The makers of Roomba robotic vacuums also make robotic mops. These devices aren’t a 3-in-1 machine trying to do too much. They have one job, and they do it well. Just like the Roomba robots only vacuum, the Braava robots only mop. Which one, though, is right for you?
The Braava 380t is a more economical model, saving you time as well as money. However, the Braava Jet M6 has advanced cleaning and mapping technology. This Braava robot comparison review will look at both machines in detail to help you decide which one should be in your home.
The quick answer is that unless you also have the Roomba i7 or Roomba s9, stick with the Braava 380t. Read on to find out why.
Contents
Braava Jet M6 and 380t Differences
The newer M6 has advanced technology, but how does that change the operation? Let’s find out where these two robots differ.
- The M6 uses a jet sprayer to wet the floor; the 380t doesn’t have a sprayer.
- With Imprint Technology, the M6 can map your home and communicate with specific Roomba models; the Braava 380t doesn’t map or interact with other robots.
- Recharge and Resume capability is found with the M6 but not on the 380t.
- Wireless communications allow the use of voice commands and the iRobot Home App with the Braava Jet M6 but not the Braava 380t.
- The 380t doesn’t have Spot Clean mode like the M6 has.
- The M6 is compatible with the dual-mode virtual wall barriers; the 380t isn’t compatible with any virtual barriers.
- You can adjust the spray level on the Braava M6; the 380t doesn’t have a spray.
Similarities between the Braava 380t and Braava Jet m6
Since both models are built by iRobot, and both are mopping robots, there will be some similarities. Let’s see what they are.
- Both models offer a dry sweep or true wet mop options.
- Each robot is designed for all hard flooring, including finished hard floors.
- The Braava M6 and 380t will mop in back and forth parallel lines.
- Each robot is capable of handling large floor areas.
- The two robots are designed to clean all the way to the edges for maximum coverage.
- You can use plain water or the Braava Jet Hard Floor Cleaning Solution with either robot.
Comparison Chart
Let us get a good side-by-side comparison for the robots to show you what each one can offer you.
| Braava Jet M6 | Braava 380t | |
| Battery | 3300mAh lithium-ion (suspected) | 2000mAh NiMH |
| Runtime | Up to 180 minutes | Up to 210 minutes |
| Recharge | About 3 hours | About 2.5 hours |
| Dimensions | 10.6 x 10.6 x 3.5 inches | 8.5 x 8.5 x 3 inches |
| iAdapt Version | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| Weight | 4.85 pounds | 3.85 pounds |
| Vacuum | No | No |
| Sweep | Yes | Yes |
| Dry Mop | Yes | Yes |
| Damp Mop | No | Yes |
| Wet Mop | Yes | Yes |
| Collection Bin Capacity | N/A | N/A |
| Water Reservoir Capacity | 0.44L (15 ounces) | 0.12L |
| Entire Level Clean | Yes | No |
| Automatic Recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Communications | Yes | No |
| Mobile App | Yes | No |
| Voice Commands | Yes | No |
| Local Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Control | No | No |
| Zone Cleaning | Yes | No |
| Imprint Smart Mapping | Yes | No |
| Imprint Link | Yes (Roomba i7/s9 Compatible only) | No |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
Features of Braava Jet m6 vs Braava 380t
Now we will take these machines apart and examine all of their features. This apples to apples comparison will help you figure out which features you must have and which ones you can do without.
Braava Batteries
The Braava M6 and 380t use different batteries. The 380t comes with a 2000mAh Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMH) pack installed. From drained to full, the charging cycle for this battery takes about two and a half hours.
The Braava Jet M6 uses a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery. However, as of this writing, iRobot is still quiet about their official specs. We can safely assume that with the technology included and the types of power-draining resources used, the battery is a 3300mAh pack — the same battery type found in the i7 and s9 Roomba models.
The recharge time for the Braava M6 is right at three hours. When cleaning, the M6 will run for up to 180 minutes, or three hours. This coverage time is quite incredible, considering how slow the robot moves. The M6 will cover multiple rooms, and a single charge can plow through about 1400 square feet or more.
The 380t has an estimated runtime of up to 210 minutes, though this is in dry sweep mode only. The robot also moves even slower than the M6, so the coverage area drops to about 1100 square feet per charge. In wet mop mode, you can expect an average runtime of approximately 150 minutes.
