Bottom line: Robotic vacuum pioneer iRobot on Thursday added a new model to its lineup that borrows one key feature from the company's more expensive cleaners. It is more affordable than earlier models but even still, $600 is a lot for a vacuum. The convenience afforded by no longer having to directly tend to the chore and only having to clean the dust bin a handful of times per year, however, will no doubt appeal to some.
The new Roomba i3+ features iRobot's clever Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal system. Once finished cleaning, the bot returns to its base station but instead of you having to manually empty the debris tray between runs, the base handles the dirty work for you by sucking the dirt out of the vacuum and into a trash bag inside the station.
With the Clean Base, you won't have to worry with emptying the bin for potentially months at a time. iRobot said it can store up to 60 days' worth of dirt.
iRobot's new Roomba i3+ starts at $599, far less than the $949 the i7+ with the same feature debuted at two years ago (it has since fallen to $799).
For those who don't mind dealing with the dust bin on a regular basis, the standard Roomba i3 without the Clean Base station can be had for $399. Both are available to order as of writing.