Xiaomi, Neato and Ecovac are very active players in the robot vacuum market. For two years, they have not only caught up on Roomba, they have even outclassed it in terms of quality/price ratio. Drawing on his know-how, the inventor of the vacuum robot is reviewing the design of his robots and presenting us with the Roomba i7+, his new reference. It also offers a dock named CleanBase, which not only recharges the robot, but automatically empties the robot's dust bin. Does all this justify a price twice the average and its high-end positioning?
Design and functionality
There is no escaping the round shape common to all robot vacuums, except those from Neato. With a width of 33 cm and a length of 34 cm, it is about average. Its lacquered black and gray plastic design makes it a fairly discreet and not unsightly product.
Its height of 9.2 cm allows it to pass under many pieces of furniture, but not the lowest. The sensors and rangefinder are on the front of the robot and only a small, slightly raised round sensor on the front stands out.
The most amazing thing is its CleanBase dock which is anything but discreet with dimensions of 30.1 x 38.4 cm for 48 cm in height. This is explained by the presence of a suction system to empty the dust container of the vacuum cleaner and a collector bag which displays a small 0.7 l capacity.
It is therefore cumbersome and difficult to camouflage, which forces us to think differently about its positioning. Thus, it is impossible to camouflage it under a piece of furniture for example, it will be visible in all cases. Except, if you put it in a pantry or an (open) cupboard with an outlet.
App: a refresh that feels good
Forget the old and austere Roomba app. iRobot has made real efforts to make it more aesthetic and above all clearer, both on iOS and Android. The configuration is done in less than five minutes and we are accompanied step by step to integrate the beast into our wifi network and our connected environment (Alexa, Google Assistant, Yonomi and IFTT).
The app advises us to launch a first aspiration to start mapping your apartment. Do it without hesitation, it will give you time to explore all the possibilities offered by the app during this time. It is of course possible to pause or stop the suction cycle at any time. Three suction modes are offered: automatic, one-pass or two-pass. Roomba only offers to set the cleaning process and never the power.
The robot is supposed to adapt automatically according to the level of dirt detected. The programming is very simple and in addition to selecting the days and times, we can choose to target specific rooms or simply let it take care of the entire surface of the apartment.
It really works, and we owe it to the mapping technology, which is simply awesome. It is the most precise and relevant on the market, even surpassing that of the already impressive Roborock S6. After two cycles of aspiration, we obtain an almost perfect card. The walls, the furniture are clearly identified. If you move your coffee table, Roomba will notice it and take care of the cleared area. You can refine the cartography by more precisely delimiting each room and naming them at your convenience.
Avoid names that are too exotic to simplify the use of voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant. Finally, we have a maintenance tab that informs us about the wear of the parts and tells us when to clean or replace them.
After each cycle, you can check on the map the areas Roomba passes through and those ignored. Finally, a function allows you to exclude specific areas from a cycle. Delimiting them is done in a few seconds with your fingertips.
Maintenance, no hassle
The maintenance tab is not accessible at first glance, you have to go through " Settings " to access it. The robot measures wear over time based on your usage. In the case of blockages, the robot alerts you via the app and the machine signals itself with a relatively strident noise to identify it more easily. The dust container can be removed very easily and emptying is done without generating a cloud of dust.
Nevertheless, as with each suction cycle the CleanBase powerfully sucks up its contents, we have realized that it requires less maintenance than its competitors.
The CleanBase stores only 0.7 liters of waste and debris in a bag similar to that of a conventional vacuum cleaner. It takes 25 to 35 suction cycles to completely fill it. Then simply open the bin from above, remove the collection bag and put it in the trash.
Allergy sufferers will be delighted to avoid the clouds of dust that are often seen when emptying a conventional dustbin into a trash can. Be careful, this comfort is expensive, count 20 euros for 3 bags on the iRobot site. Finally, the main brushes under the robot are nice sizes and display two large rubber blades.
