Roombas

I love my Eufy brand robot vac. I just set it going and forget it.
You will need a charging point that it can easily access. You will also need to make sure that there are no wires or other trailing things on the floor. You will soon find where there are problems as if it gets stuck it cries! It also needs to be emptied after every use and the brushes cleared regularly. Get a light one and you can lift it up onto a table to do this.
Please check that the cat hasn't left any presents as robot vacs are known to spread mess further!

I have a Roomba and love it, it does a great job, I have a mix of carpet and hard floors and also a cat. I highly recommend it.
Mine is connected to our WiFi and I programme it with my phone, lets me know if it’s stuck or finished, needs cleaning or battery is low and it can’t get home to charge.

My neighbour has a Eufy and says it’s good.

Goodness, I've never heard of them. Don't tell my DH or he'll be wanting one.

I assume they don’t make one that will do the wretched stairs?!

I've got a Roomba and wouldn't be without it, it's like having an elf!!! I control mine from my phone and have a mixture of hard floor and carpets. Both my daughters have one as well and love it. You won't regret it, I promise.

Oh dear, that doesn't sound like it'd suit me, I'm 82 and don't have a smart phone. Will I need help setting it up initially? I know nothing about WiFi or Bluetooth or all that stuff. I don't have an Alexa either, nor a clever door security camera that speaks to a caller of I'm not home.
Can't I just plug it in and switch it on, then sit back and watch it?

I have one - it is great.

Also have stick vacuum for clearing up spills.

ExDancer
You don’t have to use it through an app.

ExDancer ...Yes, you definitely need one, specially when you have back problems. I have 2 x Roombas, one upstairs and one downstairs so I don't need to move it and can have them both cleaning floors at the same time.

Don't worry about not having a smartphone, WiFi, etc as not all models need this, in fact neither of mine do and it means I just have to press the 'start' button which is no big deal. If you can't bend to press the 'start' button it can be pressed with your big toe...I just checked for you.

My first Roomba was brand new, then once I discovered I couldn't live without it I bought a secondhand one (same model) on Gumtree...it needed cleaning as the previous owner didn't bother emptying the dust bin or cleaning the brushes, no wonder it wasn't doing a great job! I have since bought a wet-mopping Roomba to wash the tiled floors, as like you, my back isn't what it used to be either.

There is a video of a cat riding on top of a Roomba, so it seems cats like them. It will do the kitchen floors too, if you wish.

Hope you enjoy it!

They sound good. I think, from comments from friends, the cheap ones don’t work too well and are a waste of money so it must pay to get a good one.

Mine has a simple remote control so no need to bend. It also has a big button to set it going and it goes back to its charger and turns itself off.
You will need to be able to bend down to empty it though and the dust chamber is small.

ExDancer there are many brands. If you get a genuine Roomba, all the controls are on it (at least they are on mine, which I have had for a few years) so you don't need to involve any Wifi, Alexa etc. There is a large button for Start and Stop, which as has been said can be pressed with a big toe, a button for Dock that sends it home to recharge, and another for Scheduling it. You don't have to schedule it if you just want to start it up while you are around, but it is very nice to lie in bed in the morning listening to it cleaning your carpets for you, and getting up to find them all done. The scheduling is not complicated - choose days and times for it to run, that is all.

A warning - don't leave any flimsy scarves on the floor, or dangling touching the floor. It gets very upset when it pulls them in.
And if it is running while you are not around, it needs internal doors completely open. I forgot to open one door wide once. When it came up against it, it opened it just far enough to get into the room, cleaned all around, and came up against the inside of the door, pushing it shut. Then it couldn't get out of the room to dock, and went round and round until it ran out of power. I found it later, huddled sadly in a corner.

I purchased a cheaper brand to gauge how I felt about having one and what features would work for me - size of dust box, width of pick-up, side brushes, phone features etc.
Vic the vac highlighted how much DIY needs to be finished in my home! He vanished behind the missing kickboards, he overfed himself on tiny tacks that had rolled to the skirting board and the final indignation that led to his dismissal? He ate a string of fairy lights and threw himself down the stairs. My dog was absolutely terrified of Vic the vac so it was returned.
My overall opinion was that it is a great idea for someone who doesn't have a dog.

I have a cheaper one, and I'm very happy with it.
I haven't used my proper vac in months and months.

Oh dear. I disagree!

I have a Vileda Robot which I bought several years ago at a cost of £100 or so. It has languished in its box more or less since I bought it.

It does lightly hoover carpets but because it is circular, even with the little brush that sticks out from the side, I don't believe it really reaches into corners.

I bought it as from time to time my back plays up but can't say I am thrilled with it.

It's of course possible that current models have improved significantly and mine was low-tech so if you suffer with health problems it could still be worthwhile trying one - back pain is horrible!

Two years ago when I moved to a new place, I bought a Roomba ....it is still residing in its box behind the sofa .......bought a Shark instead...maybe I should sell it ? along with the Keyboard I bought in lockdown ....ditto !

LadyJus I can just picture it! Hilarious!

I have a honiture robot hoover basically because we have a black Labrador so it’s to keep on top of the fluff and we love it . It has a mop section as well. You do need to empty it every time but bearing in mind that’s the Labrador fluff ! It’s no trouble to empty and it returns to its charger . It also has a mop section you can put on to kind of damp dust the hard floors . The best thing about it is how it gets underneath the beds and everything . We think it’s great and the grandkids love it !

My son had one on trial and was allowed to keep it after he gave a critique of it.
We used to set it up and let it run while we were out grocery shopping and it did a really good job from the hall to the lounge and kitchen diner. We had a cat at the time and I was really surprised how much fluff it picked up - even after I had vacuumed with our upright the day before!
Ours wasn't blue tooth, you started it off by pressing the buttons on the top and then set it down like a stranded tortoise!
Just make sure that any throws/ curtains etc are off the floor as they can sense solid objects but not material and we got back one time and it had stuck on the throw over my chair!
We loaned it to my brother when he broke his leg - he loved it and we haven't seen it since!

Ladyjus - brilliant had me in stitches on the train, wont forget about Vic the vac

DD has one they call Brenda ?It snuck out into the garden and diligently vacuumed the patio ?

I felt so sorry for Vic the Vac committing suicide through eating fairylights, he surely had an unusual diet.
I feel better now as you've put my worries away (apart from trailing wires, and DH's habit of using the floor as a newspaper rack). I can see we're going to have to be a good deal tidier - both of us.
Does it switch itself off if it tries to eat, say, a wet towel left on the bathroom floor? Or does it carry on trying to choke itself until its motor seizes up?
And does it cope oK with things like hearth rugs and doormats?

ExDancer I bought a Roomba with redundancy money about 9 years ago. It is still going strong although it now needs a new battery. I love it and would buy a new one in a heart beat.

Rugs without fringes are OK, but a fringe gets drawn into its works and causes it to shout for help. If the rug is very thick it can't climb up onto it, so it turns aside and cleans round it. I don't know how it copes with wet towels left on the floor.