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OT: Roomba or other Robot Vacuum Recommendations

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SheldonJoe2215

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Oct 3, 2015
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Anyone have any thoughts on these little guys? Are they worth it? Any specific models that you recommend. Someone told me that it really helps with eliminating dust from the home - has anyone else seen this? I am not necessarily wed to the Roomba brand.

I am looking at the Roomba 985 from Costco for a 1200 ft ground floor. Floor is mostly hardwood, but we have a couple of rugs. We also have two shelties that shed like crazy.
 
I got one for dog hair. I hated it. It filled up way to quickly and you has to manually unload it. They now have models that automatically unload. I bought a stain cordless and find it much better!
 
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SheldonJoe2215 said:
Anyone have any thoughts on these little guys? Are they worth it? Any specific models that you recommend. Someone told me that it really helps with eliminating dust from the home - has anyone else seen this? I am not necessarily wed to the Roomba brand.

I am looking at the Roomba 985 from Costco for a 1200 ft ground floor. Floor is mostly hardwood, but we have a couple of rugs. We also have two shelties that shed like crazy.
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Absolutely one of the best decisions I ever made, so much so that I went out and got a second one (one for downstairs, one for upstairs in my townhouse - the upstairs and downstairs are each about 500 square feet).

After doing some research, I went with a Eufy RoboVac 30C. The second one I purchased was an Ecovacs Deebot N79S. Both are low end budget models which you will occasionally see on sale at Amazon for under $200. The Eufy is thinner, ostensibly so it can get under more furniture. The reality was that the thinness only allowed it to get stuck under my refrigerator door, so it got moved upstairs (now there's only one night table it manages to occasionally get caught under. The Deebot is thicker, slightly louder than the Eufy and runs longer (about 2 hours vs 1 for the Eufy). I run them during the night while I sleep and typically don't hear them. I don't consider the extra running time all that important. The one hour Eufy is probably missing some spots on its shorter run, but given that it runs daily, what it misses one day will likely get covered in the next.

I'm not the most fastidious person in the world so the first few times I ran the vacs, they found tons of dirt. Now that they are on a daily schedule, they're finding much less. I also totally agree with the less dust assessment. In fact, most of what the vacuums are now grabbing are very fine dust particles.

They do occasionally get stuck under furniture. About once a week, one or the other will manage to get stuck or not find it's way home. Not really a bid deal. I have learned to exercise care in not leaving things, mainly shoes, lying around on the floor. The vacs will just push my slipper/loafers out of the way, but have a problem when they encounter shoelaces (also cables and cords are a problem).

While the instructions do tell you to empty them daily, I eventually found that overkill. The first few times I ran them, yes they needed emptying after every run. But now that they have cleaned the floors pretty well and are mostly getting fine dust, I've discovered that I can let them go as long as a week without emptying. That said, with your shedding dogs, you'll probably have to attend to them much more often.

Both of my models have Amazon Alexa capability, so I can start and stop them with my voice, but I've found that unnecessary. I just let them keep to their daily schedule.
 
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BudatPSU said:
What happens when the dog dumps in the house while you are away?
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That's not the full question. What if the dog has a runny poop? I bet that doesn't end well.
It amazes me how much people will pay to avoid the simple chore of vacuuming their house.
 
UncleLar said:
Absolutely one of the best decisions I ever made, so much so that I went out and got a second one (one for downstairs, one for upstairs in my townhouse - the upstairs and downstairs are each about 500 square feet).

After doing some research, I went with a Eufy RoboVac 30C. The second one I purchased was an Ecovacs Deebot N79S. Both are low end budget models which you will occasionally go on sale at Amazon for under $200. The Eufy is thinner, ostensibly so it can get under more furniture. The reality was that the thinness only allowed it to get stuck under my refrigerator door, so it got moved upstairs (now there's only one night table it manages to occasionally get caught under. The Deebot is thicker, slightly louder than the Eufy and runs longer (about 2 hours vs 1 for the Eufy). I run them during the night while I sleep and typically don't hear them. I don't consider the extra running time all that important. The one hour Eufy is probably missing some spots on its shorter run, but given that it runs daily, what it misses one day will likely get covered in the next.

I'm not the most fastidious person in the world so the first few times I ran the vacs, they found tons of dirt. Now that they are on a daily schedule, they're finding much less. I also totally agree with the less dust assessment. In fact, most of what the vacuums are now grabbing are very fine dust particles.