They catch dust very well, but above all, hair or wires are less likely to wrap around them and interfere with their operation. The mechanism for extracting them from the robot is as simple as it is practical.
Usage, intelligence at the service of efficiency
The Roomba i7+ starts working as soon as it leaves its base. It has a zigzag operation which allows it not to miss any zone. It is one of the robots that does best in this exercise with excellent mastery of space. He first completes a piece in its entirety before moving on to the next. The navigation system is very efficient and avoids unnecessary shocks to the hood.
In any case, the latter is both resistant and knows how to perfectly absorb any shocks. Doorsteps do not scare him, just like fixed obstacles, as long as they do not exceed 1.5 cm in height.
On the other hand, where a Roborock tends to rush into the heap, the Roomba i7+ takes more precautions. This makes the suction longer, but will avoid straining the mechanics. Short-haired carpets are perfectly managed unlike long-haired ones where it loses ease, like the majority of its competitors. The side brush is effective for cleaning baseboards, a little less on the corners.
Its height of 9.6 cm will prevent it from going under some furniture. Lack of light will not reduce its effectiveness, even if you are totally in the dark. We tried to trap it with thick PC power cables, it runs over them without noticing them. On the other hand, USB charging cables can wind up in the mechanics and risk blocking the suction cycle. Despite all its intelligence, the Roomba i7+ will require you to keep a minimum of storage if you want to avoid unnecessary incidents.
Sound level, the iRobot Roomba i7+ only offers one level of suction. The noise pollution measured with our sound level meter is 61 dB at 5 cm from the robot, between 49 and 52 dB at 2 meters and 39 dB if we are in an adjacent room. It is clearly not the most discreet on the market and risks ruining your sleep in if you schedule a cycle on Sunday morning. But the most annoying thing is when the CleanBase kicks in. It emits a very strong suction noise, 71 dB at 5 cm away, 55 dB at 2 meters and 49 dB when in an adjacent room. In short, the 15 s of suction are really heard.
Suction
The Roomba i7+ is comfortable on all surfaces, only high-pile carpets will give it a hard time. Nothing escapes it and only the largest residues (small piece of cardboard, polystyrene, paper) remain on the ground. A 65 m² apartment does not scare him and he can easily go beyond that.
In a targeted area, 95% of the residues that we have scattered are recovered (breadcrumbs, dust, polystyrene, earth and grass). On carpet or short rugs, it performs almost as well as on hard floors. Only debris that really clings to the bristles will sometimes be left behind. On a short-pile carpet, 80% is indeed vacuumed and the figure drops to 62% on long-pile carpets. It has a technology that identifies dirt spots and we then see the robot come and go over them to be sure not to miss anything. Finally, with a charge, we have enough to launch two or even three cleaning cycles for a 65 m² apartment. That is around 1h30 of autonomy, a very honorable figure, only the Roborock really does better with more than two hours of autonomy.
A point on the competition
iRobot is resolutely targeting the high-end segment with a price of 1199 euros when it comes out, which is now at 999€. Its CleanBase is a real added value that will delight people sensitive to dust. In addition, it turns out to be one of the most efficient on the market, slightly outclassing the excellent Roborock S6. But the latter is charged twice as much (600 euros). It's a little less effective, but you're not sure you'll actually notice the difference. In addition, it is much quieter on a daily basis and offers better autonomy. The Neato Botvac D7 offers nearly as good obstacle handling and suction power, while being less noisy. The robot is also marketed without the CleanBase, but at 900 euros, its price remains 300 euros more expensive than that of theRoborock S6.
Reviews
Roomba regains first place in terms of performance, intelligence and mapping. It is technically superior to the competition, while offering a CleanBase which reduces constraints and above all avoids unwanted clouds of dust. We were thinking of a gadget, but in use this dock is really practical. However, marketed twice as expensive as our reference, the Roborock S6, it does not work twice as well and not twice as fast. To be reserved for those who want to forget the few inconveniences of the robot vacuum cleaner on a daily basis and for those allergic to dust.
