The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot hoover can mop and vacuum without needing your attention, and it will leave your floors spotless. Its affordable price and high-end features (such as dirt detectors) are positives.

Be sure to check your robot mop's brushes for tangled hair as well as large debris, and wash them when required. Some models can also automatically empty their onboard dustbin into a larger one at the base, which decreases the amount of fine dust 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 hoovers vacuums we've examined. They are equipped with 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 furniture legs. They also have carpet boost, a feature that boosts the robot's performance when it detects an abundance of dirt on the carpet in order to get it cleaned quickly.

Both the Q5 as well as the Q7 Max Series get very high scores on our bare floor tests They're also particularly adept at cleaning pet hair. However, they do have several flaws that prevent them from being our top pick. For one, the Q5's navigation system does not include AI-powered obstacle avoidance which means it's susceptible to become entangled in socks and shoes and couldn't navigate tight spaces very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't come with cameras that let it see the corners of a room.

It's still a good robot vacuum deal for those whose office or home has a lot of unfinished flooring and you're looking to save some money. It's also quiet and works when you're at work or at school. The only thing it doesn't have that you don't get in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on floors that aren't clean. It's also less effective in mopping, relying on disposable wet wipes, which don't stick on well and aren't able to handle dried-on debris. The Q5 does have an auto-emptying dock, however. If you want to, you can swap the mopping pad for dry ones in just a few minutes.

2. iRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact sleek and stylish vacuum cleaner that also has the ability to sweep floors. Its nimble navigation and intelligent cleaning maps make it quick to clean and effective at tackling larger particles like pet hair. It also features self-emptying dustbins, powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the most efficient robot hoover for carpets, but it's not as effective as some rivals in deep cleaning.

This high-performance vacuum and mops utilizes sensors to avoid obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the patterns of your home over time to ensure more efficient clng a restructured light system, camera, and a variety of lasers. The X40 Ultra was the only robot we tested that could fill and empty its basestation autonomously. It also boasted an industry-leading suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mops.

Like other iRobot models as well, the X40 is user-friendly, offering an intuitive mobile app interface and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. The only drawback is that the X40 is still a noisy unit. This can be a problem in the mornings before work or in the evening when you're trying to fall asleep.

It's also quite expensive but not as expensive as the Ecovacs MaxV Ultra or the Roborock S8 Omni, which are both equally impressive and attractive. It's a dual-purpose vacuum that is very efficient, but it will cost you more and produce more noise.

4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra

The L20 Ultra is a top-of-the-range robot vacuum and mop with a lot of advanced features that let you get rid of your chores. Like Ecovacs' range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-off cleaning machine that takes the care of vacuuming and mopping, with a multifunction dock that automatically empty the vacuum's trash bin, refills its water tank, cleans and dry its mop pads.

The smart robot uses an array of LIDAR and structured light to draw out floor plans and identify obstacles, navigating more intelligently than some of its premium rivals. It also has a front-mounted camera for real-time detection of hazards, although this wasn't quite 100% foolproof during our tests and was occasionally confused by power cords or other obstructions.

Its vacuum cleaner has the capacity to suction up to 7,000 Pascals which is more than sufficient to do the job. It also has an option called "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the power of the vacuum and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home based on how dirty the areas tend to be.

For bigger homes it's worth looking for one with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean a particular area of your home by using the app or voice controls. A stairway mode is useful if you have a number of furniture. Also the recharge and resume function that allows your robot vacuum to take over exactly where it left off is ideal for busy families.

5. iRobot Roomba RX3

The RX3 is a more efficient cleaner than you might imagine from its price. 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 with only one pad and a rotating motion which is cleaner than the majority mop cleaners for robots that we've tried. It's also extremely self-sufficient, with a full-featured app and a self emptying base that can be washed.

The iRobot application is designed to guide you through an exercise in mapping, 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 or organize a spot-clean. You can also use it to prioritize your dirtiest areas for greater efficiency. The app has a range 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 has an impressive 8,000 Pascal suction, as well as intelligent combs to remove pet hair. You can also organize a spot-cleaner that will thoroughly clean a specific area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD offers a sleeker more affordable alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras resemble cute eyes. It is capable of vacuuming but is more prone to be caught by low thresholds and is louder than the other top robotic vacuums we've examined. It also has a less intuitive app and a tiny base station that doesn't double as a bin for emptying.