Gadget Review: Roomba
Wouldn’t it be great if you could have something vacuum for you? Some device that would sweep an area while you were at work? That device already exists, and is called a Roomba.
How Roombas Works
The Roomba uses physical walls and electronic infrared devices as “virtual walls” to keep itself contained within an area. The area is swept in a criss-cross pattern, getting under furniture and up against the baseboards.
Positives
The Roomba has many positive points:
- Minimal interference. You charge it up, set it down, turn on the virtual walls and press a button. The machine will go until its dust bin is full, the area is clean, or the battery runs out. In some models it will even take itself back to the charging station.
- Cleans to baseboards. The machine will get up next to the baseboards and clean.
- Can Handle different floor types. My Roomba works well on our medium plush, Berber, tile and hardwood floors. It does a better job of baseboards on the hard surfaces.
- Handles large areas. The machine can handle our kitchen/dining/great rooms in one shot, negotiating the doorways and transitions between the carpet, hardwood and tile.
- Handles pet hair. We have two long-haired females, two cats and one dog in the house. My husband doesn’t shed much, but the rest of us do. The machine handles all the hair well.
Negatives
There are some downsides to the Roomba, though.
- Prone to breaking. In the five years of owning Roombas, I have had 14 different devices. All but two were warranty replacements.
- Battery expense. I get about 9 months out of a battery. At almost $50 a pop, this can add up.
- Requires frequent cleaning. I have to clean the brushes every week, and every three months I need to go in and blow the dust out of the machine.
Overall
I like my Roombas. While some would find the tinkering hard, I don’t mind disassembling the machine or cleaning it out. Even with the battery expense, this is still cheaper than having a cleaning service come it to do the floors. I still have my upright vacuum for handling major messes, but I rely on the Roomba to keep my floors in decent shape 90% of the time.
Photo by Eirik Newth
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