Roomba i4 vs. i5 – Comparison review
Roomba i4
Roomba i5
Roomba i4
- Robot Size 13.4"L x 13.5"W x 3.6"H
- Clean Base Size 12.2” L x 15.1”W x 19”H
- Robot Weight 8 lbs
- Clean Base Size 12.2 lbs
- Maximum runtime 90 minutes
- Edge cleaning Yes
- Batteries Lion
- Recharge and resume Yes
- Obstacles avoidance No
- Mopping performance No
- Mopping pad lift No
- Hands-free dust storage 60 days
- Carpet boost No
- Dirt detection Yes
- Child lock No
- Clean while sway No
- Warranty 1 year
Roomba i5
- Robot Size 13.4"L x 13.5"W x 3.6"H
- Clean Base Size 15.8”L x 12.2”W x 13.3”H
- Robot Weight 7 lbs
- Clean Base Size 9.66 lbs
- Maximum runtime 90 minutes
- Edge cleaning Yes
- Batteries Lion
- Recharge and resume Yes
- Obstacles avoidance No
- Mopping performance Yes
- Mopping pad lift No
- Hands-free dust storage 60 days
- Carpet boost No
- Dirt detection Yes (only for vacuuming mode)
- Child lock Yes
- Clean while sway Yes
- Warranty 1 year
The time when a hand-controlled canister vacuum cleaner is gone. In our multi-tasking world, more homeowners choose automatic home appliances, such as robotic vacuum cleaners. The modern models can perform simultaneous vacuuming and cleaning, self-empty the dust bin and refill the water tank. Depending on the Brand, you may choose a model with 60 days of hands-free cleaning or a more budget model that requires some maintenance. The leaders in the robotic cleaner market are Roomba (iRobot), Deebot (Ecovacs), Shark, Bissell, Eufy (Robovac), and Neato.
In this article, we will compare two iRobot bestsellers – Roomba i4 vs i5. iRobot Company was founded in 1990, and since then, it has already sold more than 40 million home robots all over the world. In their model portfolio, you may find from budget models to the most innovative on the market. Roomba i4 and i5 are middle-priced robots with self-emptying stations. We will review all technical details to find all the differences between them for better selection.
Roomba i4 vs. i5 – Face-to-Face comparison
Roomba i4+ EVO is a round-shaped black robotic cleaner with a grey faceplate. On the faceplate for quick control, three buttons are located: spot clean, clean power and home.
For moving around the house, the robot uses two rubber wheels around the brushes, and for turning, it uses a caster wheel located in front of the robot.
The main (power/clean) button is equipped with LED lights signaling the battery status (solid white – fully charged, pulsing white – charging and pulsing red – low charge).
Roomba i5+ Combo is a black round robotic vacuum cleaner with the same dimensions as Roomba i4+. The unique feature is two changeable dust bins.
For immediate control on the faceplate, there are buttons for spot cleaning, start auto cleaning, power and return to home. The LED ring light around the power/start button shows the left battery charge and informs about problems.
The robot has three wheels on the bottom for moving and a dirt disposal port for automatically emptying dust in the base station.
There is no difference between the design and dimensions of these robots – Roomba i4 vs. i5. They have the same control buttons, wheels, sensors, brushes, and disposal ports. The difference is only in dustbins, which will be discussed further. There is no winner in this part.
Roomba i4+ can only vacuum all types of hard floors and carpets. It has an auto-adjustable cleaning head to adapt automatically to different heights between the hard floor and the carpet.
There is no mopping function available for this model. But you can pair i4+ with Braava jet m6 robot mop using Imprint Link Technology; the robots will clean in perfect sequence – first vacuum, then mop.
Roomba i5+ has two cleaning modes. If you install the standard bin, you can only dry the vacuum. The auto-adjust cleaning head automatically adjusts the height of the brushes for effective cleaning of carpets and hard floors.
If you install the combo bin, you can mop and vacuum the floor simultaneously. The robot is not equipped with carpet detection, so all carpets should be avoided in simultaneous mode. There is no option to set no mop zones.
Roomba i5+Combo is a more functional model, so it is the winner in this part of the comparison of Roomba i4 vs. i5.
Roomba i4+ does not have a mopping pad.
Roomba i5+ has a mopping pad that is installed on the bottom of a combo bin when you want to mop the floor. There are special pad attachments to place the pad firmly. You can clean the pad with warm water by hand or using machine washing (as it is delicate). It should fully dry after washing to prevent odor. The pad is made from special microfiber that tackles dirt and dust without footprints.
