iRobot Roomba i5: a slightly smarter Roomba i3

After renaming its Genius system to iRobot OS, the American specialist in vacuum and floor mopping robots offers it new support with the Roomba i5. This is added to the Roomba i3 and Roomba i7 which already make up the range, and is available like them in a Plus version with automatic emptying system. Looking a little closer, however, we see that this new model is not really one and is more like an update of the Roomba i3; it is also found under the name Roomba i3 EVO on other markets.

Roomba i3 equipment, Roomba i5 cards

Identical in appearance to the i3, the Roomba i5 also sports a plastic and fabric shell and navigates, like its predecessor, “blindly”. No laser range finder or camera to allow him to anticipate obstacles: he will have to stumble against them to locate them, using the pressure sensors integrated into the bumper. Of course, vacuum sensors are also provided, and iRobot also offers its Dirt Detect technology, which is supposed to allow the robot to identify the dirtiest areas and insist more on them during cleaning.

Despite this rather rudimentary navigation system, the Roomba i3 pleasantly surprised us during our test with its effective coverage of spaces and its relatively precise maps. The Roomba i5 should therefore do the same. It also inherits the Imprint Smart Mapping system from the Roomba i7, which should make it possible to further exploit said maps by delimiting the rooms; it will thus be possible to ask him to clean the living room or the bathroom while ignoring the other rooms.

Like the brand’s other robots, the Roomba i5 is controlled using the iRobot Home application, but also by voice since iRobot OS supports Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri. The system also provides cleaning suggestions, especially when pets are shedding. Note also that the Roomba i5 uses the double rubber brush system common to all new iRobot robot vacuum cleaners, which must in particular prevent animal hair from getting tangled.

A side brush is also provided and the dirt is directed to a 0.4 l collector to be emptied manually for the Roomba i5, while the base will take care of it for the Roomba i5+. Identical to that of the Roomba i3+ and i7+, this base can, according to iRobot, contain up to 60 days of waste in bags, which will therefore have to be changed. Since it is a simple update of the Roomba i3, the Roomba i5 has the same battery and iRobot logically promises the same autonomy of 75 minutes. Remember, however, that the Roomba i3 had slightly exceeded this promise during our test.

The “new” vacuum cleaners from iRobot are already available. The Roomba i5 was launched at the recommended retail price of €449 and the version with base, the Roomba i5+ therefore, at the recommended retail price of €699.