Roomba i5+ Combo Robot Vacuum and Mop

Verdict

The Roomba i5+ Combo is a solid, lower-priced entry into iRobot’s combo lineup for homes with mostly hard floors that still want strong vacuuming and a self-empty base. Its simpler navigation, lack of obstacle avoidance, and mopping limitations on mixed flooring make it less ideal for households with lots of rugs, clutter, or pets.

Pros

  • Overall opinion ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Often presented as the most sensible choice among iRobot combo mops, trading advanced smart features for a lower price and straightforward everyday cleaning.
  • Software-update support / feature longevity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Relies on iRobot’s Genius platform for frequent over-the-air updates, so features and behavior can improve over time without any hardware changes.
  • Hard Floor — Fine Dust Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
    On hard floors the i5+ Combo performs much better, clearing nearly all fine debris in controlled mixtures and keeping up with most rivals on bare surfaces.
  • Suction & Airflow ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.3
  • Aesthetic design & finish ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
  • Hair‑Wrap / Tangle Resistance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
  • Emptying & Mess Control ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 3.8
  • AI, Smart & App / Automation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.8
  • Price & Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.5

Cons

  • Map & Path Efficiency (Robot Vacuums) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 3.0
  • Mopping performance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.0
    Handles light maintenance mopping while it vacuums, but without sonic scrubbing, rotating pads, or a wash-and-dry station it is better for routine freshen-ups than deep cleaning, and its interchangeable mop bin works best in homes with mostly hard floors where rugs can be kept out of its path.
  • Carpet — High-Pile Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.5
    Carpet pickup is mediocre, with tests showing the i5+ Combo removing only a little more than half of a heavy debris mix and falling behind most similarly priced competitors.
  • Mop lifting system ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 2.0
    Has no automatic mop lifting; the pad stays down unless you remove it yourself, while the j7 combo adds an auto-lift mechanism for mixed floorplans.
  • Obstacle Avoidance (Robot) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 2.0
    Without advanced object recognition, the i5+ Combo tends to run into cords, shoes, and other obstacles, offering no special protection against small hazards or pet messes.
  • Battery & Charging ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
  • Controls & UI ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 1.5
  • Docking & Auto-Empty Reliability (Robot) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 1.5
  • Hair Pickup — Carpets ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 1.5
    Long-hair pickup on carpets is a clear weakness, with the i5+ Combo leaving more hair behind than any other robot in this comparison.