iRobot - i7+

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.

We have a Roomba i7+, so I can’t speak to the devices with a mopping feature. I think ours is just okay. We have a German Shepherd so I’m constantly cleaning tanged hair from the brushes. It does okay on our Ruggables but sometimes gets caught on the edges or leaves big tufts of hair behind. I think if I ran it daily, we might avoid it leaving the tufts behind, but I’m honestly tired of cleaning the brushes with a scissors 😩

I have both Roborock Saros 10R and Eufy e28 on your list for a couple of weeks now. And for now I decided to keep both. Posted a review earlier: https://www.reddit.com/r/Roborock/s/PW7vVWd6uN From my limited research, Roborock seems to be the most reliable brand, with Eufy coming in second. I also had a Roomba i7+ for about 3 years. I would say for vacuuming performance, 10R and e28 would not exceed your i8, but they are much better in other aspects, such as navigation and mopping. If your floor is mostly tile, both should do fine. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

I bought a Roomba i7+ back in 2020 and it recently turned 5! I've used cheap Amazon replacement parts and it still does a good job. ALTHOUGH! iRobot corporate had been having some issues lately. They were supposed to be acquired by Amazon but that deal fell through. I think they almost went bankrupt as well. If I were to buy a new robot vacuum today, I would likely be eyeing roborock. Lastly, regarding these robot vacuums, I'm pretty firm on the saying "you get what you pay for" within this genre of purchases.

Anecdotally, I got about 8 months out of a roomba before the thing went feral. It would try to get out the backdoor and down the deck stairs. After awhile it would just come out of the dock, spin, and go back home. Support was useless and felt more like a scheme to get me to buy more bits and add ons. I have friends who have told me the same.

It was a Roomba i7+ that I bought in the summer of 2022.

Yeah maybe pets has something to do with it. We have dogs that shed a lot. It just got to the point where I was doing more babysitting of the vacuum than actual vacuuming.

I have an i7+ that is an absolute trooper. Works great with very little attention from me...have a couple of Aussies, so hair does wrap up in the rollers, but not much outside of that...just change the bag and filter when needed. Two years ago, I bought the Roomba Combo...I think I grabbed it shortly after its release on a $400 off sale...that should've been the first red flag for me, but I've had Roombas forever and they always improve. Never again...what a POS this thing is. Never empties the bin on its own. That sliver of a mop pad must be for laboratory clean homes...it just trowels the dirt out over the entire area as it is saturated with dirt quickly. Software updates are finished, apparently. They did sent me a replacement while still under warranty, which is only slightly less horrible than the original unit...it returned to the base to empty its bin once. I was so excited to finally see this happen. Never did it again...just docks and notifies me the bin is full. Doesn't matter how clean I keep the bin cover and the sensors. Auto-bin empty cycle never works...I have to use the app and empty the bin myself. Because of that, I can only clean one room at a time, or that daffy thing will PACK that dirt bin FULL and then some... The Braava Jet 6 I have (paired to the i7+ routines) does way better...it's wheels are worn and has issues getting off its dock and, gasp, no way to replace them. Otherwise, its been a great little machine. I will never purchase another Roomba. That was cemented by the lackluster (that is being generous) support I received...they were just reading a script and no matter who I got, I got all the same feedback. I asked each time...don't you have me in the system and record our discussions each time I contact you with the results of what I was asked to do previously?

Thanks for the review! I ordered mine the other day on Prime day after a lot of reviewing. Our roomba i7+ has finally taken a crap and it was time to replace - it comes in this week & I’m stoked to get it running! (Plus, the wife is out of town for the week and doesn’t know I got it. So she’ll be welcomed home with clean floors)

Preach! My roomba loves to die under the couch and not go home smh. Also takes a solid 6-7 hours on our (not huge) house. And the way it full on smacks into everything makes me chuckle. Looking forward to the upgrade - sounds like not be disappointed

I have a i7+ and my lab sheds. Jarvis picks it up just fine, I do have to do maintenance weekly, but yes it will get the job done.

