iRobot Scooba 390
iRobot is considered a leading manufacturer in the smart home appliance market. It has developed a robot vacuum cleaner that can clean surfaces not only like a regular vacuum but also with soapy water. The Scooba 390 model features wet mopping, making it a popular choice. The robot features a long-lasting battery, a large dust bin, and an extended runtime. This article provides a detailed review of the iRobot Scooba 390, covering its specifications and features.
Equipment
All components of the robotic vacuum cleaner are packaged in a compact cardboard box. The package includes the following items:
- The robot itself.
- Power supply with cable.
- Virtual wall.
- Battery.
- Instructions.
- 4 packets of detergent from the manufacturer.
- Washing bulb.
The full version is provided in the photo:
Irobot Scuba Components
Appearance
A quick look at the exterior reveals that the device's body is made of matte gray-black plastic. The front panel is a lid for the liquid or soap solution compartment. To open it, gently press the special handle (with a hand depicted on it). This handle is not intended for carrying the vacuum cleaner. The front panel houses the mechanical power and control buttons. In front of them is an IR sensor, which scans the room and determines the robot vacuum's trajectory.
Top view
The front features a soft rubber bumper with built-in infrared sensors. These sensors allow the robot to determine the distance to furniture and the location of the charging station.
Side view
The bottom section is as follows: a suction hole is located in the center, near which is a rotating brush. Special holes that spray liquid are also visible there. Silicone scrapers clean the surface and suck up any remaining moisture. The front section contains sensors that detect changes in altitude.
Bottom view
Technical specifications
All the characteristics of the iRobot Scooba 390 are summarized in the table:
| Overall dimensions | Diameter 37 cm, height – 9.2 cm |
| Cleaning area | Up to 80 sq. m |
| Weight | 3.9 kg |
| Nutrition | Ni-MH battery, capacity 4100 mAh |
| Notifications | Sound signals and light indication |
| Cleaning time | 90 min |
| Charging time | 180 min |
| Virtual wall | Eat |
| Noise level | Up to 70 dB |
| Garbage container | Container for clean and waste liquid |
Functional capabilities
The iRobot Scooba 390 robotic vacuum cleaner performs wet cleaning in four stages:
- Preparation: In this mode, it removes all debris and dust from the floor.
- Spraying liquid onto the surface to be cleaned.
- Cleaning the surface with a brush.
- Absorb dirty liquid and dry the floor with a silicone scraper.
The robot we're reviewing isn't suitable for all floor surfaces. It's recommended for use in rooms with marble, parquet or laminate flooring, tile, ceramic tile, and stone. The surface should be impermeable or absorbent. One liter of liquid is enough for 45 minutes of wet cleaning. The device's package includes: virtual wallIt can be used to seal off doorways and any areas in the room where you don't want the device to clean.
Motion limiter
The iRobot Scooba 390 automatically selects its cleaning mode. A special sensor in the suction channel detects the dirtiest areas. Despite its erratic movements, testing showed that the robot vacuum cleans surfaces effectively and leaves no uncleaned areas.
Floor cleaning
Before starting work, we recommend fully charging the device and clearing any unnecessary items from the floor. Then, set up the virtual walls and fill the tank with cleaning solution. You can then start the robot using the buttons on the panel. After finishing work, empty the used liquid and clean the tanks, as well as the robot vacuum itself.
Getting ready for work
Operating instructions
The robotic vacuum cleaner's features and modes are described in more detail in the manual. It also includes a description of potential malfunctions and troubleshooting steps, as well as detailed instructions on how to start the robotic vacuum cleaner and how to use it correctly. Maintenance tips are also provided. Following all the manufacturer's recommendations and advice in the manual will extend the life of the vacuum cleaner.
You can download the iRobot Scooba 390 user manual in Russian from our website. To download, follow the link: Scooba 390 manual.
Advantages and disadvantages
A review of the robotic vacuum cleaner highlights its key features and shortcomings. This model offers the following advantages:
- The robot is able to detect carpet, thereby protecting it from moisture.
- The vacuum cleaner can wash floors with any detergent and tap water.
- Quite low noise level during operation.
- The robot vacuum cleaner has compact dimensions.
- A virtual wall encloses the restricted area.
- Strict design and original appearance.
- The presence of various sensors ensures easy movement of the device.
- There are not many in the world washing robotic vacuum cleaners and iRobot Scooba 390 is one of them.
The model under consideration also has its drawbacks. These include:
- Limited choice of surfaces that a robot vacuum cleaner can clean.
- A lot of time is spent on disassembling, cleaning and drying the device.
- Since the model has been out of production for a long time, it is difficult to find spare parts for it.
In conclusion, I'd like to point out that the iRobot Scooba 390 doesn't perform as well as expected. Considering that iRobot has recently updated its line of robotic cleaners, it's better to choose a newer model with advanced navigation and improved cleaning technology. However, the fact that the Scooba 390 costs around $150 (as of early 2018) makes it worth considering, given its shortcomings, as similar models are considerably more expensive.
Finally, we recommend watching a video review of the iRobot Scooba 390, as well as a video that clearly shows how this robotic vacuum cleaner cleans:
Analogues:
