Roomba Combo® i5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop Reviewed

This iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ isn’t your average dust bunny wrangler. It’s a cleaning champion that tackles dirt and grime like a tiny tornado – part vacuum, part mop, all awesome. But is it the ultimate cleaning sidekick, or a fancy floor-fighter with a hefty price tag? Let’s find out!

The i5+ boasts a brush system like a miniature Michaelangelo, loosening and lifting dirt with ease. For tougher messes, it has a sonic mopping superpower that uses vibrations to scrub away like a microscopic disco party. In our tests, it crushed it on hardwood floors and low-pile carpets, leaving behind nothing but happy, sparkling surfaces. Just be warned, high-pile carpets might end up a bit damp – think more “spa day” for your floors than “bone-dry desert.”

The iRobot app lets you be the mastermind behind the i5+. You can control it, set schedules, and even create virtual no-go zones (perfect for those precarious power cords or that one spot where your cat mysteriously coughs up hairballs). There’s also a fancy-schmancy Imprint Smart Mapping feature that helps the i5+ learn your home layout for efficient cleaning. It worked well in our tests, but beware – it might take a few cleaning adventures for the i5+ to fully map your territory.

One of the i5+’s most brag-worthy features is its self-emptying dustbin. This little dust-sucking champ automatically empties itself into a bigger vacuum bag unit, basically giving you the freedom to forget about emptying the bin constantly. However, the onboard bin itself fills up a bit on the fast side, especially during epic cleaning quests. This means you might still need to empty it more often, especially if you’re tackling isolated areas far from the home base.

The ability to control the i5+ with your voice using Alexa or Google Assistant is a cool futuristic touch. Imagine telling your floor to get clean with just the power of your voice! But is it a must-have feature? That’s up to you, cleaning commander.

The i5+ definitely comes with a price tag that might make your wallet whimper a bit. While the features offer a lot of bang for your buck, consider your needs and budget before you hit “buy.”

So, Should You Bring the i5+ Home?

The i5+ is a strong contender in the robot cleaning arena, offering powerful cleaning, smart features, and the convenience of self-emptying. 

The smaller onboard bin might be a sticking point for some, as there are quite a few occasions when the robot requires emptying (autonomously during a clean). Aside from this, hoovering on hard floors and light carpets offers good results. The vast majority of the area being superbly clean after a single pass. 

The mop feature offers a great option for a quick clean, ideal for wooden floors and tiles. However, for deeper cleans and to get up heavy stains, a steam mop or traditional mop (and elbow grease) may be the best option.

The absolute pinnacle of the system and a complete game changer for those with a robot vac already is the bin. The bins capacity is pretty good and we’ve only had to empty ours every 2 months, that’s with daily cleaning of a busy kitchen, hallway and lounge. Big tick here. The only downfall is the replacement bins, a little pricy for what they are and also flimsy. Our first replacement bin seemed to buckle slightly on installation and this means it didn’t get recognised by the unit. Quite frustrating and easily fixed by a stronger bag connector.

Currently you can bag one for £349.99. For this, with all the tech onboard and even with small issues, there aren’t many better robot vac offers out there, especially none that offer a strong robo mop function. Learn more here.