Introduction to Roomba ComboTM i5 Series Robot Vacuum and Mop

Introduction

The Roomba ComboTM i5 from iRobot is an innovative robot vacuum that takes cleaning your floors to the next level. With the ability to both vacuum and mop, it truly delivers double the clean in one convenient machine.

Overview of the Roomba ComboTM i5

The Roomba ComboTM i5 combines powerful vacuuming and wet mopping into one robot. By simply switching between the included Vacuum Bin and Roomba Combo® Bin, it can vacuum carpets and hard floors or vacuum and mop hard floors simultaneously. This 2-in-1 functionality provides exceptional everyday cleaning that leaves floors noticeably cleaner.

Some standout features of the i5 Roomba Combo include:

• Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes to handle debris and pet hair
• Edge-Sweeping Brush to get into corners
• Imprint® Smart Mapping to efficiently navigate and clean
• Special microfiber pad for wet mopping hard floors
• Dirt DetectTM Technology to clean concentrated areas of dirt more thoroughly

With intelligent navigation plus automatic recharging and resuming, the Roomba ComboTM i5 does all the hard work for you. It can be scheduled to clean exactly when and where you want via the iRobot Home app or voice assistants.

Key Features and Benefits

Here are some of the essential features of the Roomba ComboTM i5 and why they provide value:

• Transforms into a vacuum and mop – With the interchangeable bins, it acts as both a vacuum and wet mop for hard floors. No need for two separate robot cleaners.
• Cleans all floor types – Its advanced brushes and strong suction pick up dirt, debris and pet hair from carpets and hard floors.
• Wet mops hard floors – The microfiber pad with cleaning solution leaves floors shiny.
• Navigates efficiently – It maps your home and methodically cleans room-by-room.
• Detects dirtier areas – Sensors identify high-traffic zones to clean them more thoroughly.
• Easy to control – Set schedules, target rooms, and customize cleaning via the iRobot app or voice assistants.
• Recharges and resumes – When battery is low, it recharges itself then finishes where it left off.

By delivering excellent sweeping, vacuuming, and wet mopping all from one robot, the Roomba ComboTM i5 saves you time and effort. It keeps floors consistently cleaner day after day.

Cleaning Performance

Loaded with advanced technology, the Roomba ComboTM i5 delivers outstanding cleaning across bare floors and carpets alike. From its suction power and brushes to wet mopping capabilities, it tackles dirt and stains for a deeper clean.

Suction Power

The Roomba ComboTM i5 generates significant vacuum suction at 1875 Pa. This allows it to lift and extract dust, small debris, pet hair and more from carpets and hard floors. Even stuck-on dried mud, sand and crumbs are no match for its powerful airflow.

Multi-Surface Brushes

Unique Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes are specially designed by iRobot not to tangle with pet hair or fibers. Featuring rubber treads that flex to maintain contact with floors, the brushes adjust between hard floors and carpets. This self-adaptive capability makes them extremely effective at picking up debris.

Complimenting the main brushes, a smaller Edge-Sweeping Brush located on the right side focuses on hard to reach spots along room edges and baseboards. Any accumulated dust and dirt near walls gets swept up completely.

Mopping Performance

Attaching the Roomba Combo® Bin activates wet mopping mode. The microfiber cleaning pad affixed underneath becomes lightly dampened with water or cleaning formula stored in the bin’s reservoir tank. The mop pad scrubs hard floors to easily wipe away stuck-on grime.

Its low profile reaches under toe kicks and other hard to access areas, leaving floors clean with no sticky residue. The bin has a compartment to store and dry the pad after mopping too.

Dirt Detection

The Roomba ComboTM i5 benefits from iRobot’s trademarked Dirt DetectTM Technology. Advanced sensors identify concentrated patches of debris in its path based on patterns of suction airflow through the Vacuum Bin compared to surrounding areas of floor. Sections containing more dirt prompt the robot to slow its movement to thoroughly clean that spot.

By automatically detecting and focusing cleaning performance on dirtier sections, the floors receive a deeper overall clean. This Dirt Detect capability is a significant advantage over standard random cleaning robots.

Coverage and Mapping

Built-in navigational intelligence is what transforms the Roomba ComboTM i5 from just vacuuming or mopping in random paths to systematically cleaning an entire home.

Utilizing what iRobot calls Imprint® Smart Mapping, the robot maps out room dimensions, obstacles, and pathways as it cleans during the first few cleaning cycles. Cloud-based storage retains these spatial mapping data details permanently.

