Print This Page
- Covers 4 rooms on a single battery charge
- On-board Scheduling
- Self-charging Home Base®
- 2 Virtual Wall® Lighthouses
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Calgary Alberta, Canada on 7/7/2008
I got my Roomba for Christmas 2007. In our house there are two small kids 4 & 6. Our family room & kitchen the most used rooms in our house were constantly dirty. Although we have a cleaning service once per week I still needed to vaccum every second day to have it as clean as I liked.
When I got Blacktop I programmed him to come on every afternoon while the family was out of the house. I couldn't believe all the stuff he picked up even after the cleaning service came.
I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend this robot to anyone except those with dogs.
from Metro East Illinois on 7/7/2008
Having two young children with allergies at home, I was constantly vacuuming my floors. This Roomba has saved my life! I simply set it to run during the day when I am at work. Each day it is scheduled to vacuum one or two rooms. I do need to clean the brushes after each use, but I don't mind...I can actually enjoy time with my kids. Thank you for this invention.
from Germantown, MD on 6/29/2008
I purchased the iRobot to help control the accumulation of pet hair. It does that admirably well. There are a few problems with the unit however. First, it often becomes wedged under furniture. Fortunately it turns itself off at those times. Second, the side brushes are extremely delicate. It tends to break easily when it catches on carpets or on furniture edges. I've lost several brushes in a short period of time. Still, the robot does exceptionally well with the task for which I purchased it--it operates automatically throughout the week and picks up an amazing amount of dirt and animal fur. It is also easy to clean.
Roomba has just free me from exhausting cleaning task. Easy to use product.
I HAD TO USE MY REGULAR VACUUM "EVERY DAY" TO KEEP THE PET HAIR OFF MY FLOORS "BUT" NOW THE ROBOT CLEANS "EVERY DAY" WHILE I'M DOING SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS THE BEST CLEANING ITEM I'VE EVER HAD & YES IT DOES CLEAN AS WELL AS MY LARGE VACUUM THAT I NO LONGER HAVE TO PUSH AROUND!!! THIS IS A "MUST HAVE" ITEM FOR ANYONE THAT LIKES CLEAN FLOORS BUT IS TIRED OF DOING THE CLEANING HIS OR HERSELF !!!!
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
This vacuum is great when it works - I love it but I consider the delicate nature of the side brushes a major flaw. They got torn up within three weeks of use. They are expensive to replace and there is no break on the postage if you place multiple orders. I had a less effective roomba but the side brushes were much more durable. The least roomba could do is find a way to sell accessories in the same stores the vacuums are sold. It would save some of us postage.
I really love my Roomba. At first I thought it would be a gimmicky item, but was pleasantly surprised to find it actually worked quite well. We don't use it on carpeted surfaces so I can't tell you about the cleaning ability in this area, but LOVE it for our hardwood floors. We have an entire level of hardwood in our home and the Roomba cleans with no problems at all. It has never been stuck, it doesn't bash into walls or scrape the white paint from our floorboards and trim. It surprises me every time I empty it's bin just how well it really does dust our floors. Love it, Love it, Love it........only one drawback, and that is that the sidebrush breaks often.....just like everyone else seems to be noticing. I find pieces of itself in the bin when I go to empty it. I think the manufacturer definitely needs to improve upon this. Fortunately, you can easily replace this part, but you shouldn't have to for what you pay for this product!
from New York, NY on 6/8/2008
This is my third Roomba and each time I get one, it is improved. I love it. I have wall to wall carpeting and a cat. The only problem I have is that they dont last-I use it once a week, cleaning after each use and after a few years they break down.While I am waiting to get a new one, I use my Hoover Wind Tunnel which I hate pushing around and which cant get up the small litter, hair etc. Recently, I had a bridal shower in my home and when everyone left, I used the Hoover but it didnt clean well at all. I was thinking I would need to get a professional cleaning. Then my Roomba arrived and I am so happy. My carpet looks like new.
