Genevieve Domingo

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can mop and vacuum without needing your attention. It leaves your floors spotless. Its price is affordable and its high-end functions (such as dirt detectors) are positives.

Examine your robot vacuum cleaner best's brush frequently for tangled debris and hair. Clean them as needed. Some models can also automatically empty their dust bin on board into a larger bin in 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 feature motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobot models (including the top pick), they use smart mapping technology to design detailed floor plans and avoid household obstacles such as cords and furniture legs. The robots also have the feature of Carpet Boost that boosts its power when it senses dirt on the carpet.

Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very excellent scores in our tests on floors that are bare and are particularly effective in removing pet hair. However, they have several flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. One of the Q5's shortcomings is that its navigation system doesn't have AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's thus susceptible to get stuck on socks and shoes and couldn't navigate through rooms with a lot of people efficiently during our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera to look around corners.

Still, it's very good robot vacuum, especially if you want to save money on a Roomba from iRobot and have a bare-floored home or office. It's also extremely quiet and works while you're at work or in school. The only thing it's missing that you can't find in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on floors that aren't clean. It's also less effective in mopping, relying on disposable wet wipes that don't hold on very well and can't handle dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying cradle that can be emptied by itself. If you want to, you can swap the mopping pad for dry ones in a matter of minutes.

2. iRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive vacuuming and mopping capabilities into a compact, sleek package. Its smart cleaning maps and quick navigation make it easy to clean, and efficient in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also comes with a self-emptying bin, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, though it's not as effective as some rivals in deep cleaning.

This top-performing combination vacuum and mop makes use of advanced sensors to dodge obstacles and pet waste, and it learns your home's layout over time to provide more efficient cleaning. You can modify the schedule of cleaning and even customize zones using the app that is well-designed. It has a battery life that is comparable to other models.

If the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can instruct it to take off and extend its mop. This can help avoid cross-contamination. The flex arm is great for getting under furniture that is low and along baseboards. It doesn't offer the same level of washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Professional+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.

In the course of testing, 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 good job cleaning a range of floors and rooms with various flooring types, such as some area rugs. Its obstacle detection was top notch and it swiftly eluded fake dog socks, turds and cables.

It's a little more expensive than the iRobot Combo v9+ and iRobot Roomba j9+, however it offers superior suction, a dustbin on board that automatically emptys into its base, and it supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after vacuuming it, something we've not seen on other robot vacuum/mop combos.

3. IRobot Roomba X40

This mop and vacuum combination is sleek and has a circular design that appears much like a Roomba model than the bulky models from the rivals. It's one of our most appealing looking robot vacuums uk vacuums. The latest model from iRobot is also among its most advanced. It comes with advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection and future compatibility (another company’s robot that can wash mop pads on its own).

It's the only robot vacuum/mop that has a perfect 10 in our tests thanks to a blend of high-tech sensors, which include cameras, a structured light system 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 has an the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.

The X40, like other iRobot products, is easy to use. It has an intuitive mobile application interface, and it integrates with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only issue is that the X40 is still a noisy unit. This could be a problem in the mornings before work, or during the night when you are trying to fall asleep.

It's also a bit costly, but not as expensive as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or the Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally capable and better looking. If you're willing to live with a little more noise and some additional cost this is a capable two-in-one that should delight most.

iRobot L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with a lot of advanced features that will let you forget about your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning device, similar to Ecovacs the top of the line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It comes with a multi-function dock that will automatically emptys the bin of the vacuum, refills the water tank, as well as washes and dries the mop pads.

The smart robot uses an array of LIDAR and structured light to create floor plans and identify obstacles, and navigates more effectively than some of its premium competitors. It also comes with a front-mounted camera that can detect hazards in real-time, though this wasn't foolproof in our tests and was sometimes confused with power cords or obstructions.

Its vacuum has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to get the job done. It also comes with an attribute known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts cleaning frequency for different areas of the house depending on how dirty those areas tend to be.

For bigger homes, it's worth opting for a model with zone or spot cleaning modes that let you tell the robot to clean one particular area of your home via the app or voice commands. If you have a lot of furniture, a stairway mode is also useful. For families that are busy recharge functions and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to continue from where it left off could be extremely useful.

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is more advanced than its price suggests. It is a good robot vacuum vacuum cleaner, picking up 55% debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses with one pad, which uses a reciprocating motion that cleans better than most of the other robot mop cleaners we've examined. It's also self-sufficient, with a fully-featured app as well as an auto vacuum and mop-emptying, washable base.

The iRobot application is designed to guide you through the mapping process that collects data on your floorplan, as well as any "no go" areas that you've marked on the map. It can be used to make cleaning schedules, set up the perfect spot for cleaning or sort out your rooms with the most dirt to ensure better performance. The app has a range of features, including seasonal suggestions, customized mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.

It is also able to reach corners and under furniture better because its shape is more rectangular. It also has a powerful suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for pet hair. You can also set up a spot-clean that thoroughly cleans 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, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It does a great job vacuuming, but it is more likely to get caught in low thresholds. It also has a higher noise than other top robot vacuums that we have test. It also comes with an app that's less intuitive and has a tiny base station that does not double as a bin to empty.