Hoover

An old cleaning name inside Haier Europe

Hoover needs little introduction as a vacuum name, and its Swiss site leans on that, saying the brand brings more than a century of cleaning expertise to what it builds. What has changed is who runs it. The UK store's footer says Hoover Home is the ecommerce website for Haier Smart Home UK&I Ltd, part of the Hoover Candy Group within the parent company of Haier Europe, and the Swiss site is published by Candy Hoover Group S.r.l. in Brugherio, Italy. Robots are one product family among many for Hoover: the same stores sell cordless sticks, cylinders, wet and dry floor washers, mattress cleaners, washing machines, dryers, fridges and ovens. The robot range is small and priced for mainstream buyers, and Hoover pitches it as "A home that cleans itself," built around LIDAR mapping and control through the HG Robots app.

The range, HG4 and HG2

The UK store lists four robots in two families, and the model names tell you most of what you need.

The HG4 is the plain vacuum. The store gives it up to 120 minutes of runtime, a 4.5 hour charge, a 0.8 l container and a washable EPA filter. It was listed at £99.99 against a regular £249.99 in a "PAYDAY DEAL." Hoover's robot page lists its main points: LIDAR navigation, up to 4000 Pa suction, a combination roller with bristles and rubber blades plus a side brush for edges, auto recharge, and a first map of the home in under 10 minutes. Upkeep, in the page's words, is emptying "the 0.8L dust bin" and cleaning the roller.

The HG4 Hydro is the same idea with a mop. It keeps the 120 minute runtime and 4.5 hour charge, but adds mopping and its dust container is listed at 0.26 l. It was also listed at £99.99, against a regular £299.99. Hoover's blog says the HG4 Hydro uses a Y-shaped mopping pattern meant to imitate mopping by hand, and credits it with up to 4000Pa suction, enough, the blog says, for medium-pile carpets.

The blog also describes an HG4 Hydro Pro with a self-emptying station. The robot empties into the base after each clean, and the base's bag holds 3L, which Hoover says can hold up to 60 days' worth of dust. That is the self-emptying option the collection page refers to.

The HG2 pair are the TurboSlim combos. The HG2 Hydro ProTurboSlim and HG2 Hydro TurboSlim are both robot vacuum and mop machines with up to 160 minutes of runtime, a 5 hour charge, a 0.25 l container and a HEPA filter. The ProTurboSlim was listed at £199.99 against £319.99, and the TurboSlim at £269.99 with no discount shown. What the extra money buys over the HG4 Hydro is longer runtime, up to 160 minutes against 120, and a HEPA filter in place of the washable EPA one. The collection filter shows product heights from 83 mm to 99 mm across the four robots.

How the robots work, in Hoover's words

Navigation is the lead feature. "LIDAR navigation continuously scans, learns and updates the layout of your home map - navigating with pinpoint accuracy for efficient cleaning," the robot page says. Anti-fall sensors keep the robot away from steps and stairs, and the HG4 can climb onto obstacles up to 20mm high, such as rugs. The FAQ adds that Hoover robots handle both carpets and hard floors, with some models able to climb onto low-pile rugs. Hoover's advice on rugs is specific: flat rugs without fringes suit the robots best, and their edges should be secured so they do not bunch up under the brush. The same FAQ notes that many models return to the base to recharge when the battery runs low.

The HG Robots app handles control. You can run the HG4 from anywhere, even away from home, and personalize the first map by naming rooms, splitting or merging them, and adding no-go areas or virtual walls. The blog adds that HG4 owners can set different schedules for different rooms, and suggests no-go zones around tasseled rugs so the brushes do not catch the fringes.

Hoover publishes noise figures: 65 dBA in Quiet mode and 74 dBA in Max mode. It also footnotes its numbers. The suction figure is measured to IEC62885-4:2020 and described as 150% more powerful than Hoover's own older H-GO300, and the 10 minute mapping claim comes from a test in an external laboratory on an 85m2 multi-room layout.

The how-to blog is practical about setup and upkeep. It says to site the dock with at least 0.5m of clearance on each side and 1.5m in front, that a full charge usually takes 3-5 hours, and that the filter should be replaced every 2-3 months, with brushes cleaned weekly and sensors wiped monthly.

Buying, parts and support

Hoover sells direct in the UK with free next day delivery by DPD on all vacuum cleaners and 30 day free returns. The store runs a price match promise, Klarna payments, 15% off when you buy two or more products, 10% off a first order for newsletter sign-ups, and student and senior discounts. Each product also shows a "Where to buy" link, and the site has a retailer locator for buying elsewhere.

Parts are not an afterthought. The support menu links to spare parts and accessories stores, a vacuum warranty page, warranty registration, downloadable user manuals, technical assistance and after-sales service. The Swiss site says registering an appliance extends the Hoover warranty. The UK product pages publish no warranty length, so the warranty page is the place to read the actual term.

Who it suits

Hoover's robots suit a UK buyer who wants LIDAR mapping, a proper app and a known brand without paying flagship money. The HG4 is a straightforward vacuum for a household that does not want a mop at all, and its 0.8 l bin is larger than on the combo models. The HG4 Hydro adds light mopping at the same sale price, at the cost of a much smaller bin. The HG2 models fit larger homes that want longer runtimes and HEPA filtration, and anyone tired of emptying a bin should look for the self-emptying Hydro Pro, with its 3L bag.

The range is compact and aimed at everyday upkeep, and Hoover's own blog says robot mops are for light upkeep, not sticky spills. For a buyer who wants a reliable robot from a store with next day delivery, easy returns and a spare parts shop behind it, that is a fair trade.