Robot Hoover Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It will leave your floors clean. Its low cost and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detectors) are positives.

Examine your robot's brush regularly for tangled debris and hair. Wash them if needed. Certain models also automatically empty the onboard dustbin and deposit it in an additional bin at the bottom. This can reduce the amount of fine dust that is released into the air.

1. Roomba Q5 pro

The Q5 Pro and its sibling, the pricier Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've examined. They feature motors that are top of the class and can handle up to 5,500 Pascals. As with other premium iRobot models (including the top choice) they employ smart mapping technology to design detailed floor plans and avoid household obstacles such as cords and furniture legs. The robots that vacuum and mop also come with Carpet Boost, a feature that increases its power when it detects dirt on the carpet.

The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored excellently in our tests on floors that were bare and are especially adept in cleaning hair from dogs. There are some issues, however, that prevent them from being our top choice. One of the flaws of the Q5 is that its navigation system does not feature AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's also prone to getting stuck on shoes and socks and couldn't navigate rooms with lots of people efficiently during our tests. It doesn't also come with a camera to look around corners.

It's still a good value for those whose home or office has a lot of bare flooring and you're looking to save money. It's also quiet and operates while you're at work or in school. The only thing it doesn't have that you don't get in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming of floors with no floor. It's also less effective in mopping, using disposable wet wipes that don't stay on well and aren't able to take on dried-on debris. The Q5 has an auto-emptying dock, however. And, if you need to, you can swap the mopping pad to dry ones in a matter of minutes.

2. iRobot Roomba X30

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into an elegant, compact package. Its intelligent cleaning maps as well as fluid navigation make it simple to clean, and efficient in dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also features a self-emptying bin, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robot hoover for carpets, but it isn't as efficient as some of its competitors in deep cleaning.

This high-performing mop and vacuum combo makes use of advanced sensors to avoid obstacles and pet waste and it will learn the layout of your home over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. The app lets you customize zones and change the cleaning schedule. It has a battery life that is similar to other models.

When the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted space, you can tell it to pull back and extend its mops. This can help avoid cross-contamination. Its flex arm is ideal to get under furniture with low levels and along baseboards. However, it doesn't have the same washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.

In tests during testing, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop in the market to clean an entire home, and it did so with the battery at 66 percent left. It also did an excellent job cleaning a variety of rooms and floors with mixed flooring types, including some area carpets. Its obstacle detection was superb and it was able to avoid fake dog turds, socks, shoes, and bundles of cables.

It's a little more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but it has superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can also clean the floor even after it has vacuumed. This is a feature that we haven't seen in other robotic vacuum/mop combinations.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

This mop and vacuum combination features a sleek, circular design that looks much like a Roomba model than the bulky units of the rivals. It's among our most attractive looking robot vacuums. The latest model from iRobot is also its smartest. It comes with advanced features, like 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 scored a perfect 10 in our tests due to a mix of high-tech sensors, which include cameras, a structured lighting system and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot vacuum that vacuums and mops in our tests that can completely self-refill and empty its base station and it boasts industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.

Like other iRobot models as well, the X40 is easy to use, offering an intuitive mobile app interface as well as integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. The only issue is that it's loud, which can be an issue if you use it in the morning before work or in the evening as you try to fall asleep.

It's also a bit expensive, although it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra both of which are equally powerful and look better. If you're willing to put up with a bit more noise and some additional cost this is a powerful two-in-one that will please almost everyone.

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. 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 mopping and vacuuming. It comes with a multifunction dock that automatically empty the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dry the mop pads.

The smart robot cleaner with mop makes use of LIDAR and structured lighting to create floorplans and identify obstacles. It is more efficient in its navigation than its top competitors. It also has a front mounted camera that can detect hazards in real-time, though this wasn't 100% reliable in our tests and could be confused with obstructions or power cords.

The vacuum cleaner comes with a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to do the job. It also comes with a feature called "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts cleaning frequency for different areas of the house based on how dirty these areas are.

For larger homes it's worth looking for one with zone or spot cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean one particular area of your home via the app or voice commands. A stair mode can be useful if you own a number of furniture. Finally the recharge and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to pick up right where it left off is great for busy families.

iRobot RX3

The RX3 is a more efficient cleaner than you would 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 mopses with one pad, which uses a reciprocating motion, which 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, washable base.

The well-designed iRobot application guides you through an initial mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan and any "no-go" areas you mark on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules or organize the spot-cleaning. You can also use it to rank your most filthy areas to improve performance. The app has a range of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.

Its shape is more rectangular than most other robot vacuums, meaning it can get to corners and underneath furniture more easily. It also has strong suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and combs with intelligent technology for hair of pets. You can also organize a spot-cleaner that thoroughly cleans a specific area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek more affordable alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's more appealing, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, however it is more likely to get caught in low thresholds. It is also noisier than other top robot vacuums that we've test. It also has an app that's not as intuitive, and a smaller base station that does not double as a bin to empty.