iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop
A complete clean with our 4-stage cleaning system. A powerful 4-stage cleaning system vacuums and mops in one pass with a special brush for edge cleaning so dust can't gather. Navigates your home like a pro. The smart navigation methodically cleans in neat rows while sensors help it navigate around furniture and avoid falling down stairs. Ready to tackle dirt right out of the box. Straight out of the box it's easy to use. It only takes a few minutes to set up your robot and start cleaning. Thoughtfully designed to simplify cleaning The irobot home app simplifies your life with features like clean while I'm away suggested cleaning schedules and a clean map report so you always know where your roomba combo essential robot cleaned even if you weren't home to see it. Small smart and on a mission to clean. The sleek low-profile design means it can slide into tighter spots and grab dust and dirt under beds and sofas while the edge-sweeping brush gets into your edges and corners. Recharges itself so you don't have to.
A complete clean with our 4-stage cleaning system. A powerful 4-stage cleaning system vacuums and mops in one pass with a special brush for edge cleaning so dust can't gather. Navigates your home like a pro. The smart navigation methodically cleans in neat rows while sensors help it navigate around furniture and avoid falling down stairs. Ready to tackle dirt right out of the box. Straight out of the box it's easy to use. It only takes a few minutes to set up your robot and start cleaning. Thoughtfully designed to simplify cleaning The irobot home app simplifies your life with features like clean while I'm away suggested cleaning schedules and a clean map report so you always know where your roomba combo essential robot cleaned even if you weren't home to see it. Small smart and on a mission to clean. The sleek low-profile design means it can slide into tighter spots and grab dust and dirt under beds and sofas while the edge-sweeping brush gets into your edges and corners. Recharges itself so you don't have to.
A complete clean with our 4-stage cleaning system. A powerful 4-stage cleaning system vacuums and mops in one pass with a special brush for edge cleaning so dust can't gather. Navigates your home like a pro. The smart navigation methodically cleans in neat rows while sensors help it navigate around furniture and avoid falling down stairs. Ready to tackle dirt right out of the box. Straight out of the box it's easy to use. It only takes a few minutes to set up your robot and start cleaning. Thoughtfully designed to simplify cleaning The irobot home app simplifies your life with features like clean while I'm away suggested cleaning schedules and a clean map report so you always know where your roomba combo essential robot cleaned even if you weren't home to see it. Small smart and on a mission to clean. The sleek low-profile design means it can slide into tighter spots and grab dust and dirt under beds and sofas while the edge-sweeping brush gets into your edges and corners. Recharges itself so you don't have to.
A complete clean with our 4-stage cleaning system. A powerful 4-stage cleaning system vacuums and mops in one pass with a special brush for edge cleaning so dust can't gather. Navigates your home like a pro. The smart navigation methodically cleans in neat rows while sensors help it navigate around furniture and avoid falling down stairs. Ready to tackle dirt right out of the box. Straight out of the box it's easy to use. It only takes a few minutes to set up your robot and start cleaning. Thoughtfully designed to simplify cleaning The irobot home app simplifies your life with features like clean while I'm away suggested cleaning schedules and a clean map report so you always know where your roomba combo essential robot cleaned even if you weren't home to see it. Small smart and on a mission to clean. The sleek low-profile design means it can slide into tighter spots and grab dust and dirt under beds and sofas while the edge-sweeping brush gets into your edges and corners. Recharges itself so you don't have to.
in 5 offers
The lowest price for iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop right now is $520.00 at Kogan.com, compared across 3 retailers.
The all-time low was $45.99 on 18 June 2025 — today's price is 1031% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 4 Sept 2026.
Last updated at 04/09/2026 17:32:47
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot (Y0140) GRADE A REFURBISHED
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot (Y0140) GRADE A REFURBISHED
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I recently got the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop for my home, and have used it for about a week now and have had a mostly positive experience, along with some little annoyances.The convenience of the Roomba is a nice addition to the home. With just the push of a button, a simple voice command to my smart assistant or scheduling it to run in the iRobot app the Roomba will vacuum and mop throughout my home, picking up dirt, dust, and debris on both hard floors and carpets. The intelligent navigation system allows the Roomba to map out my home's layout, though it did have some issues with running over a random foam block causing it to get stuck, getting caught under an awkward piece of furniture, getting tangled up on the cable cord and dragging a ... MoreI recently got the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop for my home, and have used it for about a week now and have had a mostly positive experience, along with some little annoyances.The convenience of the Roomba is a nice addition to the home. With just the push of a button, a simple voice command to my smart assistant or scheduling it to run in the iRobot app the Roomba will vacuum and mop throughout my home, picking up dirt, dust, and debris on both hard floors and carpets. The intelligent navigation system allows the Roomba to map out my home's layout, though it did have some issues with running over a random foam block causing it to get stuck, getting caught under an awkward piece of furniture, getting tangled up on the cable cord and dragging a shag rug. So, I do recommend monitoring it the first couple of runs throughout your home.What sets the Roomba Combo Essential apart from other robot vacuums at this price point is its dual-functionality as both a vacuum and a mop. The vacuuming performance is decent, with strong suction power that lifts and removes dirt and pet hair from the floors. The mop attachment provides a nice thorough clean, leaving my hardwood floors clean and streak-free. The mop attachment comes with two mop pads that are velcroed to a plastic bracket and if you don't want the Roomba to mop, just remove the attachment and it will only vacuum.I found the best aspect of the Roomba is its ability to get under those hard to reach places that you can’t get at with a standard vacuum.The iRobot app is where you control and set up the Roomba. Setup is super easy, just follow the step-by-step guide and connect it to your WiFi and you’re good to go.The app is very user-friendly when it comes to the features and customization options that the Roomba Combo Essential offers. The iRobot Home app allows me to schedule cleaning sessions and has a feature that will only run when I’m not at home. You can set cleaning preferences if you want to use the mop or just vacuum, which allows me to keep my place clean even when I'm not around. I do wish I was able to see a real time heat map of where the roomba is currently in the house, but