Oh and I’ve had him for five years, so longevity is AMAZING.

Yes! I love him. I want to get a new one, but he keeps working just fine with normal maintenance, and a battery swap.

Yes worth imo. I just went from a Roomba i7+ to a Roborock Qrevo Curv. Night and day difference compared to clean. Also the stations keeping the mop pad sanitary was the thing that made me finally dive in, and I’m glad I did. I enjoy not having to vacuum my main floor, and it’s given me a hour or two back in my day.

If you got short pile carpet i highly recommend the iRobot Roomba i7+. It's an slightly older model but it's made for households with pets and kids. It has 2 rubber rollers which easily pick up animal für, even from carpet. It detects carpet and will even start to vacuum harder on them and slows it's pace. It's also equipped with 'dirt detect' so will not run over an accident your pets or kids may have. And it has a cleanbase. I'm not sure how it will work on deep pile carpet since i have none but i can imagine this get's stuck inbetween the rollers. They don't recommend this either. The only down side is the Cleanbase ( automatic dirt disposal unit ) that comes with it. It has 2 metal charging points in the bottom that can move a little up and down with a spring underneath it to avoid damage when the robot returns to it. The charging points are hold in place by plastic on both sides. Sometimes it melts stuck inside the bottom plate and if you are unlucky it's unable to make contact with the robot thus can't charge it anymore. I had this happen to me twice with the same machine, the second even had this within 3 weeks of use 😅. Luckily it was still within warranty and they just send me new ones. Most perfect customer service they got. But because it's an older model you can find them cheap second hand too.

For the price point, yes, absolutely. But like you said it’s pretty outdated, for me personally the navigation was decent, but it bumped everything it didn’t expect to be there. like a chair being moved 2cm.

I have the irobot i7+ for a couple years now and I'm happy with it. I haven't tried any other brands with some of the more advanced features, but I'm happy with mine enough to not care about buying something else.

i honestly didn’t think i’d care about a robot vacuum until we got the [iRobot Roomba i7+](https://www.amazon.de/iRobot-Absaugstation-Raumerfassung-Zeitplanreinigung-Multibodenb%C3%BCrsten/dp/B07V9LD1HZ?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=1DKR8FK8CYHA7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bj_W0vdcxiQgS75I8OlIals1N-k_Vy0mzG66Qk9ZRCLGIIkxcRKZ4TW8f6Ey8mG10l2KBoJycjECKtot6uNXwzG5CAnM4Xbtxv7bDCNCmnkOQODvQ9_04-QlvOKWnV1riFiVblAKuo3_yHYdCdR9ivwGx6PL99bf6mNHdDBa6J9HPrA7NmYfvVG_AtFuIqhdOGKwl9VxDhX79FoamBX8xX2ZIUKbyd6Ey-Ji8eyEhBA.pQgBZfF4REzCiG7uX576YgCgAOAGMVh958AzereDd4o&dib_tag=se&keywords=iRobot%2BRoomba%2Bi7%2B&qid=1746040068&sprefix=irobot%2Broomba%2Bi7%2B%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-4&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=workshift-21&linkId=ca3c836489b3e8eaeefdb294cd423c73&language=de_DE&ref_=as_li_ss_tl). it’s surprisingly smart with room mapping and doesn’t get stuck like our older one. emptying itself is the best part tbh. we have a dog and it handles hair like a pro.

