We just got the Roomba and we love it. Although it is really pricey I really feel that it's worth the investment. The iRobot cleans our whole apartment in an hour. It moves without problems from carpets to hardwood to tile, and passes by sliding door frame easily. Overall great purchase!

I got this hoping it would help with the stray cat hair that you just can't seem to get with a broom. Its amazing I have it scheduled to come one at a certain time every day. usually right after I have swept the floor. and I am amazed by what the iRobot picks up that I missed. and it gets under those pesky base board heaters that are so close to the floor with its little sweeper. The best part is once the battery gets low it automatically takes its self back to the dock to recharge.

If you have not tried the Roomba yet, you really don't know what you're missing!

The concept is pretty simple: it zips around and vacuums your floor, then docks itself to recharge when it's finished. It can be programmed to clean every day at a certain time. There are several settings, including a spot cleaner that's really handy if you've swept some dirt into a pile or only want a small area cleaned. My unit also comes with a remote control if you want to manually direct its path.

It's kind of mesmerizing to watch, and my kids think it's hilarious when it "chases" the cat. The cat is less impressed.

Pros:

- This really is as simple as pushing a button and walking away. So easy to start when you leave the house in the morning!

- The disposal compartment easily clicks off the machine and you dump the gunk into your trash. No bags to buy or fuss with.

- My model (the 770) has 2 HEPA filters which minimizes dust and other particulates being recirculated into the air.

- The Roomba can handle most floor surfaces including tile, vinyl, hardwoods, and carpet. If you have a really long shag, it can slow the machine down and use up more battery life, but it still gets the job done.

- it fits under most furniture depending on your pieces. Our bed frames and sofas are all a couple of inches off the ground so it can scoot under there easily. No more dust bunnies!!!

- when it's finished, it sings a little tune to let you know the cycle is complete. It sings a different song for a full trash compartment or if it gets stuck under something or clogged.

- the brushes easily pop off the unit to be cleaned. It comes with a special tool to pull long hair off the spindle. In comparison, I have to use a screwdriver to open my regular vacuum head in order to clean off the spindle.

Cons:

- It does not vacuum as thoroughly as a proper vacuum cleaner (just can't have the suction that a more powerful upright or canister unit will have with a larger motor).

- It's not as smart as the commercials imply. I have seen it repeatedly vacuum the same spot over and over again while continuously missing another spot. However, if you let it do a cycle every day, it keeps your floor much cleaner than you probably do with a once-a-week regular vacuum. It will eventually get to that uncleaned spot.

- it will fall down the stairs if you don't use the Virtual Wall to block it. The Virtual Walls only have a range of maybe 8 feet, so if you have a large area you need to block off, you might need to put up a physical barrier as well. For this reason, I usually only have it do one or several rooms at a time. Obviously, it can't do the entire house in one session.

Overall:

For the price you pay, you can probably buy a decent standard vacuum instead (depending on the Roomba model - mine was one of the best ones). I would not replace my proper vacuum with the Roomba. However, the convenience factor really does make my weekly household chores so much easier. I was also fortunate to have credit card points I needed to cash in, so I got mine for free!

Definitely a good gift idea for "someone who has everything"! I have had mine for about 2 years and it runs nearly every day. No issues yet, and I'd most likely buy it again if it ever broke on me.

Let's face it--cleaning can be a total drag sometimes, especially if you have pets in the house (I have 2 cats). I usually do a thorough cleaning of the house bi-weekly but the iRobot Roomba is the perfect solution for quick tidy ups if you're having guests over or just need to feel like the house needs a quick clean sweep. With a simple click of a button, the iRobot Roomba embarks on a calculated trail across your floor, ensuring that it covers all territory. It's a bit of an investment but a worthy one for those who may not have the time to bust out a vacuum or broom everyday. Not to mention, they just introduced a new product called the "Scooba" which SCRUBS your floor for you. In other words, kiss your cleaning lady goodbye (bless her heart) and say hello to your forever polished home!

I recently purchased one of these machines from Costco, as I have been hearing wonderful things about it.

I have 4 dogs, all indoors. I am constantly having to sweep, and vacuum my floors - as they are dark coloured dogs, and I have light coloured flooring. It was honestly a huge battle, and really inconvienient.

The moment I started up my Roomba, I was in love! It just scooted around the floor, and never got stuck. I put up the blocking squares in the areas where I didn't want it to go.. It listens really well.

When the battery is dying, it makes it way back to the charger.. Without being told to do so!

I absolutely love this. It's so convienient, and has definitely been worth the money. Sweeping is the chore that I hate the most, and this just eliminates the problem all together.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

I had an injury and couldn't vacuum, and I had heard rave reviews about the Roomba, so I purchased it from Costco.

I found it hard to believe that it would vacuum every square inch because it zig zags as it cleans, so I watched it clean a couple of rooms. It is truly amazing. It goes around chair and table legs and has little brushes that pop out when needed to sweep out crumbs and little bits of dirt. When it fits, the Roomba will go under furniture, and when it goes near wires or small throw mats, it detangles itself. It also has sensors that detect staircases and ledges, so you are able to let the Roomba roam completely unattended in the house.The Roomba can easily move from between different floor textures without a problem, and you do not need to utliize different settings for different floorings.

The Roomba has a single-button start that you push to begin cleaning, and it will return to the docking base to recharge when cleaning is complete or when it has run out of batteries. It can run for approximately a couple of hours without needing to recharge.

Another great feature of the Roomba is that it is extremely easy to clean. All you have to do is pull the bin from the side of the Roomba and dump it.

This is a fantastic product that is definitely worth every penny. I plan on purchasing a second one to keep on my upper floor to avoid moving it back and forth.