How To Get Better Results From Your Robot Hoover

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot vacuum can vacuum and mop your floors without having to be involved. It will also leave them spotless. Its surprisingly affordable price and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detection) are pluses.

Check your robot's brushes frequently for tangled debris and hair. Clean them as needed. Some models also self-empty their onboard dust bin into a larger bin 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 examined. They are equipped with motors that are top-of-the quality and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. As with other premium iRobot models (including the top pick) they employ smart mapping technology to design precise floor plans and eliminate common obstacles like cords and furniture legs. The robots also come with a feature called Carpet Boost which boosts 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 at cleaning dog hair. However, they do have some flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. One of them is that the Q5's navigation doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so it's prone to getting hung up on shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate tight spaces very well in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of a room.

It's still a good value particularly if your home or office has a lot of bare floors and you're looking to save money. Plus, it's very quiet and can be used while you're at work or at school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming available 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 well and aren't able to deal with dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying cradle that can be emptied by itself. If you want to, you can switch the mopping pad for dry ones in just a few seconds.

2. iRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming capabilities into a sleek, compact package. Its smart cleaning maps and quick navigation make it easy to clean, and efficient in tackling larger particles such as pet hair. It also has a powerful suction and an automatic vacuum cleaner and mop bin for emptying. It's the best robot vacuum for carpets, but it's not as effective as some rivals in deep cleaning.

This highly efficient mop and vacuum combination uses advanced sensor technology to avoid obstacles and pet waste and it learns the layout of your home over time for more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. Its battery life is average compared to similar models.

You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and extend them when in a room with carpet which prevents cross-contamination. The flex arm can be used to reach beneath 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 testing, X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to sweep the entire house with just 66 percent of its battery remaining. It also did a great job cleaning a variety of floors and rooms that had mixed flooring types, including some area rugs. Its obstacle detection was excellent and it was able to avoid fake dog turds, socks, shoes and bundles cables.

It's 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 through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after vacuuming it, something we haven't seen in other robot vacuum/mop combinations.

3. IRobot Roomba X40

With an elegant circular design that appears like a regular Roomba than the competition's boxy units, this robot vacuum and mop (look at this now) combo is among the most attractive looking models in our reviews. 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 autonomously wash mop pads).

It's also the sole robot vacuum that vacuums and mops vacuum/mop to score the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is due to the combination of high-tech sensors including a structured lighting system, a camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could fill and empty its basestation in a self-contained manner. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa as well as self-cleaning mop mops.

The X40, like other iRobot products, is easy to operate. It comes with an intuitive mobile app interface that integrates with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only drawback is that the X40 is still a loud unit. This can be a problem in mornings before work or during the night when you're trying to sleep.

It's also somewhat expensive, although it's not as expensive as Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra both of which are equally capable and look better. If you're willing to live with a bit more noise and some additional cost this is 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 variety of sophisticated features to help you get rid of your chores. Similar to Ecovacs range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-free cleaning machine that can take the care of mopping and vacuuming, with a multifunction dock that automatically empty the vacuum's dust bin, fills its water tank and cleans and dry its mop pads.

The smart robot uses a combination of LIDAR and structured light to create floor plans and identify obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its more expensive competitors. It also has a front mounted camera that can detect hazards in real-time, though this wasn't completely foolproof in our tests, and could be confused with power cords or obstructions.

The vacuum has a suction capacity of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also has "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates how hard the vacuum works and alters the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the house in accordance with how dirty they are.

If you have a larger home, it is worth selecting a robot that comes with spot or zone cleaning mode. This lets you inform the robot vacuum reviews of which area of your home needs to be cleaned by using the app or voice control. A stairway mode is useful if you own a number of furniture. Finally the recharge and resume function that lets your robot vacuum pick up right where it left off is great for busy families.

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is a smarter cleaner than you'd think from its price. It has a great vacuuming performance, picking up 55% debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops with a single pad that uses a reciprocating motion that cleans better than most of the other mop cleaners for robots we've examined. It's self-sufficient too, with a fully-featured app as well as a self-emptying, washable base.

The well-designed iRobot app guides you through a mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan and any "no-go" areas you have marked on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules, or to create an automatic vacuum and mop spot-clean. It can also be used to it to prioritize your dirtiest areas for greater efficiency. The app has a range of features, such as seasonal suggestions, custom mapping and advanced cleaning settings.

It also has the ability to reach corners and under furniture more easily because its shape is more rectangular. It features a powerful 8,000 Pascal suction, as well as intelligent combs to remove pet hair. It also has the ability to create a spot-clean that scours a specific area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and cheaper alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It is capable of vacuuming, but is more prone to be caught by low thresholds and is louder than the other top robotic vacuums we've tested. It also has a less intuitive app and a tiny base station that doesn't double as an emptying bin.