from San Diego, CA on 6/3/2008
I specifically bought my roomba for my kitchen and family room which have hardwood floor. I got tired of seeing all the crumbs and pet hair when you first walk into the house. The other day I left the roomba to clean the kitchen and family room while I went shopping, and when I came back, the floor was ready to be mopped! My dog doesn't mind it at all, he stays up on the couch when its running. My mother-in-law borrowed my roomba and plans of buying one because she has a bad hip and can't vaccuum anymore. She is very particular and I honestly thought she would have nothing but negative things to say.
from Punta Gorda Fl on 6/3/2008
I have 2 long hair, shedding dogs. They both like to hang out under the bed. I have Randolph vacuum every day, I am amazed at the hair he gets from under the bed. He does my carpets better than my old vacuum, which was more expensive. I have to use tweezers to remove the hair from around the brushes, but it's very easy.
My husband would always complain about how dirty the floors are. I have two kids a dog and my husband all bringing the outside dirt in. I tell everyone that I live on 5 acres and one of them is in my house! He got me the Roomba for Mother's Day and it is the best gift ever! I don't have to listen to him complain anymore...at least not about the floors. Thanks!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Kenosha, WI on 5/22/2008
Much improved ! I had a Roomba Discovery and it did a pretty good job but it would constantly get stuck and anything loose would get it tangled up and stop it. If there was a loose thread in my carpet it would grab on and start unraveling my carpet !
The new Roomba is much better and it goes places and does not get stuck in an area where Discovery would. Cleans efficient and is much quieter.
Vacuuming is the hardest household chore when you have a bad back. I have a Persian cat, and there is always pet hair on the floors. My husband bought me a Roomba for Christmas. It's a prized posession!
from Olympia, Washington on 5/10/2008
My husband objected. I bought it anyway. By 30 minutes of operation, he had found a little rubber octopus to ride around on top and named the robot Isaac (after the Good Doctor, Isaac Asimov, who didn't live to see his household robot stories start to come true).
This is a life-changing appliance. I got rid of the big vacuum and we have just Isaac and a hand vac. I occasionally borrow my mom's upright to give the carpets a brush-up - Isaac can't maintain nap in heavy traffic areas quite as well as an upright. But everyday cleaning is WONDERFUL. The floors are much cleaner than I formerly kept them. The little time spent dumping his bin and cleaning brushes is well worth it. TIP: GET A SEAM RIPPER (from a fabric store) to easily zip out hairs that get wrapped around the brush ends.
CUSTOMERS OF THAT SWEDISH FURNISHING SUPERSTORE: Keep a box or something under Poang chairs to prevent your robot from going underneath. It can get high-centered on the chair base.
We think the side brush looks like Nemo's "lucky fin"!
from Aledo, TX on 4/30/2008
We have lots of tile in our house and this has helped so much with the dust. I love letting it run every evening after supper in the kitchen. With little kids this has helped so much keep the crumbs off the floor. Our house was struck by lightening and the charger and homebase were ruined so be sure to plug it into a surge protector.[...] I am looking into buying the scoomba soon!
from MA on 4/29/2008
It is a vacume and it works as well as expected. Would purchase again!
from Marietta, Georgia on 4/23/2008
Definitely one of the better investments I've made. The Roomba is excellent at what it does, though i've had a bit of trouble with wires and cords.
from Valley Village Ca on 4/21/2008
I have two cats, 1 dog, 1 dusty old house...1 new boyfriend who has allergies. Needless to say i am trying to be extra clean so the guy is not sneezing while eating dinner. roomba works amazingly, you will be SHOCKED at how much she picks up. Watch her get out of jams, and wiggle around in a gentle/delicate manner. roomba also provides hours of fun for the hairy critters that she slaves away picking up after all day. Buy one you will love it! I am also planning on buying the scooba.
from Riverhead NY on 4/21/2008
I have the roomba 560. BEST THING EVER!!!! I work full time and if I am not working at my main job I am at the Ambulance working... my girlfriend also works full time. We have 2 cats and a puppy Rottweiler. I told her when we moved in together that I don?t clean. I'm happy to say I love cleaning the floors LOL push of a button and everything is getting cleaned while I can do more important things. Like watch TV..! ROOMBA SUPPORT is great. I had a problem with my roomba with it clicking and they sent me the part I needed (for free and it was rushed) THANKS GUYS. Best of all they speak perfect English on the phone!! =D
I LOVE YOU ROOMBA
from Dayton, OH on 4/19/2008
We've only had Phydeaux a short while, but within only a few hours I heard my wife say that our Roomba was "cool". That was when it was sweeping and vacuuming under the toe-kicks for the cabinets in the kitchen.
