iRobot Roomba i5+ Review & Verdict

Name: iRobot Roomba i5+
Brand: iRobot
Price: 399 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (22140 reviews)

By iRobot · Released 2022

4.4

22,140 verified reviews

$399$549

Best for: First-time robot buyers on a budget who want iRobot reliability

View best price →Compare 10 robot vacuums

Key features

Clean Base auto-empty (60 days)
Dual multi-surface rubber brushes
3-stage cleaning system
Room-by-room cleaning
iRobot Home app
Works with Alexa & Google

In-depth iRobot Roomba i5+ review

Independent editorial — no manufacturer input on scoring.

Overview

The iRobot Roomba i5+ is iRobot's 2022 entry in the robot vacuums space, positioned squarely at first-time robot buyers on a budget who want irobot reliability. At a current street price of $399 — down from a launch RRP of $549, it competes head-on with everything else on our robot vacuums shortlist. Over an average of 22,140 verified owner reviews it holds a 4.4-star rating, which puts it comfortably in the upper tier for the category. What makes it worth a closer look is the specific combination of clean base auto-empty (60 days), dual multi-surface rubber brushes, 3-stage cleaning system and room-by-room cleaning — a set of decisions that reflect iRobot's house style and set clear expectations for who this robot is (and is not) for.

Performance & cleaning

In day-to-day use the Roomba i5+ delivers on its headline specs: suction of Not published, runtime of 75 minutes. Independent testing and long-term owner reports converge on the same story — excellent auto-empty for the price is consistently the standout, followed closely by rugged and long-lived hardware. In practical terms that translates into predictable, quiet cleaning cycles that you can schedule and forget. The trade-off is that no lidar mapping — camera nav is slower, which some buyers will care about and others will happily ignore.

Navigation, mapping & smart features

iRobot equips the Roomba i5+ with Reactive Sensor, which handles the boring-but-critical job of getting the robot around your home efficiently. The companion iRobot Home exposes irobot home app, works with alexa & google and adaptive navigation, which is standard for this class in 2022 but noticeably better than what you get on generic no-name alternatives. If you already own other iRobot products, the ecosystem integration is a genuine advantage — one app, one login, and consistent notification behaviour across the household.

Build quality & design

Physically the Roomba i5+ measures 339 × 92 mm and weighs 3.3 kg. iRobot has clearly prioritised anti-tangle rubber brushes in the industrial design — panels align cleanly, the buttons feel deliberate, and the accessible components (filters, brushes, tanks) are easy to remove without tools. The stated warranty of 1 year matches what serious iRobot buyers expect, and the after-sales support network is one of the reasons long-term owners keep coming back to iRobot even when cheaper Chinese alternatives spec higher on paper.

Maintenance & running costs

Ongoing costs for the Roomba i5+ are dominated by consumables — expect to replace brushes, filters and mop pads every 3–6 months. Budget roughly $60–$150 per year for a mid-range robot vacuums robot; the Roomba i5+ sits in the middle of that range. Cleaning the unit itself is a five-minute weekly job — clear brushes of hair, wipe sensors, empty bins. The iRobot app will remind you when consumables need attention, which sounds trivial until you've owned a robot without that feature.

Pros & cons at a glance

Reasons to buy: excellent auto-empty for the price, rugged and long-lived hardware and anti-tangle rubber brushes. Reasons to hesitate: no lidar mapping — camera nav is slower and no obstacle avoidance for cords/toys. Neither list is decisive on its own — the Roomba i5+ is a well-considered product with clear priorities, and the question is whether those priorities match yours.

Verdict — who should buy the iRobot Roomba i5+

Buy the iRobot Roomba i5+ if you need first-time robot buyers on a budget who want irobot reliability and you value clean base auto-empty (60 days) and dual multi-surface rubber brushes above raw specification bragging rights. Look elsewhere if no lidar mapping — camera nav is slower would meaningfully reduce your enjoyment of the product. At $399 (a 27% discount off the $549 RRP) it represents the kind of accessible entry point that gets people hooked on home robotics. Cross-shop against the other robot vacuums on our list, factor in your specific home layout and household needs, and this one deserves a place on your shortlist.