They do occasionally get stuck under furniture. About once a week, one or the other will manage to get stuck or not find it's way home. Not really a bid deal. I have learned to exercise care in not leaving things, mainly shoes, lying around on the floor. The vacs will just push my slipper/loafers out of the way, but have a problem when they encounter shoelaces (also cables and cords are a problem).

While the instructions do tell you to empty them daily, I eventually found that overkill. The first few times I ran them, yes they needed emptying after every run. But now that they have cleaned the floors pretty well and are mostly getting fine dust, I've discovered that I can let them go as long as a week without emptying. That said, with your shedding dogs, you'll probably have to attend to them much more often.

Both of my models have Amazon Alexa capability, so I can start and stop them with my voice, but I've found that unnecessary. I just let them keep to their daily schedule.
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Lar, how does it get into the corners? I've always wondered that about these robot vaca. Also, is the suction good? Does it leave the vacuum marks on the carpet like a traditional vacuum?
 
My wife is convinced these things are a god-send... all I ask is that the thing not be seen while I’m home... after our Roomba died an early death (broken somethingorother) - her research led her to the quieter, better-made Eufy which we’ve had for a couple years now... she loves it ... doesn’t bother our dog
 
I got the roomba 960 for my wife a couple months ago and it’s one of the best things we ever got for the house. It leaves marks on the carpet as asked. The 960 also “maps” your house after 3 uses. I can then open the app and selectively vacuum a room depending on if needed.

We had a party last weekend and noticed the kitchen and living room needed a quick vacuum. While running around setting everything up for the party, I just opened the app n sent it to those two rooms for a quick clean up. It rolls off the base, hits those rooms, and goes right back.

The bin does need to be cleaned after every clean which isn’t a big deal. It’s worth it knowing that this unit gets under all of my furniture. Also, when it’s cleaning the main floor it will go back and charge up and continue the job when it’s done charging. You can schedule it to run certain days and I have it set to clean Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10am when everyone is out of the house. You can clearly tell it’s run. It has a brush that spins and cleans the corners better than any vacuum I’ve ever had.

It’s a steep price of $700 but I’ve paid close to $500 for a couple different dysons so I don’t think it’s that crazy.
 
lf
 
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I misunderstood wifey when she was asking for one each birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, 4th of July.... I ended up getting her this instead. Not sure if I screwed up or not.

 
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The biggest advantage these vacuums have is they can vacuum under beds, furniture etc, that has a space under it. Not all furniture does. The dog poop comment is definitely something that could happen if its running while your away. It also cant go up/down stairs. And needs emptying.
 
Madsol said:
Lar, how does it get into the corners? I've always wondered that about these robot vaca. Also, is the suction good? Does it leave the vacuum marks on the carpet like a traditional vacuum?
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Corners are a little bit problematic in that it doesn't quite get into them. Then again, neither does a regular vacuum. But these guys do a better job along walls than a normal vacuum does. They have whirling brushes that extend outward from the vacs that brush loose dirt away from the wall for the vacuum to pick up. The suction is adequate, not nearly as strong nor anywhere nearly as loud as a normal vacuum. I've come to the conclusion that while an upright vacuum might pick up more dirt with just one pass over the carpet, the robo vacs will make up for it by making more passes. Basically, because my one guy runs for two hours while the other runs for an hour, I am doing three hours of vacuuming over 1000 square feet every day. Long term, I'm going to pick up more dirt than I would normally. However, I do have a canister vacuum to do the stairs and an occasional touch-up of spills (although the robo vacs come with remotes that you can use for spills).

They do leave vacuum marks on the carpet. Out in the open they aren't as intense as the marks a normal vacuum would leave, but on the edges, either along the walls or around furniture, you can definitely notice the track that they leave because over the long haul they will consistently make the same pass many times.

PSUSignore's description of what happens if the dog poops while you are away accurately describes the situation. It's pretty much a horror show. I don't have a pet and I wouldn't use one of these if I did, unless I was 1000% percent sure the vac wasn't going to run after a dog crapped.
 
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rmem said:
That's not the full question. What if the dog has a runny poop? I bet that doesn't end well.
It amazes me how much people will pay to avoid the simple chore of vacuuming their house.
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Apparently, your time isn't worth much. I'm paying pennies an hour to have my floors fairly spotless. Well worth it.
 
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We have an old Roomba (maybe a 620)? It's almost 8 or 9 years old. Still runs like a charm.
There is a tiny arm with a brush on the end of it that pops out to collect corner dust and debris.
If you are buying a Roomba as a complete substitute for vacuuming, you will not be satisfied.

