The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot vacuum will clean and vacuum your floors without your involvement. It also leaves the floors spotless. Its price is surprisingly low and high-end features (such as dirt detection) are pluses.
Make sure you regularly inspect your robot's brushes for tangled hair and large debris and clean them as required. Some models can also automatically empty their onboard dustbin into a larger bin in the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust that is 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 tested. They feature motors that are top-of-the quality and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobots (including the top model), they use smart mapping to produce precise floorplans and avoid household obstacles like cords and furniture leg. They also feature a feature called carpet boost which boosts the robot's power when it spots an abundance of dirt on the carpet to get it clean quickly.
Both the Q5 and 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 some flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. For one, the Q5's navigation system doesn't have AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to getting hung up on shoes and socks and can't navigate tightly packed rooms very well in our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera to look around corners.
However, it's a good choice, especially if you want to save money on an Roomba from iRobot, and you have a mostly unfinished home or office. Additionally, it's quiet and can work when you're at work or going to school. It lacks the edge-to-edge bare floor vacuuming feature that's offered by the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping, using disposable wet wipes, which don't stick on for long and don't take on dried-on debris. The Q5 comes with a self-emptying cradle, however. If you're in need of it mop, the mopping pad can be changed for a wet one in just a few seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming capabilities into a sleek, compact package. Its smart cleaning maps and nimble navigation make it easy to clean and effective in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also has self-emptying dustbins, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, but it isn't as effective as some of its competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This top-performing mop and vacuum combination utilizes advanced sensors to stay clear of obstacles and pet waste and it will learn your home's layout over time to provide more efficient cleaning. The app allows you to modify zones and alter the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is comparable to other models.
You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when it's in a carpeted area which prevents cross-contamination. Its flex arm is great for getting under furniture that is low and along baseboards. However, it's not equipped with the same level of washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ as well as the iRobot Combo j9+.
In tests during testing, the X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop in the market to clean an entire house, finishing with 66 percent of its battery left. It also did a great job cleaning a variety of floors and rooms with different flooring types, including some area rug. Its obstacle detection was excellent, and it avoided fake dog turds, 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 fills up its base, and it supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after vacuuming this feature, which we've not seen on other robot vacuum/mop combos.
3. IRobot Roomba X40
With an elegant circular design that appears like a regular Roomba rather than the boxes This robot vacuum and mop combo is among the most attractive designs in our reviews. The newest model from iRobot is its most advanced, with advanced features including Enhanced Dirt Detection Technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that can autonomously wash mop pads).
It's also the only robot vacuum/mop that scored the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our testing. This is due to the combination of modern sensors, including a restructured light system, camera, and a variety of 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 mop mops.
Like other iRobot models as well, the X40 is easy to use, offering a simple mobile app interface, and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit as well as Google Assistant. The only issue is that it's still quite loud, which can be a problem if you run it in the morning prior to work or in the evening as you try to fall asleep.
It's also quite expensive, but it's not as pricey as Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Both of which are equally powerful and better-looking. This is a two-in-one vacuum that is very efficient, but it will cost you more and produce more noise.
iRobot L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with many advanced features that let 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 takes charge of both mopping and vacuuming, with a multifunction dock that automatically empties the vacuum's trash bin, refills its water tank, washes and dries its mop pads.
The smart robot employs the combination of LIDAR and structured light to map out floor plans and identify obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its top competitors. It also has a front mounted camera that can detect hazards in real-time but this wasn't foolproof in our tests and could be confused with obstructions or power cords.
Its vacuum has a suction capacity of 7,000 Pascals, which is more than enough to complete the task. It also has "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the amount of time the vacuum works and also alters the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home in accordance with the degree of dirt they tend to be.
If you own a larger home, you should consider selecting a robot that comes with spot or zone cleaning mode. This allows you to instruct the robot on which part of your home needs to be cleaned using the app or voice command. If you have a lot of furniture, a stairway mode is also a good option. Additionally the recharge and resume function that lets your robot vacuum pick up right where it left off is ideal for busy families.
5. iRobot Roomba RX3
The RX3 is more advanced than its price suggests. It's a pro at vacuuming, picking up 55% of the debris we found in our tests (it was second only to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops with one pad, which uses a reciprocating motion that does a better job cleaning than the other mop cleaners for robots we've tested. It's also highly self-sufficient, with a fully-featured app, and a self emptying base that is washable.
The iRobot application is designed to guide you through a mapping run, which gathers information on your floorplan, as well as any "no go" areas that you've marked on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules, or to set up an automatic spot-clean. You can also use it to prioritize the most soiled areas for greater efficiency. The app also grants access to many features like seasonal suggestions, custom maps, and advanced settings for your cleaning.
Its shape is more rectangular than other robot vacuums, meaning it can reach corners and underneath furniture more easily. It also has a powerful 8,000 Pascal suction and intelligent combs for hair of pets. It also has the ability to set up a spot cleaning that thoroughly cleans a particular area.
autonomous vacuum RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and less expensive alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive design, akin to Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are shaped like cute eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, but it's more likely to get caught in low thresholds. It is also louder than other top robot vacuums we have tested. It also has an app that's not as intuitive and has a tiny base station that does not double as a bin to empty.