Vileda Looper mop review UK 2023

What we like

Easy to assemble
Lightweight
It’s cordless, leaving you free to roam

What we don’t like

It’s quite pricey
Not suitable for shifting ground-in stains
Can’t really tackle corners

Our verdict

The Vileda Looper is a lightweight, cordless, electric spray mop that is perfect for daily mopping and spot-cleaning spillages as they happen. The Looper is simple to put together and easy to use. It’s true that it is not cheap, but it could be a great investment for someone who has limited mobility to help take some of the strain out of this particular household chore. In terms of performance, the Looper is worthy of a space on our best floor mops round-up.

What’s in the box?

The pieces of the Vileda Looper laid out on a brown carpet. Handle Floor head Four microfibre mop pads Removable water tank Plastic drip tray Charger Instruction manual

Handle
Floor head
Four microfibre mop pads
Removable water tank
Plastic drip tray
Charger

How does it feel to hold?

The black plastic handle has a textured underside, which makes it easy to grasp. There are two red buttons on the handle - an on/off switch and a button to operate the spray function. The handle is not telescopic, so this is something to bear in mind if you are considering purchasing this electric mop.

The Looper is lightweight and it is easy to move the mop across the floor. The flexible swivel joint allows the Looper to be moved underneath low-lying furniture, such as tables and chairs, meaning there is nowhere for dirt and grime to hide (except for corners, but we’ll come to that later).

Read next: Best robot mops, tried and tested

What's the Vileda Looper like to assemble?

The Vileda Looper is incredibly easy to assemble, thanks in part to the simple illustrated instructions. All I had to do was feed the wire from the handle, down through the tube before attaching it to the connector on the floor head, making sure everything clicked into place. No tools (or another pair of hands) required.

On the underside of the floor head, there are two large, red, plastic discs, which will rotate when the Looper is switched on. The reusable microfibre pads stick on to grippers on the disc. Once on, the pads stay firmly in place before they are pulled off when cleaning is complete. Make sure the pads are put on centrally on the pad otherwise this may interfere with the disc circulation when mopping.

The Vileda Looper comes with two different types of pads - one soft and cream-coloured and the other with red zig-zag lines running across it. There is no explanation in the instructions as to why the pads are different and what they should be used for, but as the zig zag lines felt slightly abrasive to touch, it’s safe to assume that these pads are more suited to hardier floors, such as vinyl.

The 450ml plastic water tank is attached to the front of the Vileda Looper and can be removed by pinching the sides and pulling it upwards. It was quite stiff so it took a bit of work to remove it from the Looper. But once removed, the screw cap comes off easily and the tank can be filled up with water and any non-foaming floor cleaner of your choice if required. The manufacturer recommends using clean tap water or distilled water if you live in a hard water area (in which case, you may be interested in checking out our best water softener feature).

Before using the Vileda Looper for the first time, you have to plug it in to charge. Although the instruction manual says this may take up to four hours, ours took nearer to two hours before the red charging light turned white. Then it was time to unplug the charger and put the Looper to work.

What's the Vileda Looper like to use day-to-day?

The floorhead of the Vileda Looper spraying water on to brown vinyl kitchen flooring

Once you’ve given your floor the once over with your best vacuum cleaner, The Vileda Looper is fairly light and easy to manoeuvre across the floor, plus there’s the added bonus of not having to lug a bucket around as you mop. The spray button releases a fine spray of water at the desired time and a bright white LED light highlights any extra filth that you may otherwise miss. Although the pads allow you to get right up to the edges, the shape of the floor head and the presence of the rotating discs means that grubby corners are a no-go for the Looper.

Once you have finished your mopping sesh, all you have to do is stand the Looper on the accompanying black plastic drip tray to avoid dirty puddles forming on your lovely clean floor.

How well does the Vileda Looper clean vinyl flooring?

The underside of the Vileda Looper floorhead, showing two microfibre cleaning pads covered in dirt

I tested the Looper on my mum’s vinyl kitchen floor, which had been mopped around a week prior.

Just like the Henry Spray Mop, the Vileda Looper is meant for light, daily mopping and spot cleaning, rather than dealing with stubborn, ground-in stains. However, despite failing to tackle the dried curry sauce, instant coffee granules and tiny flecks of blue and orange Play Doh cemented onto the floor, the Looper did remove an impressive amount of general grime and filth using the gentler of the two types of microfibre pads. I changed the pads and immediately went in for another go with the slightly more abrasive pads. The sauce, coffee and Play Doh remained in situ, but the second set of pads came back even filthier than the first, much to my mum’s horror.

How well does the Vileda Looper clean laminate flooring?

The Looper performed well on laminate flooring, getting rid of tea splodges and muddy footprints without too much hassle. The spray produced just the right amount of water to get the job done without running the risk of warping the laminate.

How well does the Vileda Looper clean tiled flooring?

I used the Vileda Looper on the tiled floor in the utility room. Although the tiles are old and worn, the Looper still managed to remove a fair amount of dirt, without leaving any streaks behind.

How do you clean the Vileda Looper mop pads?

A woman's hand coming from the bottom left of the picture holding a circular microfibre pad which is very dirty. A white washing machine with an open door sits in the background

The Vileda Looper microfibre pads can be safely washed in the washing machine at up to 60°C.

I gave them a quick 30°C wash, using a supermarket own-brand laundry detergent, and I was very impressed with the result. All four pads came out of the machine looking as if they came straight out of the box. I left them to dry outdoors on the rotary washing line as per the manufacturers’ advice to let the mop pads dry naturally. If you are keen to keep your mop pads in the best shape possible for as long as possible, avoid using fabric conditioners, softeners, bleach or bleaching agents.

Does the Vileda Looper offer value for money?

I was impressed by the Vileda Looper, but the one thing I really struggled to get my head around was the price. While the Looper is a good product, for me, the recommended retail price of £160 (as of July 3rd) does feel like a high price to pay. Around the £100 mark feels more realistic, although if you have mobility issues or certain health conditions and this gadget makes mopping easier, you may feel that the Looper is worth every penny.

If you like the idea of the Looper but not the price, it's worth keeping an eye out for special offers and Black Friday deals.

How we tested

Reviewer Laura lives in a four bedroom house with her husband and two kids, aged four and five. The Vileda Looper was tested out on laminate flooring in the kitchen, the bathroom and the downstairs loo, plus the tiled floor in the utility room. The Vileda Looper was also used on vinyl kitchen flooring.

The Vileda Looper was tested on its ability to remove food stains, including curry sauce, coffee granules and tea splodges, as well as muddy footprints, toothpaste, Play Doh and other various stains.

If you would like to see how the Vileda Looper compares to the Henry Spray Mop, you can check out what our reviewer thought here.