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Kärcher RCV 5
No lab has tested it yet, so it is not in our ranking.
Fits all your answersChange your answers →
- Clutter on the floor AI camera recognizes obstacles
Before you buy, compare it with 2 recommended alternatives
No store here sells this model today, so beside it the highest-scored model with the same kind of station that one does, and the cheapest of the top 10.
Green is the best of these 3, also when they share the lead.
| This model Kärcher RCV 5 Best on 1 fact | Cheapest of the top 10 iRobot Roomba 105 Combo Best on 1 fact | Highest score here Roborock Q7 L5 Best on 2 facts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price and ranking | |||
| The lowest price today at a store that ships to you, shipping included. A price with an asterisk comes from a store abroad, and its shipping cost is our own estimate. Lowest price | – | $179iRobot (brand store) best | $249Roborock (brand store) |
| Our own score out of 10: 60% lab tests, 25% store ratings and 15% the maker’s facts. Price does not count. Score | not in our ranking | best | |
| The labs that have tested this model, each linked to its own review. Tests | – | Just A Dad Approved | Vacuum Wars |
| Where the model stands in our ranking, among the robots with the same kind of station. Rank | – | rank 5 of 9 without a station | rank 3 of 9 without a station |
| The average of the stars buyers give at the stores, with the number of reviews behind it. We only compare it from 20 reviews. Customer rating | – | – | – |
| Mopping | |||
| How the mop is built: flat pads, two spinning discs or a roller. Discs press harder on dried-on dirt, a roller rinses itself while it works. When it matters
Source
| flat or vibrating pad | flat or vibrating pad | flat or vibrating pad |
| How far the robot lifts the mop when it drives onto a carpet. From about 0.4 in (10 mm) a medium pile stays dry. When it matters
Source
| – | – | no |
| The robot leaves the mop at the dock before it vacuums a carpet, so the carpet never gets wet. When it matters
Source
| no (assumed) | no (assumed) | – |
| The dock washes the mop for you, so you do not rinse it by hand. When it matters
Source
| – | no | no |
| Drying is done with warm air instead of cold. It is faster and it helps against smell. When it matters
Source
| – | no | no |
| Station | |||
| The station the robot returns to, and what it does by itself, such as emptying the bin or washing and drying the mops. Station same on all | charging dock only | charging dock only | charging dock only |
| The dock can be connected to the tap and the drain, so you never fill or empty a tank. It does need a connection nearby. When it matters
Source
| – | no | no |
| Brush and obstacles | |||
| A brush that guides hair to the side instead of letting it wind around the shaft. It saves the cutting work in homes with long hair or pets. When it matters
Source
| no (assumed) | no (assumed) | yes (best) |
| How the robot sees loose things on the floor, such as cables, socks or a pet accident. A camera with depth sensing sees more than a bumper that reacts on contact. When it matters
Source
| AI camera | – | – |
| The highest threshold the robot takes, as the maker states it. Measure your own: the step into a bathroom or onto a balcony is often higher. In this comparisonWhen it matters
Source
| 0.8 in (20 mm) | 0.8 in (20 mm) | 0.8 in (20 mm) |
| An extending leg or wheel that carries the robot over a high threshold. Without one it usually stops at about 0.8 in (2 cm). When it matters
Source
| no (assumed) | no (assumed) | – |
| Size, noise and age | |||
| How tall the robot is. It decides whether it fits under your sofa, bed or cabinet. In this comparisonWhen it matters
Source
| 3.8 in (9.7 cm) best | 4.1 in (10.4 cm) | 3.9 in (9.9 cm) |
| The noise in decibels, in the setting its source names: makers mostly give the standard setting, stores often the highest. 65 dB is like a vacuum at half power, 55 dB like a conversation. When it matters
Source
| 66 dB | – | – |
| The month the model first went on sale. It shows how old the technology in it is. On the market since | December 2022 | March 2025 | January 2025 |
Facts as the maker states them. A dash means the maker does not name it. Each model’s page gives the source of every fact. Noise is the maker’s own figure, so we do not judge it, and a customer rating only counts from 20 reviews.
Prices per store
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Kärcher RCV 5 specifications
The numbers that matter first, then every fact by group. As published by the maker or the store we read it from.
Kärcher · on the market since December 2022
Robot height3.8 in
Climbs thresholds up to0.8 in
Runtime per charge120 min
Suction power5,000 Pa
Noise66 dB
Dimensionsrobot and dock
From the published dimensions. The robot passes under furniture with 3.9 in of clearance or more.