Armed with an understanding of the home layout, the Roomba ComboTM i5 can effectively develop efficient cleaning routes moving forward to ensure full floor coverage. It cleans one room at a time, recharges itself as needed mid-job, and finishes where it left off without repeating areas already cleaned.

You gain additional control via the mobile app to focus cleaning in specific rooms or areas anytime. This intelligent navigation coupled with smart mapping technology allows the robot to cover up to 1850 square feet on a single charge.

Convenience Features

iRobot packed the Roomba ComboTM i5 full of convenience aspects to make the cleaning experience practically hands-free after the initial setup.

App and Voice Control

The free iRobot Home app for iOS and Android transforms your smartphone into an intuitive remote control. Not only does the app guide the initial WiFi connection and software update process, but it grants options for directing cleaning sessions.

Through the app, you can start or schedule whole home cleaning and spot cleaning of specific rooms. It shows displayed maps with cleaning history and progress. Settings provide customization abilities too like choosing cleaning intensity levels or enabling features like dirt detection.

Tapping into the smart home ecosystem, the Roomba ComboTM i5 works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant as well. Voice commands handle common tasks like starting vacuuming, targeting areas to deep clean, asking cleaning status or sending the robot back to its base.

Automatic Recharging and Resume

One significant convenience factor is the robot’s ability to automatically recharge itself mid-clean when needed. Sensors detect declining battery, prompting the Roomba ComboTM i5 to briefly pause cleaning and back itself onto the Home Base charging contacts.

After sufficient rejuicing, the robot resumes where it left off until completing coverage of the whole level. This smart charging functionality means you don’t have worry about battery runtimes.

Scheduling and Custom Cleaning

Scheduling capabilities allow you to designate cleaning times that best match your lifestyle. Set the Roomba ComboTM i5 to clean daily, specific days per week, or recurring special dates like weekends. You can designate it to run while away at work too. Custom time windows prevent disruptions.

Beyond broader scheduling, the mobile app enables granular control to limit cleaning to certain rooms or areas. Temporary virtual walls keep the robot concentrated on kitchen floors for a quick midday mopping for example. Spot cleaning is handy for isolated messes.

Child and Pet Lock

To prevent curious kids or pets from inadvertently activating the robot, Child and Pet Lock disables the manual Clean hardware button on top temporarily. This lock mode persists until disabling it again through the app. It gives peace of mind against unintended cleanings.

Review of Accessories

The Roomba ComboTM i5 ships with a collection useful accessories to augment its cleaning functionality right out of the box.

Additional Filters

An extra high-efficiency filter comes included. I recommend replacing the main filters every two months depending on use to maintain strong suction power. Extra filters are affordably priced.

Extra Mop Pads

The packaged wet mopping pad attaches securely to the bottom edges of the Roomba Combo® Bin. When it eventually wears out after many uses, replacements mop pads ensure floors keep getting freshly scrubbed.

Drip Tray

For containing any secondary dripping after docking when the bin tank empties, a basic plastic drip tray slots around the base edges below the Home Charging Station. It catches stray drips to protect floors.

While iRobot doesn’t sell many other first-party accessories, third party options like additional brushes and specialty wet mopping pads are plentiful from Amazon and other retailers.

Pros and Cons

The Good

• Dual functionality as vacuum & mop saves having separate robots
• Excellent cleaning performance across floor types
• Specialized rubber brushes adapt to floors and resist tangles
• Convenient charging, mapping, and app control
• Optional voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant
• Streamlined body easily fits under furniture

Potential Issues

• Higher price than regular single-mode robots
• Microfiber pad may not sanitize floors compared to steam mops
• Battery runtime less running in combo vacuum & mop mode
• Multiple bins take up more storage space

Despite outstanding overall capabilities, the Roomba ComboTM i5 does carry a higher cost over standard robotic vacuums or mops that may not suit all budgets. And runtimes understandably decrease trying to handle both vacuuming and wet mopping simultaneously versus focusing on only dry debris pickup.

However, its smart navigation combined with advanced cleaning technologies make it hard to beat in terms of total floor care convenience in my opinion.

Design and Build Quality

The Roomba ComboTM i5 has a thoughtfully designed body and high-quality materials for durability. The interchangeable bin system also adds flexibility.

Physical Appearance and Dimensions

Sporting a sleek black and grey color scheme with metallic silver accents, the Roomba ComboTM i5 has an elegant yet functional look. The top of the robot features two physical buttons — Clean and Home.

