iRobot’s Roomba Mini can clean where its larger robovacs can’t reach

iRobot has announced its first new robot since the company filed for bankruptcy last December and was later acquired by China’s Picea Robotics. At just 9.5-inches in diameter, the new Roomba Mini is half the size of iRobot’s entry-level 105 series robovacs that launched last March, allowing the vacuum to access and clean spaces that are too narrow for larger robots.

The Roomba Mini was originally developed for smaller Japanese homes, but iRobot is expanding its availability to the United Kingdom where it’s now available for £379, and the rest of Europe for €399. Color options include back, pink, white, and mint. The company currently has no plans to launch the Roomba Mini in the US, Michèle Szynal, iRobot’s senior director of corporate communications, tells The Verge in an email.

Despite its smaller size, the Roomba Mini still features a lidar-based navigation system to avoid obstacles like people, furniture, and rugs, depending what mode it’s in. It can be used as a robot vacuum, sucking up dust and dirt on hard floors and carpets using a spinning brush on the underside. Or you can switch to mopping mode by attaching a disposable wet pad that instead traps dirt and absorbs wet spills.

The robot is compatible with iRobot’s Roomba Home app that can be used to schedule cleaning routines, but you can also activate it by voice using separate Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant-enabled smart devices. If you want to skip online connectivity altogether or don’t have access to Wi-Fi, the Roomba Mini can be manually started with a button press.

The Roomba Mini comes with a dock matching its smaller footprint that both charges the robovac and empties its dirt bin. The dock does rely on bags, which you’ll have to remember to keep stocked, but with enough capacity for up to three months of dust and debris.

Although it’s the first small robovac from iRobot, other companies already offer autonomous cleaners designed for smaller spaces. Dyson’s first robovac, the 360 Eye, was much smaller than the other options already on the market when it was announced in 2014, although its bots have grown in size over the years. The Roomba Mini will also be going up against the comparably-sized SwitchBot K11 Plus that includes Matter smart home support.

Update, March 10th: An iRobot representative in the UK originally told The Verge the Roomba Mini would launch in the US in the summer. iRobot’s Michèle Szynal reached out to The Verge to clarify the company currently has no plans for a US launch.

Update, March 10th: Added a source for the company’s plans on US availability.