The Best Robot Hoover

The best robot automatic hoover can vacuum and mop without needing your attention. It will leave your floors clean. Its surprisingly affordable price and high-end features (such as dirt detection) are a plus.

Check your robot's brushes regularly for tangled debris as well as hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models can also self-empty the onboard dust bin and place it in an additional bin located at the base. This can reduce the amount of fine dust 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 top-of-the-line motors that can pull up to 5,500 Pascals of suction force. Like other iRobots with premium features (including the most powerful model) they utilize smart mapping to produce precise floor plans and eliminate household obstacles like cords and furniture legs. They also have carpet boost which boosts the robot's power when it detects a lot of dirt on the carpet, allowing it cleaned quickly.

Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our floor tests that test for bare floors, and they're particularly adept in removing pet hair. There are some issues, however, that prevent them from being our top choice. One of the weaknesses of the Q5 is its navigation system doesn't feature AI-powered obstacles avoidance. It's thus susceptible to get stuck on socks and shoes and could not navigate rooms with lots of people efficiently during our tests. It doesn't also have a camera that can see around corners.

However, it's a good choice to consider, particularly if you're looking to save money on an Roomba from iRobot, and you have a bare-floored home or office. It's also very quiet and you can use it while you're at work, or at school. The only thing it lacks that you won't find in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30 is edge-to-edge vacuuming on bare floors. It's also less effective when it comes to mopping. It is dependent on disposable wet wipes that don't stick well and aren't able to deal with dried-on debris. The Q5 does have an auto-emptying dock, however. If you want to change the mopping pad for a dry one in minutes.

2. iRobot Roomba

The iRobot Roomba X30 is a compact, sleek vacuum cleaner that can sweep floors. Its nimble navigation and intelligent cleaning maps make it easy to clean and effective at dealing with larger particles such as pet hair. It also has a self-emptying bin as well as powerful suction, and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robot hoover for carpets, though 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. The app lets you set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. It comes with a battery life that is similar to other models.

You can tell the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when it's in a carpeted room, which helps prevent cross-contamination. Its flex arm can also be used to reach beneath low-lying furnishings and along baseboards. It doesn't offer the same 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, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It also did a good job cleaning a range of floors and rooms with mixed flooring types, including some area carpets. Its obstacle detection was great and it was able to avoid 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 automatically empties into the base. It also supports voice commands via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can even clean the floor after vacuuming this feature, which we've not seen on other robot vacuums best vacuum/mop combos.

3. Roomba X40 from iRobot

With an elegant, circular design that looks like a regular Roomba than the competitors' boxy units this mop and robot vacuums best vacuum is among the most attractive looking models in our evaluations. iRobot’s latest flagship model is also its smartest. It has advanced features like enhanced dirt detection and future compatibility (another company’s robot that can wash mop pads on its own).

It's the only robotic vacuum/mop to score an exemplary 10/10 in our evaluations due to a mix of high-tech sensors, which include a camera, structured light system, and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot in our tests that is fully self-refill and empty its base station and boasts an the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.

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

It's also a bit expensive, but it's not as expensive as Ecovacs X2 Omni or Roborock's S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally capable and better-looking. If you're willing to put up with a bit more noise and some additional cost it's a efficient two-in-one device that should satisfy most people.

4. iRobot Roomba 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 device like 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 and refills the water tank, and cleans and dries mop pads.

The smart robot uses LIDAR and structured lighting to create floorplans and identify obstacles. It can navigate more efficiently than its premium competitors. It also comes with a front-mounted camera for real-time hazard detection, although this wasn't quite 100% foolproof during our tests and was sometimes confused by power cords or other obstructions.

The vacuum has a suction capacity of 7,000 Pascals, which is more than enough to finish the job. It also features "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the amount of time the vacuum works and also adjusts the frequency of cleaning for different areas of the home depending on how dirty they are.

For bigger homes it's worth looking for models with spot or zone cleaning modes that allow you to tell the robot vacuums uk to clean a particular area of your house using the app or via voice commands. If you have lots of furniture, a stair mode is also a good option. Also a 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 sophisticated than its price would suggest. It is a good vacuum cleaner and was able to remove 55% of debris in our tests. (It was second to the Roomba Q5 Pro). It also mopses with a single pad that uses an oscillating motion that is cleaner than the other robot mop cleaners we've tried. It's self-sufficient too, with a full-featured application and a self-emptying, washable base.

The iRobot app is designed to guide you through the mapping process that collects data on your floorplan and any "no go" areas you've marked on the map. You can use it to make cleaning schedules, plan an area for cleaning or to prioritise your dirtiest rooms to improve performance. The app comes with a variety of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping, and advanced cleaning settings.

It is also able to reach corners and under furniture better because its shape is more rectangular. It features an impressive 8000 Pascal suction as well as clever combs for removing pet hair. It also has the ability to create a spot-clean that thoroughly cleans a particular area.

The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a more sleek more affordable alternative to iRobot Roomba. It's got a more attractive design, akin to Dolce & Gabbana. The twin cameras are designed like adorable eyes. It does a good robot vacuum job vacuuming, but is more prone to be caught by low thresholds and is a bit more noisy than the other top robotic vacuums we've tried. It also has a less user-friendly app and a tiny base station that doesn't double as an emptying bin.