you can only see the heat map after it has completed its job.In terms of maintenance and upkeep, the Roomba Combo Essential is a breeze to clean and maintain. The dustbin and mop reservoir are easy to empty and refill. Roomba does recommend you change the brush and filter every 6 months. The dust bin is on the smaller size, so I recommend emptying it after every 2-3 cleans. Also at this price point, I do wish the docking station came with an automatic dustbin disposal.Overall, the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is a good automatic Vacuum in terms of performance, convenience, and versatility. That being said, I do not think it will 100% eliminate your need for a standard vacuum, where you will still want one for those immediate spills, big homes with multiple floors, and especially if you have more than one animal that sheds. Just go into viewing the Roomba as a partner to the standard vacuum, where it cleans those tricky areas that you can't get to and just keeps your home tidy.Pros:Convenient and hands-free cleaning with intelligent navigation.Dual-functionality as a vacuum and mop for comprehensive cleaning.User-friendly app for scheduling, customization, and monitoring.Suitable for both hard floors and carpets with strong suction power.Cons:May struggle with very high-pile carpets or shag rugs.Some may prefer a larger dustbin for less frequent emptying.Docking station does not have an auto empty dustbinNot for big homes.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The Roomba Combo Essential is an entry level vacuum and mop combo robot that offers a lot of the basic functionality you would expect in a robot vac/mop, while maintaining a relatively affordable price point. However, it is missing some of the higher end features that make these types of products really useful. The Combo Essential features a vacuum that iRobot claims works on all floor types including carpet, wood, tile, etc. It has 3 suction settings and 3 water levels for the mop. You can connect the Roomba Essential Combo to wifi using the Roomba app, where you can set cleaning schedules, see cleaning reports, product health, and a few other things. Once connected to wifi, you can also control it with smart home assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home.This ... MoreThe Roomba Combo Essential is an entry level vacuum and mop combo robot that offers a lot of the basic functionality you would expect in a robot vac/mop, while maintaining a relatively affordable price point. However, it is missing some of the higher end features that make these types of products really useful. The Combo Essential features a vacuum that iRobot claims works on all floor types including carpet, wood, tile, etc. It has 3 suction settings and 3 water levels for the mop. You can connect the Roomba Essential Combo to wifi using the Roomba app, where you can set cleaning schedules, see cleaning reports, product health, and a few other things. Once connected to wifi, you can also control it with smart home assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home.This is not my first robot vacuum, or even my first vacuum/mop combo, so I do have a point of reference I am comparing to. As far as vacuums, I also own a Roomba 981. Compared to the 981, the Essential is a tad smaller, and much quieter. I was very impressed with how quiet it actually was. This is the kind of robot vac you can set to clean and still enjoy a conversation with someone or watch TV. As mentioned, it is a bit smaller than the 981, and I noticed it only has one cleaning brush compared to 2 on the 981, so it took a bit longer to clean the same area, and I noticed that the 981 still picked up quite a bit of dirt that the Essential missed. So the smaller size and quieter operation seems to come with less power overall as well. Navigation wise, it seems to be about on par with the 981 and other robot vacs. It did very well at navigating around all my furniture and not getting stuck. However, I do have a gliding rocker that seems to give all these robot vacs problems, and the Essential was no different. It got stuck under it and couldn’t get itself out. Something that really bugs me about this vac, and the 981 for that matter, is in the app, you get a cleaning map after each job. However, there is no way to save the map for better navigation, or to set up “rooms” or virtual barriers. The only way to keep the vac out of a room is to physically block it with either a door or some other large objects. This wouldn’t bug me so much if the higher end roombas didn’t have this functionality built in. It almost seems like it’s really just a software feature that iRobot could easily implement in these lower priced models, but they arbitrarily turn it off to make the higher priced models seem more feature-rich. One last thing I noticed after each cleaning job I tested it with, was that it picked up some very large objects and just continued about its business. The first time was a jelly packet (I know, I don’t know where it got a jelly packet either). That one was probably the worst and is most likely what affected the cleaning performance in that test. I have no idea how long it was carrying around this little packet, just covering most of the suction area. I would really appreciate it if it had some kind of object detection or gave me some kind of indication that something was possibly clogging it. In the next test I had a similar experience, but this time with a tissue. The tissue probably didn’t affect the performance as much as the jelly packet, but still, it would be nice if the robot was smart enough to say hey, something might be stuck over here. As far as how well it cleaned, it did a decent job. I tested it on both hard floors and carpet. Carpet is where I tested it almost side by side with the 981, and it just didn’t do as well. While iRobot claims you can use it on carpet, I’d recommend something a bit more powerful. It did a good enough job, but I could tell that it just didn’t have the weight or power to really clean well. You can see it bouncing along the carpet while it cleans, something I never see with the 981. On hard floors it fared a bit better. It cleaned most of the dirt and dust I could see. And this is where the mop functionality comes into play. Now, this is a pretty basic “mop”. Basically, it’s a wet cloth you plop on the back of the vac. It has a little water reservoir to keep the cloth wet while running, but there is no cleaning solution and it doesn’t suck the water back up or anything. It just runs the wet cloth along the floors as it vacuums. So It’s not going to do nearly as good of a job as actually mopping, or even using a swiffer or something. But it’s better than nothing. Honestly, I wouldn’t get this vac for the mop. It’s something that’s just an added bonus, but don’t expect great things from it. It could be that I’ve been spoiled from my other robot vac/mop combo which features rotating, self cleaning pads, and all the bells and whistles. That one works a little more how you would expect a robot mop to work, but it costs a lot more than this one. This one is about as entry level as it gets, and I’m afraid may just turn people off of robot vacs altogether if you’re expecting anything more than just running a wet cloth along your floors. If the main thing you are wanting is a robot vac, I’d recommend saving up a bit and getting something a little higher end.In conclusion, this is definitely an entry level robot vac/mop combo. The vacuum performs well enough for an entry level product, and I could easily recommend it for smaller homes or homes without a lot of carpet. If its main use will be carpet, you may want to go with something with a little more power. The mop feature doesn’t work well enough for me to recommend. If you are in the market for a robot mop, I would recommend getting something a little more high end than this. So as I stated in the title, this product overall is a mixed bag. It’s small, quiet, and priced right. But performance is a bit lacking when compared to other robot vacs and/or mops.