Just the idea of a little disc-shaped robot vacuum that gets your vacuuming done while you sit and relax seems like a dream. The iRobot Roomba has been the leading brand in robot vacuums for a long time, selling a dream of the future where you would never have to sweat vacuuming your floors again. But does the truth match up with that hype? Do these iRobot-inspired smart vacuums work?
The brief answer is yes, they most certainly do. But a robot Roomba is no magic wand. It is a powerful tool with certain strengths and a number of weaknesses. For many families, it’s a life-altering appliance. For some, it may also be a bothersome thing.
You will learn everything you need to know from this guide. We’ll take you through the big cons and the clear pros and let you know if that investment in a Roomba vacuum is right for you. We’ll even discuss individual models, ranging from the Roomba i7 to the premium Roomba j9+, as well as priority features and considerations — the Roomba price, where to purchase one (including on Roomba Amazon offerings), and more.
What Is an iRobot Roomba?
Before I go into the pros and cons, let’s first understand what a Roomba robot is. An iRobot company makes and sells a line of robot vacuum cleaners called Roomba. Since it first came out in 2002, iRobot Roomba has been the best Roomba robot vacuum cleaner on the market.
Let me explain to you:
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Sensors and Navigation: A Roomba is dependent on a bundle of sensors for getting around your house. These sensors are the cliff sensors, which prevent the vacuum from going down the stairs; bump sensors, which prevent it from going against walls or furniture; and, in some newer models (iRobot series), cameras and lasers, which help to create smart maps.
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Cleaning System: They use the 3-stage Cleaning System. A spinning side brush pushes dirt to the suction pad along the edges and corners. Next, the floor is swept by two counter-rotating main brushes that draw dirt, dust, and hair from it, cleaned by a powerful suction motor that directs everything into the dustbin.
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Smart Technology: Today’s Roombas are Wi-Fi-connected and can be operated using the Roomba app. This lets you commence, stop, and schedule cleans from anywhere.
Now, let’s get into what it’s really like to live with one.
The Downsides: Roomba Review – Cons
To get a better sense of what it’s all about, I’ll begin with the possible negatives. The Roomba may not be the ideal answer for everybody, and it is crucial to know why before you look over the Roomba cost.
It Can Be Loud
There are no two ways about it — a Roomba vacuum is loud. It isn’t as ear-splitting as a classic upright vacuum, but it’s something you don’t miss. The sound is motor and brushes in a constant hum and whir. The only good thing about the noise is that you know the second it stops, it is either done, holing up, or in need of tending in some way. Scheduling it to run when you’re not home or in another area of the house is best.
It Doesn’t Work Well on Big, Complicated Designs
The iRobot Roomba is supposed to clean an entire level of your home, but this doesn’t always go as planned in reality, especially with older models. In a very big home (say, over 1,862 square meters) or a home with a “warren-esque” layout, the robot can become lost or spend too long in one area.
It goes back over the same areas to make sure they’re clean, which can make it a very slow cleaner. In a big house, this could be the Roomba robot going all day without ever reaching every room. You may even have to reposition it manually at a new starting point each day, just to make sure all different areas get cleaned. But newer models such as the Roomba i7 and Roomba j9+ include intelligent mapping, so they can learn your floor plan and clean individual rooms on demand, making this issue significantly better.
It Is Not Good With Pet Accidents
“This is the No. 1 warning for pet owners. A Roomba robot is programmed to roll over small, hard debris. It cannot sense or steer clear of pet waste, such as poop or vomit. If an unfortunate ”accident” occurs and Roomba finds it, it will spread the murk all over your floors creating a thing that should only be seen whilst tripping on drugs – Poundland’s very own “poopocalypse”. And the brushes will just spread the mess around on your floors, your carpets, and, yes, the vacuum, too.
The iRobot is a gross pain in the butt to clean after that happens. If you have an older pet, a new puppy, or a dog that’s not perfectly housebroken, having a regular Roomba vacuum is potentially a huge risk, particularly if you’re running it while you’re not home. Thankfully, iRobot has addressed this. The high-end Roomba j9+ is equipped with P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise), guaranteeing that it will avoid pet waste or the business will exchange the robot for a free one.
