Hoover HG4 Hydro review: This robot vacuum and mop made cleaning my floors easier

Telegraph

a day ago

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What is the Hoover HG4 Robot Vacuum and Mop?
Robot vacuum cleaners have become a popular and affordable household fixture, and there's now an emerging trend of these appliances combining the functions of a vacuum cleaner with those of the best mops. Leading manufacturers like Roomba, Shark, Eufy and Hoover have all brought out hybrid cleaning devices to get your floors clean and gleaming with very little human input.
When our team assessed the best robot vacuum cleaners, Hoover's HG4 was named the Best Value option thanks to its combination of mid-range pricing with features that are more commonly considered premium. If you've been looking to take some of the time and hassle out of cleaning your floors, particularly if you'd like to return home or wake up to it having been done for you, the HG4 could be worth considering.
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How we test robot vacuum cleaners
I tested this robotic vacuum against several criteria. Crucially, I wanted to determine its performance and results across a range of different floor types, from rugs to carpets and hard wood, using the vacuum on everything and the mop in the right places. Other important considerations included how easy it was to use, and the design and build, including how loudly (or quietly) it operated. I followed it around to check how effectively it could manoeuvre around and underneath certain items of furniture, too.
I used the accompanying app to see how easy it was to connect to my Wi-Fi and set up and use the room mapping and remote control features, and whether this saved me time in the long run. Finally, I assessed much cleaning I could get done on a full charge whether it was inside one room or across my entire home, and how long I needed to leave it to charge to get the most out of it.
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Design and build
Score: 8/10
With a bluish-grey and black design, the HG4 Hydro looks and feels like the high quality it is. If you choose to manually lift it between rooms or store it away when not in use it will pick up fingerprints, but you can quickly and easily wipe these away.
I appreciated that it looks somewhat understated, and unlike some other robot vacuum systems, it has a compact charging dock so it doesn't take up too much space when not in use. In fact, the charging dock is so small that I was able to slide both vacuum and dock under a sideboard in my living room, keeping it stowed out of sight but ready to go when needed.
It has some weightiness to it, but wasn't too heavy for me to comfortably move when I needed to, and I didn't have any issues getting it out of the box or storing it away. I also had no problems emptying out the base-integrated dust collector – it only took seconds to do – and cleaning the roller was easy, even when a few long hairs had wrapped themselves around it.
Performance and results
Score: 7/10
During testing, the HG4 moved rather seamlessly from a thicker and textured area rug in my living room to a hard floor, although it didn't always pick up all the debris and dust from the rug, so I didn't get any deep cleaning on this surface. In fact, I had to give the rug a once over with my usual vacuum cleaner afterwards.
It performed better on hard floors, which I found were clean and dust free after the HG4 gave them a once over. Even when my floors originally looked somewhat clean to the eye, I was surprised by just how much dust, debris and hair it had picked up when I went to empty the built-in bin. I intentionally dropped a few shreds of paper and larger pieces of detritus onto the floor, too, and it swept these up with ease, utilising its sweeper brush to gather the mess.
There's a separate tank in the base for mopping, and it was simple enough to flip open the little cap and fill the container with clean water when I wanted to use the mopping function. It is worth noting that you should not add any cleaning solution or detergent into this tank as it could damage the appliance.
You can then tell the robot vac via the app which rooms you'd like it to mop. This is not a carpet washer so you of course need to avoid any carpeting or rugs. I was happy with the amount of water that it dispensed – not too much or too little – with the mop pad providing a quick dry. If mopping your floors is the bane of your life, this could be an excellent option for you.
Giving the mop pad a quick rinse under the sink or throwing it in the washing machine had it looking and feeling brand new, and I appreciated that it came with a spare mop pad so you can always have one clean and ready.
Score: 6/10