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is my first vacuum and mop combo so I was looking forward to trying it out.Took the Roomba out of the box and followed the instructions that was inside the box....the instructions was only two pages long. Since I already owned a Roomba, I checked the iRobot app and the app has the detailed step-by-side instructions the for Essential. I made sure I put the Roomba together correctly and then let it charge up prior to using it.Once charged, I let it run to test it out.This Roomba cleans in what's called a "bounce pattern". Basically, it goes around the room in a straight line, until it hits something (a wall, a table, etc.), then it will turn around and clean the other way until it hits another object. By the ... MoreThe iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is my first vacuum and mop combo so I was looking forward to trying it out.Took the Roomba out of the box and followed the instructions that was inside the box....the instructions was only two pages long. Since I already owned a Roomba, I checked the iRobot app and the app has the detailed step-by-side instructions the for Essential. I made sure I put the Roomba together correctly and then let it charge up prior to using it.Once charged, I let it run to test it out.This Roomba cleans in what's called a "bounce pattern". Basically, it goes around the room in a straight line, until it hits something (a wall, a table, etc.), then it will turn around and clean the other way until it hits another object. By the second time it returns in the same area, the Roomba will slow down to anticipate hitting another object. This Roomba does a good job cleaning, but the fact that it can also mop the floor, having a mapping feature on the robot would be more helpful in regards to make areas with rugs and carpets as a "Do Not Enter" zone.The mopping feature is nice and the floor is clean after it runs. It you choose to mop and you have runs on the floor, you will either pick up the rugs or stay in the room and block the Roomba, or put things in its way to avoid getting the rugs wet.My other issue with the Roomba is that you have to manually empty it after each use, but I also understand why it's not included based on the price.Overall, it's a nice starter Roomba and if you all non carpet areas in your home, especially if you don't want to pick up the rugs when you chose to mop.
| Run Time | 120 min |
| Brand Name | iRobot |
| Width | 13 in. |
| Charger Included | Yes |
| Weight | 6 lb |
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot (Y0140) GRADE A REFURBISHED
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot (Y0140) GRADE A REFURBISHED
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop (Y0140) - Black
Free delivery
I recently got the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop for my home, and have used it for about a week now and have had a mostly positive experience, along with some little annoyances.The convenience of the Roomba is a nice addition to the home. With just the push of a button, a simple voice command to my smart assistant or scheduling it to run in the iRobot app the Roomba will vacuum and mop throughout my home, picking up dirt, dust, and debris on both hard floors and carpets. The intelligent navigation system allows the Roomba to map out my home's layout, though it did have some issues with running over a random foam block causing it to get stuck, getting caught under an awkward piece of furniture, getting tangled up on the cable cord and dragging a ... MoreI recently got the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop for my home, and have used it for about a week now and have had a mostly positive experience, along with some little annoyances.The convenience of the Roomba is a nice addition to the home. With just the push of a button, a simple voice command to my smart assistant or scheduling it to run in the iRobot app the Roomba will vacuum and mop throughout my home, picking up dirt, dust, and debris on both hard floors and carpets. The intelligent navigation system allows the Roomba to map out my home's layout, though it did have some issues with running over a random foam block causing it to get stuck, getting caught under an awkward piece of furniture, getting tangled up on the cable cord and dragging a shag rug. So, I do recommend monitoring it the first couple of runs throughout your home.What sets the Roomba Combo Essential apart from other robot vacuums at this price point is its dual-functionality as both a vacuum and a mop. The vacuuming performance is decent, with strong suction power that lifts and removes dirt and pet hair from the floors. The mop attachment provides a nice thorough clean, leaving my hardwood floors clean and streak-free. The mop attachment comes with two mop pads that are velcroed to a plastic bracket and if you don't want the Roomba to mop, just remove the attachment and it will only vacuum.I found the best aspect of the Roomba is its ability to get under those hard to reach places that you can’t get at with a standard vacuum.The iRobot app is where you control and set up the Roomba. Setup is super easy, just follow the step-by-step guide and connect it to your WiFi and you’re good to go.The app is very user-friendly when it comes to the features and customization options that the Roomba Combo Essential offers. The iRobot Home app allows me to schedule cleaning sessions and has a feature that will only run when I’m not at home. You can set cleaning preferences if you want to use the mop or just vacuum, which allows me to keep my place clean even when I'm not around. I do wish I was able to see a real time heat map of where the roomba is currently in the house, but you can only see the heat map after it has completed its job.In terms of maintenance and upkeep, the Roomba Combo Essential is a breeze to clean and maintain. The dustbin and mop reservoir are easy to empty and refill. Roomba does recommend you change the brush and filter every 6 months. The dust bin is on the smaller size, so I recommend emptying it after every 2-3 cleans. Also at this price point, I do wish the docking station came with an automatic dustbin disposal.Overall, the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is a good automatic Vacuum in terms of performance, convenience, and versatility. That being said, I do not think it will 100% eliminate your need for a standard vacuum, where you will still want one for those immediate spills, big homes with multiple floors, and especially if you have more than one animal that sheds. Just go into viewing the Roomba as a partner to the standard vacuum, where it cleans those tricky areas that you can't get to and just keeps your home tidy.Pros:Convenient and hands-free cleaning with intelligent navigation.Dual-functionality as a vacuum and mop for comprehensive cleaning.User-friendly app for scheduling, customization, and monitoring.Suitable for both hard floors and carpets with strong suction power.Cons:May struggle with very high-pile carpets or shag rugs.Some may prefer a larger dustbin for less frequent emptying.Docking station does not have an auto empty dustbinNot for big homes.
