Who has a roomba and should I get one?

[theplumfairy]

I think the idea of a robot doing my hoovering while I'm out is great.

I have a hairy dog, a builder husband (v dusty) and a toddler. Hard floors with rugs downstairs and a carpet upstairs. Would the roomba be hardcore enough?

It will be obsessed with your rugs (especially if tasselled) circle chairs unless you put them up on the table like at the end of the day at school, and take every opportunity to escape somewhere it shouldn't (under the settee, into the bathroom, out the front door)

However, if you can largely clear your floor of anything it can get caught on/around then it's rather nice to go out, press a button and come back home to it buried under a chair beeping for help docked and charging is nice and the little happy noise when it starts, its triumphant noise when it's done, and the little uh-oh noise when it has some kind of trouble are adorable.

Dirt dog the outdoor one is a total idiot though, who would launch himself onto the lawn the moment I put him down on the patio then wimper for help.

Can they cope with tiled floors?

yes it is very good for tiled floor, carpets and wooden floor.
never had any problems with mine, though i do make sure my floors are clutter-free
it doesnt like legos, cables, shoe laces and tassles
look up reviews on amazon if you need convincing :-)
i have two kids and a third coming and i am really really grateful for this little gadget, saves me lots of time and energy.

I love my roomba. One fluffy cat, one six yr old DS and wood floors. They don't get into the corners like a normal hoover but being able to set it off and go out is brilliant.

i sold mine on ebay

was as much effort to prepare the floor , and it missed annoying bits...ended up quicker and easier to get the hoover out

We are a fairly tassle free house so apart from the rugs we might be compatible with a roomba. Already had a look at amazon reviews and they are convincing - just have to work myself up to spending 200 quid plus on a gadget when I have a perfectly good (if annoyingly inanimate) dyson in the cupboard. Should have bought ggirls off eBay!

I don;t find it much effort the prepare the floor - I just pick up all teh crap on the floor and dump it on table/chairs!

my husband thinks the roomba costs £79.... [embarrassed]
not sure if i will have the guts to tell him one day!!! but honestly, it saves my back, my sanity, my time and some money (rather than ask the cleaner to come twice a week)

I have one! His name is Brain and he is ever so good.
He comes on every morning at 8.30 when we leave for school, I do have to tip the sofa back against the wall or he gets stuck, but that is no big deal for a spotless carpet on my return each day.

I like that he transforms a room while I'm doing something elsewhere.

Pricey but I think worth it, we also have a Dyson as well and it never gets the dirt out so deep, I can do a thorough clean with the Dyson, then let Brian out and he'll still come back with a full dust bin. :)

We have carpet and hard floor and we have the newest model.

Tostaky, never tell him.

I havent told my DH we drink sainsburys smart price tea bags and I dont intend to either.

Ours is called Rodney, thanks to DD. he does a great job.

Roomba fans, may I draw your attention to this article in Vice, this paragraph in particular:

This was the test area or "playpen", where the exhibitors got to show everyone how effective their war machines were. One company had a robot they claimed could go up and down this wall. It couldn?t. I spoke to a robotics company called iRobot (?Robots that make a difference?), who make robots for the US army in Afghanistan and then use that same technology in their vacuum cleaners. Their spokeswoman was keen to remind me that the company existed before the Will Smith film. I smugly reminded her that, while that might be the case, it hadn?t existed before the Isaac Asimov book.

fantastic swampster!

We love our Roomba and call her Rosie Robot (Wosie Wobot if you are DS2)

No pets, but copes well with two messy boys, hard floors, rugs & carpets. Does a good effort on spilt food under kids's dining chairs - pet hate of mine!

Have used ours daily since she arrived at Christmas - now looking like she needs side brush replaced by other brushes & batteries are fine. We keep floors clutter-free, but if she gets tangled she stops.

Downside - she's pretty noisy - fine as scheduled to go when we are out the house, but annoyingly noisy if in same room with her. Like a hoover really!

swampster

I am so tempted to buy one but they are very expensive. Do they ever go on sale?

Just wanting some current advice or suggestions for one??

Which model?
How much have you paid?
And do warrantys work if you move overseas?
Thanks in advance