The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It leaves your floors spotless. Its low cost 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. Wash them when necessary. Some models can also automatically empty their onboard dust bin into a larger bin in the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 pro
The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive sibling, the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums we've examined. They are equipped with top-of-the-line motors which can generate up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. As with other top iRobot models (including the top-rated model), they use intelligent mapping technology to create detailed floor plans and avoid home-based obstacles like cords and furniture legs. The robots also feature the feature of Carpet Boost that increases its power when it senses dirt on the carpet.
The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored very well in our tests of floors with no carpet, and they are particularly adept in cleaning hair from dogs. However, they do have a few flaws however, which prevent them from being our top option. For one, the Q5's navigation system does not have AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to get caught up in shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate rooms with a lot of people efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of an area.
Still, it's very good for those who want to save money on an Roomba from iRobot, and you have a bare-floored home or office. It's also extremely quiet and can be used when you're at work or in school. The only thing it lacks that you can't find in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on floors that aren't clean. It's also less effective at mopping, as it relies on disposable wet wipes that don't stay on for long and don't deal with dried-on debris. The Q5 has an auto-emptying dock, however. If you need to mop, the mopping pad can be swapped for a wet one in seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming capabilities into an elegant, compact package. Its agile navigation and intelligent cleaning maps make it quick to clean and efficient at tackling larger particles like pet hair. It also comes with self-emptying dustbins with powerful suction and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robotic hoover for carpets, however it isn't as effective as some of its competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mop utilizes sensors to stay clear of obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the structure of your home over time and provide cleaner and more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to modify zones and alter the cleaning schedule. It has a battery lifespan that is comparable to other models.
If the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can tell it to pull back and extend its mops. This will help prevent cross-contamination. Its flex arm can also be used to reach beneath low-lying furnishings 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 quickest robot vacuum/mop that could sweep the entire house, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It did a great cleaning job on various rooms and floors with various kinds of flooring, including some area rugs. Its obstacle detection was top-notch and it was nimbly avoiding fake dog socks, turds, shoes, and bundles of cables.
It's more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but offers superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after it vacuums it, something we've not seen on other robot vacuum/mop combinations.
3. Roomba X40 from iRobot
The robot vacuum and mop combination is sleek and has a circular design that appears more like the regular Roomba unit than the boxy models of the competition. It's among our most attractive robot vacuums. The latest model from iRobot is also among its most advanced. It comes with advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection as well as future compatibility (another company’s robot that can wash mop pads autonomously).
It's also the only robot vacuum or mop that scored the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is due to the combination of high-tech sensors including a structured light system, camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot in our tests that can completely autonomously refill and empty its base station, and it boasts the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.
As with other iRobot models as well, the X40 is user-friendly, with an intuitive mobile app interface, and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. The only downside is that the X40 is still a loud unit. This can be a problem in mornings before work or at night when you are trying to fall asleep.
It's also a bit costly but not as much as the Ecovacs S8 MaxV Ultra or Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally capable and better looking. This is a dual-purpose vacuum that's extremely powerful, but it's more expensive and make more noise.
iRobot L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with a lot of advanced features that will 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-free cleaning machine that can take care of both mopping and vacuuming. It comes with a multi-function dock that automatically empty the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank, washes and dry the mop pads.
The smart robot makes use of LIDAR and structured lighting to draw out floorplans and identify obstacles. It is more efficient in its navigation than its top competitors. It also has a camera mounted on the front for real-time hazard detection but this was not foolproof in our testing and was often confused by power cords or other obstructions.
The vacuum has a suction capacity of 7,000 Pascals, which is more than enough to finish the job. It also has a feature known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts cleaning frequency for various areas of the house depending on how dirty these areas tend to be.
For bigger homes it's recommended to choose one with spot or zone cleaning modes that let you tell the robot to clean one specific area of your home using the app or voice commands. If you have furniture, a stairway mode is also useful. Additionally the recharge and resume function that allows your robot vacuum to pick up right where it left off is ideal for busy families.
5. iRobot Roomba RX3
The RX3 is more intelligent than its price suggests. It is a great job cleaning, removing 55% of the debris that was found in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using only one pad and a reciprocating motion that cleans better that most mop cleaners for robots that we've tried. And it's highly self-sufficient with a full-featured app and a self-emptying, washable base.
The iRobot application is designed to help you navigate the mapping process which collects information about your floorplan, as well as any "no go" areas that you've marked on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules, or to set up the spot-cleaning. You can also use it to rank your most filthy areas to improve performance. The app comes with a variety of features, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.
Its shape is more rectangular than most other robot vacuums, which means it can get to corners and underneath furniture better. It also has strong 8000 Pascal suction and combs that are intelligent for hair of pets. You can also organize a spot-cleaner which will thoroughly clean a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and less expensive alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive design, similar to Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are shaped like cute little eyes. It does a good job vacuuming, but is more prone to be caught by low thresholds and is a bit more noisy than the other top robot vacuums we've examined. It also has an app that's less intuitive and a small base station that does not double as a bin for emptying.