I like to think that I'm able to get to grips with most devices and technologies, but even so I had quite a few issues trying to connect the HG4 to my home's Wi-Fi. Annoyingly you need to be connected to the Wi-Fi to then connect to the accompanying Hoover HG Robots app so you can start using the robot vac. Without the app you won't be able to vacuum, mop, do the initial home mapping, control the device remotely or schedule cleaning times.
As the HG4 runs on a different Wi-Fi frequency to my home (it uses 2.4GHz), it had problems communicating with my router. After several hours of trying to change the frequencies and get them to link, I ended up having to reconfigure my router and set up a network for the robot vac. All in all, it was a rather frustrating morning and felt much more difficult than it needed to. So, if you're looking for a robot vacuum that you can operate using on-device buttons like those on a traditional cordless vacuum, or one that doesn't need an internet connection, then this might not be the right model for you.
Usability
Score: 7/10
If you're used to the noise of a traditional vacuum, like those featured in our best vacuum cleaner round-up, you'll find the HG4 is significantly quieter. It does vary in noise levels, though. When it's simply moving across the floor and vacuuming it makes a low buzzing sound, which almost became like white noise to me after a while. Yet, as it accelerates, turns or stops itself from bumping into an item of furniture or an obstacle, it does make a louder burring noise and some buzzing. And if you switch the vacuum power to high, the volume does increase slightly, too.
It had no issue going under the bed, tables, certain chairs or my sideboard. As I have sofas which are low to the ground, I knew that the robot wouldn't be able to clean under these. However, given how it slipped under other pieces of furniture I don't see this being an issue in most other homes and living rooms.
Battery life and recharge time
Score: 7/10
While testing, I tasked the HG4 with cleaning the floors of my living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, a small hallway and an entryway. After performing initial mapping of the largest room in my home – the living room – and vacuuming it, it had only used around 10 per cent of the battery's charge. You only need to allow it to map a room once, which meant that on subsequent cleans it used even less charge. It meant I could get a number of sweeps of my home from one full charge.
keep in mind that a full charge takes between four and four and a half hours. If I was on limited time, I could charge it for around two hours to ensure it had enough battery life for a single cleaning session of my entire house, but it is worth taking this into consideration if you're looking for a speedier option.
Technical specifications
When it comes to the best robot vacuum devices, one of the most popular and well-known competitors to the Hoover HG4 is the Roomba Combo i8, which also combines vacuum and mop functions. But how do they compare?
Here's what to bear in mind if you are considering buying one of the two:
Should you buy the Hoover HG4 Robot Vacuum and Mop?
If you've been thinking of investing in a robotic vacuum that also has mopping capabilities, the Hoover HG4 Robot Vacuum and Mop is a good option. It takes a lot of the time and effort out of both vacuuming and mopping, cleaning away while you work, relax or even sleep.
It's not as simple to use straight out of the box as I had hoped, and if you're not particularly tech-savvy it might take some time to get it set up and connected to Wi-Fi and the app. However, it is still a great mid-range choice.
Yes, if:
You want a low-fuss, automated way of vacuuming and mopping your home
You'd like to control your vacuum by an app or remotely
You have mostly hard floors
No, if:
You want to use it straight out of the box without too much setup time
You're looking for a vacuum or mop that gets into corners
You're on a budget
Hoover HG4 Robot Vacuum and Mop FAQs
Can you use the HG4 on hard floors?
Yes, it can vacuum and mop across a range of hard floors, including laminate, tile, hardwood and vinyl, as well as on carpets and rugs when solely using the vacuuming settings.
Can the HG4 effectively remove stains from carpets?
Unfortunately, if you were hoping this vacuum could remove stains from carpets you will be disappointed. It is designed specifically to vacuum up dust and debris from carpets, rugs and other floor coverings. For stain removal, use one of the best carpet cleaners instead.
How long is the HG4's battery life?
The HG4 can run for up to 120 minutes when fully charged. If the battery starts to run low before it has finished cleaning, the device will return to its dock to recharge itself before resuming cleaning where it left off.