Roomba i4+ can’t mop the floor, so no mopping pad is required. Roomba i5+ Combo has this function, which is performed with the one mopping pad. So, Roomba i5+ Combo is the winner.
Roomba i4+ has ten times more suction power than the 600 Roomba series.
Roomba i5+ has a power suction that is ten times higher than that of previous Roomba models.
There is no difference in the suction power of these Roomba models. There is no winner.
Roomba i4 is designed with imprint smart mapping and intelligent cleaning in straight, tidy rows back and forth.
The mapping systems help you learn and map your home room-by-room. The robot has a couple of sensors for smart navigation: light touch and RCON on top, cliff, and floor tracking on the bottom.
When your robot detects dirt, it automatically turns on the Dirt Detect mode with the highest suction power (the LED indicator on the power/clean is blue).
Roomba i5 has an Imprint Smart Navigation system to clean in neat rows around and under the furniture. To avoid finitude and stairs, it uses several sensors installed on the robot’s bottom.
When the combo bin is installed, the dirt detect feature to clean dirtier spots more thoroughly during vacuuming is automatically disabled. This feature is active only for the standard bin installed.
Also, this robot supports specific room cleaning. You can choose the room for cleaning in the smartphone app or using voice commands.
Roomba i4 and i5 have the same navigation and mapping system, allowing for cleaning in purposeful and logical rows. But there is no possibility for recognizing and avoiding small obstacles and cleaning by zone or objects for both. There is no winner again.
Roomba i4 has a non-washable HEPA cartridge filter inside the dust bin. When you clean the dustbin with water, you need to remove the filter.
Roomba i5 has a non-washable cartridge HEPA filter that should be cleaned only by tapping the dirt against the trash container. It captures 99% of dust and allergens. The same filter is installed in the combo bin and the standard dust bin.
There is no difference in the HEPA filter for Roomba i4 and i5. We can’t call the winner at this point.
Roomba i4+ is equipped with two multi-surface green rubber brushes. Dual brushes adjust easily to all floor types and effectively pick up dirt and hair. To collect dirt from corners, the robot has an edge-sweeping brush with long plastic bristles.
Main brushes are protected with a brush frame. To remove the edge brush and clean from hair and debris, you need to loosen a screw.
Roomba i5+ has dual multi-surface brushes and one edge brush for collecting dust and dirt in dry vacuum mode.
These brushes do not get tangled with hair, as one agitates dirt while the other moves in the other direction to extract the dirt in the suction port.
These robotic vacuum cleaners are equipped with the same unique dual brushes with rubber fins to adjust to all types of floors. There is no winner.
The dustbin of Roomba i4+ is located on the back of the robot. For easy maintenance, it has a bin release button. The bin can be cleaned with warm water (no chemicals are allowed), but it is forbidden to clean it in the dishwasher.
The dustbin has a door for easy removal of dust if required, but as you have an automatic dirt disposal station, you do not need to do this often.
Roomba i5+ Combo has two options: a dustbin only (the same as for i4) or a combo bin. The combo bin consists of a water tank with a dustbin inside. By switching the bin, you change the cleaning mode.
You need to fill the combo bin with water (you may add a compatible cleaning solution). To clean the dust and combo bins, you need to open the dust bin door (if required), but you have an automatic dirt disposal.
Roomba i5+ Combo is the winner. You can choose between the standard dustbin only or the combo bin to perform simultaneous mopping and vacuuming.
Roomba i4+ robot vacuum cleaner works from one 3200 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery (sizes are 2.9 * 2.0 * 1.9 in). The battery can work up to 1000 charging cycles (about 5 years).
When the battery is low, the robot automatically goes to the Clean Base for charging and then resumes to the same spot to continue cleaning.
Roomba i5+ Combo has a 3500 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery that is charged faster and lasts longer than other i-series batteries. But it can manage only 200-400 recharging cycles.
The robot has a resume function in case it does not have enough battery capacity; it will go to the charging station to increase the battery up to 25% to finish the cleaning task.
Even though Roomba i5+ Combo is equipped with a new Roomba battery with higher capacity, it lasts less charging cycle than the battery of Roomba i4+ EVO. But the runtime is the same for both models. So, in this round, the competitors are even. There is no winner.
Roomba i4+ comes with a Clean Base for Automatic Dirt Disposal and charging. During cleaning, the robot comes to the station automatically for dirt disposal and charging. For dirt capturing, the base has a canister with a disposable bag.
