iRobot Roomba Pro Intelligent Floorvac Robotic Vacuum

If you like nice, straight vacuum lines after you clean the carpet, this bot isn't for you. If you don't mind, read on.

Anyways, what's the difference between the old Roomba, the "Pro" version, and the "Pro Elite"?

All Roomba versions start off in circles until it hits a wall, then follow the wall for a while, then turn away from the wall and drive straight until it smacks another wall... "criss-crossing" as iRobot describes it. After a while, it'll start its circular pattern up again. Lather, rinse, repeat. If it gets caught in a tricky part of the room where the furniture layout isn't so conventional, it may find its way out eventually, but not after going over the same portion of floor over and over... and sometimes over over over over. And over. But at least it won't run off the stairs. And it follows the room perimeter very, very nicely.

The original also comes with a "virtual wall unit", so you don't have to close the door or put a chair in the doorway so the robot doesn't wander out of the room you want cleaned - it's just a little gizmo that emits a beam that the Roomba won't cross. The Pro and Elite versions come with two virtual wall units.

The Pro and Elite versions add a "spot mode", where it goes in circles in a 3' diameter for a considerable amount of time. If you're too lazy to bring the big vac out, place the Roomba Pro on the mess and hit the big "spot" button on the top. If it smacks into something during the spot mode, Roomba is smart enough to concentrate back to where it's suppose to be vacuuming.

Also, you can use the "Roomba Remote" to control the Roomba Pro & Elite. Got a huge queen or king sized bed? A bed connected to a big headboard? Don't want move bed over just to vacuum? Then send the little Roomba in. If you have a big room it'll take forever for Roomba to wander under your bed and navigate between the bed legs and other supports that you may have under there. But if you have the remote and the new Roombas, just drive the robot in; make it do 360ºs in spots you think are super dirty. You'll be surprised how much dirt it gets out (I'm talking 2-3 bin fulls if it's really dirty.) The bin is easy to clean, and the filters you can wash with soap and water.

Also, there's a "MAX" button on the remote that you can press so that the Roomba Pro & Elite keeps on cleaning until it runs out of battery. On the Elite version, the MAX button is on the Roomba itself. Just charge the battery overnight and it'll be ready again the next day.

For the Roomba Pro Elite, the Roomba is red, the remote comes with, and it comes with a wall mount that you'll probably never use.

What do I use my Roomba for? I let it loose downstairs where there's a lot of tile and hardwood. I set it on MAX with the remote and then go back upstairs or leave. The Roomba is quieter than a standard vac, so I don't notice it when I'm upstairs.

If I want to clean under the beds, I drive the robot in with the remote. The robot is rather dumb when it comes to complex furniture arrangements (grand piano, diagonally placed tables, strangely sectioned off areas), but it gets everywhere if you give it enough time.

I throw the robot in the rooms once in a while, but with so many obstacles like rolling chairs, fan bases, radios, TV stands, thick carpet, it takes forever. Plus, I like those nice straight vacuum lines. =)

Word of advice. Don't put anything on the floor that it can knock over with a slight nudge. And watch out for rugs with fringes or tassels. Tuck them under, the Roomba might get snagged and get mad at you. But it can get over rugs, and if you make your furniture "Roomba friendly" by giving it 4" clearance underneath, it'll clean under there, too.

All in all, it's a cute little machine that does the job. Great Christmas present, easy to use, easy to clean. The remote is a must have for quick cleans under the beds.

Pros:
*Easy to use, very intuitive
*Cleans under the bed, get to places you wouldn't normally clean
*automated vacuuming
*kid/pet friendly
*won't mar walls
*designed to fit under kitchen kickboards
*great if you want to clean tiles/hardwood regularly

Cons:
*Pricey
*Takes roughly 5 times longer to vacuum than you do, slower on thick plush than hardwood/tile
*Long charging time

There's Pro's & Con's depending on your expectations;

It can follow the outer wall perimeter of a room, work it's way around furniture and back to the wall. It has deliberation in it's pattern madness. It WILL cover the entire room. Unfortunately, the battery charge does not accomodate a very large room. We purchased a rapid charger (2.5 hrs.) and an extra battery to keep Roomba ready to go.

With minor room prepping to eliminate wires, "wedge" shaped areas under furniture, frayed area rugs, you can turn it loose and let it work while you're gone. It simply stops when the charge runs out. But you need to make sure the room is prepped as Roomba will cry for help if in a situation he can't get out of. I won't go into details but Roomba does have some personality.

The heavy elevated furniture (bed, couch, curio) that can't get moved weekly, can now be cleaned under weekly.

The only features that kept me from giving this 5 stars is: The catch bin is very small. The battery run time is around an hour, at best. The recharge time is around 12 hours. I had to buy more accessories to make Roomba fit my needs.

If you're looking for a hepa vacumn that will keep your home dust free, forget about the Roomba. If it requires too much work to pick up the clutter in your home to run Roomba, you need a bigger vac anyway. It's not a one shot house cleaning miracle.

If you want some low maintenance help in your busy life to keep your floors cleaner between regular vacumnings, Roomba will do that...in an entertaining fashion.

Two points. It's definitely louder than I thought it would be (maybe a little quieter than a regular vacuum). No talking on the phone or watching TV while the Roomba goes about it's job. We use it at night downstairs, this way everyone's upstairs in bed and the noise is not a factor. It would also be fine if you are using it during the daytime - simply in another area of the house. Shop around for the best price. I was able to get the Roomba Pro with a remote (which makes it operate the same as the Elite model it just doesn't have the pretty useless wall hanger thing), from HSN.com for 149.50 including tax and shipping. The price was $199 - the entertainment coupon book (available nationwide) has a 25% off HSN.com coupon in it, which brought the price down to 149, and there was no tax or shipping. I would also suggest investing in either an additional battery or the rapid charger (an extra battery will be cheaper). I have been able to cover approximately 1000 sq ft on a single battery charge, but the 12 hour wait for charge time with one battery gets real old real fast. Also, don't expect this to take the place of your regular vacuum cleaner (or broom and dustpan). It's great for maintenance cleaning, and you won't have to vacuum nearly as often, but you will still have to vacuum really well every once in a while. I highly recommend the Roomba!