Vacuum Cleaners

Best Vacuums

iRobot Roomba i3+

The iRobot Roomba i3+ has a Li-ion battery and one side brush. It comes with a self-empty docking station, an extra filter and an extra bag for the docking station. It has Wi-Fi/Cellular connectivity.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our owner surveys and expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model incorporates our expert lab test results, as well as ratings for that brand’s reliability and owner satisfaction from our annual product owner survey of members.

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Current Range of Tested Robotic Vacuums

What goes into the Overall Score?

OWNER SURVEYS

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Carpet

/ 5

Bare floors

/ 5

Navigation

/ 5

Pet hair

/ 5

Edges

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Noise

/ 5

Data privacy

/ 5

Data security

/ 5

Color

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

This inexpensive entry from iRobot has slightly less intelligent navigation technology than the i7+, but performs nearly as well overall. Like the i7+ and i9+, once the bot is docked, a vacuum in the docking station automatically sucks the contents from the bin into an enclosed, disposable bag in the base. The start button illuminates when the dirt sensor is activated and the robot spent a little extra time in the section with debris. But a large amount of debris was stuck between the brushroll and dirt bin when testers cleaned it out. Hair was also stuck in the brushroll, wheels and side brush. A few other downsides are that you have to purchase replacement bags for the base and the vac may scatter debris. Despite a few negatives, the vac's powerful pickup brought it up amongst the top performers. It easily traveled over electrical cords even with slack and eventually climbed over a .75 inch threshold after a few tries. It easily goes over cords that have slack. It bumped into a .75 inch threshold but eventually climbed over it. It traveled over a square of matte black carpet in the lab. Features: Cleaning Modes: Cleaning passes (Auto, One, Two), Bin behavior (Pause when full, Keep cleaning when full). Works with Google Home and Alexa enabled devices. Learns and adapts to areas to be cleaned. App: iRobot Home version 5.0.1 Battery: Li-ion Includes: 1 self empty docking station, 1 extra filter, 1 extra bag for dock. Warranty: 1 year limited.

About

The iRobot Roomba i3+ is part of the Vacuum Cleaners test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Robotic Vacuums models like the Roomba i3+ are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Carpet: Shows how much surface litter (cereal, rice, and peas) and embedded dust the vacuum picked up from a medium-pile carpet.

Bare floors: Indicates the vacuum's ability to remove surface debris from a bare laminate floor.

Navigation: A composite score that includes combined coverage over multiple runs, clearance under furniture and obstacle and entrapment avoidance.

Brand Reliability & Satisfaction

#? in Reliability of all Robotic Vacuum Brands

Did the brand perform consistently well over time?

PREDICTED RELIABILITY SCORE

/ 100

Predicted brand reliability is based on estimated problem rates for newly-purchased robotic vacuums by the end of the fourth year of ownership, adjusting for extended warranty/service contract status, product usage, and the presence of pet hair in the home. Ranked #? of 11

Would our members recommend this brand?

OWNER SATISFACTION SCORE

/ 100

Brand owner satisfaction is based on the proportion of members who are extremely likely to recommend their robotic vacuum to their friends and family. Ranked #? of 11

Source: Consumer Reports' 2023, 2024, and 2025 Winter Surveys

Features & Specs

Specs

Clearance (in.)

3.6

Time to Clean Room (min.)

Pattern

Grid

WiFi/Cellular connectivity

Yes

Run time (min.)

Remote control

Connections

Navigation POC

Carpet POC

Ease of use POC

Bare floors POC

Noise POC

Price & Shop

iRobot Roomba i3+

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

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