Watch Out: How Robot Hoover Is Taking Over And What You Can Do About It
The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot vacuum can vacuum and mop your floors without having to be involved. It will also leave them spotless. Its low cost and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detection) are great features.
Be sure to check your robot's brushes for tangled hair and large particles and wash them if required. Some models will also empty the onboard dustbin and deposit it in an additional bin at the base. This helps reduce the amount of fine dust that is released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro and its sibling, the pricier Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've tested. They feature motors that are top of the class and can handle up to 5,500 Pascals. And, like other premium iRobot models (including the top pick) they utilize smart mapping technology to create precise floor plans and eliminate household obstacles such as cords and furniture legs. They also have a feature called carpet boost which boosts the robot's power when it spots an abundance of dirt on the carpet, allowing it cleaned up quickly.
Both the Q5 as well as the Q7 Max Series get very excellent scores in our floor tests that test for bare floors They're also particularly adept at cleaning pet hair. However, they do have several flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. One of the weaknesses of the Q5 is its navigation system doesn't have AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's also prone to become stuck on shoes and socks and couldn't navigate rooms with lots of people well in our tests. Also, it doesn't have an image sensor that lets it see the corners of the room.
Still, it's very good, especially if you want to save money on a iRobot Roomba and you have a mostly unfinished home or office. Plus, it's very quiet and you can use it while you're at work or 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. It relies on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 does come with self-emptying docks, however. If you need to clean the mopping pad, it can be swapped for an awe-inspiring one in a matter of minutes.
2. IRobot Roomba X30
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into an elegant, compact package. Its quick navigation and smart cleaning maps make it simple to clean and efficient in tackling larger particles like pet hair. It also features strong suction and a self-emptying bin. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, however it isn't as effective as some of its competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This highly efficient mop and vacuum combo uses advanced sensor technology to avoid obstacles and pet waste, and it also learns the layout of your home over time for more efficient cleaning. You can modify its cleaning schedule and set up zones through the well-designed app. It has a battery life that is similar to other models.
You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when in a carpeted room to prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm is great for getting under low-lying furniture and along baseboards. It's not as effective on the washboard as our other Editors' Choice Picks, the Ecovacs Ozmo N8Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.
During tests, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop that could complete an entire home, and it did so with only 66 percent of its battery left. It also did a good job of cleaning a mix of floors and rooms with mixed flooring types, including certain area carpets. Its obstacle detection was top notch and it swiftly eluded fake dog socks, turds, shoes, and bundles of cables.
It's a little more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but has superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can also clean the floor even after it has vacuumed. This is a feature we haven't seen before on other robotic vacuum/mop combinations.
3. iRobot Roomba X40
The robot vacuum and mop combination has a sleek, circular design that appears more like a regular Roomba model than the boxy models from the competition. It is one of our most appealing looking robot vacuums. The newest model from iRobot is among the most intelligent and has advanced features like enhanced dirt detection technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads).
It's also the sole robot vacuum/mop to score the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our tests. This is due to a mix of high-tech sensors including a structured light system, a camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot in our tests that can fully self-refill and empty its base station, and it has an industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.
The X40 as with other iRobot products, is simple to use. It has a simple mobile app interface that integrates with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only issue is that the X40 still a loud unit. This can be a problem in the mornings prior to work or in the evening when you are trying to sleep.
It's also a bit costly but not as expensive as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or the Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally powerful and more attractive. If you're willing to put up with a little more noise and some extra 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 variety of sophisticated features that let you get rid of your chores. Like Ecovacs the range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-free cleaning machine that can take the care of mopping and vacuuming, with a multifunction dock that automatically emptys 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 draw out the floor plan and detect obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its top rivals. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards however, it wasn't reliable in our tests and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.
Its vacuum has a high maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals, which is more than enough to finish the job. It also comes with an option known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts cleaning frequency for various areas of the house based on how dirty those areas are.
For robot vacuum cleaners reviews , it's worth opting for one with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to instruct the robot to clean one particular area of your home via the app or voice controls. A stairway mode is useful if you own a large furniture. For families that are busy, a recharge feature and resume feature that permits your robot vacuum to pick up where it left off could be very useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is more intelligent than the price suggests. It has a great vacuuming performance, picking up 55% debris in our tests. (It was only second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses with one pad that has a reciprocating motion, which cleans better than most of the other mop cleaners for robots we've tried. It's also 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 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, set up an area for cleaning or to prioritize your most filthy rooms to improve performance. The app also grants access to a variety of features, such as seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.
It also has the ability to reach corners and under furniture better because its shape is more rectangular. It also has a strong 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for hair of pets. It also has the ability to set up a spot cleaning that intensely cleans a localized area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and more affordable alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It does a good job vacuuming, but it is more susceptible to be caught by low thresholds and is a bit noisier than the other top robotic vacuums we've tested. It also comes with an app that's less intuitive and has a tiny base station that doesn't double as a bin to empty.