Recharging is Different
The main difference here, though, is the recharge cycle. When the battery gets low, the Braava 380t will return to the area is started cleaning. It doesn’t self-dock or undock. You will have to find it, pick it up and place it on the charging station manually.
On the other hand, the M6 uses a Home Base style charging station, and like its Roomba counterparts will monitor its battery charge level. When it drops too low, the M6 will return to the charging station and dock itself. The charging cycle is automated.
If the floor space hasn’t been completed, the M6 will return to the area it left off from and continue the job until all areas have been mopped. The Recharge and Resume feature is not available on the 380t.
Bottom Line: The Braava Jet M6 wins. It has a stronger battery for more coverage and will resume cleaning after a charge if needed.
When it comes to navigation, the two models have different methods as well. The M6 has integrated navigation with camera-based vSLAM and wireless technology. The 380t uses a NorthStar Navigation Cube.
With vSLAM technology, the M6 will use a camera to create a map of your home. This map will appear on the mobile app (covered under Control Options below) and allow you to interact with it. The map also means that navigation is linear. The robot will find the edges of the room it is cleaning, and begin mopping in back and forth parallel lines, much like you would with a stick mop.
Through the mobile app, you can also name the rooms and have the robot clean a specific room (Covered under Imprint Technology below). The robot will also know exactly where the charging station is in relation to the current robot location so it can return to recharge if needed.
The 380t does not have the wireless technology to make use of the mobile app or a camera to use vSLAM algorithms. Instead, it uses a NorthStar Navigation Cub that works like a GPS unit. The robot will find the edges of the room in relation to its starting position and begin cleaning in back and forth parallel lines.
The cube sends a signal and based on where the signal comes from the Braava 380t can maintain position, and when low on battery or a cleaning run completion, the 380t will return to the starting point.
Bottom Line: The Braava Jet M6 wins. Better controls, mapping, and navigation allow the M6 to be more thorough and concise in its cleaning runs.
Dry Sweep & Wet Mop
Both models will perform dry sweeps and wet mops depending on your needs. It is recommended that both machines do a sweeping run before performing a mop. This will help ensure the floor is clean and dust-free before getting the floor wet. However, both of the machines are fairly slow, and if you are looking for a mopping run before company arrives, we advise that you sweep the floor yourself.
The Braava 380t has control options that you select based on the mode you need. In either case, you will use the reservoir tank to hold the cleaning pad and attach it to the robot. If you want a sweep, you press the Sweep button.
Otherwise, you can fill the 0.12L tank with water or approved cleaning solution and press the Mop button. The cleaning cycles are the same, except one drips water onto the pad to keep it wet and mopping your floors, and the other runs through sweeping the floors to collect dirt, dust, and debris.
For the Braava M6, you have a few options. If you own a Roomba i7 or Roomba s9, you can use the Imprint Link technology to have the Roomba clean the floors before a mopping cycle by the M6.
You can do this manually as well. If you want a sweeping cycle, you need to attach the sweep cloth to the robot and send it on its way. For a mopping cycle, attach a mopping pad, fill the 0.44L reservoir tank and then send it on its way. You do not need to select the cleaning mode, as the robot will know based on the pad attached.
The sweeping pads have a white tab while the mopping pads are blue. The robot will be able to tell which color is attached and will engage the spray head for mopping or leave it disabled for sweeping.
You also have the option to use voice commands or the mobile app to select the cleaning mode and start or stop a cycle.
Bottom Line: This round is a tie. While the M6 gives you more options for getting a cleaning cycle completed, they both offer the same two modes.
Control Options
Everything with the Braava 380t is manual. There are no mobile apps or voice commands. However, because the entire process is manual, it isn’t that big of a loss. You will have to fill the tank, put the mopping pad on the robot, and remove it from the charging station all yourself.
Since you will be right there when the robot is ready to start cleaning, pressing a button before you walk away isn’t much of a chore.
For the Braava Jet M6, you have a lot of options. Like the 380t, you will need to fill the reservoir and attach the pad. After that, everything can be manual or automatic, based on your needs at the time.
