RedditRecs
i3 (Base Model)
#162 in Robot Vacuums

iRobot - i3 (Base Model)

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Reddit Reviews:


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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 25, 2026 How it works

Liked most:

128

34


"But I got 900 miles out of one pair of Lone Peaks on the PCT, and 750 from another pair."


"I had issue with Klymit losing air in cold temps and Tensor has been awesome."


"haven't had a puncture over the four years I've had it"

12

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"But it’s easily taken apart and repaired once you get the hang of it and parts are readily available. ... Probably around $200? Not a great deal, the parts are fairly cheap even genuine and there are also aftermarket available. ... The first time I took it apart it took a couple of hours whilst watching YouTube, now I can completely disassemble and reassemble under an hour ... I did both motors at the same time and put all new brushes in it and it was like new again."


"Same here the i3 is awesome. ... I bought a parts kit on amazon for super cheap and it has really come in handy. ... I replaced the roller, even though it didn't need it after 3-4 years of use. ... The brush up front I've had to replace twice."


"Every part is easily replaced ... It's still robust and serviceable"

27

6


"I live on a horse farm with 4 dogs and 5 cats and only if its muddy do shoes come off at the door. ... That robot is a wonderful thing."


"This thing picks up so much stuff that we definitely would never normally get to."


"I would do it again just for the dog hair. ... It’s a dog hair sweeper and it does a damn good job at that."

2

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"it runs every day without issues"


"bringing to "budget" conscious consumers a new methodical navigation method"

Disliked most:

3

29


"for the love of God please don get a roomba combo model. They don work… ever."


"don't buy the I3 unless you live in an empty room"


"Also, for the love of God please don’t get a roomba combo model. ... They don’t work… ever."

0

4


"the Roomba left little crumb piles everywhere."


"If it’s a few days of fur it creates nests I just hand pick up."


"the Roomba doesn't have the strongest sucking function in the world"

0

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"don't buy the I3 unless you live in an empty room"

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r/BuyItForLifeThe Best Robot Vacuum that Lasts?
7 months ago

I bought a roomba i3 in 2020, and it's still working fine Every part is easily replaced, and there is lifetime support that I use once to replace the battery Although that was before it was bought by Amazon, I don't know if it's still the same

r/BuyItForLifeThe Best Robot Vacuum that Lasts?
7 months ago

Oh! I didn't know It's still robust and serviceable, but yeah, parts might be hard to find soon

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r/roombaRoomba S9+, how does it hold up today?
10 months ago

Just got mine for 85$ a couple weeks ago. It was pretty beatup. But I cleaned it up, replaced rollers, filters, and tires. Also took apart the base and cleaned it up. The thing is a beast. I had a i3 for a while so maybe that why it feels like such an upgrade. U could tell they definitely went all out on it

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r/RobotVacuumsBig Deal Day Recommendations by Price Band - These are the robots I'd buy
4 months ago

For vac only, especially on carpet the roomba i3 on Amazon in like new condition was $70 last week. It’s $100 now but worth keeping an eye on it for a really cheap vacuum only robot. Especially on carpet the roomba 2 roller vacs do really well.

r/RobotVacuumsAre robot vacuum companies distracting us from what really matters - suction power?
3 months ago

100%. I got a roomba i3 for under $50 and it vacuums on carpet really well. The roller design matters a lot, can’t believe some higher end models still have a single roller. Even with the patent expiring they still cheap out.

r/RobotVacuumsWhat robot vacuum did you get in 2025?
13 days ago

Roomba i3 on Amazon like new for $60. The base station came very used and clogged, complained to Amazon and got a full refund without having to return it. Does pretty well for my upstairs carpet only.

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r/CleaningTipsRobot vacuum VS dog hair… battle to the death 💀
5 months ago

I have a roomba- and heavy shedding dogs. I still have to vacuum weekly but it keeps us from being knee deep in hair. Get robot vacuum that empties into its own base. Some days it just has to empty its self over and over and over (coat blowing season). You don’t want a vacuum you have to empty as it would defeat the purpose of it being a robot. I buy bootleg replacement parts: filters, brushes, vacuum bag for base off of amazon. (I’m in US) I have not had any trouble

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r/greatdanesRobotic vacuums suited to Dane shed?
8 months ago

I have the Roborock Qrevo Plus, and it has been amazing! I have light colored floors and a black Dane and black Cocker. The robot runs every night and every morning we have clean floors. I have a 8 month old baby who is crawling so am also on the floor a lot and I’m always amazed by how spotless they are! Mapping was quick and painless, and I hardly ever have to intervene or rescue it. I also have a iRobot i3 and it’s a night and day difference. App is easy to use, and we have had it for just about a year and have had no problems. Refill clean water and dump dirty mop water once a week. Obstacle avoidance seems to work pretty well too, no incidents yet!

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r/RoborockSo in the history of all robotics created, what is the best robot vacuum?
3 months ago

I owned iRobot i3 - worked fine, but only real sensor - was front bumper, so he was “dumb”. Best thing about iRobot is that you can replace every part without 3rd party help. I had it for several years, not a single problem whatsoever.

r/RoborockSo in the history of all robotics created, what is the best robot vacuum?
3 months ago

In case of i3 there was no problem with hair on the rollers. I cleaned hair from tips of the roller from time to time, but that was like 30sec cleanup. More hairs were collected in the front wheel, but it was removable and easily cleaned.

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r/RobotVacuumsIn doubt about Roborock
6 months ago

And that sux! They are too expensive ..ordered the flow hoping it gets better in the corners and vacuums better..and guess I'm spoiled old roombas that are like tanks and last a long rime..has 3 yr warranty and comes with some stuff..I would think of it came to Costco it would be about the same.. but surprised doesn't have soap dispensary.. but does have a bigger battery so hoping 🤞🤞.. weirdly I cried giving up the 3i but it kept getting stuck in places I don't have problems with the others..😪

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r/unpopularopinionRobot vacuums are expensive and a waste of time.
7 months ago

I agree, it’s a shitty vacuum. I’ve spent $500+ on a Roomba i3 and I would do it again just for the dog hair. It’s a dog hair sweeper and it does a damn good job at that.

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r/RobotVacuumsWith iRobot, the leading brand of robotic vacuum cleaners, joining the ranks of Chinese brands, there are very few non-Chinese brands left.What are your thoughts on the Shark brand?
about 1 month ago

I beta tested a shark and an update randomly disconnected it from the app and it would not connect again and their beta test support was useless in getting it reconnected. Tried blaming it on my mesh system. I went as far as to get a stand alone router/wifi from my internet provider and hook that up and try to connect it that way and still the same thing. The app would freeze once it found the robot, even after updates. I really liked how the vacuum worked up until then but I’d never buy one after that. My 600 series Roomba and i3 Roomba have never had Wi-Fi issues on any of our network iterations over the years. I ended up buying a Eufy over Black Friday.

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