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Telegraph
21 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Hoover HG4 Hydro review: This robot vacuum and mop made cleaning my floors easier
This article contains affiliate links. The products or services listed have been selected independently by journalists after hands-on testing or sourcing expert opinions. We may earn a commission when you click a link, buy a product or subscribe to a service. 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. JUMP TO: 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. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All opinions are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. 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.
Android Authority
3 days ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Robot deals: Narwal Freo X Ultra and Freo Pro drop to record-low prices!
Jonathan Feist / Android Authority Are you looking for a robot vacuum and mop? They're the best way to keep your floors clean with little to no effort, and two of our favorite models are on sale right now, hitting new all-time low prices we've never seen before! Keep reading to learn more about the Narwal Freo X Ultra and Narwal Freo Pro. Buy the Narwal Freo X Ultra for just $549.99 ($350 off) Buy the Narwal Freo Pro for just $499.99 ($200 off) Both of these offers are available from Amazon and are labeled as 'limited time deals.' The discount is automatic, so simply add your favorite model to your cart and check out! Narwal Freo X Ultra Narwal Freo X Ultra Narwal Freo X Ultra Our floors have never looked cleaner Powerful suction, anti-clog dirt channels and brushes, LiDAR and laser sensors, and a convenient self-cleaning base station make the Narwal Freo X Ultra one of the best robot vacuums we've seen for home users. Safe and efficient operation for wood, tile, carpet, and nearly every floor surface in between. See price at Amazon Save $350.00 Limited Time Deal! For value per dollar, the Narwal Freo X Ultra is still my personal favorite robot vacuum and mop combo. It's literally the one I use. Sure, the newer Narwal Freo Z Ultra is better, but it is also significantly more expensive—it costs twice as much right now, to be exact. Also, that's only if you have an Amazon Prime subscription; it's more expensive if you don't! And while the Narwal Freo X Ultra isn't the latest, it's also not really that old, launched in early 2024. That said, the Narwal Freo X Ultra was the last premium offering from the brand, so it is very capable. It features a mighty 8,200Pa suction power. I've seen it pick up metal marbles with ease. Regular debris and dust will be no challenge. Additionally, the tri-laser system is really efficient at avoiding obstacles. I've had no issues with it in this department! One of my favorite things about this model is its mopping system. It's kind of life-changing. The two rotating mops rotate, effectively scrubbing your floors. My previous robot cleaners would just drag a rag across the floor. Not only that, but when the robot returns to the dock, the system will recognize how dirty the mops came back. The robot will continue going back to mop until the floors are actually clean. Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority While we are on the topic of the base, it is super convenient. The dock can store both clean and dirty water, and the app will let you know when it's time to dump or refill it. The detergent goes in the base, too, and it is dispensed automatically. Additionally, the base will wash and dry your mopping pads, keeping funky, humid smells at bay. The hands-off approach is amazing if you want a robot vacuum and mop that will require little maintenance on your end. The tangleless brush means you won't need to manually remove hair from it all the time, which is excellent news for those of us with long hair or pets. And the dust bin can store up to seven weeks of debris! I honestly rarely have to mess with it. I just dump the dirty water and refill the freshwater tank about once a week. Again, this is a brand-new all-time low price for this model. Get it while you can. You will not regret it! Narwal Freo Pro Narwal Freo Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo Narwal Freo Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo LiDAR and more in a mid-range bot There are not many compromises in the Narwal Freo Pro to help bring the price down. Only a few controls in the base station, manual detergent addition, but still some of the best floor cleaning capabilities we've seen from a robot vacuum. See price at Amazon Save $200.00 Limited Time Deal! Now, if you want to save even more, the Narwal Freo Pro is a great robot, and it is also at a record-low price! It was released as a more affordable alternative to the brand's more expensive 2025 units, but it is actually very similar to the Narwal Freo X Ultra! Of course, the manufacturer made some sacrifices to reach a lower price, but it is actually better in some ways, too. Let's talk about the differences. For starters, the suction power gets upgraded to 8,500Pa, so it's slightly stronger. Something that catches my eye is that the newer front brushes are better at avoiding tangles, making it an even better option for those of us with long hair and pets! The rest of the experience is very similar in terms of features. The dock will wash and dry the mopping pads, obstacle detection is still outstanding, and you get the same seven-week debris collection time. Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority But, where are the downsides? Well, they honestly aren't many, and they aren't that annoying. The Narwal Freo Pro base doesn't have physical controls, so you'll need to rely on the app. That said, I have yet to use the physical controls on mine, so I personally wouldn't mind the lack of physical buttons. Additionally, it doesn't have automatic detergent dispensing. You'll need to throw in a tablet whenever you replace the freshwater tank. It's an extra little step, but definitely not a deal-breaker either. If I were to pay full price for any of these, I would honestly go for the Narwal Freo Pro. Its downsides aren't that bad, and it is actually better in some ways. That said, today's deals put them very close in price. I would probably pay the extra $50 for the Narwal Freo X Ultra, mainly for the automatic detergent dispensing. Again, these are both record-low prices, so go take advantage of these deals while you can! We don't see them sticking around for long. If you're not convinced by either of these, here's our list of the best robot vacuums!
