The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention, and it will leave your floors spotless. Its low cost and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detectors) are a plus.
Be sure to regularly inspect your robot vacuums with mop's brushes for tangled hair as well as large debris and wash them if required. Some models also self-empty their onboard dustbin into a larger one at the base, which reduces 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 examined. They have top-of-the-line motors that can produce up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. Like other iRobots with premium features (including the most powerful model) they utilize smart mapping to produce precise floorplans and avoid household obstacles like cords and furniture legs. The robots also have Carpet Boost, a feature that boosts its power when it detects dirt on the carpet.
The Q5 and Q7 Max Series both scored excellently in our tests on bare floors and are especially adept in removing hair from dogs. However, they 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 and is therefore prone to become entangled in socks and shoes and couldn't navigate tightly packed rooms very efficiently in our tests. It doesn't also have a camera that can see around corners.
It's still a good deal, especially if your home or office has a lot of unfinished floors and you want to save some money. It's also quiet and works while you are at work or at school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming offered in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping, relying on disposable wet wipes that don't hold on for long and don't deal with dried-on debris. The Q5 is self-emptying cradle however. And, if you have to, you can swap the mopping pad for dry ones in a matter of just a few seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming capabilities into a compact, sleek package. Its quick navigation and smart cleaning maps make it easy to clean and effective at taking on larger particles, such as pet hair. It also has a self-emptying bin with powerful suction and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot vacuum robot hoover for carpets, but it falls behind some competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This high-performing mop and vacuum combo utilizes advanced sensors to avoid obstacles and pet waste and it will learn your home's layout over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to customize zones and change the cleaning schedule. Its battery life is average in comparison to other models.
If the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can instruct it to pull back and extend its mops. This helps 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, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to complete the entire house with the battery at 66 percent left. It also did a great job cleaning a variety of rooms and floors with various flooring types, such as certain area rug. Its obstacle detection was top-of-the-line, and it nimbly avoided 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, an onboard dustbin that automatically emptys into its base, and supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after vacuuming, a feature that we haven't seen in other robot vacuum/mop combos.
3. IRobot Roomba X40
This mop and automatic vacuum cleaner and mop combination is sleek and has a circular design that looks much like a Roomba unit than the boxy models of the rivals. It's one of our most appealing looking robot vacuums. The latest model from iRobot is also among its most advanced. It features advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection and future compatibility (another company’s robot that can wash mop pads in a self-cleaning manner).
It's also the only robotic vacuum/mop that scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is thanks to a combination 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 in a self-contained manner. It also boasted a suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mops.
Like other iRobot models as well, the X40 is easy to use, offering a simple mobile app interface as well as integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. The only real drawback is that it's still quite a noisy unit, which can be a problem if you run it in the morning before work, or at night when you attempt 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 extremely powerful, but it will cost you more and create more noise.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is the top-of-the high-end robot vacuum and mop. It has a range of features that are advanced and will make 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-free cleaning machine that can take care of both vacuuming and mopping, with a multifunction dock that automatically empties the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank and washes and dry the mop pads.
The smart robot employs the combination 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 hazards detection, though this wasn't 100% reliable in our tests and was sometimes confused with power cords or obstructions.
Its vacuum has a suction maximum of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to get the job done. It also comes with a feature known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts cleaning frequency for different areas of the house depending on how dirty the areas are.
If you have a larger home, it's worth selecting a robot vacuum best that comes with zones or spot cleaning modes. This allows you to inform the robot vacuum with mop of which area of your house needs to be cleaned using the app or voice control. A stairway mode is beneficial if you have number of furniture. For families with busy schedules recharge functions and resume feature that permits your robot vacuum to pick up where it left off could be extremely useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is more intelligent than its price would suggest. It has a great vacuuming performance 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 that cleans better that most mop cleaners for robots that we've examined. And it's highly self-sufficient with a full-featured app and a self-emptying, washable base.
The iRobot app is designed to guide you through an exercise in mapping that collects data on your floorplan and any "no go" areas that you have marked on the map. You can use it to create cleaning schedules, arrange an area for cleaning or to prioritise your dirtiest rooms to improve performance. The app also provides access to a variety of features, such as seasonal suggestions, custom maps and advanced settings for your cleaning.
It can also reach corners and under furniture better because its shape is more rectangular. It features a powerful 8000 Pascal suction, as well as clever combs for removing pet hair. You can also organize a spot-cleaner that thoroughly cleans an area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD offers a sleeker and less expensive alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's more appealing, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It is great at vacuuming, however it is more likely to be caught on low thresholds. It is also louder than other top robot vacuums we have test. It also comes with an app that's less intuitive and a small base station that can't double as a bin for emptying.