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

This top-quality bot from Eufy is the best robot vacuums hands-off model we've tested so far. It vacuums, mop and self-empties and drys mop pads all without your intervention.

It lacks advanced cleaning modes and a bigger docking station but delivers a stellar performance for less than half the cost of high-end robotic vacuums. It has a compact design and can reach under furniture.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming with a robot is a quick, easy way to keep your floors looking and feeling clean. The majority of the robots we've selected are designed to run without the involvement of you, so you can set them up to clean while you're away, or even trigger the session using your smartphone. But, you must look for a model with superior navigation and obstacle detection to ensure it won't get stuck down the stairs or underneath furniture.

It is crucial to select the best robot vacuum that is able to effectively and efficiently clean all types of flooring. Look for a model with dust bins that can hold plenty of dirt in between emptying and a nozzle that does not lose suction as it rotates to get rid of debris.

Most robots require minimal 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 periodically emptying the bin, or using a robot's self-emptying base. If you follow these simple upkeep steps, your robot vac should last just as long as a full-size vacuum cleaner and keep your home cleaner for longer.

Robot mops aren't as flexible than vacuums, Best robot Vacuum but they can also clean up puddles and spills. The iLife V3s Pro is an example of such a machine, which is a good choice for people who have wood floors or a mix of rugs and carpets. It's quiet and has solid navigation capabilities that helped it avoid obstacles during testing, and the charging dock can also double as a trash bin.

Select a robotic vacuum cleaner that can also mop at the same time. That's what the Karcher RCV 5 can do and it comes with other useful features such as a live camera that broadcasts a grainy image to your smartphone so you can check on your children or pets and also an easily-programmable remote vacuum control. The navigation isn't as robust as the other models we've reviewed however, it can elevate itself over low thresholds and has an ample 500ml dustbin that doesn't need to be emptied often.

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 many people, especially those who have difficult-to-clean stains or pets.

The best affordable robot vacuum robots that mop and vacuum also be very effective cleaning floors with no carpets. There are many brands that offer robots capable of doing both very efficiently. The Combo J9+, for example, is one of the best mopping robots we've tested and uses an impressively large dock that can hold up to 60 days of dirt. This is a significant improvement over the Qrevo Pro, which ran out of water after mopping 30 days' worth of dirt in our tests.

The Tapo RV30 plus from networking giant TP-Link is another very excellent two-in-one. It's quiet, compact and is clean and easy to maintain an appearance. In our test rooms, it cleaned the floors thoroughly and accurately - it was particularly good on rugs, but it required multiple runs to fully clean certain areas of soiled wood. Its LIDAR navigation system works very well, avoiding crashing into furniture or crossing power cords.

It's a little slow on the stairs however that's to expected in a compact robot that's designed to tackle obstacles. The only drawback is its mopping pad attachment, that was difficult to use to hold in the right position during our tests. It is also not capable of dealing with dust that has dried on, making it more like the vacuum rather than a mop.

Despite these shortcomings however, it's a great choice for those who want a hands-off cleaning experience that can take care of carpets with equal ease. It was able to provide a lot of suction that helped it pick up fine dust from carpets and pet hair. automatic floor cleaning machine recognition of carpets is a wonderful feature as it increases the power of vacuuming 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 apartment dwellers.

Cleaning apps

The majority of robot vacuums, mops, and sweepers have an app that allows you to alter the cleaning routines. You can also select rooms to be cleaned, schedule cleaning sessions and change settings like suction as well as water levels and scrubbing strength. Some robots also offer intelligent dirt detection, which utilizes the data from previous cleaning sessions and maps data to prioritize dirty areas and optimize cleaning mode.

The app allows you to set up virtual barriers and no-go zones to protect your robot from potentially dangerous objects such as cords or pet water bowls and sharp objects. Certain models have laser navigation sensors that allow you to create virtual barriers, while others have small physical barriers and boundary strips can be put anywhere you wish to restrict the floor area.

The top robot vacuums and mops are intelligent enough to spot obstacles and avoid them however there are some hazards to watch out for. For example, a robot's main brush can become stuck in long curtains or cords and stop the machine dead in its tracks. To prevent this from happening it is possible to remove the cords and tie up any long curtains.

Some robots automatically update their software, which controls the navigation and obstacle avoidance algorithm. This improves performance and decreases the wear and tear on the robot's internal components. It is a good idea to check regularly the manufacturer's website or the app on your robot for firmware updates.

If you own a large home, look for a model with multiple cleaning modes. The iRobot Roomba 11S Max, for instance, can be used to vacuum and mop on both hard floors and carpeted rooms that have different suction levels. It also has the ability to automatically switch the power setting to the highest level when cleaning carpets, and boost its scrubbing strength by using SmartScrub.

If you're looking to be hands-off, a robot with the ability to speak to a voice-activated assistant is an excellent choice. The iRobot Roomba 980 can be operated by Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant. It comes with a compact self-emptying docking system as well as a powerful cleaning motor that makes your floors sparkling.