The Best Robot Hoover
The most effective robot vacuum will 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 a plus.
Make sure to check your robot's brushes regularly for tangled debris and hair. Clean them as needed. Some models will also empty the onboard dust bin and place it in an additional bin located at the base. This helps reduce 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 iRobots with premium features (including the top model), they use smart mapping to create detailed floorplans that avoid obstacles like cords and furniture legs. The robots also come with a feature called Carpet Boost that increases its power when it detects dirt on the carpet.
Both the Q5 and the Q7 Max Series get very high scores on our tests on floors that are bare, and they're particularly adept at cleaning pet hair. However, they do have several flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. For instance, the Q5's navigation doesn't include AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so it's prone to get caught up in socks and shoes and couldn't navigate tightly packed rooms very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera to look around corners.
It's still a great deal, especially if your office or home has a lot of unfinished floors and you want to save money. It's also very quiet and can be used while you're at work or at school. The only thing it lacks that you won't find in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming of floors with no floor. It's also less effective when it comes to mopping. It relies on disposable wet wipes that don't stick well and isn't able to handle dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying cradle that can be emptied by itself. If you're in need of it, the mopping pad can be replaced with one that is wet in just a few seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba X30
The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact elegant vacuum cleaner that can also sweep floors. Its agile navigation and intelligent cleaning maps make it easy to clean and effective at dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also comes with a self-emptying dustbin with powerful suction and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robotic hoover for carpets, but it isn't as effective as some of its competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mops utilizes sensors that help it avoid obstacles and pet waste. updated blog post learns the layout of your home over time and provide cleaner and more efficient cleaning. You can alter its cleaning schedule and customize zones using the app that is well-designed. It has a battery lifespan that is comparable to other models.
It is possible to instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and to extend them when it's in a carpeted area, which helps prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm is great for getting under furniture that is low and along baseboards. However, it doesn't have the same washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Professional+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.
During testing, X30 Ultra was the most efficient robot vacuum/mop which could complete the task of cleaning a whole home and had 66 percent of its battery remaining. It did a decent cleaning job on a variety of flooring and rooms with different kinds of flooring, including certain area carpets. Its obstacle detection was top notch and it was nimbly avoiding fake dog turds, socks, shoes and cables.
It's a little more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but offers superior suction and an onboard bin that automatically empties into the base. It also 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 on other robotic vacuum/mop combinations.
3. iRobot Roomba X40
With a sleek circular design that appears more like a normal Roomba than the competition's boxes this robot vacuum and mop combo is among the most attractive looking models in our reviews. iRobot’s latest flagship model is also its smartest. It comes with advanced features such as enhanced dirt detection and future compatibility (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads on its own).
It's also the only robot vacuum/mop to score the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our testing. This is thanks to the combination of high-tech sensors including a structured light system, camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could refill and empty its basestation on its own. It also boasted a suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop mops.
As with other iRobot models, the X40 is easy to use, offering a simple mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. The only real drawback is that it's still quite a noisy unit which could be a problem if you run it in the morning prior to work or at night as you attempt to sleep.
It's also somewhat expensive, but it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra both of which are equally capable and better-looking. If you're willing some more volume and a little more cost it's a capable two-in-one that should delight most.
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 get rid of your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning device, similar to Ecovacs top-of-the-line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It features a multi-functional dock that can automatically emptys the bin of the vacuum and refills the water tank, and cleans and dries mop pads.
The smart robot utilizes LIDAR and structured lighting to map out floorplans and identify obstacles. It is more efficient in its navigation than its premium competitors. It also has a front-mounted camera to detect hazards in real-time but this was not 100% foolproof during our tests and was occasionally confused by power cords or other obstructions.
Its vacuum has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals, which is more than enough to finish the job. It also features "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates how hard the vac works and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home according to the amount of dirt they tend to be.
For bigger homes it's worth looking for models that has zone or spot cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean one specific area of your home using the app or via voice commands. If you have furniture, a stair mode is also a good option. For families that are busy, a recharge function and resume feature that permits your robot vacuum to continue from where it left off could be very useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is more sophisticated than its price suggests. It vacuums well and picked up 55% debris in our tests. (It was only second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops with a single pad and a reciprocating movement which is cleaner than the majority mop cleaners for robots that we've examined. It's also extremely self-sufficient, with a fully-featured application, and a self emptying, washable base.
The well-designed iRobot app guides you through an initial mapping session that collects data about your floorplan and any "no-go" areas you set on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules or to organize an automatic spot-clean. It can also be used to it to prioritize the most soiled areas for greater efficiency. The app has a range of features, such as seasonal suggestions, custom mapping and advanced cleaning settings.
Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, meaning it can reach corners and under furniture more easily. It also has a strong 8000 Pascal suction and combs with intelligent technology for pet hair. And you can set up a spot clean that scours a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and more affordable alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive style, much like Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are designed like cute little eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, but it is more likely to get caught on low thresholds. It also has a higher noise than other top robot vacuums that we've tested. It also has a less user-friendly app and a small base station that isn't able to double as an emptying bin.