looking models in our reviews. iRobot's latest flagship model also is among the most intelligent model, with features that are cutting-edge like enhanced dirt detection technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads).
It's also the only robotic vacuum/mop that scored an absolute 10 out of 10 in our testing. This is thanks to a mix of high-tech sensors including a structured lighting system, a camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that is fully autonomously refill and empty its base station, and it boasts industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.
The X40 as with 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 problematic if you run it in the morning prior to work, or at night when you attempt to sleep.
It's also somewhat expensive, though it's not as pricey as Ecovacs X2 Omni or Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally capable and look better. If you're willing with a bit more noise and some additional cost it's a capable two-in-one that should satisfy most people.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop, with a lot of advanced features to help you forget about your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning machine like Ecovacs top-of-the-line 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, and washes and dry mop pads.
The smart robot uses a combination of LIDAR and structured light to create the floor plan and detect obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its top competitors. It also has a front mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards however this was not 100% reliable in our tests and was often confused with obstructions or power cords.
The vacuum cleaner has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to accomplish the task. It also comes with a feature known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the house based on how dirty the areas tend to be.
If you own a larger home, you should consider selecting a robot that comes with 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 stair mode can be useful if you own a large furniture. Finally a recharge and resume feature that lets your robot vacuum take over exactly where it left off is great for busy families.
5. iRobot Roomba RX3
The RX3 is a more efficient cleaner than you would think from its price. It is a great job cleaning, removing 55% of debris in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses using a single pad and a reciprocating motion which is cleaner than the majority mop cleaners for robots that we've tested. It's self-sufficient too, with a full-featured application and an auto-emptying, washable base.
The well-designed iRobot application guides 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 make cleaning schedules, plan an area for cleaning or to prioritise your dirtiest rooms to improve performance. The app also provides access to a host of features like seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.
Its shape is more rectangular than most other robot vacuums, which means it can reach corners and under furniture more easily. It also has a powerful 8000 Pascal suction and combs that are intelligent for hair of pets. You can also create a spot-cleaner which will thoroughly clean a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek, cheaper alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive style, much like Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are shaped like adorable eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, but it is more likely to be caught on low thresholds. It is also noisier than other top robot vacuums we have examined. It also comes with an app that is less intuitive, and a smaller base station that does not double as a bin for emptying.