Robot Hoover Explained In Fewer Than 140 Characters

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can clean and mop without requiring your attention, and leaves your floors spotless. Its price is surprisingly low and features that are high-end (such as dirt detection) are great features.

Check your robot's brushes frequently for tangled debris and hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models will automatically empty their onboard dust bin into a larger bin 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 test. They have motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobots (including the top model) they utilize smart mapping to create detailed floor plans and eliminate household obstacles such as cords and furniture leg. They also feature carpet boost, a feature that increases the robot's power when it sees the presence of dirt on the carpet in order to get it clean quickly.

The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored very well in our tests on floors that were bare, and they are particularly adept in removing dog hair. They do have some flaws however, which prevent them from being our first option. One of the flaws of the Q5 is its navigation system does not feature AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's therefore prone to getting 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 that would let it see the corners of a room.

It's still a great option to consider, particularly if you're looking to save money on a iRobot Roomba and you have a mostly bare-floor home or office. It's also extremely quiet and operates when you're at work or in school. The only thing it lacks that you don't get in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on floors that aren't clean. It's also less effective when it comes to mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 does come with an auto-emptying dock, however. If you need to mop, the mopping pad can be swapped for one that is wet in just a few minutes.

2. iRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact sleek and stylish automatic vacuum and mop robot cleaner that can also sweep floors. Its quick navigation and smart cleaning maps make it simple to clean and efficient at dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also has strong suction and a self-emptying bin. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, however it falls behind some competitors in terms of deep cleaning.

This high-performance vacuum and mops utilizes sensors that help it avoid obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the patterns of your home over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. You can modify the schedule of cleaning and even customize zones with the well-designed app. Its battery life is average in comparison to similar models.

When the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can tell it to take off and extend its mops. This helps prevent cross-contamination. Its flex arm can also 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 most efficient robot vacuum/mop which could clean an entire home, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It did a decent cleaning job on a variety of floors and rooms with different flooring types including some area carpets. Its obstacle detection was excellent and it was able to avoid fake dog turds, socks, shoes and bundles cables.

It's a bit more expensive than the iRobot Combo v9+ and iRobot Roomba j9+, but it has superior suction, a built-in dust bin that automatically emptys into its base, and supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after it vacuums this feature, which we haven't seen in other robot vacuum/mop combinations.

3. iRobot Roomba X40

This mop and vacuum combination has a sleek, circular design that looks more like the regular Roomba model than the bulky models of the rivals. It is one of our most attractive looking robot vacuums. The latest flagship model from iRobot is also the most intelligent. It features advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection as well as future compatibility (another company's robot that can wash mop pads in a self-cleaning manner).

It's also the sole robot vacuum/mop that scored an absolute 10 out of 10 in our testing. This is due to a mix of high-tech sensors including a structured lighting system, a camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could refill and empty its basestation autonomously. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa as well as self-cleaning mop mops.

As with other iRobot models as well, the X40 is user-friendly, with an easy mobile app interface as well as integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit as well as Google Assistant. The only issue is that it's loud which could be an issue if you use it in the morning before work or in the evening as you try to sleep.

It's also somewhat expensive, but it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs Omni or Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are similarly capable and look better. It's a dual-purpose vacuum that's extremely powerful, but it's more expensive and produce more noise.

iRobot L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop, with many advanced features that will let you forget about your chores. Similar to 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 multifunction dock that automatically empties the vacuum's trash bin, refills its water tank, and cleans and dry its mop pads.

The smart robot makes use of an array of LIDAR and structured light to create the floor plan and detect obstacles, making it more efficient than its more expensive rivals. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards but this was not 100% foolproof during our tests and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.

The vacuum cleaner comes with a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than sufficient to accomplish the task. It also features "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates the intensity at which the vac works and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the house according to the amount of dirt they tend to be.

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

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is a smarter cleaner than you would think from its price. It is a good vacuum cleaner and was able to remove 55% of debris in our tests. (It was only second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using one pad and a reciprocating movement which is cleaner than the majority mop cleaners for robots that we've examined. It's also self-sufficient with a full-featured app and a self emptying base that is washable.

The well-designed iRobot app guides you through a mapping session that collects data about your floorplan as well as any "no-go" areas you mark on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules or to organize a spot-clean. You can also use it to prioritize your dirtiest areas for better performance. The app also provides access to a variety of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.

Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, meaning it can reach corners and underneath furniture more easily. It also has a strong suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for hair of pets. And you can set up a spot clean that thoroughly cleans a particular area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD offers a sleeker, cheaper alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It does a great job vacuuming, however it is more likely to get caught on low thresholds. It is also louder than other top robot 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.