iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners

I bought a roomba, I think it’s amazing. What a difference it’s made to the carpets, it lifts the pile as well as my conventional cleaner.

I will still have to do a little bit of hoovering under very low furniture occasionally and maybe the odd corner.

Pros -
You don't have to vacuum.
They can sweep under beds and sofas, where you can't reach.
You can programme them to clean before you get up in the morning, every morning if you like, or before you get home from work.
Ten minutes before visitors arrive you can set them doing a carpet sweep while you flip a duster round and hide any chaos.
My Roomba recognises when it has reached the top of the stairs and changes direction so as not to fall down.
Children love them. So do some pets (not all)

Cons -
They need a permanent place for their charging base to plug into.
Their dustbox is small and really does need to be emptied frequently or they don't pick up well.
They can be sensitive souls. If you have dropped a scarf on the floor, it gets caught in the brush and makes them squeal for help. (so do ordinary vacuums, but if the robot is working when you aren't there, you can't rescue it. Solution - don't leave tangly things on the floor)
Mine is obsesses with dining chairs. If it bumps into a chair leg it cleans round it carefully, moves on to the next leg and round that and so on. If it encounters the same leg a second time it repeats the performance. On its scheduled days, I have to remember to upturn all the chairs onto the table in the dining room and kitchen.
They don't do stairs (but a small handheld vacuum is better than an upright for that anyway)
Most of them bumble around over the carpet, rebounding at random angles when they meet a wall, a bit of furniture, or the barrier beam you can set to keep it from anywhere you don't want it to go. If you are watching it can be a bit frustrating, so you are better to ignore it and let it get on with it.

I have got a eufy. See the website. I too was sceptical but it is really very easy to use and way cheaper than the roomba.

Compare 150 to 500 odd. Although I'm sure the others can be got cheaper with coupon codes etc.

I got mine as I've had a trapped nerve in my back before now and really I was being careful if we got ill then at least I could use it without much effort. I also have a standard rechargeable vac.

Also for those with depression and anxiety it is someone to talk to...(only half a joke, I haven't figured out how to do that crossing out thing yet..) or if you get a day when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to nuture yourself.

The remote doesn't work on mine or I haven't figured it out yet. But I really dont need that anyway.

There is a You Tube vid about Eufy on how to clean it. Keep the receipt in case you need to send it back.

I am told they also do them at Aldi now, though haven't heard of anyone who has bought an aldi one.

I guess it is a bit like a dishwasher. At first personally I found both of them scary to maintain. Think that was my conditioning always thought I was rubbish at technology, however I was brave and practised and it was really worth it.

If we did have to go into lockdown now, both things would be a big help.

Doesn't replace my lovely milk man though with his cheery smile at the door three times a week.

I bought one for my son and DiL. They love it. They have named it and it has become one of the family.

I bought my first roomba in 2013 and it is still going strong. I added another for upsatirs in 2015. They are fab, pick up an amazing amount of dust and fluff, mine don`t get stuck and I do raise thin cables. They paid for themselves very quickly, my neighbour had a cleaner for £20 a week, she spent all her time vacuuming

I use both very regularly, I have replaced both batteries once. I can go out and just leave roomba to clean up and then he parks himself to re-charge. Emptying his bin is an easy job. I don`t have pets

I have had a roomba for years - bought when I was on crutches. It was a godsend; although I do not use it so much now.

I bought a robovac a couple of months ago with some returned holiday money. Expected to use it to supplement the vacuum cleaner - run around the kitchen floor and up the hall to keep on top of the crumbs and bits. Goodness, I had no idea how useful this little wonder machine was going to be! In fact the vacuum cleaner supplements the robovac ie I just get it out to clean behind the telly and the stairs.

My son always has a Neato, but then he is gadget-obsessed. They are hardly a necessity, more an indulgence. His daughter, as a toddler, would chat away to it - as if it were a family pet!

just don't 'get it' myself - unless one is disabled and/or very frail and weak- how hard is it to throw a lightweight 'Hoover' around 1x or 2 x a week?

I have one. It’s good in that you don’t have to do anything(!) but it doesn’t totally replace a normal cleaner.

Mine gets stuck under the edges of furniture and has to be rescued. If there’s anyone with long hair in the house, it clogs up the brushes very quickly and it’s a nuisance to get it out. My Roomba seems much more efficient noW both my long-haired girls have left home!