20 Myths About Robot Hoover: Busted

The best robot cleaner robot vacuum that vacuums and mops Hoover

The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention, and will leave your floors spotless. Its price is surprisingly low and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detection) are a plus.

Check your robot's brushes regularly for tangled debris as well as hair. Wash them if needed. Some models can also automatically empty their dust bin on board into a larger bin at the base, which decreases the amount of fine dust that is released into the air.

1. Roomba Q5 pro

The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive cousin, the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums we have examined. They are equipped with top-of-the-line motors which can pull up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. Like other top iRobot models (including the top-rated model) they utilize smart mapping technology to design detailed floor plans that avoid home-based obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also come with carpet boost which boosts the robot's power when it spots an abundance of dirt on the carpet in order to get it cleaned quickly.

Both the Q5 as well as the Q7 Max Series get very high scores on our floor tests that test for bare floors and are particularly effective at cleaning pet hair. However, they do have some flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. For instance, the Q5's navigation doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to getting hung up on shoes and socks and can't navigate tightly packed rooms very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of a room.

Still, it's very good for those who want to save money on an iRobot Roomba and you have a mostly unfinished home or office. It's also quiet and operates when you're at work or school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming feature that's available in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective in mopping. It relies on disposable wet wipes that don't adhere 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 need to, the mopping pad can be changed for a wet one in just a few seconds.

2. iRobot Roomba X30

The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact, sleek vacuum cleaner that can sweep floors. Its intelligent cleaning maps and nimble navigation make it easy to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also features a self-emptying bin as well as powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robotic hoover for carpets, however it's not as good as other hoovers when it comes to deep cleaning.

This high-performing combination vacuum and mop makes use of advanced sensors to dodge obstacles and pet waste, and it will learn the layout of your home over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. The app lets you set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is similar to other models.

If the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted space, you can tell it to take off and extend its mops. This can help avoid cross-contamination. The flex arm is great to get under furniture with low levels and along baseboards. It doesn't perform as well 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 complete the task of cleaning a whole home with just 66 percent of its battery remaining. It did a good cleaning job on various flooring and rooms with different flooring types, including some area rugs. Its obstacle detection was top notch and it swiftly eluded 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 automatically empties into the base. It also supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after it vacuums this feature, which we've not seen on other robot vacuum/mop combinations.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

With a sleek, circular design that looks like a regular Roomba rather than the compact models, this robot vacuum and mop combo is among the most attractive designs in our reviews. iRobot’s latest flagship model 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 vacuum cleaner uk that can wash mop pads autonomously).

It's also the only robot vacuum/mop to score a perfect 10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is thanks to the combination of modern sensors, including a restructured 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 autonomously. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa as well as self-cleaning mops.

As with other iRobot models like the X40 is easy to use, offering an easy mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit as well as Google Assistant. The only issue is that the X40 is still a loud unit. This could be a problem in the mornings before work, or at night when you're trying to sleep.

It's also quite expensive, but it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally powerful and better-looking. It's a dual-purpose vacuum that's very capable however, it's more expensive and make more noise.

iRobot L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is the top-of-the high-end robot vacuum and mop. It has a number of features that are advanced and will make 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 can take care of both mopping and vacuuming. It comes with a multi-function dock that automatically empties the vacuum's trash bin, refills its water tank, washes and dry the mop pads.

The smart robot makes use of LIDAR and structured lighting to create floor plans and detect obstacles. It can navigate more efficiently than its competitors with premium features. It also has a camera mounted on the front to detect hazards in real-time however, it wasn't foolproof in our testing and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.

The vacuum cleaner comes with an maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also has an option called "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the house depending on how dirty those areas tend to be.

For larger houses it's recommended to choose one with spot or zone cleaning modes that let you tell the robot to clean a specific area of your home using the app or voice commands. If you have furniture, a stairway mode is also useful. Finally a recharge and resume function that lets your robot vacuum continue 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 good vacuum cleaner, picking up 55% debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using one pad, which uses a reciprocating motion, which does a better job cleaning than the other robot vacuum cleaner uk mop cleaners we've tested. It's also extremely self-sufficient, with a full-featured app and a self-emptying base that can be washed.

The well-designed iRobot application guides you through an initial mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan as well as any "no-go" areas you set on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules, or to organize an automatic spot-clean. You can also use it to prioritize the most soiled areas for better performance. The app comes with a variety of options, including 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 also has a strong suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for pet hair. You can also set up a spot cleaning that intensely cleans a localized area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek more affordable alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive style, much like Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are designed to resemble cute eyes. It does a good job vacuuming, but is more prone to get caught on low thresholds and is more noisy than the other top robotic hoovers vacuums we've tried. It also has a less intuitive app and a small base station that isn't able to double as a bin for emptying.