The Roomba Combo Essential is an entry level vacuum and mop combo robot that offers a lot of the basic functionality you would expect in a robot vac/mop, while maintaining a relatively affordable price point. However, it is missing some of the higher end features that make these types of products really useful. The Combo Essential features a vacuum that iRobot claims works on all floor types including carpet, wood, tile, etc. It has 3 suction settings and 3 water levels for the mop. You can connect the Roomba Essential Combo to wifi using the Roomba app, where you can set cleaning schedules, see cleaning reports, product health, and a few other things. Once connected to wifi, you can also control it with smart home assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home.This ... MoreThe Roomba Combo Essential is an entry level vacuum and mop combo robot that offers a lot of the basic functionality you would expect in a robot vac/mop, while maintaining a relatively affordable price point. However, it is missing some of the higher end features that make these types of products really useful. The Combo Essential features a vacuum that iRobot claims works on all floor types including carpet, wood, tile, etc. It has 3 suction settings and 3 water levels for the mop. You can connect the Roomba Essential Combo to wifi using the Roomba app, where you can set cleaning schedules, see cleaning reports, product health, and a few other things. Once connected to wifi, you can also control it with smart home assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home.This is not my first robot vacuum, or even my first vacuum/mop combo, so I do have a point of reference I am comparing to. As far as vacuums, I also own a Roomba 981. Compared to the 981, the Essential is a tad smaller, and much quieter. I was very impressed with how quiet it actually was. This is the kind of robot vac you can set to clean and still enjoy a conversation with someone or watch TV. As mentioned, it is a bit smaller than the 981, and I noticed it only has one cleaning brush compared to 2 on the 981, so it took a bit longer to clean the same area, and I noticed that the 981 still picked up quite a bit of dirt that the Essential missed. So the smaller size and quieter operation seems to come with less power overall as well. Navigation wise, it seems to be about on par with the 981 and other robot vacs. It did very well at navigating around all my furniture and not getting stuck. However, I do have a gliding rocker that seems to give all these robot vacs problems, and the Essential was no different. It got stuck under it and couldn’t get itself out. Something that really bugs me about this vac, and the 981 for that matter, is in the app, you get a cleaning map after each job. However, there is no way to save the map for better navigation, or to set up “rooms” or virtual barriers. The only way to keep the vac out of a room is to physically block it with either a door or some other large objects. This wouldn’t bug me so much if the higher end roombas didn’t have this functionality built in. It almost seems like it’s really just a software feature that iRobot could easily implement in these lower priced models, but they arbitrarily turn it off to make the higher priced models seem more feature-rich. One last thing I noticed after each cleaning job I tested it with, was that it picked up some very large objects and just continued about its business. The first time was a jelly packet (I know, I don’t know where it got a jelly packet either). That one was probably the worst and is most likely what affected the cleaning performance in that test. I have no idea how long it was carrying around this little packet, just covering most of the suction area. I would really appreciate it if it had some kind of object detection or gave me some kind of indication that something was possibly clogging it. In the next test I had a similar experience, but this time with a tissue. The tissue probably didn’t affect the performance as much as the jelly packet, but still, it would be nice if the robot was smart enough to say hey, something might be stuck over here. As far as how well it cleaned, it did a decent job. I tested it on both hard floors and carpet. Carpet is where I tested it almost side by side with the 981, and it just didn’t do as well. While iRobot claims you can use it on carpet, I’d recommend something a bit more powerful. It did a good enough job, but I could tell that it just didn’t have the weight or power to really clean well. You can see it bouncing along the carpet while it cleans, something I never see with the 981. On hard floors it fared a bit better. It cleaned most of the dirt and dust I could see. And this is where the mop functionality comes into play. Now, this is a pretty basic “mop”. Basically, it’s a wet cloth you plop on the back of the vac. It has a little water reservoir to keep the cloth wet while running, but there is no cleaning solution and it doesn’t suck the water back up or anything. It just runs the wet cloth along the floors as it vacuums. So It’s not going to do nearly as good of a job as actually mopping, or even using a swiffer or something. But it’s better than nothing. Honestly, I wouldn’t get this vac for the mop. It’s something that’s just an added bonus, but don’t expect great things from it. It could be that I’ve been spoiled from my other robot vac/mop combo which features rotating, self cleaning pads, and all the bells and whistles. That one works a little more how you would expect a robot mop to work, but it costs a lot more than this one. This one is about as entry level as it gets, and I’m afraid may just turn people off of robot vacs altogether if you’re expecting anything more than just running a wet cloth along your floors. If the main thing you are wanting is a robot vac, I’d recommend saving up a bit and getting something a little higher end.In conclusion, this is definitely an entry level robot vac/mop combo. The vacuum performs well enough for an entry level product, and I could easily recommend it for smaller homes or homes without a lot of carpet. If its main use will be carpet, you may want to go with something with a little more power. The mop feature doesn’t work well enough for me to recommend. If you are in the market for a robot mop, I would recommend getting something a little more high end than this. So as I stated in the title, this product overall is a mixed bag. It’s small, quiet, and priced right. But performance is a bit lacking when compared to other robot vacs and/or mops.
The iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is my first vacuum and mop combo so I was looking forward to trying it out.Took the Roomba out of the box and followed the instructions that was inside the box....the instructions was only two pages long. Since I already owned a Roomba, I checked the iRobot app and the app has the detailed step-by-side instructions the for Essential. I made sure I put the Roomba together correctly and then let it charge up prior to using it.Once charged, I let it run to test it out.This Roomba cleans in what's called a "bounce pattern". Basically, it goes around the room in a straight line, until it hits something (a wall, a table, etc.), then it will turn around and clean the other way until it hits another object. By the ... MoreThe iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is my first vacuum and mop combo so I was looking forward to trying it out.Took the Roomba out of the box and followed the instructions that was inside the box....the instructions was only two pages long. Since I already owned a Roomba, I checked the iRobot app and the app has the detailed step-by-side instructions the for Essential. I made sure I put the Roomba together correctly and then let it charge up prior to using it.Once charged, I let it run to test it out.This Roomba cleans in what's called a "bounce pattern". Basically, it goes around the room in a straight line, until it hits something (a wall, a table, etc.), then it will turn around and clean the other way until it hits another object. By the second time it returns in the same area, the Roomba will slow down to anticipate hitting another object. This Roomba does a good job cleaning, but the fact that it can also mop the floor, having a mapping feature on the robot would be more helpful in regards to make areas with rugs and carpets as a "Do Not Enter" zone.The mopping feature is nice and the floor is clean after it runs. It you choose to mop and you have runs on the floor, you will either pick up the rugs or stay in the room and block the Roomba, or put things in its way to avoid getting the rugs wet.My other issue with the Roomba is that you have to manually empty it after each use, but I also understand why it's not included based on the price.Overall, it's a nice starter Roomba and if you all non carpet areas in your home, especially if you don't want to pick up the rugs when you chose to mop.
iRobot is iconic for its creation of what we now call "roombas". Those little helpers are a staple in many households, chipping away at some of the chores that we all pretty much hate, such a running the vacuum and mopping. Even if we have come a long way, these machines still aren't able to fully replace cleaning by hand, but they do help maintain the floors from dirt between two deep cleaning days. So let's have a look at the newest product from iRobot, the Roomba Essential 2 in 1.The unboxing was a positive experience, the Roomba is well designed and is sturdy, there are soft foam "pegs" on its sides to avoid damage to furniture and base boards (a great idea). Navigation is smarter than the average and the device seems to be able to manage more complicated ... MoreiRobot is iconic for its creation of what we now call "roombas". Those little helpers are a staple in many households, chipping away at some of the chores that we all pretty much hate, such a running the vacuum and mopping. Even if we have come a long way, these machines still aren't able to fully replace cleaning by hand, but they do help maintain the floors from dirt between two deep cleaning days. So let's have a look at the newest product from iRobot, the Roomba Essential 2 in 1.The unboxing was a positive experience, the Roomba is well designed and is sturdy, there are soft foam "pegs" on its sides to avoid damage to furniture and base boards (a great idea). Navigation is smarter than the average and the device seems to be able to manage more complicated surroundings better than my other two robots. The suction power is amongst the strongest I have ever seen and the motors driving the Roomba are VERY powerful (it's the first time I saw a Roomba pop a wheelie and I'm not even kidding). Now that we have seen the vacuum function, let's have a look at the mopping.Mopping is not great. In order to use it, you take the dust compartment out which features a soft plastic latch that pops open to add cleaning solution and water. Sadly the compartment is about the size of a shot glass and it's a bit hard to get the mixture right at first. Once that was done, I put the mop adapter plate and slightly wet the pad (of which there are 2 in the box). I pulled up the app and had it start the vaccum+mopping function. I let the Roomba do its thing while I watched a movie. I came back and it was parked and charging (good!). It wasn't until I went to empty the dust bin that I realized that the device had sucked up a small amount of mop water which turned everything in the tray into a wet mess. I think that the way the Roomba runs it's path, it sucks up parts of the previous track it was cleaning as those slightly overlap. I'm planning on trying this again but as of now, I am not a fan of the mopping (even though the floor was very clean without streaks on hardwood floors).The companion app is very well made, it doesn't have too many options in which you'd needlessly drown and the two main functions are right there on the first page, allowing you to essentially start the cleaning in two taps on your phone. The remaining of the app is just a intuitive and easy to navigate with notifications on the cleaning process. That's another clear win for iRobot.This new model comes with improvements and a competitive price point, ready to trade blows with other brands and it might very well come out on top. As I have mentioned above, the only big problem I have encountered was related to the mopping function, which needs some work. Aside from that, be it the suction power which is great, the simplicity of the app or the generally less erratic pathfinding (which plagues most low cost solutions) all offer overall better cleaning results. This is what happens when you care just as much about your hardware as you do your software. I would have given the Roomba Essential a better rating if the mopping function worked better as this is 50% of why you would purchase this device. Nevertheless, aside from that, there is hardly anything wrong with this Roomba and it does do a good job at maintaining your floors from dust and dirt.