Our condo has all hardwood floors, with only the bedrooms being carpeted. We also have a window wall facing west, so when we come home every night we can see the cat hair and dust on the floor from the front door to the balcony. Even a day or two since the last vacuuming, it almost looks like a carpet of dust.
No mas! Phydeaux does his job (sort of reminding me of the gardener robots in "Silent Running") without complaining, right on schedule every day. Gets under the bed and under the couch where we could never get the old vacuum.
OK, you have to empty the dust bin every day or so. Small price to pay for automatic, thorough cleaning of all your floors.
We'll probably be buying these as Christmas gifts this year!
from Aiken, SC on 4/19/2008
I have not yet programmed Lurch, and need to get some more filters, but he is so much fun to use. I turn him loose making sure doors are closed, very often. Once, he got loose in my office without my permission. He cleaned that room, too, but got tangled up with a kleenex and shredded it. He didn't seem to mind, though.
I love my Roomba! I received it as a gift for Christmas from my Dad and Step-mom. I have been waiting to see if he could stand the test of time before I decided to write a review, the results are in, he can! I have banished the old vacuum to the garage and Woosa is the star of the show. We have a dog, a cat, and a 3 year old, having Woosa around is like having our own personal maid to vacuum whenever the dog tracks something in or the three year old drops crumbs. We are a very busy family, before Woosa I would drag the old clunker vacuum out just about every morning and then get really frustrated at the little messes that would happen throughout the day. Now that I have woosa I just hit the button when I want him to spot clean and the mess is gone! I would without a doubt recommend a Roomba Vacuum to anyone who dislikes vacuuming but likes having clean floors. Thanks Dad and Deb! This is the best gift ever!!!
from Dallas, TX on 4/17/2008
I love the scheduling feature. I can set it to clean one room, let it recharge, then it will begin cleaning another room at the scheduled time. It cleans areas that I cannot reach with a standard cleaner.
The Roomba has been a great timesaver for my wife. She attends to children, a dog, and aunt, normal household tasks, and takes college courses. The Roomba has given her the time spent vacuuming to do other things. She sets it up to run each each night in different rooms. At 4 am, it starts up, does it's duty, and returns to base, usually without issue. It cleans well. The light houses are a neat concept too. The only negative thing we see is the continuous need to replace the side brush. It seems to loose a tenticle probably once every week or so (she vacuums a lot!). The cost of replacement parts such as the side brushes and filters are quite expensive. Other than this, as long as the Roomba is routinely cleaned (she cleans the bin and brushes each night before setting it up for the next clean), there are no other noteable issues. Overall, we are very satified with the Roomba 500 series. [...]
The side brush cracked in half after about 3 weeks.
from Lexington, SC on 4/13/2008
The new iRoomba 500 series is truly better than its predecessor. I own one of the older models and I decided to get the new 560.
The unit is more "intelligent", easier to clean, can run longer, and is quieter because of its new sensors--no more banging around when Roomba finds a wall. Also, Roomba has gotten better by always being able to dock with it station and it has not gotten stuck cleaning. The new lighthouses are genius (no more programing each one). They promote better cleaning for each room and I still can use them for a virtual wall as well.
We have three dogs and two cats. The new larger bin has helped but we still have to clean and run Roomba every day in order to keep the the room clean and Roomba's bin clear. A clogged filter/bin means Roomba cannot do its job and that means frequent cleaning. On the plus side, Roomba is much easier to clean and the modular design is a blessing. With a new puppy in the house, we did not notice a "present" left for us by her and Roomba tried to clean it up and ended up making quite a mess of the local area and himself -- Uffda! Watch out for "land mines" Roomba! . . . what a mess but because of the modular design I was able to clean Roomba up -- something I would have never been able to do with the old design.
