So, anyone got an iRobot Roomba or other robot vacuum cleaner?

Don
Joined
17 May 2004
Posts
12,763
Location
Telford, Shropshire
S5 Max here - used the mopping function a few times (hallway has tiles, kitchen diner is fully tiled and utility is tiled). Although it does a good job mopping, it isn't perfect. If you have stains on the floor, such as coffee / tea, it won't really budge that, but for mud and such it removes it pretty easily.

It does multi floor mapping - but yet to test it upstairs, but it's something I'll get around too at some point!

Love mine, it's been a really impressive addition to the house.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jun 2009
Posts
4,230
Location
My own head
S5 Max here - used the mopping function a few times (hallway has tiles, kitchen diner is fully tiled and utility is tiled). Although it does a good job mopping, it isn't perfect. If you have stains on the floor, such as coffee / tea, it won't really budge that, but for mud and such it removes it pretty easily.

It does multi floor mapping - but yet to test it upstairs, but it's something I'll get around too at some point!

Love mine, it's been a really impressive addition to the house.

It really is good no? I've not tried.the mop function yet but overall as.peice of technology I have to said it's.proabably the most transformative I've ever bought.

We've been able.to stop vacuuming a floor of the house cause it does such a good job! Most of all like it cleaning up crumbs and things dropped in the kitchen.
 
Don
Joined
17 May 2004
Posts
12,763
Location
Telford, Shropshire
It really is good no? I've not tried.the mop function yet but overall as.peice of technology I have to said it's.proabably the most transformative I've ever bought.

We've been able.to stop vacuuming a floor of the house cause it does such a good job! Most of all like it cleaning up crumbs and things dropped in the kitchen.

It's amazing, I love it!

As mentioned I've got a newish born, so actually finding time to do stuff such as vacuuming and mopping is harder than it sounds! With the robot vacuum we can set it off at any time (or schedule it and it'll be done by the time we get back).
 
Caporegime
OP
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
27,421
Location
Utopia
What should I be looking at with a budget of 500 to 600?
Downstairs all hard floors and one rug, upstairs 50/50 carpet and hard floor.
Get 2x robots, one for each floor if you have that kind of budget. That way there will be no faffing around. You can get 2x of these Xiaomi Mi Robots and they will do the job brilliantly. They have LIDAR and SLAM navigation and a great app to go with it. That's all you need. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xiaomi-M...865553?hash=item1ceb9aa7d1:g:XF8AAOSwsChe2I2M

I will only ever buy Xiaomi as long as they continue making such amazing vacuum robots.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Posts
1,239
What should I be looking at with a budget of 500 to 600?
Downstairs all hard floors and one rug, upstairs 50/50 carpet and hard floor.

I would also recommend getting two. You could get an Osmo T8 AIVI, or look at getting two cheaper models, but still with Lidar, etc.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Sep 2005
Posts
5,465
Location
Fife
It doesn't climb stairs though. Transporting a robot hoover up and down stairs is a a pain in the arse, better to have a decent one for each floor.

I don't find it a big issue, carry it up when I'm going up, turn it on, done. I'd rather have one great robot vacuum rather than 2 not so good ones.
 
Caporegime
OP
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
27,421
Location
Utopia
I don't find it a big issue, carry it up when I'm going up, turn it on, done. I'd rather have one great robot vacuum rather than 2 not so good ones.

First world problems to a tee :D

I did actually have a funny though about building the charger into a Stannah stairlift-type system. Total overkill.
It's not first world problems, it's just basic convenience and common sense for a particular topic. The big appeal of a robot hoover is that it can be left to do its job all week without you having to do much of anything. If you have to remember to carry it up stairs every time it hoovers then you have already lost a big factor in convenience of having one. One good robovac on each floor that can be left do their jobs 3x per week until the poop needs scooping, are better than one £500 vacuum that needs nannying up and down stairs. Every. Single. Time.

And sorry jamie but the Xiaomi Mi Robot with SLAM and LIDAR that I linked to are very good, so no idea why you think they are "not so good". They just aren't the 'top' models. :p
 
Last edited:

JRJ

JRJ

Associate
Joined
21 Oct 2010
Posts
1,331
I'm going to be in the market for one of these in about 6 months time, how quick is the technology developing or is it worth starting to look out for decent deals now?
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
Posts
38,372
I'm going to be in the market for one of these in about 6 months time, how quick is the technology developing or is it worth starting to look out for decent deals now?

Pointless all the good deals are dead now thanks to Brexit.

The one I was looking at was £150 from China. Now £300.

Cheaper buying it from UK now but where it was £150 before is now £250.

Deals compared to those available a month ago are terrible in comparison.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,201
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Pointless all the good deals are dead now thanks to Brexit.

The one I was looking at was £150 from China. Now £300.

Cheaper buying it from UK now but where it was £150 before is now £250.

Deals compared to those available a month ago are terrible in comparison.

I've not really looked but how come it's made such an impact? Presumably any purchases from China have always incurred import duties etc the same as now. Granted i've been fortunate with most items not incurring anything, but i just assumed that was luck rather than anything else.

Is it not just the horrendous shipping costs which have ramped up the prices?
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
Posts
38,372
I've not really looked but how come it's made such an impact? Presumably any purchases from China have always incurred import duties etc the same as now. Granted i've been fortunate with most items not incurring anything, but i just assumed that was luck rather than anything else.

Is it not just the horrendous shipping costs which have ramped up the prices?

Used to go under the radar before. Now shipping, vat and import being tacked on prices have shot up in this case it's horrific as it's doubled. More expensive Hoover's will have only went up by £150-£250 but it's significantly worse now.

In fact supply is now an issue for some reason I can't even see the roborock e4 on AliExpress anymore and the single listing there is they want £1250 for it and it was £150 before.
 
Back
Top Bottom