When it comes to dirty floors, most robotic vacuums have a difficult time handling tough jobs. Sure, they can remove light dirt and dust, but when it comes to real messes, they often can’t get the job done.
However, this is not always the case. In fact, there is one robot that stands out from all of the rest. The iRobot Braava Jet 240 was developed by iRobot. It can tackle heavy dirt and grime using a unique system. By utilizing water-activated cleaning pads, the Braava Jet 240 can deep clean floors with ease.
Testing the Braava Jet 240
Before turning on the Braava robot vac, you will have to allow the lithium battery to charge for two hours. While waiting for the unit to fully charge, you can take advantage of the waiting period by downloading iRobot’s app on your smart device. While you don’t have to download the app to operate the robot mop, it will no doubt enhance the user experience. The app will let users choose between several different cleaning modes including a spot cleaning mode that will help you clean up spills quickly. Additionally, the app will let you control the amount of water used in the cleaning process.
Image: Amazon
When you purchase the bot, it will come standard with three different types of cleaning pads. You will be provided with one white cleaning pad that is great for dry sweeping jobs. Also, you will receive a blue pad for wet mopping and an orange pad for damp sweeping. When a pad is attached to the unit, the robot will automatically recognize it and begin cleaning in the appropriate mode. With each mode, different amounts of water are used for cleaning, and none is used during dry sweeping. The sweeping patterns and the number of passes are also different with each mode. During the wet moping mode, the pads will vibrate for deep cleaning.
During the cleaning test, we set the Braava Jet 240 on the wet mopping mode by attaching the blue pad. The area that we tested the unit on was a sealed hardwood floor that was 49-square-feet. The floor was filthy, and we were skeptical if the unit could handle the mess. Not only did the floor’s surface had dried soda on it, but we also added pet hair and dirt from the yard. Next, we did a damp and dry test with the vac on the same surface.
The Outcome
With the floor being so dirty, we were worried that the bot mop would not get the job done. But when we saw just how well the bot performed, we knew that we had something special. The wet mopping cycle lasted about 14-minutes, and the robot picked up all the heavy particles on the floor and cleaned up the dried soda leaving the floor free of stains. But when it comes to the pet hair, the iRobot Braava Jet 240 had some difficulty. While the bot got up most of the pet hair, there was some left in the corners of the room. Overall, the floor was spotless and we were pleased with the outcome.
Image: iRobot
We also did repeated testing of the model, and each of those tests came out just as impressive as the first. In the bathroom, we conducted a dry mopping test. During this test, the bot cleaned up dirt and dust without issue. It was even capable of getting into the tight corners of the bathroom removing grim. Around the toilet and the sink, the vacuum did an excellent job of removing dirt. Also, we took the bot back to the kitchen and used it to spot clean a large area. The unit was able to clean up the dried soda in a matter of a few minutes.
The iRobot Braava Jet 240 will also work with reusable pads that can be purchased for just $20. You will get two pads for this price that are machine washable. This will save you a lot of money in the long run if you plan to use the mop on a weekly basis. One thing that you should also keep in mind is that the reserve can only be used for water, unlike some robots that allow you to use cleaners.
Final Verdict
As we stated above, we were really impressed with the mop even if it has some limitations. The model works great as an incremental cleaner, but it will probably not be great for very large homes. But for those with smaller homes and apartments, the iRobot Braava Jet 240 will get the job done and then some. It will prolong the need for deep cleaning and is an excellent replacement for a Swiffer.
The iRobot Braava Jet 240 currently sells for $169 via Amazon, while it’s beefed up cousin, the Braava 380t sells for $249. The difference here is that the 380t has Northstar Navigation, which allows it to work like an indoor GPS and a dock that charges the device in under two hours.
A sample unit was provided to KnowTechie for the purpose of this review.
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