iRobot Roomba

iRobot RoombaIf you’re looking for the best deal on an iRobot Roomba vacuum then you’ve come to the right site. I did a lot of research online into these when I was buying one for my parents who are getting up there in age :) . Although, these roomba vacuums are so neat and convenient, any one can benefit from them.

Below I’ve provided all the details you need to know about an iRobot Roomba so that you can choose the right one for your needs. Some models are made for specific environments like pets with hair, and for hardwood floors.

If you’re in a hurry and want to know where the best place to buy is, then you’ll find Amazon has the lowest prices by far. In fact it’s not easy to find the specific models that may suit you in local stores, because they tend not to stock them, so shopping online is usually the only way.

Roomba Reviews

For a lot of people, you spend all day (or night) at work and the last thing you really want to tackle is to vacuum your house. The beauty of owning an iRobot Roomba is that you can programme it turn on and clean your floors for you while at work!

The roomba comes with a docking station that the unit will find on it’s own for recharging – how sweet to watch one of these guys at work too. Check out the some of the Roomba floor cleaning models here.

But what about vacuuming across different types of floor/rugs? Actually, the iRobot Roomba models all have the built-in technology in the vacuum’s cleaning head to automatically adjust to transition from wood, tile, and linoleum to carpets and rugs.

Since it cleans under sofas and beds, the roomba actually vacuums more of the floor than a standard upright.

Types of Cleaning

I found out that there are quite a few series or models on the market from iRobot.
Basically, you need to decide what type of cleaning you are looking for, as some models are created specifically to vacuum floors, wash floors, or even clean your in-ground pools!

Here’s a quick breakdown of the current models and you can read my other articles regarding each one here on my site:

  • Roomba – vacuum cleaning
  • Scooba – floor washing
  • Verro – pool cleaning
  • Looj – gutter cleaning

Docking Station

iRobot Docking StationAlso called the Home Base, the docking station is really the charging station for the roomba models. The roomba vacuum returns to its Home Base to dock and recharge between cleaning cycles or when the battery starts to run low.

It has a built in sensor that allows it follow the transmission coming from the docking station. It’s a good idea to keep the station in an area or space that it can easily get to.

You may like to move the station around too. Like one day on the main floor so the robot vacuum can clean those rooms, then move it to the second floor the next day to clean the bedrooms, etc.

Virtual Walls

Another cool feature is using these “virtual walls” devices that some models come with. Basically, you can mark off-limit areas by placing a virtual wall in a doorway or other opening. Just set the infrared beam to the distance of the opening and the iRobot roomba vacuum will automatically detect the beam and not cross it.

iRobot Virtual WallsThis is quite handy when you just want to keep the cleaning isolated to just one room when there’s no door to close.

The roomba units do have the built-in sensors to know when they are near stairs or other drop-off points and not go over them as well. The bumper sensors allow the unit to switch directions easily when it comes into contact with a wall, chair leg or whatever.
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Battery Life

The “typical” battery life for the roomba is cleaning of about 3-4 rooms before it needs to recharge. Some models may vary and of course the size of your rooms will be a variable as well.

The home docking station is really a fast-charger and will give about 120 minutes of cleaning power to the roomba vacuum.

Roomba Parts

First of all, when you purchase an iRobot Roomba model, they come with a set of replaceable brushes, an extra filter or two as well as a brush cleaning tool kit.

Eventually, you’ll need to purchase extra filters and brushes for your roomba vacuum. These are very hard to find in local stores as well. Amazon does a nice job of making them available online and at a great price.

Customer Reviews

I read quite a few customer reviews about the iRobot Roomba models and below are some of the more recent ones:

“With the Roomba, you set the scheduler to do it while you are asleep. You wake up in the morning, the carpets are clean, the air is fresh, and you empty out the dust bin. It is just wonderful…”

“I love Roombas, they have saved me countless hours of work, and they make my home a much cleaner and easier-breathing place to be…”

“The roomba makes keeping the carpet clean a breeze…”

Here’s a video of an iRobot Roomba 560 in action:

Negative Feedback
I do have a few negative things that I need to discuss now. One issue is that the bin fills up fairly quickly, but this basically is a direct result of how dirty the floors or rugs are at the time. But for a small compact unit like this, it’s not the end of the world.
I would really like to see some type of gauge or indicator on the unit to tell me how close to full the bin is.

You’ll find yourself needing to tidy up quite a bit before releasing the roomba vacuum. It’s just common sense and I suppose it helps you keep those rooms neater!

Conclusion

Overall, I really believe the pros and benefits outweigh the cons for owning an iRobot Roomba. Sure, nothing is perfect, but in my opinion, if it saves me time to spend with family or other things that I’d like to do, you can’t beat having a robot vacuum in the house.

Again, I’ve found the best prices out there for any of the iRobot models is on Amazon and they are currently reflecting a big 30% discount as well.

Check out the what Roomba models are available here.

iRobot by Stairs

(links on this page are sponsored affiliate links the owner makes commission if you buy after clicking these links. The owner is not a bonafide user of this product however has thoughroughly researched it and provided his personal opinion only)