Vacuuming With a Robot Hoover is the Best Robot Hoover Hands-Off Model We've Tested

This top-quality bot from Eufy is the best hands-off model we've tested so far. It vacuums, mops, self-empties its bin and washes and dries mop pads without you having to do anything.

It's not equipped with the latest cleaning techniques and a bigger docking station, but it delivers impressive performance at a fraction of the cost of high-end robotic vacuums. It also boasts the ability to be able to reach under furniture.

Vacuuming

A robot vacuum is a convenient and quick method of keeping your floors tidy. Many of the robots we've chosen are designed to run without the involvement of you and you can set them up to clean your floors while you're away or trigger a session from your smartphone. You'll want to select one that has excellent navigation and object detection in order to avoid getting stuck under furniture or falling down the stairs.

Certain models are better at picking up pet hair from carpets than others, so it's important to select a robot that can effectively and efficiently vacuum all types of flooring. Find a robot that has a large dustbin that will hold a large amount of dirt in between emptyings and a nozzle that does not lose suction as it turns.

Most robots require little to any maintenance, other than cleaning the tangled fur off the rotating brush after every cleaning session (and wiping its camera or sensors when needed) and then periodically emptying the bin, or using the robot cleaning machine's self-emptying base. If you follow these simple maintenance tips, your robot vacuum should last as long as regular vacuums and help keep your home tidy for longer.

While robot mops tend to be less flexible than their vacuum counterparts Some have the ability to suck up spills and puddles while they're doing their thing. The iLife V3s Pro, a good example of this type of machine, is a fantastic choice for those with carpets and rugs or wood flooring. It is quiet and has good navigation capabilities, which allowed it to avoid obstacles during testing. The charging dock can also function as a trash bin.

Pick a cheap robot vacuum vacuum cleaner that is able to mop simultaneously. That's what the Karcher RCV 5 can do and also comes with other useful features such as live cameras that stream an unreliable image to your app so that you can check on your children or pets, as well as an easily programmable remote control. Its navigation may not be as good as the other models on this list, but its 500ml dustbin is spacious and doesn't need frequent emptying.

Mopping

Robots that vacuum and mop are relatively new to the market. They are more expensive than standalone robots and require an additional water tank however, the additional cost could be worth it for some people, especially those with hard-to-clean stains or pets.

Some of the best robots that vacuum and mop also be very effective at cleaning bare floors and carpets. There are many brands that offer robots capable of doing both exceptionally effectively. The Combo J9+, as an example, is one of the top mopping robots we've tested. It comes with an impressively large dock that can hold up to 60 days worth of dirt. This is an enormous improvement over the Qrevo Pro which ran out water after mopping only 30 days worth of dirt during our tests.

The Tapo RV30 plus from networking giant TP Link is a great two-in-one. It is compact quiet and has an elegant, easy-to-use look. In our test rooms, it cleaned the floors accurately and thoroughly - it was particularly good at cleaning rugs, however it required several runs to clean certain areas of soiled wooden. Its LIDAR navigation works well as well. It is able to avoid hitting furniture or running over power cables.

It's a bit slow on the stairs but it's to be expected from a small robot designed to work around obstacles. Its only downside is its mopping pad attachment, which was difficult to hold in its place during our tests. It also has a problem dealing with dust that has dried on, making it more like the vacuum rather than a mop.

It's still a great choice for people who prefer a hands-off experience and want to clean low-pile or bare carpets equally well. It was able to provide a lot of suction, which helped it pick up fine dust from carpets and pet hair. A good feature is its automatic recognition of carpets, which boosts the power of the vacuum to tackle dirt that has been embedded. It's easy to use and the charging dock automatically emptyes the dustbin when it is full. This is a fantastic feature for those who live in apartments.

Cleaning apps

The majority of robot vacuums, mops and sweepers have an application that lets you alter the cleaning routines. You can also pick rooms to be cleaned, schedule cleaning sessions and adjust settings like suction, scrub strength and water levels. Some robots offer intelligent dirt detection that uses map data and past cleaning data to determine the most soiled areas.

Having an app also allows you to create virtual barriers and no-go zones to shield your robot from potentially hazardous items, such as cords and pet water bowls and sharp objects. Certain models let you create these virtual barriers with laser navigation sensors, while others feature small physical boundaries or barriers that to place wherever you'd like to block your floor.

The top robot vacuums and mops are smart robot vacuums enough to spot obstacles and navigate around them, but there are still some hazards to watch out for. For instance, the main brush could get stuck on long curtains or cords and stop the machine from moving. You can prevent this by clearing the area of any cords and tying up any curtains that are long before operating your robot.

Some robots automatically update their software that regulates navigation and obstacle avoidance algorithm. This enhances performance and reduces wear and tear on the robot's internal components. It is a good idea to periodically to check the manufacturer's site or the application for updates to the firmware.

If you live in a large house, choose a model that has different cleaning modes. The iRobot Roomba 11S Max can mop and vacuum on hard and carpeted floors with different suction settings. It can also automatically switch to the highest power setting for carpets and increase its scrubbing power with SmartScrub.

A robot that has an integrated voice assistant is a great option when you want to keep your hands off. The iRobot Roomba 980, for example, can be operated by a single command from Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. It comes with a compact self-emptying docking device and a powerful cleaning motor that will leave your floors sparkling.