The Sun
25-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
I tried out mops – a £30 high street one beat Vax and Vileda when cleaning my kitchen
MOPPING floors is a tough job but essential for a sparkly clean and hygienic home. And to help make lighter work of the chore in hand, you can invest in a spray or a steam mop. 9 There are a wide range of tools available on the market, and you can spend quite a bit on them. But does paying top prices guarantee better results? I decided to try out a selection of best-sellers to find out. Here's what happened... Vileda Rinse Clean Spin Mop and Bucket System £49.99 I loved this spin mop and bucket but I thought it was quite expensive at nearly £50. The Aldi one does basically the same job - but for £35 less. It works in the same way with two buckets to separate the clean and dirty water. The microfibre mop head was great at clearing tough dirt and grime and seemed durable. It was triangular in shape which was good for getting right into corners. The best thing was the foot-pedal operated winger which allows you to control the dampness of the mop head. Performance: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Total score: 6/10 Mrs Hinch loves it but it's the most toxic cleaning product ever… I've seen it do so much damage & I'm a pro cleaner Minky 4-in-1 Action Spray Mop £22 No need to waste time filling a bucket with this spray mop. Simply fill the bottle with your cleaning solution, spray the floor and wipe away. The triple action pads were super effective and left my floor gleaming. The non-scratch heads were great at getting rid of stubborn dirt and it easily reached under furniture and around skirting boards. The only issue is I found the spray bottle leaked a little bit of solution and it's a shame it doesn't come with replacement mop heads, which would boost its value rating. Performance: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Total score: 6/10 Flash Speed Mop Starter Kit £12 If you need a fuss-free, budget-friendly option, it is worth considering this Flash mop. It doesn't feel the sturdiest. The handle is quite thin and you can't adjust it. But the head does pivot into tight corners and the cloths were fantastic and picking up and trapping dirt. The cloths were easy to fit and remove. It did a good job of cleaning tiles and glided beautifully around a wood laminate floor, providing a very happy and productive cleaning session. No fancy bells and whistles but it got the job done. Performance: 3/5 Value: 4/5 Total score: 7/10 Aldi Easy Home Spin Mop £14.99 What impressed me most about Aldi's wallet-friendly option was this mop's incredible ability to clean right into tight corners and under furniture. The two separate buckets mean you can separate dirty water from clean and it is suitable for all hard floors. The downside is the bucket is quite large, so it's not the easiest to store if you are tight on space. But for less than £15, you all get two mop head refills. It's great value. Performance: 3/5 Value: 5/5 Total score: 8/10 Karcher SE1 Upright Steam Mop £69 One of the best steam mops I've tested. Not only is it small, compact and lightweight, the water tank sits on the head of the mop and it gets hot enough to start generating steam within 30 seconds. Others took a lot longer to heat up. It has a built-in descaling cartridge, so there will be no limescale or scum left behind on your floors, either. I liked that the mop pad has a hook and loop fastening, so, when you're removing a dirty pad, you won't have to touch it, keeping your hands free from any dirt and bacteria the mop has picked up from the floors. The only negative I have is that the water tank is too small and needs to be topped up quite frequently, which was a pain." Performance: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Total score: 8/10 Bona Premium Spray Mop £42.99 This mop was brilliant - performing most effectively on wooden floors, giving them with a nice shine with minimal effort. The mop sprays just the right amount of liquid on the floor so it dries quickly and there is no slippery or damp floor to manage afterwards. It's lightweight with a good swivel head, so it can manoeuvre easily into tight spaces or under furniture. The handle and trigger are nicely designed, so it's comfortable to hold and spray cleaning solution as and when you need it. The handle isn't adjustable and is quite tall so you might need to bear that in mind if you are shorter. I'm 5ft 7ins and it was comfortable for me. The microfibre pad was great at picking up dust and hair - but I found it best to give the floor a quick vacuum beforehand. Performance: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Total score: 8/10 Vax Steam Fresh Total Home Cleaner £99.99 Pricey, but this will clean more than your kitchen floor. It comes with a whole host of accessories designed to clean everything from windows and tiles to grout and hard-to-reach areas. It can also be used on carpets and rugs. I found myself blasting steam at every stain I came across and it made light work of most of them and was deeply satisfying to use. It even got rid of a tough stain on the floor by my kitchen island that I've been battling to get rid of for months. All the attachments are easily stored on board the unit so it wasn't too big to store. It also kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria so I felt like my entire home had had a deep clean after using this. Worth every penny. Performance: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Total score: 9/10 Lakeland Double-Sided Floor Mop £29.99 This double-sided mop has a chenille side and a microfibre side so you can scrub away and deep clean your floors. Once clean, simply flip over and use the other side to dry your floors. This means you don't have to wait around waiting for it to dry. It's a sleek, light weight design weighing just 0.8kg and yet it has a generous 750ml water tank so you didn't have to keep refilling it in the middle of the job. Very effective, leaving floors shiny and dirt free. An excellent product for less than £30.