The Dustbin Requires Frequent Emptying
The dustbin of a Roomba is tiny compared to that of a conventional vacuum. In a home with pets, kids, or rugs, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it gobbles up grime. After the bin is filled, the Roomba will stop its cleaning temporarily and return to its charging station. In case you forget to empty it for about 90 minutes, the task will be given up, and it will not continue the job.
In a busy home, you might empty it 2-3 times during a clean. This is a big reason to look at a model with a self-emptying base, like the Roomba i7+ or Roomba j9+. These models even self-evacuate their dustbin into a bigger bag in the charging dock, so in essence you get weeks of cleaning without lifting a finger.
Job cancellation is a pain in the ass for most scenarios.
As I said, if the Roomba encounters an issue (like a full bin or if it gets stuck on a cord) it will stop and wait for you. It will cancel the job if you don’t fix the problem in 90 minutes. That can be irritating, as you’ll need to manually restart the cleaning process all over again instead of allowing it to resume.
The attachments are absent for you to perform above-floor cleaning
And a Roomba is just a floor scrubber. It doesn’t have attachments, hoses, or wands. That is to say, you can’t use it to clean stairs, a couch, curtains, or your car’s interior. Unfortunately, you’ll still need your classic vacuum or a handheld for those detailed cleaning tasks. It’s rather a floor specialist than an all-in-one cleaner.
Charging Cord Can Clutter up Its Own
It’s a small, petty little quirk, but one that drives me up the wall. The cord on the Roomba’s charging base itself can be an impediment for the robot sometimes. If not handled safely, the Roomba will become stuck on its cord. And it’s easily fixable — just make sure the cord is all tucked away somewhere out of sight or draped over something — but it’s something to keep in mind when setting up.
The Pros: Roomba Review
After the cons above, you’re probably wondering why anyone would buy a Roomba in the first place. In actuality, the benefits greatly exceed the drawbacks for the right individual. This is why an iRobot Roomba is still a great buy.
Excellent Cleaning Performance and Suction
The iRobot Roomba has a shocking amount of sucking power for a little robot. It does a great job of removing dust, dirt, crumbs, and, particularly, hair. On hard floors like tile or hardwood, it’s significantly more effective than sweeping, a method that on its own typically just pushes dust into the air. The Roomba sucks it up, and suddenly — incredibly — you have clean floors. The first time you empty the bin, you’ll be stunned and a bit grossed out by all it picks up from a “clean” floor.
It Cleans Under Furniture Effortlessly
It is certainly a great aspect of owning a robot Roomba. Its flat shape allows it to easily move under beds, couches, dressers, and cabinets—places that your normal vacuum cleaner could never reach. This eliminates the need to catch dust bunnies that are usually found in these ‘hidden spots’. This also eventually leads to a whole house feeling cleaner and lessens airborne allergens. It first happens by just removing a small number of dust patches and toys of the lost pet (so satisfying!) the first time it works, but after that, it’s simple to keep the same level of cleanliness that would never be possible to do manually.
It Easily Goes From Carpet To Hard Floors
One of the most useful features of the iRobot vacuum is the fact that this thing can act and learn. It can transition from hardwood to tile to high-pile carpet with ease. The cleaning head is self-leveling so that it maintains contact with a floor surface. And, except the entry-level 614, most models include Virtual Wall Barriers (or the ability to create “Keep Out Zones” via the Roomba app) to create an invisible line the robot won’t cross to avoid places you’d rather it not go.
Cleans: The spinning brush reaches edges and corners.
You may be asking yourself how a robot that’s round can clean a square corner. (With a nod to the wheel issue, the iRobot Roomba has a smart spinning side brush that juts out from its body.) This small bristle brush sweeps the wall edges and corners and then forces dirt out where the main brushes can reach. And it’s surprisingly efficient at reaching all those tough-to-get areas.
The iRobot Home App is Handy
The Roomba App (officially known as the iRobot Home App) is a total game-changer. It releases your Roomba to make full use of your robot vacuum cleaner. From the app, you can:
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You can start, stop, or cancel cleaning jobs from anywhere.
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Establish a daily or weekly cleaning routine.
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Check cleaning history and map cleaned areas.
