iRobot Roomba i3+ Vacuum Review

The iRobot Roomba i3+ 3550 has a great build quality. The body is made of sturdy plastic and its rubber wheels feel durable. Part of the top is made to look fabric-covered, but it's also plastic. The dustbin is mostly made of hard plastic, with a clear grey lid, but it feels like it could break if dropped.

There are three buttons on top of the robot: a big center one to start and stop a cleaning cycle, and two smaller buttons to send the vacuum home and have it spot clean an area.

The vacuum comes assembled, so all you need to do is set up the docking station, which arrives with a dirtbag already inside.

The iRobot i3+ has demanding maintenance needs. Several parts need to be removed and serviced regularly, but fortunately, they're all easy to access.

• Dirt Compartment: Can be removed by pressing the button on the side of the vacuum. After each use, empty the dirt compartment by tapping it on the side of a garbage can and wipe any debris from the lid with a dry cloth. If necessary you can wash it with water, but be sure to remove the filter beforehand. The dirt compartment should be allowed to dry for 24 hours before it's put back in the vacuum.
• Dirtbag: The dirtbag inside the docking station needs to be thrown away and replaced when it's full, which is indicated by a red light on the docking station. You can access it by opening the station's lid and pulling it out. The grey cover on the dirtbag prevents dust and debris from spilling out in the process.
• Filter: The filter is located inside the dirt compartment. Clean it by taking out the dirt compartment, pulling out the filter and it tapping against a garbage can once a week, or twice a week in homes with pets. It shouldn't be washed with water.
• Brushrolls: The brushrolls are easy to access by lifting the brush cover on the bottom of the vacuum and pulling them out. You should clean them by removing any hair tangles or debris once a month, or twice in homes with pets. It can be a bit tricky to put them back because they need to be properly aligned.
• Side Brush: This is located under the vacuum and requires a screwdriver to remove. Clean by removing any tangled hair or debris once a month, or twice a month in homes with pets.
• Wheel: Pull the front caster wheel out of the vacuum and then push it out of its socket. It should be cleaned twice a month by removing any tangled hair or debris.
• Sensors and charging contacts: The sensors and charging contacts on the vacuum and docking station should be wiped clean with a dry cloth once a month.

The iRobot i3 Plus has several parts that need to be replaced periodically and incurs high recurring costs.

• HEPA Filter: The HEPA filter should be replaced every two months.
• Rubber Brushrolls: The brushrolls should be replaced every 12 months.
• Front Wheel: The front wheel should be replaced every 12 months.
• Side Brush: The manufacturer recommends replacing every 12 months.
• Dirtbag: The dirtbag needs to be thrown away and replaced when it's full.

iRobot sells a 'Replenishment Kit' on its website that includes brushrolls, three side brushes, and three HEPA filters. The parts are also available individually. Note that replacements for the wheel can be tricky to find on the manufacturer's website, but should be available if you search for the specific part number.

The iRobot i3+ has excellent storage capabilities. It's a fairly small robot vacuum that can mount itself on its docking station and automatically empty its dustbin. The docking station is taller than most robot vacuum docks because it contains an external dirtbag, but it's still quite compact, and about the same size as the iRobot Roomba i7+'s similar station.

The iRobot Roomba i3+'s dirt compartment is a great size. This vacuum is different from many robot models because, in addition to its small onboard dustbin, there's an external dirtbag built into its docking station. While the internal dustbin is tiny, whenever it's full the vacuum can return to the dock and automatically empty itself into the much larger dirtbag. There's an indicator light on the station that lets you know when the dirtbag is full, or the companion app can also notify you.

• iRobot Roomba i3+ robot vacuum
• Recharge/bag emptying station
• Charging cable
• 2x HEPA filter
• Dirt compartment
• 2x Side brush
• Multi-surface rubber brushrolls
• User guide

The iRobot i3+ has a practically unlimited range as long as it has some battery life left, but it can't go up or down stairs.

The iRobot Roomba i3+ is very portable. It's small and a bit lighter than the iRobot Roomba i7+. However, it doesn't have a handle to make it easier to carry around.

The iRobot i3+ has fantastic battery life. It provides roughly an hour and a half of continuous use and takes about the same amount of time to recharge. The main button on top of the vacuum turns from white to red when the battery is running low, and you can also see the battery level in the companion app.

The iRobot i3+ has some extra features. It detects areas that need extra cleaning and focuses on them, sometimes going back and forth over a spot it decides needs extra attention. The robot's head height also automatically adjusts to whatever surface type it's cleaning, but you can't do this manually.

The iRobot Roomba i3 Plus is equipped with two flexible rubber multi-surface brushrolls, as well as a side brush to help push debris into the path of the vacuum.

The iRobot i3+ is a robot vacuum with no alternative configurations.

The iRobot i3+ has an excellent performance on bare floors. It clears smaller debris like rice and bulkier material like cereal with no issue but struggles a bit with pet hair. If you want a robot vacuum that clears more pet hair from bare floors, try the Roborock S4 Max.

Since this vacuum automatically empties its dustbin into the external dirt compartment, its performance doesn't drop as it fills up.

The iRobot i3+ has a poor performance on low-pile carpets. It picks up a good amount of larger debris like sand but struggles more with pet hair and leaves behind most fine debris like baking soda.

Because it automatically docks and empties its internal dustbin when it's full, its performance won't drop as it cleans.

The iRobot Roomba i3+ has an alright performance on high-pile carpets. It picks up some debris like sand but struggles a lot with smaller debris like baking soda and pet hair.

The vacuum's performance doesn't drop as it cleans because whenever its internal dustbin is full, it empties it automatically into the external dirtbag.

The iRobot Roomba i3+ has impressive maneuverability. It uses smart pathing to move efficiently, but unlike some other models, it covers an area section by section instead of following one pattern for the entire room. When it's done, it produces a map of the area it cleaned that you can see in the companion app.

The automatic head height adjustment feature allows the robot to move from one surface type to another. It can climb onto rugs and doesn't get stuck on tassels or electric cords, but it does drag them around, and you may need to pick up the vacuum and move it when that happens.

The iRobot i3+ has excellent automation features. The vacuum returns to its docking station when its internal dustbin is full, empties it into the station's external dirtbag, and keeps cleaning. It will also return to the dock when its battery is running low, and resume cleaning once recharged.

After a cleaning session, the vacuum produces a map of the area it covered that you can see in the companion app. The app also allows you to start a cleaning session, send the vacuum back to its dock, make a cleaning schedule, view the cleaning history and battery status, and access app updates and push notifications. It's also compatible with Alexa and Google Home, so you can control it with voice commands. Otherwise, the robot has buttons on top that allow you to use it without an internet connection.