It’s hard to disagree that the self-emptying feature is one of the most awesome innovations in robot vacuums in recent years. The ease and convenience of an appliance that can empty its own dustbin is a significant bonus that more traditional models simply can’t compete with. Plus, this feature significantly reduces dust exposure—undeniably a benefit to everyone, especially those with asthma or allergies.
Typically, robotic vacuums equipped with this self-emptying feature come with an eye-watering price tag of around $1,000. The Roomba i2 robot vacuum is an iRobot appliance that falls on the more affordable side of the price scale.
Of course, with greater affordability comes some compromise. The Roomba i2 isn’t self-emptying, its battery life isn’t particularly impressive, and smart mapping is limited to just one floor. However, it’s still an efficient cleaning robot that ticks all the right boxes for particular needs and budgets.
Now let’s take a look at some of this model’s features and functions in greater detail.
Design and Key Features
Buttons
The iRobot Roomba i2 has three buttons on its top surface, allowing it to be manually controlled if the user so wishes. The Power/Clear button is the largest and is situated in the middle.
It’s surrounded by a ring that lights up in a different color relating to what alert is being communicated. The ring is unlit when the appliance is idle. The device’s Start button will send it back to the docking station, while the Spot Clean button commands the appliance to vacuum on the spot in a spiral pattern vigorously.
Build and appearance
iRobot’s robot vacuum cleaners are made from high-quality, durable, hard-wearing plastic, and the Roomba i2 is no exception. You can be confident that your robot helper will provide outstanding cleaning performance for many years to come.
Like all robot vacuums, the Roomba i2 must be durable and will inevitably get dirty after several uses. Its surface is a matt gray color and has a slightly rough fabric-like texture, allowing it to stay cleaner than other smoother mirrored glass or plastic designs.
This design enables easy cleaning, prevents clogging by dust, dirt, and debris, and avoids smudging by fingerprints. Despite its rougher surface, it still looks as sleek and aesthetically pleasing as other models.
Sensors
On the top of the iRobot Roomba i2 is a small beacon called the Room Confinement Sensor (RCON). This sensor facilitates communication between the device and the charging base. On the front of the robot is a Light Touch sensor, allowing it to identify obstacles such as walls, edges, and other objects that may get in its way.
App control
The other Roomba i2’s cleaning functions are controlled using the app. For example, you can create a regular cleaning schedule for specific days and times. You can also program how many times you want the vacuum to pass over the floor—particularly useful as there’s no option to adjust the robot’s suction levels to suit specific cleaning needs.
Movement
The Roomba i2 moves across the floor in purposeful straight lines, ensuring a more logical and not random cleaning pattern. And when it’s done cleaning, it will automatically head back to its charging dock.
Performance
With its limited number of settings, the Roomba i2 is a relatively easy-to-use robot vacuum cleaner. Like most other robot vacuums, its overall pick-up capabilities are good, but some larger pieces of debris on hard flooring can be missed. This shortcoming usually occurs when the appliance’s rotating brush flicks larger particles across the floor rather than into the vacuum’s path. For this same reason, another limitation in the Roomba i2’s performance is its inability to pick up every piece of debris from the corners of a room.
However, this robot does pick up most of the dirt, grime, and debris it sets out to vacuum, including dust and fluff attached to carpeting.
To test the Roomba i2’s cleaning performance, our reviewer sprinkled flour over wood flooring and set the device to work. It was noted that most of the flour was collected. However, some flour was left between the wood planks in the grooves. Even when Spot Clean mode was used to create a deeper clean, not all the flour could be removed.
In terms of performance on both carpeting and hard flooring, the Roomba i2 moved with equal ease and cleaning ability. Our tester found that the device could even clean a long pile rug while avoiding getting stuck. Additionally, it could avoid tumbling down the stairs or getting caught by furniture.
This clever navigation was thanks to iRobot’s Reactive Sensor Technology, allowing the robot vacuum to identify and move around obstacles more efficiently.
Related Post: Roomba i2 vs. Eufy 11S
The Takeaway—Is the iRobot Roomba i2 Worth Purchasing?
We can give a resounding “Yes!” If you’re looking for a more affordable robot vacuum cleaner that effectively cleans multiple types of flooring, you can’t go wrong with this cleaning device. It’s simple to use, aided by the app, which allows you to schedule cleaning according to your specific needs and requirements.
The robot navigates your household, cleaning in a logical, efficient manner. Of course, it lacks certain features and functions that come with other Roomba or iRobot devices higher up on the price scale. However, if you accept that with a lower cost comes some compromise in fancy functionality and performance, you’ll find that this robot will get some fantastic cleaning done.
And for those looking for a self-emptying alternative to the Roomba i2, check out the more expensive Roomba i3+ Evo.
- MORE THOUGHTFUL THAN YOU THOUGHT - The Roomba i2 takes vacuuming off your mind with personalized cleaning...
- MAPS YOUR HOME AND CLEANS IN NEAT ROWS - Intelligent, straight line navigation cleans logically in neat rows...
- 10x POWER-LIFTING SUCTION - Clearing your home of stubborn dirt and messes, the Roomba i2 Robot Vacuum pulls...
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
