iRobot Roomba Combo Important assessment: Clear on a funds

The earliest robot vacuums cleaned till they hit a wall, turned and began zooming in the wrong way. However, because the expertise superior, the bots gained “sight” and the flexibility to clean in an organized pattern. That functionality is lastly trickling all the way down to the budget-priced choices with the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential.

At $275, the Combo Important is likely one of the model’s extra reasonably priced cleansing bots. However, not solely does the brand new funds bot clear in neat orderly rows, nevertheless it additionally boasts 18x extra suction than the corporate’s earlier reasonably priced fashions. The Roomba Combo Important each vacuums and mops, whereas the app connectivity powers options like the choice to create a cleansing schedule, the flexibility to mechanically begin cleansing everytime you depart the home, and the choice to work with voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google.

However, the Combo Important remains to be a budget-friendly mannequin — so simply how clear can flooring get for $275? I examined out iRobot’s newest reasonably priced combo bot to seek out out.

Specs, worth and availability

The Roomba Combo Important launched in April of 2024 for an inventory worth of $275. A vacuum-only Roomba Important additionally launched on the identical time for $250, with comparable suction energy however no built-in mop. The Important gives 18x extra suction energy than iRobot’s earlier funds choices and in addition cleans in neat orderly rows, a characteristic onerous to seek out amongst inexpensive fashions. The app is iOS and Android suitable, whereas it additionally works with Alexa, Siri and Google voice assistants.

What I like in regards to the Roomba Combo Important

The Important gives spectacular suction for the worth

Organising the Roomba Combo Important was painless. Straight out of the field, I solely wanted to pop within the edge brush and mop, then place it on the charger. A QR code on the field leads you to the iRobot app, the place connecting to Wi-Fi, creating an account, and strolling by means of the remainder of the set-up course of was equally easy. The app is simple and consists of options like scheduling, geofencing to mechanically clear once you depart dwelling, and instruments for monitoring when it is time to clear the filter or substitute the mop pad.

Whereas most funds bots randomly bounce off furnishings, the Roomba Combo Important cleans in rows neat sufficient to please even probably the most Sort A personalities. Sometimes, the traces might be extra diagonal after bumping off some furnishings, however the bot begins by discovering a wall or different impediment, which normally helps set it up for achievement. Whereas the app would not have mapping to ship the bot to a selected room or resume cleansing after recharging, it managed to get most of my front room clear in a single cost, forsaking passable rows. The privateness acutely aware may even recognize that it makes use of an infrared sensor to navigate and gained’t be taking photographs of your own home as there isn’t any built-in digicam.

With 18x extra suction energy than iRobot’s earlier funds bot, the Combo Important did a surprisingly respectable job at selecting up dust and canine hair from hardwood. The arm that extends exterior the bot managed to seize the clumps of hair accumulating on the edges of furnishings. It additionally did effectively selecting up meals crumbs and dust. The built-in mop is extra of a fast swipe. It would not vibrate or spin, so it will not get the stuck-on stains, nevertheless it does wipe up looser dust and depart the flooring with a little bit of shine.

On the carpet, the Roomba Combo Important was a bit much less spectacular, however provided a fast clean-up of a few of the floor dust and pet hair. After I tasked it with cleansing across the litter field, for instance, it solely managed to get perhaps half of the scattered clay items. As I anticipated for a cleansing robotic below $300, it did not get the deeply embedded hair {that a} stick vacuum will seize, however the Combo vacuumed a lot of the seen floor particles to go longer between handbook chores.

The Combo Important additionally has a spot-clean instrument. Press this button, and the Roomba will make just a few concentric circles to wash a small space. That is useful for cleansing up a fast mess, however just like the common cleansing mode, didn’t get caught on meals like spilled jelly.

Understandably, the funds bot would not have the hands-off options of pricier Roombas. You need to empty the mud bin, refill the mop tank, and wash the mop pad your self. Fortunately, it is not a horrible course of. The dustbin simply pops off the again. There is a door that opens to dump the contents within the trash and even a built-in brush to make use of for liberating any particles from the filter. The water reservoir is on the identical half because the mud bin, so there isn’t any second piece to tug aside. You may simply pop the tab after emptying the mud bin and refill the tank with water. The mop pad pops off simply. Nevertheless, Roomba recommends washing the pad by hand fairly than within the laundry and suggests changing it each 30 washes.

