15 Terms That Everyone Within The Robot Hoover Industry Should Know
The Best Robot Hoover
The most effective robot vacuum will sweep and vacuum your floors with no effort. It also leaves the floors spotless. Its price is surprisingly low and top-of-the-line features (such as dirt detection) are a plus.
Check your robot's brushes frequently for tangled debris and hair. Wash them when necessary. Some models will automatically empty their onboard dustbin into a larger one at the base, which reduces the amount of fine dust released into the air.
1. Roomba Q5 Pro
The Q5 Pro and its sibling, the pricier Q7 Max Series, are among the most powerful robot vacuums we've test. They are equipped with motors that are top of the line and can suction up to 5,500 Pascals. Similar to other iRobots that are premium (including the top model), they use intelligent mapping to design precise floorplans that avoid obstacles such as cords and furniture legs. They also have a feature called carpet boost that increases the robot's power when it spots the presence of dirt on the carpet in order to get it cleaned quickly.
Both the Q5 and Q7 Max Series get very good scores in our tests on floors that are bare, and they're particularly adept in cleaning pet hair. There are some issues, however, that prevent them from being our top choice. For one, the Q5's navigation system does not have AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so it's prone to become entangled in socks and shoes and couldn't navigate tightly packed rooms very well in our tests. It also doesn't come with a camera that would let it see the corners of a room.
It's still a great option for those who want to save money on a iRobot Roomba and you have a bare-floored home or office. Additionally, it's quiet and can be used while you're at work or at school. It's not equipped with the edge-to-edge floor vacuuming feature that's available in the more expensive iRobot Roomba X30. It's also less effective at mopping, using disposable wet wipes, which don't stick on for long and don't handle dried-on debris. The Q5 does come with an auto-emptying dock, however. If you're required to mop, the mopping pad can be replaced with an awe-inspiring one in a matter of seconds.
2. IRobot Roomba X30
The iRobot Roomba X30 packs impressive mopping and vacuuming into an elegant, compact package. Its intelligent cleaning maps as well as fluid navigation make it simple to clean, and effective in dealing with larger particles, like pet hair. It also has a self-emptying dustbin with powerful suction and support for virtual boundaries. It's the best robotic hoover for carpets but it falls behind some competitors in terms of deep cleaning.
This high-performing mop and vacuum combo utilizes advanced sensors to dodge obstacles and pet waste and it learns the layout of your home over time to provide more efficient cleaning. The app lets you set up zones and modify the cleaning schedule. It has a battery lifespan that is similar to other models.
It is possible to instruct the X30 Ultra to remove its mop and extend them when in a room with carpet to prevent cross-contamination. Its flex arm can also be used to reach beneath furniture that is low and along baseboards. However, it doesn't have the same level of washboard performance as our other Editors' Choice picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Pro+ as well as the iRobot Combo j9+.
In the course of testing, X30 Ultra was the fastest robot vacuum/mop to sweep the entire house, with 66 per cent of its battery remaining. It did a great cleaning job on different floors and rooms with different flooring types including certain area carpets. Its obstacle detection was top-of-the-line, and it nimbly avoided fake dog socks, turds, shoes, and bundles of cables.
It's a little 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 using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It even cleans the floor after vacuuming, a feature that we've not seen on other robotic vacuum/mop combos.
3. IRobot Roomba X40
The robot vacuum and mop combination is sleek and has a circular design that appears more like the regular Roomba model than the bulky units of the competitors. It's one of our most appealing looking robot vacuums. The latest model from iRobot happens to be its smartest, with advanced features including enhanced dirt detection technology and future compatibility with Matter (another company's robot that is able to wash mop pads).
It's also the sole robot vacuum/mop that scored an absolute 10 out of 10 in our testing. This is thanks to a mix of high-tech sensors, including a structured light system, a camera and multiple lasers. The X40 Ultra is also the only robot we tested that can completely autonomously refill and empty its base station and it boasts the industry's highest suction of 12,000Pa and self-cleaning mop pads.
The X40 is, like the other iRobot products, is easy to operate. It has an intuitive mobile application interface and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The only downside is that the X40 is still a noisy unit. This can be a concern in the mornings before work, or in the evening when you're trying to sleep.
It's also a bit expensive, though it's not as pricey as Ecovacs X2 Omni or the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, both of which are equally powerful and look better. This is a dual-purpose vacuum that's very capable, but it's more expensive and make more noise.
iRobot L20 Ultra
The L20 Ultra is the top-of-the line robot vacuum and mop. It has a range of advanced features that will make you forget about your chores. Like Ecovacs the range-topping X2 Omni and Roborock's S8 Pro Ultra, the L20 is designed to be a hands-free cleaning machine that takes care of both vacuuming and mopping, with a multifunction dock that automatically empties the vacuum's dustbin, refills its water tank, washes and dry the mop pads.
The smart robot uses a combination of LIDAR and structured light to draw out the floor plan and detect obstacles, navigating more intelligently than its more expensive competitors. It also comes with a front-mounted camera to detect hazards in real-time however, it wasn't 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 attribute known as "Intelligent Dirt Detection", that regulates the vacuum's power and adjusts the frequency of cleaning for various areas of the home based on how dirty these areas are.
If you have a bigger home, you should consider selecting a model with a zones or spot cleaning modes. automatic vacuum lets you inform the robot of which area of your home must be cleaned with the help of an app or voice command. If you have furniture, a stair-mode is also a good option. For families that are busy recharge functions and resume feature that allows your robot vacuum to pick up where it left off can be very beneficial.
iRobot RX3
The RX3 is a cleaner with more intelligence than you would 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 using one pad that has a reciprocating motion, which does a better job cleaning than the other mop cleaners for robots we've tested. It's also self-sufficient with a fully-featured application, and a self emptying base that is washable.
The well-designed iRobot app guides you through an initial mapping run that gathers information about your floorplan as well as any "no-go" areas you have marked on the map. It can be used to design cleaning schedules or to create a spot-clean. You can also use it to rank your most filthy areas for greater efficiency. The app offers a variety of options, including seasonal suggestions, custom mapping and advanced cleaning settings.
It is also able to reach corners and under furniture more easily because its shape is more rectangular. It is equipped with a powerful 8000 Pascal suction as well as sophisticated combs that remove pet hair. You can also create a spot-clean that scours a specific area.
The Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD is a sleeker and less expensive alternative to iRobot Roomba. It has a more attractive, Dolce & Gabbana-esque design and its twin cameras look like cute eyes. It is capable of vacuuming, but is more prone to get caught on low thresholds and is a bit more noisy than the other top robotic vacuums we've tried. It also comes with an app that is less intuitive, and a smaller base station that doesn't double as a bin to empty.