Roombas/Robot-Vacuums work well collecting dust bunnies, hair, crumbs, insects, etc. We vacuum probably every other week in our house, so we use the Roomba as a substitute duster, etc., since we're rarely at home. It's a running joke in our house when I tell my wife (almost everyday), "Honey, I vacuumed again today."

Things Roombas are great for:
- Picking up human/dog/cat hair on a daily basis
- active kids whose parents are on a busy schedule
- Taking it to the beach to pick up sand, etc. in your beach house every day
- dust bunnies and shedding carpets
- basements with an open floor plan so that you don't have to vacuum there as often
- entry way dirt
- kids and animals are fascinated with them

Things Roombas are not good for:
- kids who drop food/drinks all over the house
- dogs prone to leaving a turd in the middle of the floor or urinating there as well
- houses with a lot of fragile things or clutter on the floor (our Roomba has been known to take out a plant vase or two on the floor)
- if your family is prone to leave tiny sharp or hard objects on the floor (Legos, jewelry, screws, nails, etc.). They can get stuck in the Roomba and cause a great deal of floor scratching.

A positive for the Roombas/Robot-Vacuums is that they are quite easy to fix and the important parts are cheap, readily available, and easily replaceable.

I would suggest doing your research on them because there are so many different models.
Don't jump right into a high end model.
Usually the price increase isn't because the suction is more powerful. It's because of useless "smart" add-ons like a mobile app that will send you a text alert when the Roomba is finished.

Instead wait for one to be a "deal of the day" on Amazon or some other site.
 
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rmem said:
That's not the full question. What if the dog has a runny poop? I bet that doesn't end well.
It amazes me how much people will pay to avoid the simple chore of vacuuming their house.
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Seriously, who needs them besides for lazy people. I still ride my bike to work instead of the lazy folks in their fancy smancy cars. And I like to hand write letters, bike to the post office for a stamp, and mail them rather than use one of those thinking box thingys with email. This generation, I tell you.
 
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We have both a Roomba and and Ecovac Deebot. I forget which models. The Deebot is probably a little bit better at picking up dirt when it decides to run. The problem is that the Deebot is a real PITA. It seems to always lose connection to the network and will not run automatically. Sometimes it takes about 30 minutes of using the app to get it to reconnect. With a google seach, I found this is a very common problem for the Deebot, it is not just me. For a while it kept complaining that the wheels were stuck, but they felt free to me. Doing a full shutdown and reset seemed to be the only way to fix it. The Deebot has lots of SW problems. The Roomba is much more reliable.
 
Langmuir said:
We have both a Roomba and and Ecovac Deebot. I forget which models. The Deebot is probably a little bit better at picking up dirt when it decides to run. The problem is that the Deebot is a real PITA. It seems to always lose connection to the network and will not run automatically. Sometimes it takes about 30 minutes of using the app to get it to reconnect. With a google seach, I found this is a very common problem for the Deebot, it is not just me. For a while it kept complaining that the wheels were stuck, but they felt free to me. Doing a full shutdown and reset seemed to be the only way to fix it. The Deebot has lots of SW problems. The Roomba is much more reliable.
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Which models do you have? As someone that is interested in picking one of these up so it can help with daily dog hair shedding, the number of brands and models is quite overwhelming.
 
sss said:
Seriously, who needs them besides for lazy people. I still ride my bike to work instead of the lazy folks in their fancy smancy cars. And I like to hand write letters, bike to the post office for a stamp, and mail them rather than use one of those thinking box thingys with email. This generation, I tell you.
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BTW, we hve the Roomba since xmas (the $500 one from Costco). Yes, I bought my wife a vacuum cleaner for xmas, and she loved it!. Two dogs, one that sheds. Works well. Yes we have to empty it by hand every couple days because of the dog hair, but literally a 1 minute process. Call me one of the lazy people.
 
PSUSignore said:
Which models do you have? As someone that is interested in picking one of these up so it can help with daily dog hair shedding, the number of brands and models is quite overwhelming.
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The Roomba is model 690. The Deebot is DR95. Just from my experience I would go with a Roomba even though it will cost more than a Deebot. Most models will do well with dog hair on a hardwood floor. As Moyer Jones mentioned above, be careful about paying more for "features" that are nothing more than a connection to an app and the added value is not worth the extra cost.
 
Langmuir said:
We have both a Roomba and and Ecovac Deebot. I forget which models. The Deebot is probably a little bit better at picking up dirt when it decides to run. The problem is that the Deebot is a real PITA. It seems to always lose connection to the network and will not run automatically. Sometimes it takes about 30 minutes of using the app to get it to reconnect. With a google seach, I found this is a very common problem for the Deebot, it is not just me. For a while it kept complaining that the wheels were stuck, but they felt free to me. Doing a full shutdown and reset seemed to be the only way to fix it. The Deebot has lots of SW problems. The Roomba is much more reliable.
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I've had no problem with my Deebot N79S, other than a power outage causing it to lose its schedule. Even then it just reverted to running daily at midnight rather than the 5 am I have it scheduled for - no biggie.
 
