The Robot Hoover Case Study You'll Never Forget

The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot vacuum can clean and vacuum your floors without having to be involved. It will also leave clean. Its price is affordable and its high-end functions (such as dirt detector) are a plus.

Check your robot's brushes frequently for tangled debris and hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models also self-empty their onboard dust bin into a larger one 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 sibling, the pricier Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've examined. They feature top-of-the-line motors that can produce up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. As with other top iRobot models (including the top choice) they utilize smart mapping technology to create detailed floor plans and avoid common obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also have carpet boost that increases the robot's power when it detects a lot of dirt on the carpet in order to get it clean 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 several flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. For one, the Q5's navigation doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to become entangled in shoes and socks, and is unable to navigate rooms with a lot of people efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't have a camera to see around corners.

It's still a great deal for those whose home or office has lots of unfinished floors and you want to save some money. It's also quiet and can be used while you're at work or at school. The only thing it's missing that you can't find in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on bare floors. It's also less effective in mopping. It relies on disposable wet wipes that don't stick very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying dock, though. If you need to mop, the mopping pad can be replaced with one that is wet in just a few just a few seconds.

2. IRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive vacuuming and mopping capabilities into an elegant, compact package. Its intelligent cleaning maps as well as quick navigation make it easy to clean and effective in tackling larger particles like pet hair. It also comes with a self-emptying bin, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the Best robot vacuum cleaner UK robot vacuum for carpets, but it lags behind some competitors in deep cleaning.

This highly efficient combination vacuum and mop uses advanced sensor technology to stay clear of obstacles and pet waste and it also learns your home's layout over time to provide more efficient cleaning. The app lets you customize zones and change the cleaning schedule. It has a battery lifespan that is similar to other models.

You can tell the X30 Ultra to remove its mops and extend them when in a carpeted room which prevents cross-contamination. Its flex arm is perfect for getting under furniture that is low and along baseboards. However, it doesn't have the same level of washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.

In the course of testing, X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to complete the task of cleaning a whole home and had 66 percent of its battery remaining. It also did an excellent job cleaning a range of floors and rooms with different flooring types, including certain area rugs. Its obstacle detection was top notch, and it nimbly avoided fake dog turds, socks, 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 automatically empties into the base. It also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after it vacuums it, something we've not seen on other robotic vacuum/mop combos.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

With an elegant, circular design that looks more like a regular Roomba than the competition's boxes this mop and robot vacuum cleaner vacuum is among the most attractive designs in our reviews. The latest model from iRobot is also the most intelligent. It comes with advanced features such as Enhanced Dirt Detection as well as future compatibility (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads on its own).

It's also the only robot vacuum/mop to score a perfect 10 out of 10 in our testing. This is thanks to the combination of high-tech sensors including a structured light system, a camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could fill and empty its basestation on its own. It also boasted a suction of 12,000Pa as well as self-cleaning mop mops.

As with other iRobot models like the X40 is user-friendly, offering an easy mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit as well as Google Assistant. The only drawback is that it's still quite a noisy unit which could be an issue if you use it in the morning prior to work, or at night when you try to sleep.

It's also somewhat expensive, though it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally powerful and more attractive. It's a dual-purpose vacuum that's very capable, but it's going to cost you more and create more noise.

iRobot L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop, with many advanced features that will 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 takes care of both vacuuming and mopping, with a multi-function dock that automatically empty the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dry the mop pads.

The smart robot vacuum cleaner best uses the combination of LIDAR and structured light to draw out floor plans and spot obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its more expensive competitors. It also comes with a front-mounted camera for real-time hazards detection but this wasn't 100% reliable in our tests and could be confused with obstructions or power cords.

Its vacuum has a suction maximum of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to finish the job. It also comes with an attribute known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the vacuum's power and adjusts cleaning frequency for various areas of the home based on how dirty the areas tend to be.

For larger homes it's worth looking for models with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to instruct the robot to clean one particular area of your house via the app or via voice commands. If you have lots of furniture, a stair mode is also useful. For busy families recharge functions and resume feature that permits your robot vacuum to continue from where it left off could be very beneficial.

iRobot RX3

The RX3 is a more efficient cleaner than you'd expect from its price tag. It vacuums well and was able to remove 55% of debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops using one pad and a reciprocating movement which is cleaner than the majority of the robot mop cleaners that we've tried. It's self-sufficient too, with a fully-featured app as well as an auto vacuum and mop-emptying washable base.

The iRobot app is designed to guide you through the mapping process, which gathers information on your floorplan, as well as any "no go" areas that you have marked on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules, plan a spot clean or to sort out your rooms with the most dirt to ensure better performance. The app comes with a variety of features, such as 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 under furniture more easily. It is equipped with a powerful 8,000 Pascal suction, as well as clever combs for removing pet hair. It also has the ability to create a spot-clean that scours a specific area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and less expensive alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It's good at vacuuming, but it is more susceptible to getting caught on low thresholds and is a bit louder than the other top robotic vacuums we've tested. It also has a less user-friendly app and a tiny base station that doesn't double as a bin for emptying.