Good for in Between Cleanings & Daily Maintenance

I have a dog that sheds a lot and it was getting very cumbersome to vacuum and clean everyday. I love the Rumba because it is easy to use and runs everyday while I am at work and returns to the dock/charging station by itself to re-charge. It also has a detector so that it does not fall down the stairs.

I would not recommend to use this if you are looking to get a deep cleaning done. It is good for in between deep-cleanings to pick up dog fur, dust, etc. But it will not pick up everything and will not get in the corners. It definitely helps save me time on a day-to-day basis. It is a bit pricey but well worth it!

This is really good for maintaining a clean floor - it doesnt do the entire job for you, but will help to maintain after you've swept, and mopped.

I dont think its an essential that everyone needs to have in their homes as it is quite expensive!

My husband surprised me when he came home with this product. I had seen it on the store shelves and read about it. But with two kids leaving their toys around and two dogs shedding their hair I wasn't certain it would be effective. Well let me tell you I was in for a pleasant surprise. We set the timer so it would run while we were sleeping. It took two or three nights for it to accurately learn the layout of our home but since then it has been smooth sailing. I wake up to start my day and the floors are spotless. Let me tell you, it feels great to wake up to a clean house every day. So not only it is effectively cleaning my floors every day. But it is also helping me start each day feeling relaxed and happy. The price tag is a little steep at $350 (Costco Canada) but the pay off is well worth the investment!

We did have one small problem with a tire getting stuck. But the Roomba announces an error message clearly identifying the problem and Roomba customer service was great to help us rectify the problem.

Very satisfied with this product!

A bit in the expensive side but oh so worth it!! Especially if your dad gets it for you for your birthday!! I have two cats and this little guy picks up all the hair and bits they leave behind. I love love love my roomba

I got this hoping it would help with the stray cat hair that you just can't seem to get with a broom. Its amazing I have it scheduled to come one at a certain time every day. usually right after I have swept the floor. and I am amazed by what the iRobot picks up that I missed. and it gets under those pesky base board heaters that are so close to the floor with its little sweeper. The best part is once the battery gets low it automatically takes its self back to the dock to recharge.

If you have not tried the Roomba yet, you really don't know what you're missing!

The concept is pretty simple: it zips around and vacuums your floor, then docks itself to recharge when it's finished. It can be programmed to clean every day at a certain time. There are several settings, including a spot cleaner that's really handy if you've swept some dirt into a pile or only want a small area cleaned. My unit also comes with a remote control if you want to manually direct its path.

It's kind of mesmerizing to watch, and my kids think it's hilarious when it "chases" the cat. The cat is less impressed.

Pros:

- This really is as simple as pushing a button and walking away. So easy to start when you leave the house in the morning!

- The disposal compartment easily clicks off the machine and you dump the gunk into your trash. No bags to buy or fuss with.

- My model (the 770) has 2 HEPA filters which minimizes dust and other particulates being recirculated into the air.

- The Roomba can handle most floor surfaces including tile, vinyl, hardwoods, and carpet. If you have a really long shag, it can slow the machine down and use up more battery life, but it still gets the job done.

- it fits under most furniture depending on your pieces. Our bed frames and sofas are all a couple of inches off the ground so it can scoot under there easily. No more dust bunnies!!!

- when it's finished, it sings a little tune to let you know the cycle is complete. It sings a different song for a full trash compartment or if it gets stuck under something or clogged.

- the brushes easily pop off the unit to be cleaned. It comes with a special tool to pull long hair off the spindle. In comparison, I have to use a screwdriver to open my regular vacuum head in order to clean off the spindle.

Cons:

- It does not vacuum as thoroughly as a proper vacuum cleaner (just can't have the suction that a more powerful upright or canister unit will have with a larger motor).

- It's not as smart as the commercials imply. I have seen it repeatedly vacuum the same spot over and over again while continuously missing another spot. However, if you let it do a cycle every day, it keeps your floor much cleaner than you probably do with a once-a-week regular vacuum. It will eventually get to that uncleaned spot.

- it will fall down the stairs if you don't use the Virtual Wall to block it. The Virtual Walls only have a range of maybe 8 feet, so if you have a large area you need to block off, you might need to put up a physical barrier as well. For this reason, I usually only have it do one or several rooms at a time. Obviously, it can't do the entire house in one session.

Overall:

For the price you pay, you can probably buy a decent standard vacuum instead (depending on the Roomba model - mine was one of the best ones). I would not replace my proper vacuum with the Roomba. However, the convenience factor really does make my weekly household chores so much easier. I was also fortunate to have credit card points I needed to cash in, so I got mine for free!

Definitely a good gift idea for "someone who has everything"! I have had mine for about 2 years and it runs nearly every day. No issues yet, and I'd most likely buy it again if it ever broke on me.