With dimensions of 13.4 inches long by 13.5 inches wide and 3.6 inches high, the robot has a low profile that fits nicely under furniture. It weighs approximately 7 pounds, allowing the Roomba ComboTM i5 to nimbly navigate room to room.

Materials and Durability

The main robot body comprises hard plastic materials that feel solidly constructed. The interchangeable bin and filter access doors fit tightly.

Rubber tread wheels provide traction and stability when transitioning across floor types and climbing over thresholds. Dual multi-surface brushes are also made from durable rubber with an innovative design to flex and adjust as needed.

Metallic accents on the bumper and handle give accent the robot’s sturdiness. Overall, the use of high-grade plastics and metals ensure the Roomba Combo will withstand regular use for years.

Interchangeable Bins

The genius behind the 2-in-1 cleaning functionality of the Roomba ComboTM i5 lies in its interchangeable bin system.

The included Vacuum Bin holds debris and dirt when vacuuming all floor types. It has a 0.4 liter capacity before needing to be emptied.

Switching to the Roomba Combo® Bin transforms the robot into a wet mop. This bin contains a removable clean water tank and sections for housing a wet mopping pad plus drying the mopping pad after use.

Swapping the bins is quick and simple, taking just seconds. Sensors automatically recognize which bin is installed and switches the robot’s cleaning mode accordingly.

Battery Life

A full charge provides up to 75 minutes of mixed vacuuming and mopping runtime. By comparison, vacuum-only runtime is approximately 90 minutes per charge.

Charging back up takes about three hours. The robot conveniently recharges itself and resumes cleaning until the job is complete.

The included Home Base charging station is compact, plugging into a standard wall outlet. When not cleaning, the Roomba ComboTM i5 sits quietly in the charging station.

Pricing and Availability

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Roomba ComboTM i5 is $549.99 USD.

In line with typical iRobot pricing strategies, major retailers often sell it for a slightly discounted price around $499 depending on periodic sales and promotions.

Given its dual functionality delivering both a complete robot vacuum plus wet mop for hard floors, the reasonable price makes the Roomba ComboTM i5 a great value compared to buying two separate floor cleaning robots.

Availability remains high across all major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, BestBuy, Target plus specialized vacuum sellers. The global popularity of Roomba vacuums means inventory stays solidly in stock.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the Roomba ComboTM i5 work on carpets?

Yes, the Roomba ComboTM i5 works great on carpets and rugs when using the Vacuum Bin. It picks up dirt, dust, pet hair and debris from carpets just as effectively as a dedicated robotic vacuum would. When mopping with the Combo Bin installed, it avoids climbing onto carpets.

How often does the mop pad need replacing?

The microfiber mop pad attaches to the bottom of the Combo Bin. With regular use, iRobot recommends replacing the mop pad about once every 2 months depending on how often you run mopping cycles. Replacement pads are affordably priced.

Can the Roomba ComboTM get stuck?

Like any robot vacuum, it uses cliff sensors and software logic to avoid most stuck situations by turning around and finding a new path. But obstacles like cables or loose rugs can fully immobilize it until moved. Integrated anti-tangle systems protect the brushes too.

Does the Roomba ComboTM i5 self-empty its bin?

Unfortunately no, the Roomba ComboTM i5 does not have auto-empty capabilities. You need to manually empty the debris after each cleaning job depending on how much dirt is picked up, just like traditional robotic vacuums.

What smart assistants work with the Roomba ComboTM?

The iRobot Home app connects with leading smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for handy voice control commands. You can tell Alexa or Google to start cleaning, pause the robot, send it home to charge, target specific rooms and more.

The Verdict

With outstanding cleaning abilities, intelligent mapping and navigation, app-based conveniences, and dual vacuuming and wet mopping capabilities packed into one robot, the Roomba ComboTM i5 is an elite performer.

While the initial investment seems higher than basic robot vacuums lacking navigation smarts or mopping skills, you receive an incredibly capable floor cleaner perfect for today’s busy households and pet owners.

Given its efficiency at maintaining tidier floors daily with no effort from you thanks to features like automatic recharging and customized cleaning scheduling, the value becomes clear.

Overall, we highly recommend the feature-packed Roomba ComboTM i5 to anyone seeking the ultimate floor cleaning robot able to both vacuum and wet mop hard floors impressively well. It takes home cleaning convenience to advanced new levels.