15 Terms Everybody In The Robot Hoover Industry Should Know
The Best Robot Hoover
The most effective robot hoover will vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It leaves your floors spotless. Its affordable price and high-end functions (such as dirt detectors) are positives.
Be sure to regularly inspect your robot's brushes for tangled hair and large particles and clean them as required. Some models will also empty the dust bin on board and then deposit it in a larger 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 sibling, the more expensive Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've test. They have top-of-the-line motors that can generate up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. Similar to other iRobots that are premium (including the top model) they employ intelligent mapping to design precise floorplans that avoid obstacles like cords and furniture leg. They also have a feature called carpet boost that increases the robot's power when it spots the presence of dirt on the carpet to get it cleaned quickly.
Both the Q5 as well as the Q7 Max Series get very high scores on our tests on floors that are bare and are particularly effective in cleaning pet hair. However, they do have some flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. One of the Q5's shortcomings is that its navigation system does not include AI-powered obstacle avoidance. It's therefore prone to become stuck on socks and shoes and could not navigate densely packed rooms very efficiently during our tests. Also, it doesn't have cameras that let it see the corners of a room.
It's still a good deal, especially if your office or home has lots of unfinished floors and you're looking to save money. Additionally, it's quiet and you can use it while you're at work, or at school. It doesn't have the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming that is offered by the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes that don't stick well and isn't able to handle dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying cradle however. If best automatic vacuum cleaner required to clean the mopping pad, it can be swapped for one that is wet in just a few seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact sleek and stylish vacuum cleaner that can also mop floors. Its agile navigation and intelligent cleaning maps make it easy to clean and effective at taking on larger particles, such as pet hair. It also features self-emptying dustbins, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robotic hoover for carpets, but it isn't as effective as some of its competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This highly efficient mop and vacuum combo utilizes advanced sensors to stay clear of obstacles and pet waste, and it will learn the layout of your home over time to ensure more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. It has a battery life that is comparable to other models.
You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and to extend them when in a carpeted area, which helps prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm can be used to reach under 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 tests, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop in the market to clean an entire home, and it did so with 66 percent of its battery left. It did a good cleaning job on various flooring and rooms with different flooring types, including certain area carpets. Its obstacle detection was excellent, and it avoided fake dog turds and socks, shoes and bundles of cables.
It's more expensive than the iRobot Combo v9+ and iRobot Roomba j9+, but it has superior suction, a built-in dust bin that automatically empties into its base, and also supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after it vacuums, a feature that hasn't been seen in other robot vacuum/mop combos.
3. IRobot Roomba X40
With an elegant, circular design that looks more like a regular Roomba rather than the compact models, this robot vacuum and mop combo is one of the most attractive looking models in our evaluations. iRobot’s latest flagship model is also its smartest. It features advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection and future compatibility (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads on its own).
It's also the only robotic vacuum or mop that scored the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our tests. This is thanks to a combination modern sensors, including a restructured light system, camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could fill and empty its basestation on its own. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop mops.
As with other iRobot models as well, the X40 is user-friendly, with an easy mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit as well as Google Assistant. The only issue is that it's an eerily noisy device which could be an issue if you use it in the morning prior to work or in the evening as you try to fall asleep.
It's also quite expensive, but not as much as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or the Roborock S8 Omni, which are equally impressive and attractive. This is a dual-purpose vacuum that's extremely powerful, but it's going to cost you more and create more noise.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is the top-of-the line robot vacuum and mop. It comes with a variety of features that are advanced and will help you forget your chores. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning device, similar to Ecovacs the top of the line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It has a multifunction dock which automatically emptys the bin of the vacuum and refills the water tank, and cleans and drys mop pads.
The smart robot makes use of a combination of LIDAR and structured light to map out the floor plan and detect obstacles, navigating more intelligently than some of its premium competitors. It also has a front-mounted camera to detect hazards in real-time, although this wasn't quite reliable in our tests and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.
The vacuum cleaner has a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also comes with an option known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the vacuum's power and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the home based on how dirty these areas are.
For larger homes it's recommended to choose models that has zone or spot cleaning modes that let you tell the robot to clean a specific area of your home via the app or voice commands. A stair mode can be useful if you own a lot furniture. For families that are busy recharge functions and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to resume where it left off can be extremely useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is a cleaner with more intelligence than you would expect from its price tag. It is a great job vacuuming, picking up 55% of the debris that was found in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using one pad that has a reciprocating motion that is cleaner than the other mop cleaners for robots we've tried. It's also self-sufficient, with a full-featured app and an auto-emptying, washable base.
The well-designed iRobot application guides you through an initial mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan and any "no-go" areas you have marked on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules or organize a spot-clean. You can also use it to prioritize your dirtiest areas to improve performance. The app comes with a variety of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping and advanced cleaning settings.
Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, meaning it is able to reach corners and underneath furniture better. It is equipped with an impressive 8000 Pascal suction as well as intelligent combs to remove pet hair. And you can set up a spot cleaning that scours a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and less expensive alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive design, akin to Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are designed like cute little eyes. It does a great job vacuuming, but it's more likely to get caught in low thresholds. It also has a higher noise than other top robot vacuums we've tested. It also comes with an app that's less intuitive, and a smaller base station that can't double as a bin to empty.