This is a great product, like most any that I've tried from Roomba. My general feeling about it, however, is that it is more of a proof of concept than a full-fledged product.PRO: It's cool that it can do both a mopping and a vacuuming. Having this option means that I can just use this with my vinyl plank flooring as well as my carpeted bedroom. The app connectivity is very easy and it is nice that if I'm away from home and think of it, I can just go into the app and have the roomba run while I'm away. I don't have to remember to press the start button prior to leaving, or creating a complicated schedule of when I anticipate being away.CON: I say this is something of a proof-of-concept because it can do the mopping, but it doesn't sense when to mop versus ... MoreThis is a great product, like most any that I've tried from Roomba. My general feeling about it, however, is that it is more of a proof of concept than a full-fledged product.PRO: It's cool that it can do both a mopping and a vacuuming. Having this option means that I can just use this with my vinyl plank flooring as well as my carpeted bedroom. The app connectivity is very easy and it is nice that if I'm away from home and think of it, I can just go into the app and have the roomba run while I'm away. I don't have to remember to press the start button prior to leaving, or creating a complicated schedule of when I anticipate being away.CON: I say this is something of a proof-of-concept because it can do the mopping, but it doesn't sense when to mop versus vacuum. When setting up the app, it shows you that you need to block off anywhere you don't want the roomba to go when mopping. Physically put furniture in the way to stop it from going onto an area rug. This is OK, definitely not ideal, for a small space like a 1-bedroom. If you have large areas, you'll have to roll up rugs or move a lot of furniture. You also cannot really start the mopping if you just recall while away from home. Yes, you can direct it to do so through the app while you are away, but you need to make sure the mop attachment is on and moistened prior to running. It is recommended you do not keep this attached if you're just vacuuming. Further, they recommend emptying out the used water shortly after running. This means it's probably not good if you're going to be running around all day, or working in an office.As a vacuum, it works as well as you would expect from a premium line like Roomba. As a vacuum/mop combo, there may be some additional work required before it's as easy to use as it is as just a vacuum.
I have a variety of Roomba products including self emptying vacuums and the dedicated wet or dry mop braava jet m6. I will say the Combo Essential does not open as well as the braava jet m6, but it is still a winner.Self emptying vacuums are great until the self emptying noise which sounds like an airplane taking off causes your baby to wake up and cry or interrupts your work from home calls. I say this because self emptying is cool but it does have some drawbacks, mostly the noise. Now the Roomba combo essential is not self emptying and is a spartan approach at an all in one solution.The combo unit detects areas where it would fall and adjusts accordingly while systematically cleaning the area. The combo unit knows if you want it to mop when you have placed the ... MoreI have a variety of Roomba products including self emptying vacuums and the dedicated wet or dry mop braava jet m6. I will say the Combo Essential does not open as well as the braava jet m6, but it is still a winner.Self emptying vacuums are great until the self emptying noise which sounds like an airplane taking off causes your baby to wake up and cry or interrupts your work from home calls. I say this because self emptying is cool but it does have some drawbacks, mostly the noise. Now the Roomba combo essential is not self emptying and is a spartan approach at an all in one solution.The combo unit detects areas where it would fall and adjusts accordingly while systematically cleaning the area. The combo unit knows if you want it to mop when you have placed the mopping mount on the underside of the robot. In order to mop effectively you need to remove the dustbin area of the mop, look for the blue tab that has a water droplet on it, open and fill the bin with water. Once done attach the mopping unit onto the underside of the robot and your ready to vacuum and mop. In the app you can choose if you want low, average, or an ultra amount of water moistening the mopping pad. You also can select the suction level. From there you can start the combo unit from the app or physical on the robot.The cleaning level of this combo unit is effective for areas with hard floors that tend to get dirty fast. For us that is the dining room, kitchen, and guest bath area. The combo unit effectively vacuums and mops good enough for daily cleaning but not good enough to make someone feel like the house has gotten a deep cleaning. Dirt is consistently pushed and missed by the spinning corner brush on this unit but the space and time savings are worth it.With every all in one solution there is a drawback, in this case that weakness comes when you have rooms with a mixture of carpet you don’t want mopped and hard floors you want mopped. If you have an area rug that you want vacuumed surrounded by hard floor you want vacuumed or mopped, you will need to go into the map and set up different zones when you decide to mop. You can easily remove the mop pad and have the Roomba vacuum only and then put on the mop pad, but I am lazy and most likely won’t be doing that. That’s why this combo unit is great for hard floor areas such as dining room, kitchen, and the living room (if there is no carpet or area rug). If I am contemplating getting a combo robot and I don’t want to break the bank I would seriously consider this unit. If you want a self emptying variant, that will cost at least 4X more.
This is the product of a mature company. iRobot has been in the robotic vacuum cleaner space for years now and this product shows it. I will call this "Essential" model a robot vacuum for the masses. Not only does this robot vacuum, it also mops - decently. Nothing is going to beat a good old fashioned mop and bucket, elbow grease-backed scrub down, but this robot can do a nice job maintaining an already mostly clean floor. That is really the use case for these robots. To maintain and not do the first cleaning job as it won't be a great cleaning just using the robot. I like to clean and mop my floor first and then use the Roomba for routine cleanings. I find this method the best practice and run the Roomba mostly when I'm away to come home to my floors in the state ... MoreThis is the product of a mature company. iRobot has been in the robotic vacuum cleaner space for years now and this product shows it. I will call this "Essential" model a robot vacuum for the masses. Not only does this robot vacuum, it also mops - decently. Nothing is going to beat a good old fashioned mop and bucket, elbow grease-backed scrub down, but this robot can do a nice job maintaining an already mostly clean floor. That is really the use case for these robots. To maintain and not do the first cleaning job as it won't be a great cleaning just using the robot. I like to clean and mop my floor first and then use the Roomba for routine cleanings. I find this method the best practice and run the Roomba mostly when I'm away to come home to my floors in the state that I left them in. Since this unit can vacuum and mop at the same time, it's best to remove any rugs and have it avoid carpet while the mop attachment is on. This kit does not have the very handle waste bin to dump all your trash out when it's finished so when you do get home, be prepared to manually empty the robot after every cleaning. It's not that bad and up until recent models, that was the only way these robots worked. You had to empty them. The Essentials Roomba uses the Roomba app and you can schedule cleanings and get your firmware updates using it. This Roomba also integrates with Alexa and Google Home as well as Apple's offering though I was unable to test the latter. This Roomba really is a robot vac/mop combo for anyone wanting to to join the Roomba remote vacuuming era.
