Roomba E5 Review and Test

In this review, we will take a closer look at perhaps the best entry-level option from iRobot – the Roomba E5.

Like the 600 Series, it has a standard navigation system as it spins around. But iRobot’s upgrades mitigate issues plaguing models like the Roomba 614 and 675.

How good is the Roomba E5? Is it worth the premium? I ran our usual series of tests to find out.

Positives

• It resists tangles better than any of the Roomba 600 series options.
• Decent sized litter box – 500 ml.
• HEPA filter
• Best in class deep cleaning performance.

Negatives

• Ineffective random navigation.
• A bit annoying.

Introduction to Roomba E5

Two problems afflicting older Roomba 600-series bots such as the 614, 675, and 690 (or 692) – Small litter box and brush roll which is hair magnet.

It doesn’t matter what other reviews say about its ability to avoid tangles, it just can’t. I’ve tested it extensively with human hair, and most sticks to the spiky, coarse part of the dual brush system.

It’s a horrific nightmare and a maintenance nightmare for those who have pets or live with a long-haired individual.

Roomba E5 upgrades are aimed at Eliminate these issues. Sure, it has the same random navigation as the previous generation of Roomba robots, but it has the same extracts as the i7 – hair won’t tangle easily.

Another upgrade is the dust container. It looks smaller, but can accommodate more debris, up to 0.5 liters.

Not only does it have a larger size, but it also comes with HEPA after the motor, and is washable.

Design

iRobot has also revised the E5 interface. Gone are the three-button combo, replaced by three separate circular buttons similar to newer Roombas like the 960 and I7.

It comes with mostly black color. Currently, it is the only color option available.

The litter box still flies out from behind, but the release latch has been moved to another area.

One of the issues I had with the Roomba 690 was if I grabbed it from the back. There is a possibility of accidentally pushing the lever (because it is wide) and dropping the robot by accident.

This wouldn’t be an issue with the E5 because the release latch is out of reach.

look under it

Flip the robot over and notice the changes on an older Roomba like 690. The old brushes are gone, replace them Roomba I7 . Rollers.

A closer look at Roomba E5 reels.

So buying an E5 is like getting an I7 without Smart Mobility. And if you’re familiar with Roomba, the i7 is one of the best robots for cleaning dirt on carpets.

1 side brush

The E5, like most Roombas outside of the S9, uses the same side styling brush. It has the same three-pronged heads.

One problem, however, is how fast it spins, scattering debris around it. It’s a problem with older models like the 675 and 690, and it’s the same problem with the E5.

Litter box design and size

Bigger, better E5 trash can with HEPA filter. If we look closely, you can see that it has a larger surface area and thicker material. It will filter allergens better.

Since the motor is no longer inside, this part is washable. So it is easier to clean it well.

It may not look bigger, but it can hold up up to 500 mlalmost 50% more than Roomba 675.

How does the Roomba E5 navigate?

Don’t expect the E5 to have an intelligent navigation system. Instead, it has what iRobot calls “adaptive navigation,” meaning that it passes in a random direction.

To test coverage, I scattered Quaker oats around the room to see how much they’re picking up.

She cleaned most of the debris throughout the tour, but she missed a few spots.

The entire run lasted for 22 minutes before returning to recharge.

Will the Roomba E5 dig up furniture?

Unfortunately, the Roomba E5 has a powerful algorithm, which means that it tends to hit obstacles aggressively. These things can be your furniture.

If you have furniture that is expensive and can be scratched easily, I suggest you should choose a smarter navigation robot like Roborock E4 with optical sensor or Roomba I3 This will slow down.

How will you do in confined spaces?

For the most part, the Roomba E5 did an excellent job of not getting caught in tight spaces. If there was a Roomba E5 kryptonite, it would be this office chair. It was installed several times during the navigation test.

I would suggest clearing this before running the bot to avoid any issues, especially if you are using the scheduling feature.

App Features of Roomba E5

This alternative is compatible with the iRobot Home app. Features are similar to other entry-level Roomba options such as the 675, 690, and 690.

Installation is easy. searching for “iRobot Home Appto your favorite Android or IOS source, then download.

Once downloaded, click on the hamburger icon, then add the bot. Select Roomba from the list. Follow the steps after that.

Please note that you will need a router to connect to the robot.

There is no live map because it relies on infrared sensors for navigation. You will see this interface once when you open the application.

One reason to get the app It is remote access. With it set up, you will be able to access the bot anywhere. There is no need to go to the robot and bend over and press the “clean” button. You can do this through the app.

Another reason to use the app is scheduling. Users can set schedules so that the bot will automatically perform one cleaning cycle for these specified times.

