Roomba Robot Vacuum

A Roomba Robot Vacuum is conceptually at least every woman's dream. A device that vacuums the home for you, floors and rugs, by itself every single day while you're at work if you like, and with models that can even handle pet hair messes for you. But does the Roomba Robot Vacuum really work?

Does the Roomba -or the Romba vacuum or Rumba vacuum as it is sometimes mistakenly called- really know how to navigate your whole home and return to its charging station, cleaning kickboards and sweeping up dust bunnies, pet hair tumbleweeds and other debris as it goes? Leaving you with nothing to do but enjoy a clean house?

And if it does, then does that pretty much mean that the Roomba Vacuum Cleaner is the perfect Christmas present for everyone? Let's take a look.

The Roomba Robot Vacuum has continued to advance since its introduction to the market in 2002. A second generation of Roombas was introduced in 2004 which included self-charging docking stations and several other companies have introduced their own robotic vacuums.

The Roomba has managed to remain at the forefront of the robotic floor cleaner market, largely due to its name recognition, but it's also true that no other robotics company has yet managed to offer something better to the market. 

Where the Roomba stands now is still top of the line. Yes, the Roomba does everything it says it does, but there are a few things you should know about your options when buying and using a Roomba.

Currently the Roomba has several versions of their robotic vacuums on the market, including second generation, third generation and their 610 Professional Roomba Robot Vacuum. iRobot -the maker of Roomba Robotic Vacuums- also remanufactures older models up to current specs, which are tempting as more affordable options.

Unfortunately the remanufactured Roombas often don't work out, and consumers sometimes report failures of these units to even start up. Buying a remanufactured Roomba is a hit and miss option then, but one with little risk as long as you can return it.

So just be aware that if you purchase a remanufactured Roomba it may not perform up to the standards of a brand new unit, despite whatever upgrades from its original form it may have have received. If it doesn't seem up to speed, you may want to send it back asap and try again. However if you get a good unit and it does work out, then you've saved a bunch of money.

The latest versions of the Roomba -the 570 and the 610 Professional Roomba vacuum- offer you the latest in iRobot vacuuming technology, including everything that was already great in the earlier models as well as scheduling and room-to-room navigation which are great upgrades to have.

The Virtual Wall Lighthouses -also compatible with the 560 and 530 models- stop the Roomba from leaving one room before it finishes vacuuming it. This increases the Roomba's performance and range, and likely the longevity of the robotic vacuum as well, since the Lighthouses keep the Roomba from having to run back and forth from room to room.

Switch a Lighthouse to Virtual Wall mode and it prevents the Roomba from entering a restricted area at all. Each 570 and 610 Professional Roomba comes with 2 Virtual Wall Lighthouses included. Additional Lighthouse units can be purchased separately.

The 570 comes with a remote control -use of which is totally optional- while the 610 Professional is a hardworking Roomba. The 610 -in Max mode- will just keep going until it's about to run out of juice, at which point it returns to it's docking station to recharge.

Clean and Spot mode are also included, as they are in all current models. Spot mode lets you set the Roomba on a mess of debris -up to 3 feet wide- and it will work it's magic there only.

The 560 series of the Roomba robotic vacuums does include onboard scheduling, but does not come with the remote control or the Virtual Wall Lighthouses, although the Lighthouses can be purchased separately. The 560 series does however include 2 Virtual Wall units, additionals of which can be purchased separately.

The Virtual Wall units function as the Virtual Wall mode does in the Virtual Wall Lighthouse devices. They stop the Roomba from entering a designated area.

The 562 model is the 560 Pet Series model. It comes with a high-capacity bin and replacement filters and brushes. The high-capacity bin is included or optional with all 3rd generation 500 series Roomba Robot Vacuums, and is rather necessary in high pet hair environments.

The 530 and 532 do not have scheduling ability, which means you need to manually start the Roomba vacuum each time you use it. They do include 2 Virtual Wall units however, and the 530 was the first Roomba to come with a self-charging dock feature.

The 532 is the Pet Series option of the 530 Roomba. It includes a high-capacity bin, an additional replacement filter and replacement brushes - all of which could be purchased separately for the 530.

The 510 comes with 1 Virtual Wall, and though the first of the 3rd generation Roomba vacuums, the 510 does not self-charge.

Yes, Roomba vacuums do work, and better with each new model. The first couple times you release the Roomba on your house may not best demonstrate the Roomba's capabilities. This is because the Roomba is deap cleaning your carpets in a way that may suck up a lot of dust and debris you've been missing, especially in the areas which are difficult for a traditional upright vacuum to reach.

So the Roomba Robot Vacuum may need its dust bin emptied before being able to complete its rounds the first time or two, or may even run out of juice. As repeated uses of the Roomba bring your house up to snuff -so to speak- these initial issues should disappear.

The Roomba cannot navigate stairs -and has a self-preservation feature which keeps it from ever trying to. You will need to transport it for multi-level homes, or purchase two units with onboard scheduling as many users choose to do. Keep in mind that the less demand put on your Roomba the longer it will last, so many Roomba users savvy to this point prefer to utilize multiple units in their larger homes.

Also be aware that although a Roomba unit may claim the capability to clean 2, 3 or 4 rooms on a single charge, iRobot figures these to be very small rooms, no more than slightly over 100 square feet large. If it says it can clean 4 rooms on a single charge, it will likely only be able to clean 2 with any proficiency. Some users purchase additional battery packs to switch the battery out halfway through use, but this method won't work well with the scheduling feature.

The biggest issue still a problem with Roombas is longevity. Maintenance is required. You can get away with never doing anything more than emptying the dust bin, wiping down the sensors now and then and occassionally changing the filter, but your Roomba will not last very long. A year, maybe two.

With proper maintenance, however, there's no saying how long a Roomba may last. Certainly the later models will have a longer life as iRobot has advanced their designs and parts. But the maintenance is still an issue. To get the most out of your Roomba for the longest possible period of time you will need to give it some serious attention periodically, and a can of compressed air can go a long way.

Of course, the amount of maintenance needed will vary depending on the Roomba's home environment. If your home is pet-free and not given to quick and easy accumulation of dust and floor debris, the Roomba will naturally perform better, last longer and require less maintenance. If pet hair or such is the bane of your household, the Roomba vacuum can definitely help you, and greatly improve the cleanliness of your home and ease the demands on your busy life, but it will require more regular maintenance.

Still, the trade-off between regular Roomba maintenance and daily self-vacuuming is a no-brainer. Once you experience a Roomba, you'll find it's like a dishwasher or clothes washing-machine. The Roomba Robot Vacuum will make your life so much easier, that you will never want to go without a Roomba Robot again.

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