Roomba 400 & 500-Series vs Infinuvo CleanMate QQ-1, QQ-2, QQ-2 Plus, QQ-2 LT QQ-3 Comparison/Review

The CleanMate QQ-1 and QQ-2 are second-generation robotic vacuum cleaners designed and manufactured by Infinuvo, a private company based out of San Jose. From the basic website it is obvious the company is quite small and will find it challenging to compete with iRobot’s Roomba product series. Infinuvo CleanMate products are distributed by Metapo, but are also sold at Amazon.com and various other sites. Below is a comparison of the iRobot Roomba products with the Infinuvo CleanMate products:

Product	Roomba 410	CleanMate QQ-1	Roomba 530	CleanMate QQ-2	Roomba 532 and above
Manufacturer	IRobot	Infinuvo	IRobot	Infinuvo	Roomba
Best Price	$149.99	$114.99	$269.98	114.99	$299.99 and up.
Warranty	1 year	1 year for parts. 6-months for battery.	1 year.	1 year for parts. 6-months for battery.	1 year except for 610 professional which has 2 years.
Measurements	13 by 4 inches	14 by 3.6 inches	16.75 by 21 by 5 inches	14 by 3.5 inch	16.75 by 21 by 5 inches
Battery Type	14.4V 3.0Ah NiMH	14.4V 2.5 Ah NiCd	14.4V 3.3Ah NiMH	14.4V NiMH 2.5 Ah	14.4V 3.3Ah NiMH
Battery Charging Time	7 hours	2.5 hours	3 hours	3.5 hours	3 hours
Self-Charging Home Base	No – optional accessory	No.	Yes	Yes.	Yes.
Voice Demo	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Dirt Detection – spends more time cleaning dirtier areas	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Cleaning Times	120 minutes	60 minutes	120 minutes	70 minutes PLUS additional 40 minutes after recharge.	120 minutes except 610 professional which has a max mode.
Spot Cleaning	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Remote	No	Standard	No	Standard	Roomba 570 & 580 only. Optional $59 accessory with Roomba 535 and up.
Virtual Wall – Allows blocking off-limit areas.	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Light House – directs Roomba back to the home-base from up to 4 rooms	No	No	No	No	Yes except 532.
On board scheduling	No	No	No	No	Roomba 550 and up
UV light based disinfection	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Motor Cleaning Movement Design	Counter-Rotating – but a generation behind compared to 5-series technology.	5-step repetitive	Counter-Rotating	5-step repetitive	Counter-Rotating
Supported Floor Types	No published limits	Not suitable for plush and long fur carpets.	No published limits	Not suitable for plush and long fur carpets.	No published limits.
Odor Removal	None	Fragrance Slot.	None	Fragrance slot.	None.
Dirt Detection	Yes	None.	Yes	None	Yes
Stair Detection/Avoidance	Yes	Yes.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Motor Details	Quiet and Slow	Less Quiet and Faster.	Quiet and Slow	Less Quiet and Faster.	Quiet and Slow.
Auto Resume After Recharge	No	No.	No	Yes.	No.
Under-bed Sensor – Moves out of a dark area when battery is closed to being drained.	No	No.	No	Yes	No

The Infinuvo product closely resembles iRobot’s Roomba 410 product and the features are very comparable though there are exceptions. Given iRobot’s large technology patent portfolio it is reasonable to categorize this as a knock-off. As mentioned in our review of iRobot, they have been successful in driving out knock-offs, specifically the KoolVac product from Koolatron. It is conceivable that iRobot will use the same strategy against Infinuvo. To Infinuvo’s credit, they have steered clear of some of the patented features of the Roomba such as the virtual wall and the lighthouse. At the same time, they have added a couple of innovative features – the UV light based disinfection and the under bed sensor. The under bed sensor prevents CleanMate QQ-2 from getting caught in inaccessible areas once the cleaning cycle is completed. This handy feature allows it to be used in rooms without the charger or home base. It will be interesting to see how these two products compete moving forward.

The Infinuvo website currently has a disclaimer stating not to use on plush or long fur carpet. They also have new variants called the Cleanmate QQ-2 Plus and Cleanmate QQ-2 LT - the former adds scheduling and sells for $169 while the latter adds an LCD panel for $10 more. The product can be scheduled for up to 7 days per week, and works for 70 minutes on a single charge. Infinuvo also has a new version called the Cleanmate QQ-3 which has two-stage cleaning, handles pet hair, works 100 minutes on a single charge, and has an optional sonic wall (similar to virtual wall). It sells for around $200.

Related Posts:

1. Roomba 700, 600 & 500 Series Comparison/Review (780, 770, 760, 610, 530, 532, 535/540, 550, 555, 560, 562, 570, 580).
2. iRobot (IRBT) Analysis.
3. ConnectR delays highlight growing pains at iRobot (IRBT).
4. Infinuvo CleanMate QQ-1, QQ-2 – An Alternative To The iRobot Roomba Robotic Vacuums – Comparison and Review!.
5. iRobot Roomba 5-series Robotic Vacuum Part/Accessory Replacement (Side Brushes) – Customer Support/Warranty Coverage Experience
6. Best Value Robotic Vacuums - A Comparative Review.
   

Last Updated: 10/2012.