The Braava m6 robotic mop is the only current iRobot robotic mop with functions such as WiFi integration, imprint link technology, zoned mapping, and recharge & resume. It’s incredibly well built, easy to use, navigates well, and is a great robot for dusting and mopping.
This is one of the most advanced floor mopping robots out there with tons of cool, interesting, and smart features, but is it worth the price? We’ll find out the answer in this iRobot Braava m6 review.
iRobot Braava Jet m6 Ultimate Robot Mop
The iRobot Braava Jet m6 may sound like a simple little box. But in reality, it is an extensively upgraded Jet 240 version. The Jet m6 is a mop for technology lovers, complete with mobile app control and Alexa / Google Home voice commands. It is also versatile and can be used both as dust and a wet mop.
The Braava Jet M6 from iRobot is like a motorized Swiffer – both for wet and dust mopping. It rushes through hard surfaces (read: no carpets), sweeps up dust and dirt, and/or sprays water and a cleaning solution while its absorbent pads wipe and scrub the area just sprayed.
It’s also environmentally friendly as it’s compatible with reusable wash pads, although disposable pads are also an option. The Braava Jet m6 was also designed with edges in mind and has the same smart mapping functionality as its sucking siblings.
You can equip the machine with either wet or dry cleaning pads for mopping or dusting, and if you use it with the former, it also has a small “Precision Jet Spray” to dampen the floor before mopping.
When you wet mop, you simply fill the tank with water to create the jet spray, or with a combination of water and iRobot’s proprietary cleaning fluid. In theory, you could fill it with any cleaning solution, but doing so could damage the device and void your warranty.
Overall, it’s expensive, but I can safely say that it’s the best robotic mop available right now. It’s not the fastest and there are a couple of issues like it struggling with raised thresholds, more than 3mm, and you’ll likely have to pick it up to move it from room to room, and sometimes there is a strange streak, but by and large, it’s excellent.
- Easily set up zones and virtual barriers
- Wifi connectivity via a smartphone, Alexa, and Google Home
- Precise water jet
- Automatic detection of the type of cleaning pad
- Automatic return to the charging station with drip tray
- Can leave streaks on darker floors
- The battery life per charge is relatively short
- Comes with only four disposable pads
- Washable pads are very expensive
- Have problems driving over thresholds greater than 3 mm
Complete Review of the iRobot Braava Jet m6
How does it work
First, he has to learn that your home is the area you want to mop. It can take 2-5 training runs for it to finally map your area perfectly.
The m6 can use dry cleaning pads if you want, but it’s designed as a robot mop that cleans your floors with water (or a cleaning solution). You fill a tank onboard the robot and it sprays water in front of itself as it cleans, taking care, not to unnecessarily wet baseboards or obstacles. Unlike a vacuum cleaner, where one vigorous pass is usually enough, you can instruct the Braava to sweep your entire floor 1 to 5 times depending on how sticky things have gotten.
You can also adjust the amount of water the Braava uses: more water is fine for tiles, but on your fine hardwood you should limit the amount of water.
As soon as the Braava is finished, it automatically returns to its charging station (complete with drip tray), just like a Roomba.
Main Features
Flexibility at your fingertips: The iRobot Braava jet m6 adapts to your specific cleaning needs and offers two modes to choose from. Use dry sweeping mode to collect dirt, dust, and pet hair, or use wet mopping mode to remove kitchen grease and other sticky grime.
Control on the go: The iRobot Braava m6 robot works with the iRobot HOME App (download required) to give you full control of your smart device.
Operation is child’s play, you can plan operating times, adjust settings or specify which rooms should be cleaned, even when you are not at home.
Knows the best way: The Braava analyzes the floor plan of your room with the help of Imprint Smart Mapping technology and thus determines the most optimal route and remembers your floor plan. Thanks to its maximized edge design, the robot cleaner can easily get into tight corners and other hard-to-reach areas.
Voice-activated controls: A great investment for the connected smart home: the iRobot Braava jet Robot Mop works with Alexa and Google Assistant (download required) and can therefore respond to your voice commands.
Performance
The iRobot Braava m6 is as smart as you can expect from a mopping robot. While robotic vacuums are in abundance, robotic mops are harder to come by, largely because of the challenges (especially how to move and balance water) few companies have tried. But this pretty much got it to the point.
It takes a few tries to get used to your home, but soon he’ll be whizzing away happily, wiping up anything that gets in his way.
