iRobot - 960

I’ve had Roombas since ~2016, a 960 and an i7+. While I wish they integrated with HomeAssistant a little better, they have been rock solid, especially the i7+ due to the self emptying. Currently the i7 runs daily on the main floor and the 960 runs in my bedroom(when I remember to empty it). Had to replace some parts on the i7 and they were mostly easily acquirable directly from iRobot, so that has been nice. Do a little bit of network monitoring and they don’t really ever seem to randomly phone home, so that’s nice.

Why not iRobot Roomba? My 900-series works perfectly. Low carpets are easy, high carpets are difficult. My roomba runs every other night when we are asleep :)

I have an iRobot roomba from about 2015. Still works great. It can connect to an app but doesn’t need to and has simple replacement filters and parts. Easy to clean. I did need to replace the battery once. I think the lower models with less connection needs must end up outlasting for this reason.

I have a 960 with a dog that sheds, and the wheels and rollers will sometimes jam. Have had it for 4 years and still runs, but will require extraction of dog hair from time to time. Also, it's a little noisey but powerful.

Irobot has a camera for object avoidance. I think it works pretty great.  It worked perfectly in the beginning, but God forbid when you are training the ai(?) by reviewing the photos you ever allow anything as "not an obstacle" then it will run over similar things forever. Like string, after I told it a cord off the ground was not an obstacle. :(

iRobot Roomba 960 here, going strong after 6 years. Regular filter and brush maintenance seems to be key

The later Roombas with a camera/vision system are pretty good at avoiding things that could cause snags/clogs. I used to be vigilant with clearing the floor and even putting dining chairs on the table, but now I just have my Roomba run every night with dog toys, kid toys, wife's shoes and purse, chairs, charger cords, laundry baskets, and everything else blocking its path. It probably only cleans about 60% of the area I want it to, but I can still feel a noticeable difference when I walk barefoot through the house.

I bought a Roomba that can mop and vacuum (pricey models are great). I bought a bunch of replacement rags/mops on Temu for a few euros, and exchange them every now and then. All you have to do besides that is fill its water tank with clean water and floor soap. I also went on my Roomba's App, drew out a map of my house, and set a cleaning schedule for every single day on setting 'deep clean'. And he keeps the floors like 98% spotless, while we have 2 long-haired dogs and 1 short hair cat. We still vacuum and mop ourselves like once a week or so. But if need be we could easily skip that. The difference has been amazing. Googly eyes are optional. ;) Why do it yourself if a robot can do it for you?

I don't know about the new lineup, but nothing beats a Roomba 9-series on carpet, though. Even on hard floors, my Saros 10 misses a lot of spots that my J9 never did.

Unpopular opinion: iRobot. They’re easy to repair and there’s an abundance of filters and spare parts. The i5+ is a mid level entry robot. You can likely find it around $300 or just stay on the lookout for a sale. Even better mid level option, the j5+. Probably above your price range, but it’s a good investment, per say. I say that having had a Roomba 960 since 2017. A Roomba j7+ since 2021 and my most recent addition a Roomba s9+. Honestly the 960 is still a beast. I have several floors, for the record…they’re not in a closed glass case. 🤣 Roborock has some models that do well, as well. I’m not sure if them off the top of my head. PS: A combo robot just isn’t it quite yet, I wouldn’t spend the money on a combo at this point, especially at your price point. Question: what size is your place? Square feet wise.