For local controls, though limited, you can press the Clean button, and away the robot goes. If you want more automated controls, you can use the iRobot Home app. You can create a cleaning schedule to have the robot mop daily, or every other day, or any other day and time that you choose. You can even create, edit, or delete schedules from your desk at work.
If you are home, though, you also have the option to use voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled devices. Just tell Alexa what you need doing, and the robot will respond.
Bottom Line: The Braava M6 wins. More control options are available and can be used at any time.
Imprint Technology
Imprint Technology is a system that was introduced with the release of the Roomba i7 and later added to with the release of the Roomba s9 and Braava M6. There are two aspects to the new technology, Imprint Link and Imprint Smart Mapping.
Imprint Link allows communication between the Roomba i7/s9 and the Braava M6. You can set the robots up (assuming you own both the Roomba and Braava) to link together, keeping your floors spotless.
When the Roomba sets out to vacuum the floors, it will update the M6 with its location and which rooms have been completed. The Braava M6 will begin cleaning when the Roomba is finished with the room, completing the mopping job behind the Roomba.
You can also have it set up where they work in tandem, having the Roomba vacuum only rooms with carpeting and the Braava mopping rooms with hardwood floors. Using this feature will have both robots begin their cleaning cycles at the same time.
Imprint Smart Mapping is the new digital mapping feature that gives you even more control through the mobile app. Through Smart Mapping, you can see the map created by the robot and add details. Naming the rooms allows you to control the mopping to specific areas. You can set a schedule where only a single room or a few rooms get cleaned. It works as a form of digital containment, preventing the robot from accessing rooms or parts of rooms.
The Smart Mapping also works with voice commands, once the rooms are labeled on the map. You can tell Alexa to have the Braava clean a specific room at any time. It should be noted that as of this writing, the voice commands limit you to a single room. However, iRobot is working on an update that will allow you to say more than one room to have cleaned.
Bottom Line: The Braava M6 wins. The Braava 380t doesn’t have Imprint Technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s take some time and answer some of the most common questions about the Braava Jet M6 and Braava 380t mopping robots.
Q. What type of containment options are there?
A. The 380t doesn’t have any form of containment. It does rely on the signal from the NorthStar Cube and will measure distances to walls and doorways. In a small way, this can confine the robot to a small area or single room, it isn’t a containment method, though.
The Braava M6 uses digital containment through the Imprint Smart Mapping and works out of the box. If you want more containment options though, the M6 is also compatible with the dual-mode virtual wall barriers.
Q. Can I use any cleaning solution in the reservoir tanks?
A. You can technically use anything in the reservoir tanks that you wish — even peanut butter. However, unless you use only water or the Braava hard floor cleaning solution, you will void your warranty. While other chemical cleaners might be readily available or used, they haven’t been tested or approved for use inside the machine.
The workaround for this is to put your cleaning solutions in a spray bottle and wet the floor prior to a cleaning cycle. The solution won’t be mixed but will be spread by the cloths without getting inside the robots where it voids the warranty.
Q. How do I contact customer support?
A. You can call the iRobot toll free number 1-800-727-9077. For more detailed assistance, or if you are outside the US, you can find email addresses, alternative phone numbers and a live chat link on the customer support page.
What I Like About the Braava 380t
- Long battery life for cleaning large areas.
- Will sweep or mop depending on your needs.
- Multiple NorthStar Navigation Cubes can be used to increase range.
What I Like About the Braava Jet M6
- Imprint Technology offers more containment and control over the robot.
- Large reservoir tank for big jobs.
- Recharge and Resume feature means the job will be completed.
In Conclusion
There is no doubt that the Braava Jet M6 is a superior machine. With cutting edge technology, mobile app and voice command capabilities, and Imprint Technology, it is far and above the competition.
However, to get all of that technology, you will have to pay for it, and the Braava M6 isn’t as inexpensive as it could be. Alternatively, the Braava 380t is also able to mop or sweep large areas and multiple rooms. There is more manual involvement needed on your part, but for the price, you can’t beat the clean and convenience of the 380t.
While the M6 beats the 380t in almost every category, the overall value to price ratio is much higher with the 380t. It is for this reason that we recommend the Braava 380t over the M6. That being said though if you want the latest and greatest or already own a Roomba i7 or s9, purchasing the Braava Jet M6 is a worthwhile investment.