For those with a Roomba...

[MadTessaSpall]

There seems to be a few (old) threads on the irobot Roombas, and tbh the comments on here have been so positive I'm seriously tempted to go for it despite the cost, having a perfectly good Hoover (that isn't used half as much as it should be ) and a rather dubious DP ("How much? For a Hoover?")

Having read up on some of the models though I'm not really sure which one to go for - I don't want to go for the cheapest model if really it's one of those situations where it's worth paying the extra for the extra features. I don't think I'd really use it that often whilst we're out as we have an alarm with motion sensors so am wondering if it's worth the extra for the model with the timer? Any thoughts/advice? I am too excited about this.

For those who have dogs, is the dog bothered by the Roomba moving around? Our dog hates the hoover and I can imagine him being a bit freaked out by a strange object moving around with no help from us. Also, how noisy are they, as he really doesn't like that.

We have a rug in the middle of our living room. Would it be able to move on and off it? It's not very thick.

Our cats stay out of its way but aren't freaked out or anything. It's quite noisy. I think it's significantly quieter than our normal vacuum cleaner, but it's still loud enough to stop you hearing the tv properly. Ours is variable with rugs. Mostly it's fine but sometimes it does pick up the rug and vacuum underneath it! Ours is an old model.

My cat was scared by it at first, but has got used to it now - and she's a very nervous cat. She sits watching the Roomba come close, and only moves if it is heading straight for her!
My 880 is quite noisy if you are in the same room as it, but it's fine if it isn't in the same room. It is currently vacuuming up the hallway and I can only hear it a little bit.

We have one very thick pile rug in a bedroom and it does go over it, but it makes piteous noises and tries to get off as quickly as possible. So a thinner rug would be fine I'm sure.

mostlyjustalurker - I bought the Vileda, it was quite weak in performance and then a few days into it wouldn't re charge so I took it back for a refund.

The Roomba has landed!

It has changed my life! It whirs around when I get in as I haven't found time to read the whole of the instruction book and I get huge satisfaction from cooking, knowing that the lounge is being cleaned at the same time.

We have rugs - it copes admirably. We have kittens - they are highly entertained by it (so in fact, I am achieving three jobs at once!)

It picks up dirt I didn't realise was there. My house has never looked so clean. I have never had so much time.

DELIGHTED with it - thanks ever so much to all the OPs who gave me the confidence to buy

Reading with interest.

threeislovely, you've thrown a spanner in the works (although I am of course delighted that it's great, and LOVE the idea of cooking whilst your floors are magically being hoovered by themselves). I had all but decided to look at cheaper options for a robot hoover, as I'm expecting in December and really need cash for baby stuff. Some of the reviews were not very promising for other, slightly cheaper brands but I've noticed a lot of the Roomba threads are about pet hair, and as I don't have any pets I thought I probably don't need as good a hoover. Don't suppose anyone's had any experience with a decent non-Roomba robot hoover?

Actually - it is not actually a proper Roomba. It is a Robot Vacuum Cleaner XR Advanced Vacuum Cleaning Robot which is currently reduced in Amazon to £160. It had slightly mixed reviews, but I think most things can get a few negative reviews.

It cleans randomly and spot cleans which means it cleans in a 1 metre square circle in increasing swirls.

It has a bar to stop it entering certain areas. You can programme it.

It has done all of downstairs today whilst we went to the beach. When we got home the house was gleaming. I am completely sold!!!

We have cats - it's coping well with that and DD's long hair.

Hope that helps

I have a feeling that, in the words of Peter Andre and Katie Price, this will be a whole new world. Am checking out the XR Cleaning Robot as I type - at half the price it seems a lot more reasonable. It will be mine yet.

Oh yes! I have just cleaned DD's room while little robot cleaned downstairs. DS's picked all bits off floor so robot could work. DH cleaned utility in the time I was doing upstairs...

I do not know what has happened to my family - we are NOT cleaning fans, but my house has never, never looked so good!

My only regret is that I didn't buy it years ago. It transforms life in the same way as a dishwasher did.

I have an old roomba that I've lost the charger for-anyone any idea where I could get a replacement cheapish charger?

We've now had ours for a few weeks - amazing is little Rodders! Wished I'd done it years ago!
Agree the house has never looked so good cos he makes you have clear floors. A few days in and we got tired of picking stuff up/putting it back down so have now decluttered (ongoing!)
Liberating and def worth the money - if he lasts a year it's way cheaper than a cleaner

I agree to the decluttering - we can put it on at any point now because we have new storage systems! Delighted!!!!

Sure you could buy a charger via the Roomba shop

My one gripe with my Roomba is the virtual wall just doesn't work - this is annoying as there'sa step in the kitchen and when it tips over it, it packs up and has to be restarted. Had ours about 4 years and it's definitely dying but on the whole I love it and will definitely replace