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Get alerted when a job has been finished—or if your Roomba requires assistance.
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On smart mapping models like the Roomba i7, you can name rooms and tell the robot to “clean the kitchen.”
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Find your robot even when it’s been swallowed by the couch.
The app is very convenient for keeping a regular cleaning routine, even if you accidentally forget to turn it on.
It’s Intelligent Enough Not to Hurt Itself
Unlike a regular old vacuum that you can easily shove too hard, the Roomba is built for self-preservation. If it sucks up something inappropriate, like a sock or a phone charger, it will stop and tell you that its brushes are tangled. By doing this, you can prevent the robot from beating the object or the object from damaging the engine. After the first week of what you might call “Roomba-proofing” your house for cords and tiny things to pick up, it will get stuck rarely.
What it Comes Down To: Your House Just Gets Cleaner.
This is the end reason people adore their Roombas. And quirks or not, it does keep your floors cleaner, more consistently than you ever could manually. You can run it every day to reduce the accumulation of pet hair, dust, and dirt. This saves your precious time, your back, and your body, not to mention that clean floors are so much ‘nicer to look at’. For a lot of people, it pays for itself in minutes, period, because it can seriously cut down or eliminate one’s use of professional cleaning.
Selecting the Ideal Model—Basic to Premium
All Roombas are not created equal. The iRobot series is a collection of models that come at different prices.
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Entry-Level (ex, Roomba 600 Series) – Good for simple, powerful cleaning in small spaces like apartments and smaller houses. They lack smart mapping but are workhorses nonetheless.
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Mid-Range (e.g., Roomba i3/i4/i7): These devices offer smart mapping capabilities. Take the Roomba i7, which learns the floor plan of your home so that you can clean specific rooms through the Roomba app. You can buy many in this range with the self-emptying base.
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Premium (for example, Roomba j9+, Roomba s9): These are the high-end models. The Roomba j9+ has the most advanced obstacle avoidance (yes, that includes pet waste) and an included self-emptying base. The S9 has a special D-shape for better cleaning in corners.
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2-in-1 Mop and Vacuum (e.g., Roomba Combo j7+/j9+): The Roomba mop and vacuum versions are great if you have hard floors. With a retractable mop pad that lifts itself so you don’t get your carpets wet, the Roomba Combo series can vacuum carpets and vacuum and mop hard floors in one job.
Where to Buy and What to Expect to Pay
Unfortunately, there’s not a big retail price difference for this mattress available directly from the factory. You can get an iRobot Roomba at most major retailers, on the official iRobot website, and, of course, on Amazon.
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Roomba Amazon: You’ll find hundreds of search results for “Roomba Amazon” or “robot Amazon.” Amazon iRobot posts are handy, can have good pricing, and are shipped quickly. It’s a nice place to compare models and check out user reviews.
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Roomba Price: Purchase Price Vs Subscription Costs In general, the Roomba price varies between $250 for entry-level models and $1,300 for the top of the Roomba line, the j9+. Sales events, such as Black Friday, are prime for a good deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Roombas clean well?
Is a Roomba worth the price?
What is the major downside of a Roomba?
Is the Roomba good for pets?
What's the nicest thing about a Roomba?
Will a Roomba take the place of my regular vacuum?
Are Roombas hard to use?
How much does a Roomba cost?
The Verdict: Is an iRobot Roomba a Sound Investment?
So when you consider all those pros and cons, should you stay in your current job or quit — for most of us, the answer is going to be a resounding yes. A Roomba is not a perfect device, but it’s a super-effective assistant in keeping your floors clean with almost no effort.
If you despise vacuuming, have pets who shed like it’s their job, or would just like to win back hours of your life, then a Roomba vacuum is a worthwhile investment. The trick is making sure that you pick the right one for your home and way of life. For pet owners or people with relatively large homes, investing in a more recent model from the iRobot series with smart mapping and a self-emptying base, such as the Roomba i7 or the Roomba j9+, is going to give you the best and smoothest experience.
It won’t replace your deep-cleaning sessions, but it will make your home a lot cleaner a lot more of the time. And for a lot of people, the luxury of coming home to freshly vacuumed floors every day is worth every penny.
