Design and Setup
The Braava 380t looks a heck of a lot like the Braava 320, with the same two-tier shape and dimensions. It measures 9.6 by 8.5 by 3.1 inches (WDH) and weighs in at 4 pounds. It comes in shiny black plastic instead of white, with the same matte black plastic along the sides. There are just three simple function buttons on top of the device: Power, Mop, and Sweep, along with navigation system indicator lights underneath. There's also a handle on the back that allows you to pick up and transport the robot easily. The only way you'd really know that this is a different model, aside from color, is the rubber bumper on the front. While both Braava models work slowly and gently enough that I wouldn't worry about it scuffing even the most delicate furniture, the rubber bumper makes for added peace of mind.
Before you can start cleaning, first you must charge the robot. Stand it up on its back to access the charging port, plug it in, and wait for a solid blue light to appear on the Power button. It takes about four hours to reach a full charge, which should last for up to four hours of sweeping or two-and-a-half hours of mopping. A Turbo Charge Cradle is available for $59.99, which charges the Braava to full capacity in just two hours. It's easier to use, too, since you don't need to stand the device on its back.
Once fully charged, you need to attach the appropriate cleaning pad and microfiber cloth for sweeping or mopping. The Braava comes with one multi-purpose cleaning pad, one reservoir mopping pad, one microfiber cloth for sweeping, and one microfiber cloth for mopping. The cleaning cloths are all machine washable, and can be used hundreds of times.
The pad for mopping comes with a small built-in reservoir you must fill up with water before using. Dampen the mopping cloth, then stick it onto the pad via Velcro attachments on the back. The pad for sweeping, meanwhile, uses a set of grip teeth to hold a dry microfiber cloth firmly in place. The pads are held in place by magnets, and are easy to put on. You cannot use the mopping and sweeping cloths and pads interchangeably.
I was a little surprised that there's no specialized cleaning solution for mopping. But the microfiber pads have been specially formulated for optimal cleaning, so just water should do the trick. You may also use a mild solution of your choice, but anything thick can clog the wick (which is the porous cap to the reservoir pad). Still, as an avowed germaphobe, I like to take a heavy duty approach to my cleaning every once in a while, and it looks like I'll have to continue to do that by hand in the future. The multi-purpose cleaning pad does work with pre-moistened cleaning cloths though, like Swiffer pads, if that's any consolation.
Finally, before you can start cleaning, you must turn on the included, battery-powered NorthStar Navigation Cube. When you turn it on, a flashing blue light will appear. Place the Cube on a counter or table with a clear view of the ceiling, and point the flashing blue light toward the center of the room. This will help guide the Braava around your room. I did have trouble on occasion getting the Braava to connect to the Cube, but this would pass with repeated attempts.
One major benefit to the Braava 380t is that you can use additional Navigation Cubes to guide the robot from room to room. Just keep in mind that each additional Cube costs $39.99, and the Braava 380t only has so much battery life. But if you live in a small one-bedroom apartment like I do, it makes for the ultimate in kick-back cleaning.
Performance and Conclusions
Once you're all set up, all you have to do is press the Mop or Sweep button and let the Braava do the rest. I first tried sweeping, in order to prep my floors for a good mopping. The Braava 380t only works on flat surfaces, like tile or hardwood floor, so throw rugs and carpeted areas are completely out. Luckily, my apartment is mostly hardwood flooring, and the Braava avoided my throw rugs like the plague.
The IROBOT BRAAVA 380T uses a mostly forward motion to sweep, pushing forth and carrying dust, debris, and plenty of pet hair. I was actually quite surprised at the amount of dirt and dust the pad the picked up, since I tend to keep a pretty clean home (I'll blame it on a shedding pug and the hard-to-vacuum spots underneath the couch). It doesn't vacuum, which means you're going to need to clean off all that debris it picks up by hand rather than emptying out a bin, which was a terrifying prospect when I spotted a long-dead house centipede. I was glad the Braava found it, but not so glad to dust it off by hand with a paper towel. Still the microfiber cloth picked up a lot more than I expected. Even better is that the Braava 380t is virtually silent. I often forgot it was even on until I heard it beep to let me know that it was done cleaning.
After a thorough sweeping, I set the Braava to mop. To do this, it employs a back-and-forth technique in which it leaves a liquid trail in the shape of the letter Y. I only filled the reservoir pad with water, to see how good a job the microfiber cloth would do. Once again I was pretty impressed with the results. I guess I just don't expect my apartment to be dirty, but I was surprised at the amount of dirt visible on the cleaning cloth when the Braava had finished, as well as the overall "clean" feeling of my floors.
The main problem is that the Braava 380t pays the same amount of attention to each area it cleans, so it will spend just as much time on a dried up spill as it will on a perfectly clean section of floor. That means that it's perfectly fine for a quick cleaning, especially if you usually keep things tidy, but you'll need to put in some of your own manpower on tough stains and spills.
The NorthStar Navigation Cubes did a good job in guiding the robot around my apartment. It often got right near furniture without actually bumping into it, and did a really nice job navigating around corners. A large shag rug in the middle of living room threw the robot for a loop though. While there should have been just enough space to navigate around the rug, it was never able to make it; I had to pick it up and move it myself. And as far as I'm concerned, if I'm using a robot to do my housework, I want to put in as little physical effort as possible. Additionally, there's no way to schedule cleanings with the Braava Plus, like you can with vacuum robots like the Neato XV-21.
Quibbles aside, I really like the Braava 380t. It's great for someone like me, who lives in a mostly hardwood-floored apartment. While its mopping capabilities aren't quite on par with the superior suction of the high-end Roomba 880$589.95 at Amazon, it has the added benefit of being able to mop my floors after it sweeps them. There's also the Scooba 450Best Price at Amazon, which vacuums and mops, but at $600, it's double the price of the Braava 380t. It's also a lot louder, and still lacks the muscle to take out deep-set stains.
I'm tempted to give the Braava 380t 4 stars instead of 3.5, but I won't, mainly because the Braava 320 is also available. That model sells for $100 less, and I'm not sure the added features here are worth the extra dough for most people. The extended battery is definitely nice, and room-to-room cleaning is handy, but keep in mind you'll have to pay even more for additional Cubes. The rubber bumper is welcome but superfluous, as are some of the other new features. So if you don't really need any of these, then go for the Braava 320. Either way, you're guaranteed a cool new robot for the couch potato with cleanliness in mind.