When the dirt disposable LED indicator is red (estimated time of dirt storage is 60 days), you need to lift the canister lid and pull the plastic card, which automatically seals the bag. The size of the dust bag is close to 30 dust bins. You need to discard the bag and install the new one by sliding it into the guide rails.
The station has a blower cover on the canister top, an exhaust vent on the side and a debris evacuation port on the base plate that should be cleaned from time to time.
Roomba i5+ Combo has a Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal Station. It automatically self-empties the dustbin and charges the robot.
When the combo bin is installed, the automatic dirt disposal feature is deactivated. The bag canister has a compartment for the bag with guide rails, an evacuation tube, and a bag storage compartment for extra bags. The LED indicator on the canister indicates when the disposable bag is full and the bag should be changed for a new one.
When the indicator is blinking with red, you need to clean the clog in the evacuation path. The Station should be installed with good Wi-Fi coverage. The charging time for the robot in the station is about 3 hours.
Both Clean Base stations can perform only the charging and self-emptying functions of the dustbin. They have different sizes, and the i5+ Base has a separate compartment for extra bag storage. That is why Roomba i5+ Combo is the winner on this point.
Roomba i4+ can be connected to Wi-Fi, so there is a possibility of controlling the process from your smartphone or with voice assistance (Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa).
To keep the robots from unwanted areas, you may purchase virtual wall barriers. The barrier can create a circular barrier (Halo mode) or a line barrier (Virtual Wall Mode).
They work from batteries for 8-10 months before change. The robot learns your cleaning habits and provides suggestions for cleaning, including shredding season.
Roomba i5+ Combo has several smart features, including control with the smartphone app and cleaning with voice commands using Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.
By learning and adapting to your space, it cleans when you are away if required and creates favorite cleaning routes. The smartphone app also has an opportunity to schedule your cleanings and provides seasonal recommendations.
All customer information is encrypted with the highest standards and is used only to improve the cleaning performance of your robot vacuum.
Even though Roomba i4 and i5 have similar smart and automatic features, Roomba i5+ has some upgraded options. Roomba i5+ is slightly ahead and the winner in this round.
Roomba i4+ Evo comes with:
- i4 EVO robot vacuum
- Clean Base station
- 1 dirt disposal bag
- Power cord
Roomba i5+ Combo comes with:
- i5 Combo robot vacuum
- Clean Base station
- 1 extra HEPA filter
- 2 mopping pads
- 2 dirt disposal bags
- Power cord
- 1 interchangeable combo bin
The standard package of Roomba i5+ Combo includes an additional mopping pad and a dirt disposal bag, while Roomba i4+ EVO does not have extra or spare parts. Roomba i5+ Combo is the winner.
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Cleaning tests:
Performance on Bare Floors
Performance on Bare Floors
Mopping Performance on Hardwood
Mopping Performance on Hardwood
Vacuuming performance on Carpets
Vacuuming performance on Carpets
As Roomba i4+ EVO and i5+ Combo have the same suction power and design; their vacuum performance is identical. But Roomba i5+ Combo performs better on bare floors with the mopping pad installed. Roomba i5+ Combo is the winner.
Maintenance
For extended and efficient cleaning, all robotic vacuum cleaners have to be regularly maintained. The Roomba robots do not require a special setup, as they are supplied fully assembled. You need to install the cleaning base as per the manual for proper work. All parts should be replaced based on their service life or if wear is visible. As Roomba i4 and i5 consist of different parts, their maintenance requirements differ.
For Roomba i4+ EVO, the recommended terms are the following:
For Roomba i5+ Combo in addition to the listed positions for i4+ you need to take care about:
* The combo bin is not cleaned automatically in the Base station
verdictThe i5+ Combo requires more maintenance as it has more parts. So, the i4+ is the winner at this point.
FAQs
Why can’t I use my Combo Bin on Roomba i5+ Combo?
Why do I need to clean charging contacts and sensors on my Roomba i4+?
Can you recommend i4+ or i5+ for homes with pets?
Which Robot Vacuum Cleaner is better: Roomba i4 or i5?
Our detailed comparison of Roomba i4 vs. i5 has shown that these two models have very many things in common. With the same design, suction power, dust bin and clean base station, the functionality for dry vacuuming is identical. But if you need to mop the bare floors, only Roomba i5+ Combo can do so with an interchangeable combo bin.
Also, as this model is an upgraded version, it has several additional smart features and an advanced battery. We call Roomba i5+ Combo the winner in this comparison because of the better functionality, but Roomba i4+ is a robust model that is still very helpful for regular dry cleaning.