So I have given my 560 a 4 out of 5 star rating to give those Bostonian engineers and scientists something to improve upon -- lets improve Roomba's cleaning power when the bin and filter get clogged and I'll shoot for the stars and hope for a "intellipet" design that can avoid those "land mines"! ;)
Great job iRobot!
from Port, OR on 3/31/2008
I read the other reviews about it getting stuck, and people have to be realistic. If you have stuff laying all over the place, and furnature cluttered in a maze everywhere, it will make it a challenge for the little guy. You still have to pick up after yourself just like you would if were going to use a regular vaccum. I have had NO trouble with it getting stuck! I have watched it actually back out of tough situations that it couldn't turn out of. I still can't believe how much stuff it picks up. It's awesome to watch it do it's thing, and realize that it knows what it is doing and where it is going. Worth every penny!!!
I have a black lab and beige carpet - so obviously I was dragging out the dyson daily. Now I set Rosie to run every morning and the cleaning crew comes once a week to do the stairs. Yippee I am free from vacuuming. I have 8 large rooms downstairs and it covers them all, but would do best on 4-6 rooms. I am going to buy another one for upstairs. I hope that roomba improves the side brush. That is why I am on here to order a replacement brush for Rosie. She is 3 months old and has lost two of her brushes.
Unfortunately, roomba stops and won't go over black throw rug (which is what shows the most dirt). The side brush cracked in half after about 3 weeks. [...] I guess everyone else's brushes are breaking also.Besides those two flaws, it cleans very well. I didn't know where was so much dirt in my carpet!
I have had roombas of EVERY generation, dating back to the original silver one. The side brush has always been a problem. On the original roomba, it was too "robust" with its downward-facing bristles and it caused damage along the entire edge of the wall to wall carpeting. The newest incarnation is much gentler; however, the wheels run over the brush and endless break spokes off! My latest side brush went from six spokes to 2 spokes in a matter of three weeks. This is a design flaw. Especially if Irobot is charging [$] for a side brush replacement pack! This is the best, most effective roomba yet...but the side brush is still a problem.
from Phoenix, AZ on 3/8/2008
Take the time to get to know your Roomba. It takes a day or two getting the light houses just perfect and learning how both of you can have the best cleaning relationship. I am amazed just how smart this thing is and it does wonders with my German Shepards pet hair. It also gets right down to the lowest partical even corners. Works great on carpet or any hard surfuce. Easy to clean and you will be amazed just watching it clean on its own and then it docks itself for the next schedule time (Are you kidding me) Very rare do I say wow GREAT purchase this was 100 percent. Thanks Irobot I have had my new little cleaning friend for five months and will be coming back for more quality products....
from San Antonio, TX on 3/8/2008
I love that I can be cleaning the tubs, AND the floors at the same time!!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I love the idea, don't like the implementation. On the 5th day, the first arm of the spinning side brush broke off. In less than 2 weeks, the second came off. Had it just under a month when it went back to the store. The connector for one of the bottom beater brushes spun off and melted into the recess where it connects. I was very careful to keep the brushes clean and re-install them properly. It must've gotten stuck on something or frozen up and the motor kept trying to turn it. By then, the spinner brush had lost 5 of the 6 arms. It was used on carpet, Hardwood and a couple of area rugs, one with fringe.
For the price, this just isn't robust enough, especially since it is tempting to run it more often and thus wear it out sooner.
I do miss the fact that the house was getting vacuumed a lot more frequently.
