The Best Robot Hoover
The most effective robot hoover will vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It will leave your floors spotless. Its price is affordable and its high-end features (such as dirt detector) are a plus.
Examine your robot's brush frequently for tangled debris and hair. Clean them as needed. Some models also self-empty their dust bin on board into a larger one at the base, which decreases 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 tested. They have top-of-the-line motors that can generate up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. And, like other top iRobot models (including the top choice) they employ smart mapping technology to design precise floor plans and eliminate 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 in order to get it cleaned up quickly.
Both the Q5 and the Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our tests on floors that are bare They're also particularly adept in cleaning pet hair. However, they do have some flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. For instance, the Q5's navigation system does not have AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to getting hung up on shoes and socks and can't navigate tight spaces very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't come with cameras that let it see the corners of an area.
It's still a great deal for those whose office or home has a lot of unfinished flooring and you're looking to save some money. Plus, it's very quiet and can work while you're at work or at school. The only thing it's missing that you won't find in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on floors that aren't clean. And it's less effective at mopping, relying on disposable wet wipes that don't stay on well and aren't able to take on dried-on debris. The Q5 has self-emptying docks, however. And, if you have to, you can swap the mopping pad for dry ones in a matter of minutes.
2. iRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into an elegant, compact package. Its smart cleaning maps and fluid navigation make it simple to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles like pet hair. It also features a self-emptying dustbin with powerful suction and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robot hoover for carpets, but it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mop uses sensors that help it keep away from obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the layout of your home over time and provide better cleaning. You can alter its cleaning schedule and set up zones using the app that is well-designed. It has a battery lifespan that is comparable to other models.
You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when in a room with carpet, which helps prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm can be used to reach under furniture with low levels and along baseboards. It's not as efficient 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 different flooring types, including some area rugs. Its obstacle detection was great and it was able to avoid fake dog turds, socks, shoes and bundles of cables.
It's more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but has superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can also clean the floor even after it vacuums. This is a feature that we haven't seen in other robotic vacuum/mop combos.
3. Roomba X40 from iRobot
With a sleek, circular design that looks more like a normal Roomba rather than the compact models This mop and robot vacuum is one of the most attractive looking models in our tests. The newest model from iRobot happens to be its smartest, with advanced features including enhanced dirt detection technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that can wash its own mop pads).
It's the only robot vacuum/mop to score an exemplary 10/10 in our tests due to a mix of high-tech sensors, which include cameras, a structured light system and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot in our tests that is fully autonomously refill and empty its base station, and it has an industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.
The X40 as with other iRobot products, is easy to use. automated vacuum cleaner has an easy mobile application interface, and it is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only drawback is that it's still quite a noisy unit, which can be an issue if you use it in the morning before work, or at night when you try to sleep.
It's also quite expensive, but not as expensive as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or Roborock S8 Omni, which are equally impressive and attractive. If you're willing to put up some more volume and some additional cost, this is a very capable two-in-one that should please almost everyone.
iRobot L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with many advanced features that let you forget about your chores. Like Ecovacs' range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-off cleaning machine that takes charge of both vacuuming and mopping, with a multi-function dock that automatically emptys the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dries its mop pads.
The smart robot uses a combination of LIDAR and structured light to create floor plans and spot obstacles, making it more efficient than its more expensive competitors. It also comes with a front-mounted camera that can detect hazards in real-time however this was not 100% reliable in our tests and could be confused with obstructions or power cords.
Its vacuum has a suction maximum of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also comes with "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the amount of time the vacuum works and also alters the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home depending on the amount of dirt they are.
For larger houses it's recommended to choose one that has zone or spot cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean a particular area of your house via the app or via voice commands. If you have a lot of furniture, a stair mode is also a good option. For busy families recharge functions and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to resume where it left off can be very useful.
5. iRobot Roomba RX3
The RX3 is more intelligent than the price suggests. 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 mopses with a single pad that uses a reciprocating motion that cleans better than most of the other robot mop cleaners we've tried. It's also highly self-sufficient, with a fully-featured app, and a self emptying base that can be washed.
The iRobot app is designed to guide you through an exercise in mapping, which gathers information on your floorplan and any "no go" areas that you've marked on the map. You can use it to create cleaning schedules, set up a spot clean or to prioritise your dirtiest rooms to ensure better performance. The app also gives access to a variety of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.
Its shape is more rectangular than most other robot vacuums, meaning it can reach corners and under furniture more easily. It also has strong suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and combs with intelligent technology for pet hair. You can also organize a spot-cleaner which will thoroughly clean an area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a sleeker and more affordable alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It's more appealing, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, but it is more likely to be caught in low thresholds. It also has a higher noise than other top robot vacuums that we have tested. It also has an app that's not as intuitive, and a smaller base station that doesn't double as a bin to empty.