What I did not like in regards to the Roomba Combo Important

The bot wants frequent rescuing

A lot of what I did not like in regards to the Roomba Combo Important merely comes all the way down to the options which might be lacking as a result of it is a $275 bot and never $1,200. The largest exception to that’s the frequency to which the bot wants rescuing. I have never but made it by means of a cleansing cycle the place I did not must get the vacuum unstuck. It bought trapped below the sting of a recliner and wedged itself below a kitchen cupboard. It as soon as refused to again itself out of a nook with solely a small rug on the opposite facet, making loud noises till I rescued it. It detects drops and staircases, however I’ve twice needed to decide it up as a result of it bought too near the sting and could not drive itself off. It would not characteristic impediment detection, however even with picked up flooring it pushes round a wicker basket of canine toys and even bought caught up on the wire to its personal charging base.

That is all probably par for the course on a bot that does not have impediment detection or room mapping. That you must guarantee the ground is picked up earlier than the bot begins. For those who miss small gadgets like Nerf darts and wrappers, the bot will inevitably attempt to suck these up. Whereas the Combo Important has a scheduling possibility, I feel these routine cleans work a bit higher on bots which have impediment detection in case you forgot to select up the ground earlier than the chosen time.

A part of that is additionally selecting up rugs from onerous flooring. That, or eradicating the mop pad and operating a vacuum-only clear in rooms with each flooring varieties. The mop pad on the Important is at all times down, it would not have the auto-lift characteristic that pricier bots use to keep away from moisturizing the rugs. Selecting up all of the throw rugs is an enormous ask for a bot that cleans effectively however extra delays fairly than replaces a very good handbook scrubbing.

Associated

Do you use a robot vacuum?

Robotic vacuums have gotten extra mainstream, and so they vary from reasonably priced to a mortgage cost in worth. With that being mentioned, there’s probably a robotic vacuum that matches your wants inside your funds. All of that to be mentioned — do you’ve a robotic vacuum? I do and it’s my favourite piece of tech in my dwelling. It runs each single day and works tirelessly to maintain my flooring clear. If it dies, I’ll purchase one other one. I will not reside with out one at this level.

The Important requires extra hands-on upkeep than pricier bots which have auto mop refill, auto dustbin emptying, and even wash their very own mops. After all, these are all options that I would not look forward to finding on an possibility priced below $300. However, a machine-washable mop pad would not be an excessive amount of to ask for. iRobot recommends hand washing the mop fairly than tossing it within the washer and changing it each 30 washes. Fortunately, the filter may be washed and doesn’t should be changed continuously.

The noise stage coming from the bot is round mid-level. The pricier bots with extra highly effective suction are actually louder. However it could additionally sometimes emit a sound a bit like a muffled semi horn, if that semi occurred to be lined in pillows. The app does have a geofencing characteristic that can mechanically begin a clear once you depart your own home if the noise is bothersome, although, after all, you will not be dwelling to rescue it when it inevitably turns into caught.

Must you purchase the Roomba Combo Important?

Maybe, however for those who can, swing for one which’s extra hands-off

The Roomba Combo Important is likely one of the higher robotic vacuums for below $300. The upgraded suction picks up particles from hardwood fairly effectively, and whereas it gained’t deep clear carpets, it should hold them free from the seen clumps of pet hair and particles. Whereas it lacks home mapping and impediment detection, the IR-guided sensors assist the bot clear in good neat rows, overlaying extra of the room than bots with a random bounce sample.

My greatest challenge with the Combo Important is that the quantity of upkeep it requires shortens the time I truly saved through the use of the bot as a substitute of digging out an everyday stick vacuum. It will get caught regularly, rugs should be picked up earlier than mopping, the mop pad is hand-wash solely and also you’ll must empty the bin and refill the mop water each clear (or each different with smaller areas).

Did I save a little bit of time? Sure. Is my home cleaner than with out the Combo Important? Additionally, sure. However after utilizing a spread of bots from this $275 choice to $1,200 decisions, I’m extra inclined to pick a mid-tier option. The funds bots want numerous upkeep, however even the perfect vac-mop combos delay fairly than substitute a very good handbook clear, making it troublesome to justify the excessive worth of the luxurious fashions. That is why I personally can be extra inclined to one thing with impediment detection and self-emptying with out going into the steep luxurious bots.

iRobot Roomba Combo Important

The iRobot Roomba Combo Important is a budget-friendly 2-in-1 that provides extra highly effective suction and smarter clear than earlier fashions.

If you cannot spend greater than $275 and don’t thoughts rescuing a caught bot or selecting up rugs earlier than a mopping, purchase the Roomba Combo Important. It cleans higher than the funds bots I’ve used previously. However, in case your funds has extra wiggle room, options like an auto-lift mop and impediment detection go a great distance in decreasing the time you spend cleansing, which, in spite of everything, is the aim of a robotic vacuum within the first place.