CNET
24-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Memorial Day Deal: Grab This Tineco Vacuum and Mop Bundle for Just $550
Memorial Day is almost upon us, marking summer's unofficial start. This holiday is rife with deals on big-ticket items as well as cleaning appliances that can help you have a tidier rest of the year. If you've been looking for a high-quality vacuum or mop cleaner, you're in luck. Right now, this Tineco Switch Pet 7 series vacuum and mop bundle is just $550 at Best Buy, which saves you $350 over their usual ticket price of $900. A similar Tineco One Switch S7 bundle is listed at $900 at Amazon, so this Best Buy deal offers plenty of bang for your buck. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Both the vacuum and mop in this bundle were made to be able to handle pet messes. The cordless stick vacuum is versatile and suited for all kinds of floor finishes. It can be converted into a handheld vacuum so you can easily clean furniture, pillows and other above-floor surfaces. Plus, you can use the ZeroTangle brush to keep pet hairs at bay. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. The included mop is perfect for washing and freshening up your floors. Your purchase includes pet solution, an antibacterial brush roller and a self-cleaning feature that keeps your cordless stick mop dry after every use. Extra attachments such as a SwitchPro motor, mini power brush, 2-in-1 dusting brush and drying/charging dock help you customize your routine and handle every kind of mess. We're keeping track of every Memorial Day deal we can find so you can keep saving. Our shopping team also has a list of the best vacuum cleaners so you can browse before you shop. Why this deal matters This Tineco bundle includes a high-quality vacuum and mop for just $550 right now, down from its usual price of $900. On top of including two appliances especially made to deal with pet messes, you'll get multiple attachments and a charging dock that can help you keep these appliances securely in place. The price alone makes now an excellent time to consider this deal.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
I bought a $30 item from Kmart - and it's my favourite cleaning find of 2025
A humble household chore item has been declared the 'cleaning find of 2025' – and it can be purchased for just $30. A recent video shared to the Kmart Australia social media accounts demonstrated the 3-in-1 Mop and Bucket Set, with fans quickly pouring into the comments section to confirm it's 'the best mop I've ever used'. While a mop hardly sounds like a groundbreaking cleaning tool, the mass budget retailer's latest offering stands apart thanks to some clever upgrades to the mop bucket itself. The biggest difference is the mop's unique three-chamber separation bucket. As explained in the voice over, this chamber system removes a common gripe people have while mopping. 'One of the reasons why I didn't enjoy mopping in the past was it felt like I was just moving around dirty water on the floors,' they confirmed. The correlating caption on the video post confirmed that the unique bucket chamber 'keeps clean and dirty water separate – so every swipe actually helps clean'. Demonstrating the three-chamber system in action, the video starts by showing how to fill the far-right chamber with fresh water and detergent. The video then proceeds along to the middle chamber, which has a tap-like dial on top of the bucket, which allows clean sudsy water to filter in from the first chamber. On top of the middle chamber is a slim opening for the mop head to be neatly inserted and dipped into the clean water. Next, as you wring the mop by lifting it up and out of the bucket, any watery remnants from the mop pad filter into the adjacent third 'dirty water' compartment. 'When you lift this up, it rings the dirty water out on this side,' explains the video voice over. The video also explained that in the event the third 'dirty water' compartment needed to be emptied, there was also a convenient 'nozzle' cap on the side that can be released to allow dirty water to drain out of the side of the bucket. One of the other features highlighted in the video was its ability to be compactly stored, which is especially useful for those in smaller homes where storage space is at a premium. All the mop's components can be disassembled and neatly packed into the bucket itself – which also helps prevent losing any parts. The microfibre mop heads are additionally detachable and machine washable. In the event that the mop heads become completely worn out, Kmart also stock a 2-pack of Mop Set Refills for $4. Kmart shoppers took to the comments section to declare their excitement over the simple yet 'gamechanger' upgrade to the basic mop and bucket. 'I absolutely love this mop - I threw out my expensive one for this!' said one happy convert adding, that their 'floors have never been so clean'. 'I bought one today and I absolutely love it,' said another. 'The best mop I've ever used!' chimed in a third. 'This is game changer. I love it! Cheap and working great,' added another happy customer. Other online Kmart fans noted the additional cleaning 'hack' of using this mop as a wall cleaning device. 'The best wall washer,' said one fan. 'I do home cleaning and this is, a life saver, for wall, ceilings and floors, win-win,' confirmed another. '[W]alls + grubby kids + this mop = clean walls,' read part of a third comment. The new 3-in-1 Mop Bucket is just the latest Kmart cleaning tool that's upped the mundane task of house chores. The budget retailer also recently released the Anko Robotic Vacuum, which promptly sold out online and is extremely difficult to find in stores. The $169 Kmart item has been heralded as a great value entry-level robotic vacuum that works well on light messes and is ideal for small households. This robo vac is also marketed as a 3-in-1 device, which can simultaneously 'sweep, vacuum and mop', thanks to the addition of a water tank attachment and mop head.