I've owned Robot Vacuum cleaners before, but never an iRobot Roomba. I was excited for the Roomba Combo Essential because the promise of a Vaccuum and Mop is cool. My home has hardwood floors with the usual floor rugs thrown in for good measure. Setup of the iRobot was easy. Their app (requires registration) but pro tip when you unbox the iRobot make sure you don't trash the cardboard sleeve with the giant QR code - it helps with pairing. WiFi setup was fast, and the iRobot connected quickly to my WiFi 6 network. Yay!In terms of use, this is where I get a little mixed.The vacuum capability is great. The iRobot navigated from wooden floor to carpet with ease. It's not too loud given it roomba's around the house and also sucks up dirt. The navigation is trademark ... MoreI've owned Robot Vacuum cleaners before, but never an iRobot Roomba. I was excited for the Roomba Combo Essential because the promise of a Vaccuum and Mop is cool. My home has hardwood floors with the usual floor rugs thrown in for good measure. Setup of the iRobot was easy. Their app (requires registration) but pro tip when you unbox the iRobot make sure you don't trash the cardboard sleeve with the giant QR code - it helps with pairing. WiFi setup was fast, and the iRobot connected quickly to my WiFi 6 network. Yay!In terms of use, this is where I get a little mixed.The vacuum capability is great. The iRobot navigated from wooden floor to carpet with ease. It's not too loud given it roomba's around the house and also sucks up dirt. The navigation is trademark Roomba reliable. It's kind of freaking watching it race towards a wall and stop promptly before the point of impact. The mixed feeling is that on carpet, the Roomba was leaving heavy track lines. This is not something my older robot vacuum cleaner does and I'm not sure if it's because of weight, or the wheel design - but it meant I had to manually go over the carpet with an old-school vacuum to get rid of the lines.In terms of mop function, I am a disappointed. There are limitations I accept, like you need to manually switch in the mop head and ensure the Roomba loaded with cleaning liquid. Fair. However, as an essential model, you can't set it to only clean a specific room and or avoid another room. If you are using the mop function, you need to build a wall of furniture around your carpeted areas. I kind of wish they had a more elegant solution. I'd even settle for the old school robot vacuum solution of tape rather than walls of furniture. It also means you can never really set it to automop because you need to prep and protect your rugs first.This brings me to trying to score it out of 5. It's a tough one, if your floors are all wooden and you have no rugs, this would be a great hybrid robot vacuum. I'm not sure how many people live in that world? If you just have carpet, then you could get the vacuum only model. If you could set it to only clean a specific room, that would be great - but that's really outside of robot vacuums in this price range. As my home is open plan, I'm kind of stuck to let it roam (roomba?) free. I landed on 3/5 as a score, because if I live in an apartment, I might close a few doors and would lock it up in the kitchen and have it mop the kitchen on a weekly basis and ignore the rest of the house, then on alternate days let it roam free and simply vacuum. What keeps it short of a 4 is the wheel tracks it left on my carpet, and that I would recommend it to a fiend with a lot of watch outs on the limitations, like roadblock rugs or carpeted rooms if you decide to mop.
The iRobot Roomba essential combo is simply that, just the essentials when it comes to everything for an automated vacuum.The iRobot Roomba Essential combo does some things really well and falls short in a few areas, however I think it was made/designed this way for a reason. This is a product that is simple and easy to use and gets the job done. While being a smart vacuum it can be used without an app with the physical buttons Clean, Home and Spot clean.What the Roomba Essential does really well is clean, the vacuum picks up just about anything that comes in front of it on hard surfaces(on super furry rugs it doesn’t work at all) and I have had no issues with its suction power. The Essential Combo was even strong enough to push over smaller items when cleaning ... MoreThe iRobot Roomba essential combo is simply that, just the essentials when it comes to everything for an automated vacuum.The iRobot Roomba Essential combo does some things really well and falls short in a few areas, however I think it was made/designed this way for a reason. This is a product that is simple and easy to use and gets the job done. While being a smart vacuum it can be used without an app with the physical buttons Clean, Home and Spot clean.What the Roomba Essential does really well is clean, the vacuum picks up just about anything that comes in front of it on hard surfaces(on super furry rugs it doesn’t work at all) and I have had no issues with its suction power. The Essential Combo was even strong enough to push over smaller items when cleaning an area. It does well when transitioning from tiled floors to rug and almost seemed to have a hop to it so it could make the transition. What really got my attention was how long this vacuum worked without having to return to its power station (it easily went an hour and 15 min while still having 50% battery remaining). The mopping function works well also the only thing you need to do is make sure the pad it presoaked before adding the attachment. Cleaning the dustpan or adding/removing the mop attachment is easy. There is even a small brush that is attached to the dustpan to get any small items that don’t fall out. The app for the vacuum is easy to understand and gives you all of the essential information. I did notice that on the IOS app you get a bit more information than the android version, however both work just as well.While the iRobot does a really nice job cleaning/mopping it does fall short in certain areas. The application is very limited and is a hit and miss when it comes to mapping and has glitched on me a few times. There is no way to add areas to vacuum, all you can do is set how long you want the job to go for. This was one of the biggest short falls of the vacuum since you can’t send it to a particular room of your choice. Since the mapping is a hit and miss it does take a while to know where the home station is, thankfully the battery life is amazing so you don’t have to worry about the battery hitting 0% before it gets back to the home base. The obstacle avoidance isn’t the best and just like the mapping is a hit and miss.Overall the iRobot vacuum does a really good job when it comes to cleaning and most of the issues I had are with the software and the missing features are usually for the higher end products in the automatic vacuum cleaners. I was impressed with how well it cleaned and mopped it would be a great entry spot for anyone looking for a automated vacuum.