Dusting is a breeze for this robot, but it can sometimes stall when wet mopping really dirty surfaces. Since he relies on dampening an area and then wiping over it with a cloth, he just doesn’t have the pressure needed to remove stubborn stains.
As with most robotic mops (and vacuum cleaners), it is intended for daily maintenance cleaning. Let it run every day and you’ll be impressed by how clean your floors are throughout the house, from the kitchen tiles to the hardwood floors in the living room. If you let it run once a week, you may end up being disappointed because it’s not up to the task.
There is also the problem of overcoming thresholds from room to room. If your thresholds are raised slightly, it may mistakenly think it is a staircase and not pass it. In that case, you’ll need to pick it up and move it. That is certainly annoying, but don’t panic.
Setup and use
The Braava M6 is amazingly easy to use and set up. The instructions are very clear and precise on how to assemble and operate it.
First, you assemble the charging station, if you want to call it that because it contains almost nothing.
Next, you plug the base station into a socket while you connect your mopping robot to the charging station.
From there, after a few clicks, you should be able to connect the device to your home WiFi.
In most cases, the Bravva m6 will go through a firmware update process that takes about ten minutes. After that, you install a cleaning pad and pour some cleaning solution into it; that too is really easy to do.
After a few hours of charging, you will be fully operational. I have to say it is easy to set up and use for someone who is frustrated with complicated setups of new tech products.
Maintenance
Keeping the Braava m6 in good shape is also pretty easy (as you might have guessed).
The iRobot m6 comes with disposable cleaning pads, but you’ll definitely want to add washable cleaning pads.
Braava Jet m6 water tank: There is a small-cap on the back of the water tank; As for the water tank, all you have to do is make sure it’s full before starting a cleaning cycle. If the Braava detects that it has run out of water during a wet wipe cycle, it may return to the charging station prematurely.
Trustworthiness
The iRobot Braava M6 is a great deal when it comes to robotic devices, and it’s also reliable, coupled with top-notch features. The Braava is very sensitive and has amazing technology to navigate objects and optimize how much surface it can clean. He doesn’t just drive away when he hits something. He finds out if there is another way around the object.
The only complaint so far is that the tank sensor occasionally shows that the tank is empty even though it is full. Removing and reinserting the tank fixes the problem, but it can be awkward when it’s on a schedule and doesn’t start driving hours later.
-Frequently Asked Questions-
Can I put the cleaning solution in the Braava jet m6?
The iRobot hard floor cleaner and iRobot Braava jet hard floor cleaning solutions are the recommended solutions for use with the Braava 300 series or the m6.
What is the best iRobot Braava?
The iRobot Braava Jet m6 is an excellent mop robot with many intelligent functions for automating the hated housework. While the Jet 240 and 380t are solid options as well, the m6 certainly stands out as the alpha of the pack.
Is the Braava Jet safe for hardwood floors?
Yes. The Braava is suitable for cleaning hard surfaces such as wood, tiles, vinyl, linoleum, and laminate.
Should I sweep before wiping?
It’s best to always check and sweep, mop, or vacuum your floor first to remove any large debris and stray hair. But you don’t have to.
Can I reuse Braava pads?
The iRobot Braava m6 comes with disposable pads, but you can buy reusable mop pads that you can clean in your washing machine.
Can it be used on Pergo floors?
The Braava is designed to clean hard floors including wood, tile, vinyl, linoleum, and laminate.
How does it work if you don’t have very good WiFi coverage?
The Braava has the option of cleaning with or without a wifi connection. Just use the buttons directly on the robot if the signal is not strong enough to make a connection.
Can he sweep and mop?
Yes he does, but you have to change the pads as he has a specific pad for sweeping dry which is static sweeping (doesn’t suck in dirt and there’s no bin to empty it) so a light sweep is fine, but dirty he will need some help. The mop is similar to a Swiffer pad and does a surprisingly good job at wiping!
Final Thoughts
The Braava Jet m6 is honestly amazing, especially when you compare it to other devices, including the Braava 240 and 380t, which are cheaper but not as good for larger homes.
The Braava m6 is the latest iRobot mop to hit the market. It has smartphone control or voice control, WiFi integration, and the ability to connect to other robot vacuum cleaners (including the Roomba i7 or S9 series).
Recharging and resuming help ensure the area is clean before a cleaning cycle ends, while cleaning zones keep you updated on where the m6 has or has not cleaned. If you are looking for an ultra-intelligent mop robot, the m6 is arguably the best-built mop robot.
