The iRobot Roomba i3+ Review: A Hands-Free Cleaning Experience With a High Price Tag
The cleaning robot market is overflowing with options from countless brands but iRobot remains a pioneer in the space, having launched their iconic Roomba in 2002. Over the years, the Roomba line has continuously evolved, improving its vacuuming prowess and enhancing features like smart connectivity and battery life. Now, iRobot brings a new level of automation to the table with the Roomba i3+, a robot vacuum cleaner equipped with the revolutionary Clean Base™ charging station that also acts as a dirt disposal system. Priced at Rs. 69,900 in India, this intriguing device promises to completely eliminate the need for manual dustbin emptying. We delve into the iRobot Roomba i3+ to evaluate how it performs, whether it’s truly worth the price, and if it delivers on its promise of a hands-free cleaning experience.
What is the iRobot Roomba i3+, and what’s in the box?
Unlike many of the newer cleaning robot models, the iRobot Roomba i3+ is solely dedicated to vacuum cleaning, with no mopping capabilities. This makes it a direct competitor to the Roomba i3 which lacks the Clean Base feature and is priced at Rs. 49,900.
The Roomba i3+ boasts a classic Roomba design with a sweeping brush on one side feeding dirt into its vacuum zone. Two motorized wheels provide movement, while a third, free-wheeling front wheel ensures balance. The dustbin is conveniently located at the back and is easily removable for occasional cleaning while the charging contacts are situated at the front. The robot’s sleek top features a textured finish and three buttons: Power/Clean, Home, and Spot Clean. A large bumper protects the Roomba i3+ from collisions with objects and walls, and a Reactive Sensor module helps it navigate your home and return to the docking station.
The heart of the Roomba i3+ is undoubtedly the Clean Base docking station. Unlike standard charging stations, the Clean Base is a tall, bulky device that requires careful placement to ensure the robot can reach it. The top has a lid allowing access to the replaceable dust bag and the bottom houses the robot’s charging contacts. The Clean Base’s crucial role lies in its ability to automatically empty the Roomba’s dustbin into its own integrated bag. This "hands-free" concept sounds convenient, but as we will see, it comes with certain caveats.
iRobot Roomba i3+ navigation and mapping
The Roomba i3+ utilizes Reactive Sensor navigation, which is a far cry from the sophisticated laser-based navigation employed in top-tier models like the 360 S7 and the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI. While Reactive Sensor navigation offers improved performance compared to basic camera-based systems found in robots like the ILife A9s and Trifo Max Pet, it can still feel clunky and unpredictable.
The Roomba i3+ often bumped into objects with some force, exhibiting a less intuitive method of maneuvering compared to laser-based navigation. It’s cleaning path is less structured, appearing random rather than following a logical pattern. Unfortunately, you can’t personalize the robot’s cleaning route, or specify rooms or cleaning order. Remote control for manual guidance is also unavailable in this model.
Users are limited to triggering cleaning cycles via the app or the device’s "clean" button, resulting in an all-encompassing cleaning job that encompasses all reachable areas, but with no user-defined direction.
Although there’s a rudimentary map, it only provides a visual representation of the areas cleaned after the process. It’s not functional for tracking the robot’s current location, creating no-go zones or defining specific cleaning areas like many competing models. The ability to create virtual walls requires the purchase of the Rs. 5,900 Virtual Wall Barrier kit.
While the Roomba i3+ occasionally faced difficulties getting stuck, these instances were infrequent. It was crucial to remove loose rugs and mats and reposition obstacles like clothes drying racks before initiating cleaning cycles. Despite some navigation and mapping limitations, the Roomba i3+ consistently found its way back to the charging station without any hiccups.
iRobot Roomba i3+ app
The iRobot Home app supports the Roomba i3+ and is accessible on both iOS and Android devices. While it’s undeniably simpler and more user-friendly than many competing apps, its lack of personalization options and limitations in controlling the Roomba i3+’s functions are evident.
The app prominently displays the cleaning robot’s status, including its current battery level. It also allows users to empty the bin remotely when it’s docked on the Clean Base. Scrolling down reveals options to initiate an immediate vacuuming job or create a custom job with a time limit before the robot returns to the dock. The default cleaning task lacks a time limit and continues until the robot deems your home sufficiently clean or its battery depletes.
The app enables review of past cleaning tasks, including maps of covered areas and basic statistics like the total area cleaned and time taken. The map highlights areas with detected dirt, indicating increased cleaning intensity in those spots. However, this information is exclusively for user comprehension and lacks any functional purpose. Using the app, you can also establish cleaning schedules and modify basic settings like UI language, Wi-Fi connection, cleaning and Clean Base preferences, and more.
The Roomba i3+ operates independently, charting its own cleaning path, adjusting suction power, and completing its tasks without user intervention. The app’s notable feature is the ability to initiate a cleaning job from anywhere in the world, provided the robot is connected to your home Wi-Fi and your smartphone has an internet connection.
iRobot Roomba i3+ cleaning
The Roomba i3+ excels at vacuum cleaning, as iRobot has segmented cleaning tasks across different product lines. It utilizes its vacuum cleaner to sweep and suck up dirt but lacks any mopping capabilities.
The Roomba i3+ is particularly easy to use, requiring minimal user involvement beyond the simple act of starting and stopping the cleaning process. It automatically adjusts suction power based on its sensors, capable of detecting and responding to particularly dirty areas or dry spills. However, it’s important to note that the device is quite loud at all times, even when operating at lower suction settings.
Sensors help identify messy spots that demand increased effort, and the robot efficiently doubles back on areas that require additional cleaning. While iRobot doesn’t disclose the peak suction power, it emphasizes that the iRobot Roomba i3+ offers 10 times the lifting ability compared to the Roomba 600 series (priced at Rs. 26,900). Without specific figures, we can only estimate that the Roomba i3+ is roughly comparable to the Milagrow iMap 10.0 with its 2,700pa suction power.
The Roomba i3+ is more than capable of handling everyday dust and dirt accumulation, even occasional dry spills like food crumbs. It effectively cleans both granite and PVC tiled surfaces, also reaching under most furniture to clean hard-to-access areas manually. However, the Roomba i3+ falls short when tackling pet hair and dander, requiring considerably greater suction power. For homes with pets, models like the Trifo Max Pet are better suited.
iRobot Roomba i3+ automatic dirt disposal
The Roomba i3+’s dustbin is designed to hold only the dirt collected from a single cleaning cycle in my 600-square-foot home. Most robot vacuums require manually emptying this dustbin every few days (equivalent to 3-4 full cleaning cycles). But the iRobot Roomba i3+ utilizes a unique approach to address this.
The Clean Base docking station’s large size serves a specific purpose: to automatically clean out the robot’s smaller dustbin after each cleaning cycle. A vent at the bottom of the dustbin aligns with the dock’s vacuum tubing, creating a powerful suction system that quickly transfers dirt into the disposable dirt bag housed within the dock itself.
While the dock becomes noticeably loud during dirt transfer, the resulting empty dustbin eliminates the need for manual cleaning.
However, it’s worth highlighting that the dirt bag is not reusable. Once full, it must be removed and replaced with a fresh one. The initial package comes with two bags, each rated for 60 days of use. Replacement bags are priced at Rs. 1,660 for a pack of three, making automatic dirt disposal a somewhat expensive convenience. Other consumables like replacement brushes and filters are similarly pricey.
During my evaluation of the iRobot Roomba i3+, I encountered some issues with the dock. The app incorrectly reported a full dirt bag just days after installation. Manual inspection confirmed that it was far from full. Removing and re-inserting the bag resolved the issue. Additionally, I frequently received blockage warnings for the vacuum tubing on the dock, with no visible blockage even after troubleshooting steps, including inspecting the tubing manually. This unnecessary and persistent alarm proved to be a considerable nuisance. Fortunately, the dirt disposal function remained operational throughout these incidents.
iRobot Roomba i3+ battery, charging
Like the suction power, iRobot doesn’t disclose the battery capacity, and the app offers only a basic battery level indicator lacking detailed statistics. The battery would drop to roughly 50% after cleaning my 600-square-foot home, which took approximately 40 minutes. Following this, the robot automatically returned to the dock for recharging. Even when the cleaning task isn’t complete, the robot returns to the dock when its battery is low and resumes cleaning from the point of interruption after recharging.
Continuous operation without returning to the dock resulted in approximately 85 minutes of running time before requiring charging, which is relatively average for the segment. The actual area covered depends on your home’s layout, surface types, and the number of times the robot needs to increase suction power for larger messes. However, we can estimate that a single charge will cover a home of around 1000 square feet, making it suitable for most urban Indian apartments.
Verdict
The iRobot Roomba i3+ is an exorbitantly priced cleaning robot, particularly given its vacuum-only functionality. Many similarly priced or even cheaper options offer both vacuuming and mopping capabilities. At Rs. 69,900, the iRobot Roomba i3+ is a significant investment, and considering the expense of a separate mopping robot like the iRobot Braava Jet M6 plus the cost of consumables, the overall cost escalates considerably.
Nevertheless, the device excels at its core function, and the automatic dirt disposal feature is undoubtedly a welcome convenience. While this hands-free functionality comes at a steep cost due to the expense of accessories and consumables requiring frequent replacement, it undeniably enhances the ease of use.
However, some app issues, erratic navigation, loud operation, and limited control features are worth factoring into the decision. Despite these shortcomings, the iRobot Roomba i3+ is a strikingly effective and surprisingly intuitive cleaning robot that excels in task execution. If you’re willing to overlook the hefty price tag, quirks, and lack of sophisticated features, the iRobot Roomba i3+ delivers a powerful and efficient cleaning experience.
Price: Rs. 69,900
Rating: 7/10
Pros:
- Excellent vacuuming performance
- Automatic dirt disposal with the Clean Base
- Intuitive cleaning, identifying areas requiring more attention
- User-friendly experience
Cons:
- Frequent app errors
- Clumsy navigation
- Basic mapping, requiring additional accessories for no-go zone creation
- High purchase and operating costs
- Average battery life