I was looking for a budget friendly robot vacuum for our 2nd floor which is bedrooms and has mostly hardwood flooring with a few rugs. We’ve got a small maltipoo dog, who though doesn’t shed as much, manages to carry the outside in with him every walk. We’ve got a robot vacuum on our first floor that does an okay job at keeping the floors clean but have noticed the collecting dust bunnies on our 2nd floor and our lack of consistency in running the vacuum to banish them. Thus, the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop enters! We didn’t need anything too complicated with dozens of features but at least smart enough to not take a tumble down the stairs.Pros:- Easy to use and maintain.- Cleans the floor thoroughly!- Navigates around well.Cons:- Lack ... MoreI was looking for a budget friendly robot vacuum for our 2nd floor which is bedrooms and has mostly hardwood flooring with a few rugs. We’ve got a small maltipoo dog, who though doesn’t shed as much, manages to carry the outside in with him every walk. We’ve got a robot vacuum on our first floor that does an okay job at keeping the floors clean but have noticed the collecting dust bunnies on our 2nd floor and our lack of consistency in running the vacuum to banish them. Thus, the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop enters! We didn’t need anything too complicated with dozens of features but at least smart enough to not take a tumble down the stairs.Pros:- Easy to use and maintain.- Cleans the floor thoroughly!- Navigates around well.Cons:- Lack of clear pre-use instructions.- Could have improved route tracking.- Runs into walls and objects hard.Initially, I had high hopes that the setting up of the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop would be simple as the first thing you see when you open the box is a QR which leads to the iRobot App. But, after setting up an account, the App instructions skipped quite a few initial steps from setting up the charge station to attaching the sensor brush. I did find these steps outlined in the Owner’s Guide that can be downloaded from the App. The App completed the rest of the setup flawlessly, from pairing with the Roomba, connecting with the WiFi, and providing the Dustbin and Mop pad setup instructions. I didn’t find steps to be all that difficult to figure out, but this isn’t the first robot vacuum I’ve set up.Overall setup requires taking the iRobot Roomba out of the packaging, attaching the guide brush, and plugging the charging station. Then position the device on the charging station to begin charging. If you want to use the mopping functionality, you just attach the mop pad and fill up the water reserve. iRobot includes 2 mop pads, so you can have one on hand to replace the used one. The actual prep is very simple, but the provided directions are lacking in specific steps.The Roomba can be triggered through the iRobot app with a limited number of options, but I found just pressing the button on the robot more convenient. I’d usually check the dustbin from the last run, refill the water tank and swap out the mop pad then press the start button on top. This kept me in the habit of maintenance before each use such as emptying the dustbin, pulling off the collected hair from the moving parts, and checking the mop pad. When the mop pad was dirty, I’d mostly handwash with mild soap and air dry so it would be ready by the next use, but I also just as easily tossed it in a load of laundry depending on the day’s chores. Additionally, if you want to end the Roombas activity early, just tapping the little house icon, or home button, will stop its current activity and send it home. There is a spot clean button, which will have the Roomba spiral out in 3 feet and clean the area to end in the same spot it started, but I didn’t find that as useful as just running it once per day.The iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop cleans efficiently on both hard flooring and carpeting. After the first use, I noticed a major difference on the rug in the hallway. While running, the iRobot Roomba follows a pattern of cleaning that is very efficient, covering all the floor while navigating around objects and obstacles mostly without issue. The only issue I found was with the bathroom mats or any cloth that could bunch up, the iRobot Roomba tended to get stuck on these items if they were initially flat but as it rolled over would bunch up. This is more of a User Error issue than iRobot fault, one of the pre-steps is to pick up loose items or block off rooms you do not want the robot to go into. Closing a door or putting something in the way to block off an area was effective enough to stop the issue from happening again.One of the bigger issues I had was that the iRobot Roomba got stuck under a bed, multiple times, and in the same spots. Might be more User Error, but in both cases the Robot was unstuck/de-clogged and moved to a different part of the room, only to start up again and head right back towards the obstacle it had just been defeated by. It would be convenient if the iRobot App had some kind of mapping or learning feature where the Roomba would learn the routines that worked and avoid obstacles or objects that would cause it to encounter an error. Maybe it does in fact have this but needs more time to learn the route.The only other issue I noticed was just how hard the iRobot Roomba would bump into the wall and objects such as tables or bedframes. At times it would surprise me from the other room as it rammed into a wall with an audible thud through the wall. Only time will tell, but at least I can say there are a few rooms I will be leaving closed for the time being to avoid issues or surprises.The iRobot Roomba Combo Essential Robot Vacuum & Mop is a great choice if you’ve got a combination of carpet and hardfloors that you want to have cleaned on the regular by robot that will have a high rate of successful navigations without your intervention. The initial setup process could use a little more polishing but it’s not too complicated and there is additional documentation available. Additionally, with the MSRP around $275, this robot is on the more affordable end of options with plenty of features that work as advertised. This is a solid choice to make your home feel more comfortable and cleaner, while saving you the time and effort of manually cleaning!
| Run Time | 120 min |
| Brand Name | iRobot |
| Width | 13 in. |
| Charger Included | Yes |
| Weight | 6 lb |