Has anyone used the Roomba?

2ms2
by 2ms2
Cleaning my house is the bane of my existence. I want a machine to do it for me. Does anyone use the iRobot Roomba? Does it actually work?
The iRobot Roomba.
  36 answers
  • Ben Ben on Dec 17, 2012
    I will be watching this one closely...
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Dec 17, 2012
    We have 3 dogs, and hardwood and tile floors covered with area rugs. I think this thing would fail miserably trying to negotiate the differences of heights of the various surfaces. another thing each time we vac the living room we get about 4 or 5 cups worth of fur / dirt. You would never think there is that much, but the ease of the bag-less Bissell is pretty easy to deal with. Back in the old day of bags I could only get a few cleaning in before I needed to swap out the $$ bag.
  • JP S JP S on Dec 17, 2012
    I have one,it is more trouble than it is worth.Cleaning it is a pain,and you must baricade the room that it is cleaning to keep it from going to other places,and it gets stuck,so you must watch it .
  • Becky P Becky P on Dec 17, 2012
    great question.
  • 2ms2 2ms2 on Dec 17, 2012
    Thank you, JP S. That is what I am afraid of.
  • Kathleen M Kathleen M on Dec 17, 2012
    Add to this post...I had one for my laminate and ceramic floors... was just okay. I agree with JP S, pain too clean brushes.
  • 2ms2 2ms2 on Dec 17, 2012
    I am thinking of turning my $35 mini ShopVac (I am proud of that purchase -- good vacuum power, no bags, low price) into a backpack vacuum like janitors use. I'm thinking it would be more time-efficient to use it by plugging it in to really long extension cords and walking around with it. What do you think? Better idea than the Roomba? The problem with it now is that it falls over easily when it sits on the floor, and every time you have to turn it on an off again. Carrying it as a backpack would prevent that and give me faster cleaning time. How could I affix backpack straps to it?
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Dec 17, 2012
    I had the roomba and it was OK on the polished porcelain tile. Then I got the scooba to wash/clean the tile and it did a terrible job because of dog drool, etc. Now I use a steamer to clean the tile and it is excellent. My vacuum is more efficient and easier to care for than the Roomba.
  • Tammy Tammy on Dec 18, 2012
    Here is my two cents. It sucks awful. My problem was with pet fur. I love the bagless bissell. I empty it after every use and no problems. I only paid sixty three dollars for it. It has 12 amps and picks up the dog fur easily. It even has an extended cord on it and I only have to plug it in three different spots for the whole house.
  • 2ms2 2ms2 on Dec 18, 2012
    OK, but our house is no pets, no kids. Just 2 adults and hardwood floors. Given that information, would it work?
  • there is a very funny video on YouTube about the Roomba - check it out! I don't have the URL but bet you can find it...
  • @JP S , How loud is it? Compared to a regular vacuum?
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Dec 18, 2012
    @ I have a small 5 gallon Shop Vac brand shop vac, (and a bigger 8 gallon). The little 5 gallon ROCKS...I have been using it for all manner of clean ups on various jobs...drywall sanding with an accessory hose and screen rig. Sawdust from floor sanding with a 8" wide floor attachment. I use it with the bags as the drywall dust is pain with out them. I just pull it along and its 4 wheels just roll along. The only down side is the cord is a bit on the short side...but the hose is pretty long. With a basic extension cord this thing could easily do a whole apartment. The power compared to "regular" vacs is amazing. It is a bit noisy like most shop vacs but way better than some I have used in the past. http://www.google.com/shopping/product/13669883715791139297?q=shop%20vac%205%20gallon&hl=en&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS503US503&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWc&bpcl=40096503&biw=1024&bih=461&sa=X&ei=cpDQUMuKOqS_yQGN_ICABw&ved=0CKsBEPMCMAY I got mine for free...it was left behind in a clients rental... they run about 35 buck at my local hardware store
  • Our house has hardwood floors, two adults, and one German Shepherd. The Roomba did okay with vacuuming the floor but would leave a pile of debris along the area rugs. I also didn't feel the suction was strong enough for rugs. A side issue I had was when to use it. I didn't like to be around when it was on...and I work from home. Our German Shepherd would bat at it some and the Roomba picked up his treat as it fell out of his ball before he could get the treat. I think cats love it, but could be just an expensive cat toy.
  • Carroll A Carroll A on Dec 18, 2012
    I have hardwood floors and 2 long haired cats. I have had great luck with a stick vac. its lightweight and no cords. I use it daily sometimes twice a day. I have an Electrolux-Ergorapido-Ultra-Vacuum It also has a lift off dust buster which really comes in handy for messes around the fireplace. My sister also uses these. She has 2 one for each floor of her house.
  • Leslie D Leslie D on Dec 18, 2012
    I hired a maid named "Roomba"
  • JP S JP S on Dec 18, 2012
    @AKCHR Not as loud as a regular vacuum.Maybe about half as loud. @Chaya K I have no pets,no kids at home and hardwood floors and it still sucked(pun intended).
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Dec 19, 2012
    I think if you have no pets and/or kids you will love the Roomba. My problem was 2 dogs with lots of hair that required too much time emptying the tiny bin.
  • Laurel Herring Laurel Herring on Jan 13, 2013
    My sister had one but I was not impressed as with animals or lots of hair they need to be emptied pretty frequently! I agree with Sherrie!
  • Fastnacht Shavout Fastnacht Shavout on Feb 04, 2013
