Robot vacuums may seem like the tech of the future, but iRobot actually released its first Roomba model back in 2002. Since then, robot vacuums have come on leaps and bounds, now incorporating technology such as laser-guided navigation, self-emptying docking stations and mopping. iRobot is aiming to innovate even further with its latest model – the Roomba mini, which it claims is the world’s smallest robot vacuum.
I’ve tested my fair share of robot vacuums as an appliances expert, so I know how much space they can take up. I’ve seen many attempt to cram themselves into tight spaces (and consequently get stuck). I’ve also searched my own home for a spot to place a docking station, which allows for a meter or so of clearance on either side. The Roomba mini, on the other hand, is just 24cm wide and its docking station is just 21cm wide. This makes it ideal for studios or one-bedroom flats where space is limited.
I got my hands on the Roomba mini ahead of release and put it to the test in my busy four-person household. I tested it on everything from fine dust to large breadcrumbs to find out if its neat size means a compromise on cleaning power. Keep reading to find out how it performed.
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iRobot Roomba mini robot vacuum & mop
Battery life: Up to 75 minutes
Charging time: 4-6 hours
Bin capacity: Up to 90 days
Includes: 30 disposable mopping pads; x1 line cord ; x1 hair cutting tool
Why we love it
- Compact size makes it a good choice for studios or homes where space is at a premium
- Roomba Home app is easy to use and works well
- Easily tackles fine and large debris
- Avoids most obstacles and cleans around furniture with ease
Take note
- Mop function requires you to attach a mop pad, which disables the vacuuming function
- Can become tangled in thick pile rugs
- Battery can drain quickly owing to its small size
Design and setup
When I unboxed the iRobot Roomba mini I was genuinely impressed at its compact size. In a home that’s full of black and grey appliances, I love how the mint green design brings a pop of colour to the home (it’s available in a pastel pink, too).
Setup was a breeze – all I had to do was click on the brush and find a spot for it to live that allowed a meter or so of clearance on either side. The Roomba Home app clearly guided me through wifi pairing and mapping, without any need to consult an instruction manual. It created a comprehensive and accurate map of my ground floor and was ready to start vacuuming in no time.
Whether you want to vacuum a specific room, spot clean a certain area or schedule regular cleans, the Roomba Home app is simple and intuitive to use. It was a bit glitchy on the odd occasion, but this was nothing a quick refresh couldn’t sort.
Scheduling was spot on, and it never missed a scheduled clean. However, it’s worth noting that you can only schedule the robot to vacuum. In order for the Roomba mini to mop your floors, you need to attach a mop pad, and this disables the vacuuming function, but more on that later.
Cleaning
If I’m honest, I was sceptical that such a small robot vacuum would have the cleaning power to tackle the dirt and dust in the busiest areas of my four-person household. However, when I put it to the test, I was genuinely impressed at its ability to suck up fine and large debris with little issue.
When I sent it to clean flour that had fallen on my kitchen floor after making bread, it picked it up with ease. Some robot vacuum brushes have a tendency to just fling fine dirt away, but the brush on the Roomba mini mostly guided the fine dirt into the path of the robot and before I knew it my tiled kitchen floor was left sparkling again.
Robot vacuums can often struggle on carpet, but the Roomba mini was as effective on the one carpeted area of my house. However, it was noticeably louder when going across carpets and rugs. A word of caution – keep the Roomba mini off thick pile rugs. When it went over one in my living room, the brush got tangled in the rug pile. When I tried to free it, the silicone arm of the brush broke off. With this in mind, I would have appreciated an extra brush in the box or one that’s more durable.
As the Roomba mini is smaller than most robot vacuums, the battery does drain quite quickly. When I set it to clean all five rooms on the ground floor of my house (a dining room, living room, kitchen and hallway), it managed to clean three of these rooms before the battery depleted to 21 per cent. When the battery reaches this point, it automatically returns to the docking station and then resumes cleaning once it has sufficiently charged (this took a couple of hours).
Keep in mind that every time the Roomba mini docks, it empties any dirt that it has collected into the docking station. While this is handy, it’s incredibly loud when it does so (almost akin to a plane taking off inside your house). It would almost certainly disturb anyone who is asleep or on a work call.
Navigation and obstacles
The floor coverage of the Roomba mini is excellent. It starts by cleaning the edges of the room and then goes in for a second clean to cover the centre, rarely missing any spots as it goes. As with most circular robot vacuums, it’s not as effective at reaching dirt that’s really embedded into the edges of a room. However, its brush did a good job at sweeping large bits of dirt out of the edges and putting it in the path of the vacuum.
It avoids most obstacles and manages to clean around furniture with ease. The benefit of its compact size is that it can manoeuvre into tight spaces, where most standard robot vacuums would struggle to fit. It even managed to vacuum between the legs of my office chair without getting itself into a jam.
On the odd occasion where it did get stuck, for example, on the base of a kitchen stool, it pushed itself off without me having to intervene. There was also only one instance during testing where it failed to return to the docking station and I had to step in.
The only object the Roomba mini is not so good at avoiding is wires, which I learned the hard way when it got caught in a tangle of cables under my desk. Fortunately, exclusion zones are easy to precisely set and the Roomba mini abides by them.
Mopping
The mopping feature on the Roomba mini works with mop pads, unlike some robot vacuums that have an on-board container that holds a mopping solution. The mop pad is easy to attach by following the picture instructions and it picked up a fair bit of dust and dirt when I tried it out.
However, compared to my trusty, budget-friendly Flash mop (£11.50, Amazon.co.uk), the Roomba mini left noticeable streaks on my tiled floor. It’s also a bit more hands-on than pricier robot vacuums, where the mop pad is always attached and the pads are dried. It’s also important to note that, once you attach the mop pad, this disables the vacuuming mode.
If you’re looking for a decent robot vacuum and mop hybrid, I’d go for our best two-in-one robot vacuum instead, the Roborock saros 10 (£899.99, Roborock.com).
Buy now £379, iRobot.co.uk
Is the iRobot Roomba mini robot vacuum worth it?
If you’re short on space then the Roomba mini is a reliable, easy-to-use option that won’t set you back a fortune (I’m looking at you, Dyson). Whether you’ve got hard floors or carpet, it tackles different types of dirt with ease, has excellent floor coverage and hard-to-fault obstacle detection.
It does have its limitations, for example, it struggles with wires, thick pile rugs and the mop function is pretty mediocre, so I won’t be getting rid of my cordless vacuum and mop just yet. However, it’s certainly made those mid-week quick cleans a lot easier, especially thanks to the simple and intuitive Roomba Home app that lets you tailor your cleaning schedules and zones.
How I tested the iRobot Roomba mini
I ditched my trusty cordless vacuum for a few weeks and let the Roomba mini loose on the open-plan ground floor of my house. I tested its vacuuming and mopping functions across my kitchen, living room, dining area, hallway and home office, assessing how effectively it cleaned, how easy it was to use, how it coped with obstacles such as furniture and wires. Here’s my full, in-depth testing criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sabrina Sahota is IndyBest’s deputy editor and has more than five years of experience testing home appliances, from hot chocolate makers and stand mixers to robot vacuums and air fryers, so she knows when premium gadgets are truly worth their price tag. She’s tested a wide range budget and premium robot vacuums over the years, so is well placed to tell you if iRobot’s Roomba mini is worth a look. The wider IndyBest team has also tested a huge array of vacuum cleaners from corded models to the best pet vacuums, so we are experts in finding the best tools to keep your home spick-and-span.
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