The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can mop and vacuum without needing your attention, and leaves your floors spotless. Its surprisingly affordable price and features that are high-end (such as dirt detection) are great features.

Make sure to check your robot's brushes regularly for tangled debris as well as hair. Clean them as needed. Certain models also automatically empty the onboard dust bin and place it in an additional bin at the base. This can reduce the amount of fine dust that gets released into the air.

1. Roomba Q5 pro

The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive counterpart the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums that we have test. They feature motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobots (including the most powerful model) they utilize smart mapping to create detailed floorplans and avoid household obstacles like cords and furniture legs. The robots also have Carpet Boost, a feature which boosts its power when it detects dirt on the carpet.

Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our tests on floors that are bare and are particularly effective at cleaning pet hair. They do have some flaws however, which prevent them from being our first choice. 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 can't navigate tight spaces very well in our tests. Also, it doesn't have a camera that would let it see the corners of the room.

Still, it's very good to consider, particularly if you're looking to save money on an Roomba from iRobot and have a bare-floored home or office. It's also very quiet and can be used while you are at work or at 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 in mopping, relying on disposable wet wipes that don't hold on well and aren't able to take on dried-on debris. The Q5 does come with an auto-emptying dock, however. If you need to, the mopping pad can be replaced with one that is wet in just a few seconds.

2. iRobot Roomba X30

The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into a sleek, compact package. Its intelligent cleaning maps and nimble navigation make it easy to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles like pet hair. It also comes with strong suction and an automatic hoover bin for emptying. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, although it's not as effective as some rivals in deep cleaning.

This high-performing mop and vacuum combination utilizes advanced sensors to dodge obstacles and pet waste and it learns the layout of your home over time to provide more efficient cleaning. You can modify the schedule of cleaning and even customize zones using the app that is well-designed. Its battery life is average in comparison to other models.

When the X30 Ultra is in a carpeted area, you can instruct it to pull back and extend its mop. This can help avoid cross contamination. Its flex arm can also be used to reach beneath low-lying furnishings and along baseboards. However, it's not equipped with the same washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.

During testing, X30 Ultra was the quickest robot vacuums best vacuum/mop that could complete the task of cleaning a whole home and had 66 percent of its battery remaining. It did a good cleaning job on a variety of rooms and floors with various kinds of flooring, including some area rug. Its obstacle detection was great and it was able to avoid fake dog turds and socks, shoes, and bundles of cables.

It's a bit more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but offers superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can also clean the floor even after it vacuums. This is something we haven't seen in other robotic hoovers vacuum/mop combos.

3. IRobot Roomba X40

With an elegant circular design that appears more like a normal Roomba than the competition's boxy units, this robot vacuum and mop combo is one of the most appealing looking in our evaluations. The latest 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 can autonomously wash mop pads).

It's also the only robotic vacuum/mop that scored the perfect 10/10 out of 10 in our evaluations. This is due to a mix of high-tech sensors including a structured lighting system, a camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that is fully autonomously refill and empty its base station and it has an industry-leading 12,000Pa suction and self-cleaning mop pads.

The X40, like other iRobot products, is simple to operate. It comes with an easy mobile app interface that integrates with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only real drawback is that it's still quite an eerily noisy device which could be problematic if you run it in the morning before work or at night as you try to sleep.

It's also somewhat expensive, but it's not as expensive as the Ecovacs X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra both of which are equally capable and look better. If you're willing to live with a little more noise and some additional cost this is a capable two-in-one that should satisfy most people.

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. The L20 Ultra is a hands-free cleaning machine, similar to Ecovacs top-of-the-line X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra. It features a multi-functional dock that can automatically empty the vacuum's bin, refills the water tank, and washes and dries the mop pads.

The smart robot makes use of LIDAR and structured lighting to map out floorplans and identify obstacles. It is more efficient in its navigation than its competitors with premium features. It also comes with a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards but this wasn't foolproof in our tests and was often confused with obstructions or power cords.

The vacuum cleaner comes with a maximum suction of 7,000 Pascals which is more than enough to complete the task. It also features "Intelligent Dirt Detection", which regulates how hard the vacuum works and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home depending on how dirty they are.

If you own a larger home, it is worth selecting a robot that comes with zones or spot cleaning modes. This allows you to tell the robot which area of your home needs to be cleaned by using the app or voice control. A stairway mode is beneficial if you have lot furniture. Also, a recharge and resume function that allows your robot vacuum to take over exactly where it left off is ideal for busy families.

iRobot RX3

The RX3 is more advanced than its price would suggest. It vacuums well and was able to remove 55% of debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses using one pad and a reciprocating motion that is more efficient than most of the robot mop cleaners that we've tried. It's also self-sufficient, with a full-featured app and an auto-emptying washable base.

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 have marked on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules, set up a spot clean or to prioritise your dirtiest 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.

Its shape is more rectangular than most other robot vacuums, meaning it can reach corners and underneath furniture more easily. It also has a powerful suction of 8,000 Pascal suction and combs with intelligent technology for hair of pets. 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 more affordable alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras appear like cute eyes. It is excellent at vacuuming, however it is more likely to get stuck on low thresholds. It is also noisier than other top robot vacuums we have examined. It also comes with an app that is less intuitive, and a smaller base station that can't double as a bin for emptying.