Suction and brushes 3 facts
- Suction power
Among the models we track
5,000 Pa on this model
Lowest
600 Pa Highest
42,000 Pa Middle
6,000 PaLower than 515 of the 900 models we track.
When it matters
- Deep-pile carpet and rugs, where dust sinks in.
- Pet hair, sand and crumbs trodden into fibers.
- On hard floors the gain from a higher figure is small: the dust lies on top.
Source: amazon.com · checked on Sep 26
Suction in pascal, as the maker measures it. More pascal helps on carpet, but it says little about how well the robot picks grit off a hard floor.
- 5,000 Pa
- Anti-tangle brush
When it matters
- Long hair and pet hair, which wrap around a bristle brush.
- Homes where you would rather not cut hair off the brush.
- Short hair and few pets hardly tangle anyway.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Oct 10
A brush that guides hair to the side instead of letting it wind around the shaft. It saves the cutting work in homes with long hair or pets. On this model: Assumed, not a stated fact: the maker's full specification does not name it, so we take it as no.
- no (assumed)
- Extending side brush
When it matters
- Corners and edges along baseboards, where a round robot leaves a strip of dust.
- Rooms with many walls and furniture edges.
- In open rooms with few corners it adds little.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Oct 10
The side brush swings out in a corner or along a baseboard, so the dust there is swept in too. On this model: Assumed, not a stated fact: the maker's full specification does not name it, so we take it as no.
- no (assumed)
Mopping 4 facts
- Mop type
When it matters
- Homes with a lot of hard floor that you want mopped, not just wiped.
- Dried-on dirt in a kitchen, which spinning pads or a roller scrub off better than a dragged cloth.
- If you only vacuum, the mop’s build decides nothing.
Source: Manual · checked on Sep 26
How the mop is built: flat pads, two spinning discs or a roller. Discs press harder on dried-on dirt, a roller rinses itself while it works.
- flat or vibrating pad
- Mop extends to the edges
When it matters
- Kitchens and hallways where dirt gathers along the baseboard.
- Homes with many corners and table legs.
- In open rooms the strip it leaves along the wall is small.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Oct 10
The pad slides out along a wall or a baseboard, so the last few inches are mopped as well. On this model: Assumed, not a stated fact: the maker's full specification does not name it, so we take it as no.
- no (assumed)
- Automatic mop detach
When it matters
- Homes with carpets or rugs that should stay dry.
- High-pile rugs that no mop lift clears.
- Without carpets the mop can stay on.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Oct 10
The robot leaves the mop at the dock before it vacuums a carpet, so the carpet never gets wet. On this model: Assumed, not a stated fact: the maker's full specification does not name it, so we take it as no.
- no (assumed)
- Water tank in the robot
When it matters
- Large hard floors mopped in one go.
- A robot whose dock does not refill it during a run.
- With a dock that refills the robot during the run, the tank’s size hardly matters.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
How much clean water the robot carries. It sets how long it mops before a refill, which a dock does by itself.
- 240 ml
Navigation and obstacles 5 facts
- Navigation
When it matters
- Several rooms, where a map lets you send the robot to one of them.
- Cleaning in the dark, which lidar does and a camera alone does not.
- In one open room even simple navigation covers the floor.
Source: karcher.com · checked on Sep 26
How the robot maps your home and follows that map. Lidar measures with a laser and works in the dark, a camera looks along and recognizes more.
- LiDAR turret
- Obstacle avoidance
When it matters
- Cables, socks and toys left on the floor.
- Pets, whose accidents a robot should steer around.
- In a home that is tidied before each run it matters less.
Source: karcher.com · checked on Sep 26
How the robot sees loose things on the floor, such as cables, socks or a pet accident. A camera with depth sensing sees more than a bumper that reacts on contact.
- AI camera
- Climbs thresholds up to
Among the models we track
0.8 in (20 mm) on this model
Lowest
0.1 in (3 mm) Highest
2.4 in (60 mm) Middle
0.8 in (20 mm)Higher than 348 of the 914 models we track.
When it matters
- Door sills and raised strips between rooms.
- Thick rugs whose edge the robot has to climb.
- In a flat home with no sills it decides nothing.
Source: bol.com · checked on Oct 8
The highest threshold the robot takes, as the maker states it. Measure your own: the step into a bathroom or onto a balcony is often higher.
