Michal Plunkett

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can mop and vacuum without needing your attention. It will leave your floors spotless. Its surprisingly affordable price and high-end features (such as dirt detection) are a plus.

Make sure to check your robot's brushes frequently for tangled debris and hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models can also automatically empty their dust bin on board into a larger one at the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust released into the air.

1. Roomba Q5 Pro

The Q5 Pro and its sibling, the more expensive Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've test. They are equipped with motors that are top-of-the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobots (including the most powerful model), they use intelligent mapping to design precise floor plans and eliminate household obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also feature carpet boost, a feature that increases the robot's power when it spots an abundance of dirt on the carpet to get it cleaned quickly.

The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored extremely well in our tests on floors that were bare They are also adept in removing hair from dogs. However, they do have several flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. One of the flaws of the Q5 is that its navigation system does not feature AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's thus susceptible to get stuck on shoes and socks and couldn't navigate rooms with lots of people efficiently during our tests. Also, it doesn't have an image sensor that lets it see the corners of the room.

It's still a great deal for those whose home or office has a lot of bare floors and you're looking to save money. It's also quiet and operates while you're at work or school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming offered in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective in mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 comes with a self-emptying cradle however. And, if you have to, you can switch the mopping pad to dry ones in just a few minutes.

2. IRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into an elegant, compact package. Its quick navigation and smart cleaning maps make it simple to clean and efficient at tackling larger particles like pet hair. It also comes with a powerful suction and an automatic bin for emptying. It's the best robot vacuum cleaners best vacuum for carpets, though it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.

This top-performing mop and vacuum combination makes use of advanced sensors to avoid obstacles and pet waste, and it learns the layout of your home over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to modify zones and alter the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is comparable to other models.

You can tell the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and to extend them when it's in a carpeted room which prevents cross-contamination. Its flex arm is also great 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, X30 Ultra was the most efficient robot vacuum/mop which could sweep the entire house, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It did a good cleaning job on a variety of flooring and rooms with different kinds of flooring, including certain area rug. Its obstacle detection was top-notch and it was nimbly avoiding fake dog turds, socks, shoes, and bundles of cables.

It's more expensive than the iRobot Combo v9+ and iRobot Roomba j9+, but it has superior suction, a dustbin on board that automatically empties into its base, and supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It is able to clean floors even after it has vacuumed. This is something we haven't seen before on other robotic vacuum/mop combinations.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

This robot vacuum best vacuum and mop combination has a sleek, circular look that looks more like the regular Roomba model than the bulky models from the competitors. It's among our most attractive robot vacuums. iRobot's latest flagship model also is its most advanced model, with features that are cutting-edge 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 vacuum cleaner reviews vacuum/mop to score a perfect 10 out of 10 in our tests. This is thanks to the combination of modern sensors, including a restructured light system, camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that can fully autonomously refill and empty its base station and boasts an industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.

As with other iRobot models, the X40 is user-friendly, offering an intuitive mobile app interface, and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. The only downside is that the X40 is still a noisy unit. This can be a problem in the mornings before work or at night when you are trying to sleep.

It's also a bit expensive, but not as much as the Ecovacs S8 MaxV Ultra or Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally capable and better looking. If you're willing some more volume and some additional cost this is a capable two-in-one that should please almost everyone.

iRobot L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum cleaner vacuum and mop, with a lot of advanced features that let you get rid of 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 empty the vacuum's bin and refills the water tank, and cleans and dries the mop pads.

The smart robot uses LIDAR and structured lighting to create floor plans and spot obstacles. It navigates more intelligently than its competitors with premium features. It also comes with a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards however this was not completely foolproof in our tests, and was sometimes confused with power cords or obstructions.

The vacuum has a suction maximum of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to get the job done. It also has "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the amount of time the vacuum works and also adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of your home depending on the amount of dirt they tend to be.

If you have a bigger home, you should consider choosing a model that has zones or spot cleaning modes. This allows you to instruct the robot vacuum cleaner uk on which part of your home must be cleaned with the help of an app or voice control. If you have lots of furniture, a stairway mode is also a good option. Additionally a recharge and resume feature that lets your robot vacuum continue where it left off is great for busy families.

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is a more efficient cleaner than you'd imagine from its price. It has a great vacuuming performance and was able to remove 55% of debris in our tests. (It was only second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using a single pad and a reciprocating movement which is cleaner than the majority of the robot mop cleaners that we've examined. It's self-sufficient too, with a full-featured app and an auto-emptying, washable base.

The iRobot app is designed to help you navigate a mapping run 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 design cleaning schedules or to organize a spot-clean. You can also use it to rank your most filthy areas for greater efficiency. The app offers a variety of features, including seasonal suggestions, customized mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.

Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, which means it is able to reach corners and underneath furniture better. It also has a powerful suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for hair of pets. You can also create a spot-cleaner that will thoroughly clean the area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a sleeker and more affordable alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It is capable of vacuuming but is more prone to get caught on low thresholds and is noisier than the other top robotic vacuums we've tested. It also has an app that is less intuitive, and a smaller base station that can't double as a bin to empty.