20 Myths About Robot Hoover: Busted

The best rated robot vacuum Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention, and will leave your floors clean. Its affordable price and high-end functions (such as dirt detector) are both positives.

Make sure you regularly examine the brushes of your robot for tangled hair and large particles and clean them as needed. Some models will also empty the dust bin on board and then deposit it in an additional bin located at the base. This reduces the amount fine dust that gets 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've tested. They feature top-of-the-line motors that can pull up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. As with other top iRobot models (including the top pick), they use intelligent mapping technology to create detailed floor plans and avoid common obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also feature carpet boost, a feature that increases the robot's power when it sees a lot of dirt on the carpet to get it cleaned up quickly.

Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very high scores on our tests on floors that are bare, and they're particularly adept in removing pet hair. However, they do have a few flaws that keep them from being our top pick. For instance, the Q5's navigation doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so it's prone to become entangled in shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate tight spaces very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera to look around corners.

Still, it's very good to consider, particularly if you're looking to save money on an Roomba from iRobot and have a mostly bare-floor home or office. It's also very quiet and operates when you're at work or in school. The only thing it doesn't have that you can't find in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on bare floors. It's also less effective at mopping, as it relies on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick on well and aren't able to take on dried-on debris. The Q5 comes with a self-emptying cradle that can be emptied by itself. If you want to change the mopping pad to dry ones in a matter of just a few seconds.

2. IRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into a compact, sleek package. Its quick navigation and smart cleaning maps make it quick to clean and efficient in dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also comes with a self-emptying dustbin, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the Best robot vacuum cleaner UK robot hoover for carpets, but it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.

This high-performance vacuum and mop uses sensors to avoid obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the layout of your home over time to provide cleaner and more efficient cleaning. You can change its cleaning schedule and set up zones with the well-designed app. Its battery life is average when compared to similar models.

You can tell the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and extend them when in a room with carpet which prevents cross-contamination. The flex arm is ideal for getting under low-lying furniture 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 during testing, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to complete an entire house, finishing with only 66 percent of its battery left. It did a great cleaning job on various rooms and floors with various flooring types, including certain area carpets. Its obstacle detection was top notch and it was nimbly avoiding fake dog socks, turds, shoes, and bundles of 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 it supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after it vacuums it, something hasn't been seen in other robotic vacuum/mop combos.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

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

It's the only robot vacuum/mop that scored an exemplary 10/10 in our evaluations thanks to a blend of high-tech sensors, which include cameras, a structured light system and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that is fully self-refill and empty its base station, and it boasts the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.

The X40 as with other iRobot products, is easy to use. It comes with a simple mobile application interface and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only drawback is that it's a noisy unit, which can be an issue if you use it in the morning prior to work, or at night when you try to sleep.

It's also a bit costly but not as expensive as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or Roborock S8 Omni, which are equally capable and better looking. This is a two-in-one vacuum that's very capable, but it's going to cost you more and make more noise.

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. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning machine like Ecovacs top-of-the-line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It comes with a multi-function dock that will automatically empty the vacuum's bin, refills the water tank, and cleans and dry mop pads.

The smart robot makes use of an array of LIDAR and structured light to map out the floor plan and detect obstacles, making it more efficient than some of its premium competitors. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards but this was not foolproof in our testing and was occasionally confused by power cords or other obstructions.

Its vacuum cleaner has an maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than sufficient to do the job. It also comes with an option called "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the vacuum's power and adjusts cleaning frequency for different areas of the house based on how dirty these areas tend to be.

For bigger homes it's recommended to choose a model with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean a particular area of your home using the app or voice controls. If you have lots of furniture, a stair mode is also useful. Additionally a recharge and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to continue where it left off is ideal for busy families.

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is more sophisticated than the price suggests. It does a stellar job vacuuming, picking up 55% of debris in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses with one pad, which uses an oscillating motion that does a better job cleaning than the other mop cleaners for robots we've tested. It's also extremely self-sufficient, with a fully-featured application, and a self-emptying base that is washable.

The iRobot application is designed to help you navigate the mapping process, which gathers information on your floorplan as well as any "no go" areas that you have marked on the map. You can use it to make cleaning schedules, arrange an area for cleaning or to prioritize your most filthy rooms to ensure better performance. The app comes with a variety of features, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping and advanced cleaning settings.

Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, which means it can get to corners and underneath furniture more easily. It also has a powerful suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and combs that are intelligent for hair of pets. You can also organize a spot-cleaner which will thoroughly clean the area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD offers a sleeker, cheaper alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It does a good job vacuuming but is more prone to get caught on low thresholds and is a bit more noisy than the other top robot vacuums we've tried. It also has an app that's less intuitive, and a smaller base station that does not double as a bin for emptying.