iRobot Roomba 530

Pros: improved model, tells you exactly what is wrong, long battery life

Cons: expensive, questionable durability

The Bottom Line: It works well and saves me time but you'll still be buying replenishment parts which are an added expense. Durability is questionable.

Review: We have been big fans of the iRobot line of robotic cleaning products for a year and a half now. We've bought the Roomba and Scooba for our home and have given the Roomba and Looj as gifts. We order Scooba cleaning solution, extra batteries, and...

Pros: Reasonable price when on sale, interesting technology, cleans fairly well

Cons: Doesn't sense all obstacles before collision, batteries for virtual walls not included.

The Bottom Line: Make sure you know what you want and what you expect it to do before you commit.

Review: My wife is a neat freak. She comes home from work and the first thing she does (practically) is grab the broom and dustpan and SWEEPS. A couple of years back I got the idea that I would buy one of these robotic vacuums to hopefully get her to stop...

Pros: You can have more control over your time; makes multiple pet ownership much easier.

Cons: Roomba has serious durability issues, and the cost of replacement parts is unreasonable.

The Bottom Line: This can give you more freedom with your time, but I'd get a good warranty and expect to replace parts often.

Review: Well, first of all, most of the people who buy this product are people who either don't have the time to vacuum as much as they like, are injured and can't, or just would rather spend time doing something else. Which reason you choose will make a...

Pros: I can't be the only one who enjoys watching someone/something else doing the housework!

Cons: High maintenance, questionable durability

The Bottom Line: More interesting than practical.

It's the 21st century - you know you want a robot!!

Review:
It is truly enjoyable watching "Cy" (my Roomba 530) randomly scoot around the floor, sweeping up the schmutz.

He navigates across different surfaces, around, under, and alongside things with relative ease, minding the Lighthouses and then...

Pros: Vacuums by itself, what's cooler than that? Small size takes up little space.

Cons: I have to clean before I can let it vacuum. Small canister size.

The Bottom Line: Definitely recommend but not as a sole vacuum. I feel you'll need to back it up with the occasional human powered vacuum.

Review: My husband has a history of giving me gifts before the actual day of celebration. He gives obvious hints as to what the Christmas gift will be, he hands over the birthday gift the day he buys it. This year, though, he had me stumped. He told me he...

Pros: Thorough vacuum, great programming with over 90 minutes per charge

Cons: Question long term durability of cleaning components & moving parts.

The Bottom Line: Thorough as a vacuum, excellent programming and navigation around tight and awkward spaces.

Review: To be honest, my expectations were not that high to begin with. I was expecting a high tech toy more than a good vacuum cleaner. I was impressed by iRobots online demonstration and the unique programming more than anything else.

What I got...

Pros: Vacuums even under the bed and dressers!

Cons: Sometimes gets stuck or tangled. Battery needs replaced after 2 years.

The Bottom Line: The time this product saves makes it worth the money and the small effort to clean it. It does a great job!

Review: I have two of these great vacuums, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. They are very reliable. The one I have for my upstairs is a scheduler and it just begins vacuuming the room on the scheduled time every day without fail and it goes right...

Pros: Ease of use right out of box. Perfect for anyone who needs a cleaning timesaver!

Cons: The motor is just a little loud, but other than that, nothing!

The Bottom Line: Once you get it, you will love it. Be prepared to maintain it because it may vacuum by itself, but it won't clean itself.

Review: I love this machine! It cleans the daily dust throughout my kitchen, living room, family room and dining room. I bought this product because a friend of mine loved hers so much that I just had to have it too. I don't have a dog right now so I can't...

Pros: cool, cleans well, gets under furniture

Cons: does not replace regular vacuum cleaner, somewhat expensive

The Bottom Line: Definitely buy it if you have hard wood floors, funds and no time to vacuum often yourself.

Review: I had my doubts whether it works first and now I can say - yes it does.

Beware - in the beginning it will be very entertaining to watch Roomba clean so be prepared.

Now... to the practical observations - for the most part it does...

Pros: Cleans amazingly well. Great customer support, perfect for disabled or elderly.

Cons: Can get stuck under objects. May have problems with side brush. Small dust bin.

The Bottom Line: Roomba is a sturdy vacuum ready for the toughest assignment. Why waste another minute of your life vacuuming when this machine will do it for you? Highly recommend.

Review: I am not new to the world of iRobot. I have owned one since 2004. When my Roomba Discovery died, I knew I couldn't do without one and immediately went to iRobot's website to order a new one. Luckily, I noticed there was a new 500 series out and...