Review of the iRobot Braava 380t mopping robot

Review of the iRobot Braava 380t mopping robot

Do you struggle with finding the time to keep your floors clean from day to day? The iRobot Braava 380t Mopping Robot could be the perfect solution. This review will cover the basics of how this robotic mop works, what it does best, and what to keep in mind as you think about investing in one.

iRobot Braava 380t Mopping Robot – Robotic Mop (Link)

The iRobot Braava

The Braava is equipped for dry and damp mopping, making it a versatile tool for daily dusting or cleaning. It works on any hard floor, including wood, linoleum, and tile. The Braava is rechargeable. It comes with a Turbo Charge Cradle that plugs into an outlet and is capable of charging the robot in two hours. The Braava relies on an indoor GPS system to navigate and fully clean floors. This Northstar Navigation system uses a battery powered GPS cube to map out a room, and the Braava connects wirelessly to the cube. The Braava can use either disposable or reusable cleaning cloths. It comes with two reusable microfiber cloths, one for dry mopping and one for damp mopping. The Braava also works with disposable Swiffer brand cloths, and iRobot sells packages of reusable microfiber cleaning pads. These reusable pads can be used hundreds of times before they wear out.

Setting up the Braava

Setting up the Braava for mopping is simple. For damp mopping, the robot can use either water or a cleaning solution. The robot has a reservoir which you can remove, fill, and replace in order to use the damp mopping feature. Once the reservoir is in place, attach a damp cleaning pad to the robot, being careful not to allow the reservoir to fall off the robot. The cloth should be secure, but not tight. To give the robot a way of navigating your floor, place the navigation cube in the room where the robot will be mopping. You may need to experiment with the placement of the cube. The center of the room often works well, but if the room is small you may be able to place the cube on a windowsill or side table. Once you have turned on the navigation cube and the Braava, the Braava should connect wirelessly to the navigation system within thirty seconds.

Mopping with the Braava

Once you set up the Braava, it cleans your floors with minimal supervision and intervention. The dry mopping feature dusts your floors, picking up dirt, dust, and any debris small enough to stick to the dusting cloth. The damp mopping feature provides a good daily mopping, although the robot is too light for vigorous scrubbing. The robot is extremely quiet—many Braava users say they can barely tell where it is in the house.

As it mops, the Braava navigates around obstacles such as chairs and area rugs. However, it can become stuck if it finds a gap that is too short to allow the robot to pass, but too tall for the robot’s bumper to register an obstacle. Because of this, you may need to find and free the Braava if you no longer see it moving around the room. The Braava also travels around the room erratically if it finds too many obstacles, so you may want to keep an eye on whether it has actually cleaned the room thoroughly.

If you have a lot of floor space to clean, you will probably need to move the navigation cube and refill the Braava’s reservoir part way through the mopping session. The navigation cube generally works for a single room, but the robot may not be able to continue picking up the GPS signal if the robot moves into another room.

When the Braava finishes mopping, it will return to the spot where it started. From there, you will need to move it to the cradle to recharge it. If the robot still has water in the reservoir, it may leak on the floor if left to sit after the robot finishes mopping.

Braava Maintenance

For regular maintenance, the Braava only requires you to charge it, wash or rinse its cleaning pads (if you are using reusable ones), and possibly replace the batteries in the GPS cube. However, if the Braava breaks, expect a long wait for replacement parts and repairs.

Investing in an iRobot Braava

If you’re looking for a way to minimize the time you spend mopping your floors, the Braava could work well for you. The robot requires just minutes of your time for set up and supervision in order to keep your floors clean.

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