we’ve had the [iRobot Roomba i7+](https://www.amazon.de/iRobot-Absaugstation-Raumerfassung-Zeitplanreinigung-Multibodenb%C3%BCrsten/dp/B07V9LD1HZ?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=1DKR8FK8CYHA7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bj_W0vdcxiQgS75I8OlIals1N-k_Vy0mzG66Qk9ZRCLGIIkxcRKZ4TW8f6Ey8mG10l2KBoJycjECKtot6uNXwzG5CAnM4Xbtxv7bDCNCmnkOQODvQ9_04-QlvOKWnV1riFiVblAKuo3_yHYdCdR9ivwGx6PL99bf6mNHdDBa6J9HPrA7NmYfvVG_AtFuIqhdOGKwl9VxDhX79FoamBX8xX2ZIUKbyd6Ey-Ji8eyEhBA.pQgBZfF4REzCiG7uX576YgCgAOAGMVh958AzereDd4o&dib_tag=se&keywords=iRobot%2BRoomba%2Bi7%2B&qid=1746040068&sprefix=irobot%2Broomba%2Bi7%2B%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-4&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=workshift-21&linkId=ca3c836489b3e8eaeefdb294cd423c73&language=de_DE&ref_=as_li_ss_tl) for a year and it still runs great. the automatic bin emptying is a game changer. i barely have to think about vacuuming anymore. maps our flat really well too.

I currently have an Roomba i7+. It works fine-ish, but has some problems with navigation in my house, and its getting old. We joke that it's going blind in its old age. (we recently gave it a deep cleaning; and that seems to have helped some, but I worry it won't last) So I'm looking for a new robot vacuum. I'm not attached to iRobot, and would be happy to switch brands. The biggest thing is that *I don't need a mop*. I have nothing I want the robot to mop, and the area to clean has a lot of carpet I'd worry about getting wet. To be clear, this isn't about doubting they work or any technical concerns. I just have no need for mopping on a robot, and I won't be enabling it or using it, to the extent that's possible. I've noticed that nearly all the newer models have some sort of mopping. Is it possible to completely disable that or will most models get angry at me for being on floors that it think it can mop and not mopping? Are some of them just glorified Swiffers? I value navigation, app/smart home integration (Home Assistant) and how quiet it is, probably in that order.

I have limited experience, but my Roomba usually empties its internal bin into the dock at least once per run, sometimes twice. Maybe the auto empty version has a smaller internal bin? I wouldn't want to have to empty it manually.

I have an iRobot i7+ since 2020. It still works like a charm. Only thing I've had to replace was the spinning brush and the two rollers, asid from the dust bag ofcourse.

Because you like vacuuming? I have the i7+ and am happy with it. It doesn’t work well in the dark at all but during daytime it works nicely.

I’d really say go with iRobot. Reasons why: They have really good support POLICIES, the agents are hit and miss(most of the time pretty good). Any issue within warranty and you’ll get an instant replacement unit. They are designed to be super easy to buy replacement parts for(which iRobot will often pay for sometimes even out of warranty). They also last really long: fifth year of owning and using my iRobot I7+(1600 hours of cleaning). They have the best obstacle avoidance for poop(check a video I have on my account of the Roborock Q Revo Máster plowing through fake dog poop. Also for under 500 the obstacle avoidance won’t even really work with my experience. No voice assistant Reasons not to: They’re behind with mopping They get lost more often and sometimes take longer to clean. On the louder end(especially self emptying) I really cannot put enough emphasis on their support team though. My roomba combo j9+ wouldn’t properly saturate its pad with my floor type so after some replacements they upgraded me to the roomba combo 10 max since it would “saturate its pad while cleaning at the docking station”. This was all done in manufactures warranty. My personal recommendation is the roomba j9+ when it’s on discount or you can settle for the j7+ but I strongly reccomend saving for the j9+.

I have the I7, self cleaning. After it vacuums, the base also has a vacuum to vacuum the vacuum. Now that I've used the word "vacuum " way too many times in the previous sentence, I will say, it does a great job. I also like the map it creates, areas can be blocked on the map, it reports square feet and counts "dirt events" which seem to be it's way of calling you a slob

I am trying to look for one too we have a Roomba i7+ and it is not good with our 3 goldens. The only one I hear to get almost 0% tangle rate is the robrtock qrevo curv and it's 1300$ im waiting for it to go down in price

I have the freo Z now. I love everything about it. My second Freo unit, started off with the original Freo, upgraded when it got an auto empty dust bin. Also has two Roomba i7+ units and a braava M6. Love the roomba's too but the Freo Z is hands down just an overall better unit in every way. I also have the automatic water exchange unit for it. Absolute game changer.