- 0.8 in (20 mm)
- Climbing system for high thresholds
When it matters
- Door sills higher than most robots can take.
- Thick rugs and raised doorsteps between rooms.
- In a home without sills it decides nothing.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Oct 10
An extending leg or wheel that carries the robot over a high threshold. Without one it usually stops at about 0.8 in (2 cm). On this model: Assumed, not a stated fact: the maker's full specification does not name it, so we take it as no.
- no (assumed)
- Camera on board
When it matters
- Privacy, if you would rather not have a camera driving through your home.
- Small things on the floor, which a camera sees better than lidar alone.
- If the floor is tidied before each run, a camera adds little.
Source: derived, no source of its own · checked on Oct 2
Whether the robot has a camera, and what for: to recognize obstacles, or also to show you a live picture of your home in the app.
- obstacle camera
Robot 5 facts
- Robot height
Among the models we track
3.8 in (9.7 cm) on this model
Lowest
2.2 in (5.6 cm) Highest
5.7 in (14.5 cm) Middle
3.7 in (9.5 cm)Higher than 613 of the 1002 models we track.
When it matters
- Sofas, beds and cabinets with little room underneath.
- Dust that gathers under furniture you never move.
- With furniture on high legs or flat on the floor it decides nothing.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
How tall the robot is. It decides whether it fits under your sofa, bed or cabinet.
- 3.8 in (9.7 cm)
- Robot diameter
When it matters
- Dining chairs and tables with legs close together.
- Narrow gaps between furniture and walls.
- In a room with little furniture the robot’s width decides little.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
How wide the robot is. Narrower gets between chair legs more easily, wider usually means a bigger dust bin.
- 13.8 in (35 cm)
- Robot weight
When it matters
- Carrying the robot up and down the stairs to clean another floor.
- A home on several floors with one robot for all of them.
- If it stays on one floor, its weight does not matter.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
What the robot weighs. It counts most if you carry it up a staircase every day.
- 8.6 lb (3.9 kg)
- Dust bin in the robot
When it matters
- A robot without a self-emptying dock, which you empty by hand.
- Pets and long hair, which fill a small bin within one run.
- With a self-emptying dock the bin is emptied after every run, so its size hardly matters.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
How much dust the robot holds before you empty it. It matters less with a self-emptying dock, which empties the bin after every run.
- 330 ml
- Noise
Among the models we track
66 dB on this model
Lowest
38 dB Highest
80 dB Middle
65 dBHigher than 324 of the 475 models we track.
When it matters
- Cleaning while you work, sleep or watch TV at home.
- Open-plan living spaces where sound carries.
- When it runs while nobody is home the figure hardly matters.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
The noise in decibels, in the setting its source names: makers mostly give the standard setting, stores often the highest. 65 dB is like a vacuum at half power, 55 dB like a conversation.
- 66 dB
Battery 2 facts
- Battery capacity
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
The capacity of the battery. It hints at the runtime, but how much the robot draws counts just as much.
- 5,200 mAh
- Runtime per charge
Among the models we track
120 min on this model
Lowest
45 min Highest
360 min Middle
150 minLower than 619 of the 989 models we track.
When it matters
- Large homes or several floors cleaned in one go.
- Carpet, where the robot uses more power.
- In a small home most robots finish well before the battery runs low.
Source: kaercher.com · checked on Sep 28
How long the robot cleans on one charge, at its quietest setting. After that it recharges and carries on where it stopped.
- 120 min
Sources: amazon.com · kaercher.com · Manual · karcher.com · bol.com
Frequently asked questions about the Kärcher RCV 5
Can the Kärcher RCV 5 mop?
Yes, with a flat mop cloth under the robot.
How high a threshold can the Kärcher RCV 5 climb?
Thresholds up to 0.8 in (20 mm), the maker says. Measure your own thresholds: the ones to a bathroom or balcony are often higher.
Does the Kärcher RCV 5 fit under low furniture?
The robot is 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall, so it fits under furniture with at least 3.9 in of clearance.
How long does the Kärcher RCV 5 run on one charge?
120 minutes on its quietest setting.
The maker
Kärcher
- Reviews on Trustpilot
- Headquarters: Germany
- Founded in 1935
Kärcher makes cleaning equipment for homes and businesses, from pressure washers to robot vacuums and mops. The inventor Alfred Kärcher founded the company in 1935. It has remained a family-owned company, headquartered in Winnenden near Stuttgart in Germany.