Unfortunately, the iRobot app has its limits One stroke a day. If you want to do more runs, you will have to manually tap on the Clean button in the app.

How noisy is the Roomba E5?

I used a sound meter to measure the loudness. Roomba E5 Recorded 65.6 decibels In single power mode. It’s not deafening but loud enough to disrupt normal conversation.

I would not recommend using it in the early morning or late at night, especially in apartment type homes, where your neighbors may hear it.

How much power does the Roomba E5 have?

iRobot does not detect suction amount or air flow. So for all my reviews, I use an anemometer to check airflow directly into the main brush. Model E5 It has about 6.98 CFMslightly lower than the Roomba 675 and 690.

One of the reasons may be the design of the brush, as there is not much space between the cylinders, which can obstruct the air flow.

These rollers don’t rely on airflow much because they provide agitation good enough to pick up dirt.

cleaning performance

Next, we’ll take a look at how well the Roomba E5 can be cleaned. It has undergone a series of tests on different types of debris.

These are the total results.

• Total: 96.17%
• Solid ground: 99%
• Carpet (surface cleaning): 98.72
• Sand on the hard floor: 97.3%
• deep cleaning: 89.66%

Roomba E5 brings excellence across the board with high scores in various categories.

It’s even better than Roomba 614, 675 and 690 at picking up compact sand on a medium-pile carpet. I will unpack all the details below.

hard floor results

• Quaker Oats: 99.6%
• coffee: 96%
• Quinoa: 94%
• pet litter: 92.6%

Despite the reduced airflow, the rubber straws were excellent at picking up debris. However, there was a small percentage left in the brush roll area.

It’s a side effect of reduced airflow, but it shouldn’t be a problem in daily cleaning as you’re only dealing with dust.

The scores would have been higher had there been no debris on the cleaning head unit. So the upgraded extractors are good because they pick up the most trash. However, the airflow wasn’t enough to move everything into the trash.

Sand test on hard floor

For this test, I use 50 grams of fine sand to see how much the robot is picking up. Pick up a Roomba E5 file With an average of 97.3% on two tests.

It is a degree higher than Roomba 675 (94.1%) And 690 (96.4%).

hair wrap test

I’m trying something new here. Instead of just taking pictures of how much hair is wrapped around the brush, I added frizz.

There are two tests – one for 5″ threads and one for 7″ threads, one gram per length.

With 5-inch threads, here are the results:

On the left are the threads inside the trash can, and on the right are around the axes.

• Inside the trash: 0.4 g
• About the brush: 0.6 g

For the seven inch threads:

• Inside the trash: 0.3 g
• About the brush: 0.7 g

Some takeaway. E5 rollers resist tangling better than the 600 series, but the hair will wrap around the hubs.

So check these areas often. In the seven-inch test, a good piece is wrapped around the dark green cylinder.

And a side brush.

E5 is better than 675 and 690 in resistance to entanglement. With most hair wrapped around the hubs, cleaning should be easier than clipping brush-coated strands of hair.

These tests are on the extreme side. It’s a good measure of what to expect. The E5 is better for cleaning hair than any 600 series robot.

Edge cleaning

I splashed leftover coffee grounds on one edge of my home office (photo above) to see how much E5 could catch.

The results were suitable for a circular robot vacuum. It’s better than Roomba 675 or 690 in this area.

Carpet results

Now, let’s take a look at how the Roomba E5 works on carpet. Again, I used the same types of debris to check how well it picks up on this surface. The Roomba E5 is better than the 690, but a little worse for 675 on the carpet. I’ll share why in my comment below.

Low stack results

• Quaker Oats: 98.4%
• coffee: 98.6%
• Quinoa: 99.4%
• pet litter: 99.6%

Given the poor airflow, the E5 performed well on a low-pile carpet. Again, the problem is the small bit of debris left on the brush unit.

Mid-stack results

• Quaker Oats: 99.4%
• coffee: 96.8%
• Quinoa: 99.4%
• pet litter: 98.2%

The E5 is slightly worse on mid-pile than on low-pile carpeting (98.45% vs. 99%), which isn’t a surprise considering the lower airflow. But the results were still above average and very close to more premium options like the Roomba 980.

It was the worst of the coffee, but I noticed the pickup was spotless. When I turned the robot over, there was noticeable coffee residue on the brush assembly. So the result could have been better, if the E5 had had a higher airflow.

Deep cleaning results

Even with lower airflow, the Roomba E5 picked up more inline sand than the more expensive Roomba 675, 690, and even the more expensive Roomba E5. Roborock S5 Max.

