Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsMore Maintenance Than You Think - A Very Critical Issue I Wish I Knew Before Buying.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2022
Edit update 4/21/24 - I rarely use this device anymore. After some firmware updates, it gets lost frequently and spins around in circles until it's redocked and told to end it's job. It only works maybe 20 percent of the time now and no matter how many times I reset, remap, recalibrate; it has become useless. I do not recommend this product.
Here is what to expect when your purchase this model (M6 white or black), this is NOT a set and forget kind of situation, you will tend to it almost every day. Not just to fill the tank or change the mop pads. Trust me.
1. It will get stuck on rugs of any kind. When it performs its first few map-runs, be sure to go into the app and immediately add "Keep out zones" or you will constantly find the mop stuck. Even then, it may still get stuck on a rug once and a while. It's just part of the game.
2. Buy extra reusable microfiber pads. You will wash them frequently and they stink like mildew in only about 2-3 days.
3. The lid of the device is finicky, sometimes I get a red ring which tells me to "fill the tank" but it's already full. I discovered it's just the lid to access the tank. I must open and close this once or twice and we're back in action.
4. All the other reviews saying that this machine streaks their floors are 100% accurate. My floors are darker, so I don't notice them unless light shines directly in through my windows but to be honest with you, they don't bother me as much as some people here. There is a couple ways to reduce streaks. You'll want to setup a "favorite" mopping schedule. Basically, you'll have the mop, slowly make its way back to the dock as it cleans. You don't want it to drag the wet mop (anymore than it does already) back through an area it just cleaned. If you use distilled water and just the right amount of solution, you can counter this but it's still going to streak a bit. Also, imagine how much distilled water you'll be going through...
5. THE BIGGEST ISSUE: The reason I came to write a quick review. In less than 8 months, the device began having issues docking itself after a mop session. After some troubleshooting and Google searching, I discovered this was due to tire deterioration. The right tire was quickly falling apart, I could even rub my finger over it gently and pieces of rubber would be left in my finger. This is when I made a really critical discovery. YOU CANNOT BUY NEW TIRES THROUGH ROOMBA WEBSITE, YOU MUST CALL. You read that right. They will replace through warranty but you cannot buy them separately.
Getting the tire replaced is just about as bad as you've heard others mention. It took over 1.5 hours of a phone call (40 minute wait). The man was nice but very slow to handle the issue. I had to take pictures of my device, as well as the tires. Nothing too difficult. In the end, they shipped me some new tires (I just got off the phone, so I expect to see these in 7 business days, if not...I'll be back to update this). Since I am still under the year warranty from the manufacturer, I was not charged any fee. I forgot to ask him how much they would be in the future when these fall apart too.
I find the tire situation to be very unacceptable and poorly designed for a robot mop that is actually not as stupid as other reviews have claimed. It's on the more expensive side but the application benefits you get in addition to the link-clean feature (so it will run after your iRobot vacuums) was of a great importance to me. Had it not been for this issue with the tires, I would have given this a higher review. The fact that I have never used any unapproved cleaning solution outside of what iRobot suggest (Bona) and this has been an issue in less than 8 months, is just not ok. Yes, they are sending me new tires; however, we'll potentially be in the same boat in less than a year from now? Time will tell but since the customer service rep said they were sending me the same tires, I take it that I am most likely going to be calling them for more tires soon. I don't mind buying them once and a while because I love this mop and it makes my life a lot easier but they need a more permanent fix for this.
For the record, I did have a temporary solution for this. You can spray anti-slip chemical on the tires and base but you'll be doing this frequently and it can get a bit messy. This isn't really something consumers should have to do though.
Overall, if you're on the fence, I would say hold out for a newer model. While they do have another model to coincide with the newest vacuum, I have also heard similar issues with that one (the one with the gold lid). iRobot is smarter than this, they need to go back to the drawing board with the tire design and material.