I'm hoping that iRobot recognizes these issues and comes out with a sturdier version. If they do, I'll try it again.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Erie, CO on 2/26/2008
I bought a Roomba for my wife for Christmas. She hates robots and at first was strongly opposed to even taking it out of the box. I suggested we try it for a week, and if she didn't like it, we could return it. I set it up to clean weekdays during the kids' nap. Within 2 days, she already started to admit that she liked it. By the 3rd day, I caught her on the irobot website looking at the Scooba. We are now in the process of obtaining one of those as well. My wife is a little neurotic when it comes to cleanliness, and this does the job and doesn't require any effort on her part to get the carpet and wood floors to always be clean. This is by far one of the most convenient and life enhancing things we have purchased in some time. We now have a dyson that sits in the closet on only gets pulled out occassionally to do the stairs. If the roomba could do that, the dyson would go up on craigslist.
Another interesting thing is that my wife's parents visited a month or so after we got it. Within two days, my father in law was shopping around for one. My wife's best friend has told her husband that he should plan on her a Roomba for Mother's Day. We love it, and everyone we know who comes in contact with Mr. Roomba loves him as well.
Another item to note is that thing cleans well. Although it runs 6 days out of the week, it is always full of dust and dirt. And we thought the Dyson did wonders. I am amazed when I empty it daily at the amount of dust it finds. And it cleans in places you could never get a vacuum.
from Lakewood, CO on 2/24/2008
I'm always skeptical of 'too good to be true' products. I saw my daughter had a Roomba at Christmas time and asked how she liked it. I set it loose to watch it work. I was really impressed. I bought mine a few weeks ago and feel so much more relaxed about the weekends and what I have to do around the house. I have mine scheduled to run each day when I'm at work. We have hardwoods, area rugs and ceramic tile on our main level. On the weekends I run it upstairs on the carpet. I'm considering getting one for the upstairs as well. It took me a few weeks to think about what I wanted to name my Roomba. As I told others about how much I loved my Roomba, I suddenly realized that Johnny Depp was probably a very fitting name. The only issue I've had with Johnny was, for the first week, my daughter (age 4) kept throwing food on the floor during dinner for the robot to eat!
Positive lifesaver for laminate flooring in large den. This is our live-in area & pups are everywhere! No more hair-balls drifting across the floor when I come home at night! Have also used on carpeting & linoleum as well, but mostly stays in den. Even vacuums scattered bird seeds & feathers, although debris bin fills up quickly with this, so best to be home when used for that room. Just wish those little side brushes lasted. Have had RoBeYo only two months and have re-ordered those twice!
from Montreal, QC on 2/19/2008
It's easy to use... just press the DEMO button!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
So what?s so great about the Roomba? Honestly, he?s better than your average husband. More useful and a lot less expensive. Here it is, all laid out for you:
1- He can be trained. After a few passes around the apartment, he learns the layout and cleans more efficiently each time.
2- He cleans all my nooks and crannies. Roomba fits perfectly under the dishwasher so I don?t have to get down on my hands and knees.
3- He pays attention to detail. When he finds a particularly dirty spot, he focuses on getting it clean before moving on.
Read more of my review here:
http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2008/02/nine-reasons-why-i-love-the-roomba/
from Campbell River, Canada on 2/13/2008
This little guy is just amazing. The amount out dirt and hair it picked up in the first 30 mins was just mind blowing. Ive only had it for a few days and everyone in my house is just amazed at how it can navigate and negotiate the terrain. Definitely the neatest gadget ive ever owned.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
This is the second one and have to return this one as well, the side brushes keep breaking off and now the entire piece has come off.
from Price, UT on 2/10/2008
I love my new Roomba. It does a great job picking up the day-to-day dirt that gets tracked in. We schedule for him to start cleaning just as we're ready to leave the house to go to work. It's nice to come home to clean floors and carpets. We have 2 short-haired pointers and Ziggy picks up alot of pet hair. The dogs stand on the stairs (safe and out of the way) while Ziggy does the cleaning!
from Chicago, ILL on 2/5/2008
Does a great job of cleaning everywhere it can get to, especially beneath beds, dressers and cabinets. It has never got stuck and is not noisy.