Based on a very quick search the Roborock S5 (and upcoming S6) look appealing, but are quite expensive. But they are competing with the highest models from Roomba at a lower price point. I've never owed one of these so I have lots of doubts about them, but the ability to create custom barriers in the app to designate exactly where I want the vacuum to go is quite appealing, and that seems like a feature that is only on the high end models right now.
 
PSUSignore said:
Based on a very quick search the Roborock S5 (and upcoming S6) look appealing, but are quite expensive. But they are competing with the highest models from Roomba at a lower price point. I've never owed one of these so I have lots of doubts about them, but the ability to create custom barriers in the app to designate exactly where I want the vacuum to go is quite appealing, and that seems like a feature that is only on the high end models right now.
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The low end models have tape that you can lay down that blocks off any areas that you want to keep from being vacuum.
 
UncleLar said:
The low end models have tape that you can lay down that blocks off any areas that you want to keep from being vacuum.
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Yeah I'm aware of the tape and "cones" that can block off areas. The app mapping is highly favorable though since it can easily be adjusted on the fly without worrying about shuffling physical barriers around and having ugly tape along the floors. Also I think this allows for naming rooms and running customized programs like vacuuming one room daily and others weekly, or something along those lines. Granted that functionality comes at a price.
 
PSUSignore said:
Yeah I'm aware of the tape and "cones" that can block off areas. The app mapping is highly favorable though since it can easily be adjusted on the fly without worrying about shuffling physical barriers around and having ugly tape along the floors. Also I think this allows for naming rooms and running customized programs like vacuuming one room daily and others weekly, or something along those lines. Granted that functionality comes at a price.
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Just an FYI, the Deebot DR95 comes with a feature where it maps out your floor plan and then you can adjust where it goes based on the floor plan. The problem with the DR95 is that when the unit loses power, it completely erases the floor plan. Due to the constant issues of it losing network connection (requiring a power down), complaining about wheels being stuck(requiring a power down), and not making it back to the base (where it would run out of power), this feature was completely worthless. So yeah we thought we could easily adjust on the fly, the reality is that it never worked. Some may work better but just don't always believe the marketing hype.
 
Langmuir said:
Just an FYI, the Deebot DR95 comes with a feature where it maps out your floor plan and then you can adjust where it goes based on the floor plan. The problem with the DR95 is that when the unit loses power, it completely erases the floor plan. Due to the constant issues of it losing network connection (requiring a power down), complaining about wheels being stuck(requiring a power down), and not making it back to the base (where it would run out of power), this feature was completely worthless. So yeah we thought we could easily adjust on the fly, the reality is that it never worked. Some may work better but just don't always believe the marketing hype.
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Good point. It seems that their effectiveness is highly dependent on the environment unique to each home. For example, if I get one that can't transition from my wood floor to the area rug I wouldn't want to keep it. Unfortunately there's no way to know which will work best without trial and error and risking a bunch of return shipment costs.
 
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UncleLar said:
A review of Eufy's latest RoboVac. This would be my choice if I had to replace one of my current vacuums.
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I personally found this guy's review methodology to be the most thorough and compelling of anything I've read so far. Instead of just saying generic things like, "improved suction" or subjective good/better/best types of ratings he actually measures things and explains his methodology, using the data as the basis for his scoring vs. just eyeballing how clean a floor might be. He also has a pretty comprehensive list of vacuums in his testing, more than most of the other shooutout type reviews I've seen. For example, many don't include Shark or Roborock in their reviews at all.

 
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PSUSignore said:
I personally found this guy's review methodology to be the most thorough and compelling of anything I've read so far. Instead of just saying generic things like, "improved suction" or subjective good/better/best types of ratings he actually measures things and explains his methodology, using the data as the basis for his scoring vs. just eyeballing how clean a floor might be. He also has a pretty comprehensive list of vacuums in his testing, more than most of the other shooutout type reviews I've seen. For example, many don't include Shark or Roborock in their reviews at all.

View embedded media
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Thanks. Enjoyed that. My decision to go with the budget line was partially dictated by the fact that I have an upstairs and downstairs in my townhouse, which meant I was going to have double the costs to automate both floors. Pleased to see that both of my choices were at the top of the budget category.
 
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