    I am disabled, and my floors have to be cleaned as easy as possible, in the shortest amount of time available. Kitchen: I made pads so that i may dry dust daily, i use a stick vac 1 time a week, and a broom 1 time a week. i run hot water, put some floor soap in it, and soak 4 pads in the water. i ring 1 out at a time, and wash a segment of my floor, and then clean the pads in my washer. floor is done, take about 10 minutes altogether. easy. i do the same for the bathrooms. Rugs: i use a stick vac daily, especially after snacks/meals, and my heavy duty vacuum 1 time per week. Each room is easy to do, since i maintain it daily. *I do stay at home now, so i have all day to decide when i want to do it. all the same, it has to be quick or i get tired and cannot stand.* I would love the Roomba, but it sounds like ti is more trouble than it is worth.
  • Anne McClung Anne McClung on Feb 14, 2013
    I have had two Roombas and LOVED them, but....they just did not last. The first one worked great for about two years and then started having problems. The second one lasted about the same amount of time and then would not charge. I bought a new battery and still no charge. I felt I had spent way too much money for them to last such a short amount of time.
  • Cheryl gilman Cheryl gilman on Feb 17, 2013
    I find my Roomba is great for the hard floors but not so much on the carpet. It collects so much of the carpet 'fuzz' that it has to be emptied continually. Now the hard wood, it will go on and on. The bad part is keeping it contained in our open concept home. I have to pull out all the kitchen and dining room chairs and still have a hard time containing it to the hard floor areas (laminate and vinyl). And frequently, I let it go off and do it's thing and it looses it's charge and is under a bed or a chair and has to be searched for!
  • David Moffitt David Moffitt on Jul 04, 2013
    I had one of the originals that used a cloth to remove dust and debris. It was rather noisy, and pushed everything to the outside walls.
  • Marlene Haigh Marlene Haigh on Dec 17, 2014
    I've had a roomba 500 for years. "Rosie" is my best friend. turn her on, go away, and come back to clean floors. We have 2 cocker spaniels, she does a great job with dog hair. I've replaced parts easily, just check out the I-robot website.
  • Deirdre Sullivan Deirdre Sullivan on Dec 17, 2014
    I have a Roomba.. My home gets really dusty so I run it every single day. The Roomba helps me to keep my place neat and tidy in between weekly vacuuming. However, mine is really LOUD... I can't stand to be at home when it's running ( I live in an apartment.)
  • Deirdre Sullivan Deirdre Sullivan on Jan 06, 2015
    Oh I heard Dyson is releasing their own version of the Roomba later this year. It is supposed to be whisper quiet. Just an FYi
  • Robin Robin Robin Robin on Jan 06, 2015
    No, it is a total waste of money. I had one and threw it away
  • Mar1912895 Mar1912895 on Jan 20, 2016
    Batteries don't last long until they can't be recharged, my Rumba lasted about 6 months. Way too hard much money for this product for 6 months.
  • Cherbo Cherbo on Jul 14, 2016
    I had one of the first ones made and loved it. It had to be replaced after about six months under warranty. It was malfunctioning because of the dog hair. We had a lab cross with quite short hair. The replacement one worked fine and was great on hard wood and some carpet as long as it was not picking up dog hair. We stopped using it when we got a new dog and a few months later the battery would not charge. It remains in a box now. Battery replacement is quite expensive. I think it is a great tool if you don't have a pet around that sheds.
  • Marlene Haigh Marlene Haigh on Jul 15, 2016
    I have the 530 model for years. Love it. I've replaced the battery pack twice. Won't live without it. I call her "Rosie", she is my best friend!
  • Vel7694299 Vel7694299 on Jul 17, 2016
    I wasn't 't happy with it. It ran out of water before the job was done.
  • Sherrie S Sherrie S on Jul 18, 2016
    I had both the Roomba vacuum and the IRobot Scooba that washed the floors. I liked them in the beginning but found I spent too much time filling the Scooba and/or dumping the little bin on the Roomba. A large house with two dogs is too much for this equipment. I think it would be handy in a small apartment/home.
  • Becky Pence Becky Pence on Nov 17, 2016
    I have two Roombas. The first one was a 500 series. After 4 years, I replaced the battery and added a larger dirt cup. I now use that one for my master suite ( BR, Bath and walk-in) It still does a great job. I also got an 800 series for my open kitchen, LR, dining. It does a wonderful job. One charge is enough to clean the space. I will note that no Roomba gives a deep deep cleaning. You will still need to vac occasionally depending on your dirt. Hair is certainly a difficulty for the old Roombas. The newer ones have brushes that handle hair better. Look at their website as they advertise which ones are best for hair. N.B. I also have a Braava for washing hard floors. I love that too.
  • Shawna Bailey Shawna Bailey on Nov 29, 2016

    I LOVE my Roomba. It changed my life. Seriously. My husband got it for as a present and all his friends told him don't get your wife a vacuum cleaner as a present, but it is amazing. We've had one for about 5 years now, and it has saved my life with two small children in the house. I'm not ashamed to say I have brushed all the crumbs off the table onto the floor or turned my daughters high chair on it's side shaken it out and then sent the Roomba to collect it's mess.

    also we used to have to wash our light colored tile floors very often but then I started sending the Roomba around daily and I'm not going to tell you how not often I wash the floors. their just isn't dirt in circulation to get it dirty.

  • Jer7506110 Jer7506110 on Nov 30, 2016

    I had to throw mine out. It went crazy and the company would not respond to fixing it. Big money waster!


  • Nancy Nancy on Dec 03, 2016

    I have had Rover for about five years. I love it! I bought a new battery pack this year. It goes under beds and other furniture .