The Best Robot Hoover
The best robot vacuum can clean and vacuum your floors without having to be involved. It also leaves the floors spotless. Its price is affordable and its high-end features (such as dirt detectors) are positives.
Examine your robot's brush regularly for tangled debris and hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models can also automatically empty their onboard dustbin into a larger one at the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust that is released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro, and its more expensive sibling, the Q7 Max Series are among the most powerful robotic vacuums that we have tested. They are equipped with motors that are top of the quality and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Like other premium iRobots (including the top model) they utilize smart mapping to produce precise floorplans that avoid obstacles like furniture leg. The robots also come with the feature of Carpet Boost which boosts its power when it senses dirt on the carpet.
Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our floor tests that test for bare floors and are particularly effective in cleaning pet hair. However, they do have several flaws that prevent them from being our top choice. One of them is that the Q5's navigation system does not feature AI-powered obstacle avoidance technology which means it's susceptible to get caught up in shoes and socks and can't navigate tightly packed rooms very efficiently in our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera that would let it see the corners of the room.
It's still a good value, especially if your office or home has a lot of bare flooring and you're looking to save some money. Additionally, it's quiet and can be used while you're at work or school. The only thing it lacks that you don't get in the pricier iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming of floors with no floor. It's also less effective at mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes that don't adhere very well and cannot handle dried-on debris. The Q5 has a self-emptying cradle, however. And, if you have to, you can switch the mopping pad to a dry one in just a few seconds.
2. iRobot Roomba X30
The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact, sleek vacuum cleaner that also has the ability to mop floors. Its intelligent cleaning maps and fluid navigation make it simple to clean and effective in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also comes with self-emptying dustbins as well as powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot vacuum for carpets, although it isn't as efficient as some of its competitors in deep cleaning.
This high-performance vacuum and mop uses sensors that help it stay clear of obstacles and pet waste. It also learns the layout of your home over time to provide cleaner and more efficient cleaning. You can alter its cleaning schedule and customize zones with the well-designed app. Its battery life is average in comparison to other models.
You can instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when in a carpeted room, which helps prevent cross-contamination. The flex arm can be used to reach under low-lying furnishings and along baseboards. It doesn't perform as well on the washboard as our other Editors' Choice Picks, the Ecovacs Ozmo N8Pro+ and the iRobot Combo j9+.
In the course of testing, X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to clean an entire home and had 66 percent of its battery remaining. It did a great cleaning job on various floors and rooms with different flooring types including some area rug. Its obstacle detection was great and it stayed clear of fake dog turds, socks, shoes and bundles of cables.
It's more expensive than iRobot Combo v9+ or iRobot Roomba j9+ but has superior suction and an onboard bin that is automatically empty into the base. It also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can also clean the floor even after it has vacuumed. This is a feature that we haven't seen on other robot vacuum/mop combination.
3. IRobot Roomba X40
With a sleek, circular design that looks more like a normal Roomba than the competitors' boxy units this mop and robot vacuum is among the most appealing looking in our tests. The newest model from iRobot is among the most intelligent model, with features that are cutting-edge like Enhanced Dirt Detection Technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads).
It's the only robotic vacuum/mop to score 100% in our testing, thanks to a combination of high-tech sensors that include cameras, a structured light system, and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that is fully self-refill and empty its base station, and boasts an its own self-cleaning mop pads.
As with other iRobot models as well, the X40 is easy to use, offering an easy mobile app interface, and integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. The only drawback is that it's a noisy unit that could be an issue if you use it in the morning before work or at night as you try to sleep.
It's also quite expensive, although it's not as pricey as Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Both of which are equally capable and look better. If you're willing some more volume and some extra cost this is a powerful two-in-one that will satisfy most people.
4. iRobot Roomba L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is the top-of-the high-end robot mop and vacuum. It comes with a variety of advanced features that make you forget about your chores. Like Ecovacs range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-free cleaning machine that can take charge of both vacuuming and mopping, with a multifunction dock that automatically empty the vacuum's trash bin, refills its water tank, and cleans and dry its mop pads.
The smart robot uses a combination of LIDAR and structured light to create floor plans and spot obstacles, and navigates more effectively than its more expensive rivals. It also comes with a front-mounted camera for real-time hazards detection, though this wasn't 100% reliable in our tests and was often confused with obstructions or power cords.
The vacuum cleaner comes with the capacity to suction up to 7,000 Pascals which is more than sufficient to do the job. It also features "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the amount of time the vac works and alters the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the house depending on the amount of dirt they are.
For larger homes it's recommended to choose one with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot to clean a particular area of your house via the app or via voice commands. If you have furniture, a stair-mode is also useful. For families that are busy, a recharge function and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to continue from where it left off can be extremely useful.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is more intelligent than its price suggests. It vacuums well and picked up 55% debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mops with one pad and a reciprocating motion that cleans better that most of the mop cleaners with robots that we've tried. It's also highly self-sufficient, with a full-featured app and a self-emptying base that can be washed.
The well-designed iRobot application guides you through a mapping exercise that collects information about your floorplan and any "no-go" areas you mark on the map. It can be used to create cleaning schedules, or to organize an automatic spot-clean. It can also be used to it to prioritize your dirtiest areas for better performance. 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, which means it can reach corners and underneath furniture more easily. It features a powerful 8000 Pascal suction, as well as clever combs for removing pet hair. It also has the ability to create a spot-clean that intensely cleans a localized area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek and cheaper alternative to the iRobot Roomba. It is more appealing in its style, much like Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are designed to resemble adorable eyes. It's good at vacuuming, but is more prone to be caught by low thresholds and is a bit louder than the other top robotic vacuums we've examined. It also has an app that's not as intuitive and a small base station that doesn't double as a bin for emptying.