Review of the iRobot Roomba i2 Robot Vacuum

The Roomba i2 robot vacuum is different! It doesn’t have the self-emptying feature, like other robot vacuums, but neither does it have the high price tag found on many of the other models. It is an iRobot appliance, but one that is definitely more affordable.

This does mean, though, that there will need to be some compromise. For instance, as well as not having the self-emptying feature, it does not have a particularly impressive battery life, and smart mapping is only available on one floor. On the other hand, it is still an efficient machine and perfectly satisfactory for anyone who is on a specific budget.

So, we are going to outline some of its features and functions in a bit more detail.

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Design and Key Features

Buttons

The iRobot Roomba i2 can be controlled manually, if desired, by using the three buttons that can be found on its top surface.

There is a large button in the middle of the three, which is the Power/Clear button. This has a ring around it that lights up. It is not lit when the Roomba is not being used, and there are different colors depending on the alert that is being communicated.

There is also a Start button that returns the device to the docking station, and a Spot Clean button that tells the device to stay on the spot and vacuum vigorously in a spiral pattern.

Build and appearance

The Roomba i2 is just like any other iRobot robot vacuum cleaner in the fact that it is made from hard-wearing and durable, high-quality plastic, thus ensuring that your vacuum will continue to give you an outstanding cleaning performance way into the future.

The Roomba i2 has to be durable, but it is inevitable that it will eventually get dirty. However, this appliance has a clever way of staying cleaner than other vacuums. Many devices have a surface that is made of smooth mirrored glass or plastic, but this one is made of a slightly rougher, almost fabric-like texture, and is matt gray in color.

The different design of the surface means that it can be easily cleaned, doesn’t get covered in fingerprints, and won’t get clogged up with dirt, dust, and debris.

In spite of having a rougher surface, this model manages to maintain the sleek and aesthetically pleasing design of other models.

Performance

You may be thinking that the Roomba i2 only has a small number of settings, but it is just this feature that makes it so easy to use.

Overall, it is pretty good at picking up, although sometimes it can miss larger pieces of rubbish on hard flooring. This usually happens because the rotating brush flicks the larger pieces across the floor instead of moving them into the path of the vacuum.

This slight shortcoming also means that the Roomba i2 is not able to pick up all pieces of debris that lurk in the corners of a room.

Despite all this, though, the robot vacuum picks up almost all dirt, dust, and debris, including any fluff that’s attached to carpets.

We decided to test the cleaning performance of the Roomba i2 by sprinkling flour over some wood flooring and seeing how well it was collected. Most of the flour was collected, but some remained in the grooves between the planks of wood on the floor. Spot Clean mode was also used to try to get a deeper clean, but still not all of the flour was removed.

The Roomba i2 did move easily across both hard floor and carpet and cleaned both equally well. It didn’t even get stuck when it was tried on a rug with long pile.

It even managed to avoid falling down the stairs and didn’t get caught up by any furniture, thanks to Reactive Sensor Technology, which allows the vacuum to identify obstacles and move around them more efficiently.

Is it worth buying the iRobot Roomba i2?

Yes! Yes! Yes! You really can’t go wrong with the Roomba i2 robot vacuum, especially if you’re looking for something that’s just that little bit more affordable.

It’s easy to use, and cleans really effectively on all different types of flooring. There’s also an app that you can use to schedule your cleaning as and when you want it done.

It navigates itself around your home, cleaning logically and efficiently as it goes.

Some of the features and functions found on other more expensive Roomba and iRobot devices are not found on this model, yet it still does a fantastic cleaning job.

However, if you’re still looking for a device with that little bit extra, the Roomba i3+ Evo is slightly more expensive, but does contain the self-emptying feature.

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Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API