Shipping Requirements for Lithium-ion Batteries
Shipping requirements state that lithium-ion battery operated products must be shipped with the battery inside and must not be able to turn on accidentally during transportation. A battery cannot be shipped by itself, outside a robot, except for new battery sales.
To deactivate the battery, follow the steps for your model robot below. Alternatively, you can always choose to run the robot out of battery before packaging it. If the robot is completely dead / has no power, it’s ok to ship as is.
To reactivate a sleeping battery, place the robot back on the Home/Clean Base™.
How to put your battery in Sleep Mode
Roomba 105, 205, 405, 505, and 705
Turn off the battery by removing the robot from the dock and holding down the Home button for 30 seconds. Tap the power button again to confirm that no lights come on. This will ensure that they successfully got it into ship mode. Return the robot to the charging dock within 4 minutes. The robot should now power on and operate as expected.
Note: It may take upwards of 30 seconds for the robot to fully boot it. Once it does, it will announce that it’s charging.
Roomba Essential
The robot must be off the dock. Press and hold the HOME button on the robot for 9 seconds. A shutdown sound will play, and the LEDs will shut off.
Note: You may notice a small red LED in the front of the main internal board will remain illuminated at a low level when the robot is in ship mode. This is expected.
i,s, and m Series Li-Ion battery
Press and hold the 
HOME button on the robot for 10 seconds. All indicators should turn off. Press the CLEAN button to ensure that the robot remains deactivated, indicating that the battery is now prepared for shipping.
j Series and Combo 10 Max Li-Ion battery
Lift one wheel of the robot off the ground and hold the CLEAN button for 3 seconds. All indicators should turn off. Press the CLEAN button to ensure that the robot remains deactivated, indicating that the battery is now prepared for shipping.
e Series Li-Ion battery
Press and hold the CLEAN button on the robot for 12 seconds; you will then hear an audible tone, indicating that it's time to release it. All indicators should turn off. Press the CLEAN button to ensure that the robot remains deactivated, indicating that the battery is now prepared for shipping.
Roomba 400 through 900 series batteries
These batteries do not have a sleep mode built in. Please remove the battery and apply tape over the battery contacts. Then reinstall the battery. We recommend scotch tape or electrical tape. This includes XLIFE and NiMh batteries.
Braava Jet 240 battery
Pop out the battery from the back of the robot and package it separately in the box. Note: This is an exception and the only time it is ok for a battery to ship outside the robot.
Braava 380t Battery
Unplug the battery from its wired connector and place the battery back into the well, but do not plug it in this time.
Safety Note: Do not ship physically damaged batteries (deformed, hot, leaking, etc.) If you encounter a damaged battery, please contact iRobot Customer Care.
Battery Disposal
Batteries should be disposed of in accordance with local regulations or via an authorized recycler. Depending on the battery type, a phone number may be listed on the battery itself.
Battery HazMat Label
Do not cover the HazMat label on the box. This sticker,“UN 3481” indicates that this product includes a lithium-ion battery.
If you no longer have the original box, that's ok! You may use any other box available, unless the package cannot travel ground. For example, HI and AK would have to travel via air and must be shipped in their original box.
