iRobot Roomba Combo Important assessment: Clear on a price range

The earliest robot vacuums cleaned till they hit a wall, turned and began zooming in the wrong way. However, because the know-how 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 without doubt one of the model’s extra inexpensive cleansing bots. However, not solely does the brand new price range bot clear in neat orderly rows, but it surely additionally boasts 18x extra suction than the corporate’s earlier inexpensive 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 routinely begin cleansing everytime you go away the home, and the choice to work with voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google.

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

Specs, worth and availability

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

What I like concerning the Roomba Combo Important

The Important presents spectacular suction for the value

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 way of the remainder of the set-up course of was equally easy. The app is easy and consists of options like scheduling, geofencing to routinely clear while you go away residence, and instruments for monitoring when it is time to clear the filter or exchange the mop pad.

Whereas most price range bots randomly bounce off furnishings, the Roomba Combo Important cleans in rows neat sufficient to please even essentially the most Kind 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 fulfillment. Whereas the app does not have mapping to ship the bot to a selected room or resume cleansing after recharging, it managed to get most of my lounge clear in a single cost, abandoning passable rows. The privateness acutely aware can even admire that it makes use of an infrared sensor to navigate and gained’t be taking photographs of your home as there is not any built-in digital camera.

With 18x extra suction energy than iRobot’s earlier price range bot, the Combo Important did a surprisingly respectable job at selecting up grime 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 nicely selecting up meals crumbs and grime. The built-in mop is extra of a fast swipe. It does not vibrate or spin, so it will not get the stuck-on stains, but it surely does wipe up looser grime and go away 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 among the floor grime 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 beneath $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 software. Press this button, and the Roomba will make a couple of concentric circles to scrub 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 price range bot does 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 isn’t 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 releasing any particles from the filter. The water reservoir is on the identical half because the mud bin, so there is not any second piece to tug aside. You’ll be able to simply pop the tab after emptying the mud bin and refill the tank with water. The mop pad pops off simply. Nonetheless, Roomba recommends washing the pad by hand slightly than within the laundry and suggests changing it each 30 washes.

What I did not like concerning the Roomba Combo Important

The bot wants frequent rescuing

A lot of what I did not like concerning the Roomba Combo Important merely comes all the way down to the options which are lacking as a result of this can be 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 way of a cleansing cycle the place I did not must get the vacuum unstuck. It received trapped beneath the sting of a recliner and wedged itself beneath 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 received too near the sting and could not drive itself off. It does not function impediment detection, however even with picked up flooring it pushes round a wicker basket of canine toys and even received caught up on the twine to its personal charging base.

That is all seemingly par for the course on a bot that does not have impediment detection or room mapping. It’s good to guarantee the ground is picked up earlier than the bot begins. In case you miss small objects like Nerf darts and wrappers, the bot will inevitably attempt to suck these up. Whereas the Combo Important has a scheduling choice, 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 working a vacuum-only clear in rooms with each ground varieties. The mop pad on the Important is all the time down, it does not have the auto-lift function 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 nicely however extra delays slightly than replaces an excellent handbook scrubbing.

Associated

Do you use a robot vacuum?

Robotic vacuums have gotten extra mainstream, and so they vary from inexpensive to a mortgage cost in worth. With that being stated, there’s seemingly a robotic vacuum that matches your wants inside your price range. All of that to be stated — do you might have a robotic vacuum? I do and it’s my favourite piece of tech in my residence. 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 dwell 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. In fact, these are all options that I would not anticipate finding on an choice priced beneath $300. However, a machine-washable mop pad would not be an excessive amount of to ask for. iRobot recommends hand washing the mop slightly than tossing it within the washer and changing it each 30 washes. Fortunately, the filter will be washed and doesn’t should be changed regularly.

The noise stage coming from the bot is round mid-level. The pricier bots with extra highly effective suction are actually louder. However it might 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 function that may routinely begin a clear while you go away your home if the noise is bothersome, although, after all, you will not be residence to rescue it when it inevitably turns into caught.

Do you have to purchase the Roomba Combo Important?

Maybe, however in the event you can, swing for one which’s extra hands-off

The Roomba Combo Important is without doubt one of the higher robotic vacuums for beneath $300. The upgraded suction picks up particles from hardwood fairly nicely, and whereas it gained’t deep clear carpets, it’s going to maintain 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, masking 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 really saved by utilizing the bot as an alternative of digging out an everyday stick vacuum. It will get caught frequently, rugs should be picked up earlier than mopping, the mop pad is hand-wash solely and also you’ll have to 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 selections, I’m extra inclined to pick a mid-tier option. The price range bots want numerous upkeep, however even the very best vac-mop combos delay slightly than exchange an excellent handbook clear, making it tough to justify the excessive worth of the posh fashions. That is why I personally could 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 gives 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 price range bots I’ve used previously. However, in case your price range has extra wiggle room, options like an auto-lift mop and impediment detection go a great distance in lowering the time you spend cleansing, which, in spite of everything, is the purpose of a robotic vacuum within the first place.