I did three tests where I rub 100 grams of fine sand on a medium pile rug, and it had average 89.66% – Only a few percentage points behind the most expensive Roomba 980.

This robot is the best economical robot I have tested so far at cleaning dirt on carpets. Upgraded cylinders and dirt help clean up that much sand.

Big debris test

The Roomba E5 can clean up large debris, but I’ve noticed that it struggles with very large things like fruit rings. There are two possible reasons – the first is the tightening of the clearance between the hoods. The second is the narrow slot that goes into the trash can.

Regardless, unless you’re cleaning items like fruit rings or Cheerios regularly, that shouldn’t be a concern.

How long does Roomba E5 last?

Roomba E5 will run for up to 90 minutes on a full charge. I wouldn’t recommend it in larger homes with complicated floor layouts because it doesn’t have a smart navigation system. It also doesn’t have recharge and resume, so if you’re considering this option, I’d suggest using it on a room-by-room basis for maximum accuracy.

What comes in the box?

These are the items you will take out of the box.

1. Roomba E5 Robot
2. Charging base and power cord
3. Manual and quick start guide

Please note that Roomba E5 and E6 are similar products. The only difference is the color – the E5 is mostly black, while the E6 has gray/silver accents, plus the E6 comes with a virtual wall, so it’s a bit more expensive.

maintenance

As with all Roomba products, the E5 will Requires regular maintenance in order to operate efficiently. Fortunately, iRobot makes it easy with its modular design. This means that most components are easily accessible without the need for special tools for a more thorough cleaning.

1. rubber extracts: While newer extracts resist tangles better, they are not maintenance free. Clean this part once a week and check that there is no dust or hair that tends to build up on the axles.
2. Side brush: Use a Philips screwdriver to remove and clean any coils of hair on the base.
3. filter: The E5 HEPA filter is not washable. So press it in the trash to remove any dirt stuck on the folds. Or use a handheld vacuum cleaner with the included brush.
4. Dustbin: Empty it after each run. The E5 container is washable but only uses cold water.
5. Wheels: Clear the side wheels and caster wheels. Please Check out this article For a step-by-step guide.
6. fall sensors: There are four drop sensors. Wipe it with a clean, dry microfiber towel once a month.

Parts Availability

Another advantage of owning an iRobot product is the absolute availability of parts. There are plenty of options for components such as rollers, side brushes, and filters. You can save some money and buy it in bundles.

Even if parts like a battery are not in abundance, manufacturers will eventually sell those parts. So you won’t have any problems finding obscure parts like the side brush motor, wheel assembly, and even fall sensors.

Product Spec.

Where can I buy the Roomba E5?

You can buy Roomba E5 from online stores such as Amazon. Check the link below for more information.

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON

Disclaimer: I’ll earn a commission if you buy through the link above, but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win for us!

Does Roomba E5 offer excellent value?

I am impressed with the E5’s ability to clean carpets. Despite its lack of airflow, it picked up nearly 90% more sand than more expensive options like the Roborock S5 Max!

If you are looking for an economical alternative that is capable of deep cleaning carpets, the Roomba E5 is one of the best machines out there. It has a larger dust container and resists tangles better than the older brush design of the Roomba 614, 675 and 690. Plus it comes with a large litter box and a HEPA filter – it will sift through allergens better.

On hard surfaces, it was also decent. One problem is the fast-spinning side brush that can scatter debris. But the E5 rollers are better at picking up trash on this surface, which somewhat alleviates the scattering problem.

Verdict: Best economical robot vacuum cleaner for carpets

Roomba E5 is the best cheap robot vacuum for cleaning carpets. The upgraded extraction processes do a great job of gobbling up built-in dirt even with low airflow. It is better than Roomba 675, 690 and any other brand in its price range.

Roombas are notorious for over-exposure to carpets, and E5 is no exception. The pulleys also resist tangling better than the 600 Series, but there is still a fair amount of them that curl around the axles. Really long strands of hair will wrap around the brush, so it will need some care.

There are some issues like inefficient navigation, which some sites will lose. This robot is best inside smaller homes with simpler layouts because there are only small balls around.

The somewhat reduced airflow hampers its performance (slightly), depending on the type of debris you’re cleaning up.

For things like sand, quinoa, or coffee, expect some to be on your brush roll or brush set. But for everyday cleaning tasks, that shouldn’t be a concern.

It only works for up to 90 minutes and has no recharge and resume, so use it to clean one room at a time.

The E5 is the best of my choice among iRobot’s entry-level options. Even with low airflow, it cleans well enough on all surfaces minus the high brush maintenance requirements found in older 600 Series robots.