Battery life is good and recharges quickly. Would recommend Roombas to everyone. I enjoy watching it doing its sweeping.
from Lynchburg, VA on 2/5/2008
I broke all the rules of gift-giving for your wife and got her the 560 for Christmas. She is a "neat-freak" and she loves the iRobot!We have hardwood floors all over and it does a great job. I was surprised at how well it cleaned our carpet in the few spots we have it. We only wish it could handle our stairs...For some reason, three of the arms on our side brush have broken off (probably got stuck on an area carpet or something similar), but iRobot service is sending out three new ones, under warranty. Sweet. Also, it occasionally gets stuck on a power cord (so we generally lift them up).I have used my air compressor to blow out the unit and to clean the filter after every few uses. This is very effective and I expect that my filters will last a long time this way. I love the way the unit disassembles so that cleaning is a snap. We have four females with long blonde hair, so that is what I spend the most time cleaning off the brushes and from around the spinning mechanisms. Not too bad. Probably 15 minutes for a complete cleaning.So, no real complaints and worth every penny.[$]Just do it. She'll love it.
from Conway, AR on 2/4/2008
I'm a college student and so there are people in and out all the time. We named the robot Lafawnduh, from Napoleon Dynamite, and she does a great job at cleaning even when I'm not home. It's nice to come home to carpet that looks clean and isn't dirty with the day-to-day stuff that gets tracked in the house.
I use it to clean the kichen and bathroom floors before I mop, and it picks up more debris than I could pick up with just sweeping. The only problem that I've had is that my curtains touch the floor and one time the side-brush got wrapped up in the curtain... it didn't pull them down, and the robot got untangled, but I could see how that might be a mess. It's only happened once, though, so I've seen no other problems with it getting stuck or getting trapped!
All in all, it's a great value...
from Indianapolis, IN on 1/19/2008
Can get stuck but is absolutly wonderful! I didnt think it would work but it did! We all enjoy having Ruby cleaning!
from Miami, FL on 1/18/2008
The Roomba is a great thing to have. I love the way I can schedule cleanings. The one complaint I have is about the side brush. I have been using the Roomba for three weeks and already a couple of the side brush arms have broken off.
from Columbia, TN on 1/18/2008
This is the greatest gift I have ever received! I absolutely love it!! It makes my floors look like they were buffed. My 5 little doggies ignore it completely, which is WONDERFUL. They bark terribly at my regular vacuum cleaner, which I am now retiring forever. Thank you so much for this product. I am looking forward to getting the floor cleaner model next year for Christmas. EXCELLENT and loving it!!
from St. Louis, MO on 1/15/2008
Dec 24th, What do I do. Have to buy something special for the wife. The pressure is on to get her an unusual gift. While shopping I saw the Roomba and decided to go for it. What a hit... Wife loves "her" Roomba and uses it quite often. Works great. When my wife says it works great then this is the ultimate test as she used to vacuum the house at least twice a week and now I don't think she has used the vacuum since Christmas and its the middle of January. Now our wish list is a Roomba for the garage and a Scooba and another Roomba for the basement. A big thumbs up to irobot. (PS: My life is easier as I have not had to vacuum twice a week.)
from Nutley, NJ on 1/15/2008
I was amazed. I would have never believed this little machine could do such a great job. My daughter said she felt so bad when I was struggling with the vacuum cleaner, so, she got a Roomba for me. Now I just set it, and forget it. Cleaning him out is no big deal, it's easy. Roomby also keeps the cats busy, they think he is a toy.
from Waco, Tx on 1/15/2008
Rosie gets all the dirt that would get stirred up and then settle back onto the floors when I swept. I shouldn't admit this, but I haven't swept since I started running it last week. The floors just feel so clean that it has seemed unnecessary. It does take awhile to run through the house, but it docks itself when it needs to recharge and is ready to clean some more in just a few hours. I love Rosie.
from Sun City, California on 1/15/2008
I was so impressed with Hank (Roomba), that I bought a little less expensive model for my sister. She absolutely loves it and I believe it does just as good a job as Hank. Like microwave ovens...I just don't know how I ever lived without Hank. I also bought the Scooba and it is also marvelous.
from Deer Park, Texas on 1/13/2008