I have a roomba i7 that self empties. My hair is down to just above my knees, I also have 2 large dogs (one with a double coat that sheds if you just look at him) and 4 cats. I've scheduled the roomba to run every other day. I empty the bag once a month. Quarterly, I'll take it apart to clean the hair that gets trapped inside as well as replace filters and cut any hair off that accumulates in the rollers. I also run a dyson animal on the couple of rugs I have once a week, and that collects my hair around the brush more than the roomba does. Regardless of the type of vacuum, maintenance is still required. Just like dish washers, washing machines, etc. The things that we use to clean also need cleaning.

I have 2 huskies, an Aussie Shepard, a cat, and a toddler. Been through several robot vacuums. The best by a large margin has been a Roomba i7 with self emptying base. The thing has been trucking along with just basic replacements of the brushes, beaters, and filters. I have owned it for maybe 4 going on 5 years. Without it running each day, my place ends up looking like an old Clint Eastwood movie.

I have a Roomba i7+ purchased in 2021. We run it 6 days a week for our shepherd mix who sheds like mad. As others have said, it's not great on the rugs but the daily run helps keep it manageable, and then we use our upright once every 2-4 weeks for rugs and baseboards and a deeper clean. Imo having the base where it can go back and empty itself is key. On its usual run of our main floor (maybe 800sf) it will empty itself mid-run and then finish. I do perform regular maintenance every month or two to make sure the brushes and rollers aren't clogged. I also clean the sensors and filter maybe once every 6 months or so. Still going strong!

I have 2 from iRobot - Roomba i7+ and Braava for 3+ years. I use Braava for wet mopping, she is dumb and slow.. gets stuck behind doors, low tables cos she is small but I still like her cos she does a thorough job and Roomba I use him for dry vacuum. He is amazing. Love him. I have a crawling baby, so this helps me stay worry free with tidy floors

I have an i7+ and a J7+ and both do a decent job. The i7 does a better job getting on the taller area rugs we have and get stuck less. If I was going to buy one, I would go with the older i7 again.

You basically can replace just about any part. The head, the rollers, the wheel assemblies, the spin brush motor, batteries, wheel treads, single guide wheel, ect. I’ve overhauled mine and replaced just about all parts. My i7+ is 5 yrs old, 4 dogs, 2 ACDs, 1 BC, 1 jrt. It does great on hard floors

Came here to say this—I have the i7+ with 2 dogs, and am not a fan. I spend more time keeping the vacuum running than I would just vacuuming my house directly. And it would be cleaner, since the roomba doesn’t actually pick up the fur.

I’ve tried three. Two iRobots. i7+ and the i8+ Currently on Roborock s8 MaxV Ultra, this is the best so far. Still needs help occasionally.

Havent had an issue myself with the j9+(knock on wood) but did get it for $500. Had an i7+ before and so far atleast vaccumming seems to do better and not bang into things as much.

I have a nearly 6 year old Roomba i7+, but I would not bank on any new robot vacuum to match that. Roombas at the time were known as pretty serviceable for a consumer electronic product. In the time since then, the market really exploded and iRobot didn't keep up. Were they built better than a Roborock? Maybe, but no one cares if it didn't have the latest features. So now they might not be around much longer. Now it seems like there is a new product from Roborock, Dreame, Ecovacs, etc. every other week. I'd guess at that rate, they are intended to be pretty disposable even if they cost $1k.

I7 with the clean base. Get the clean base. Mine empties itself 3 or 4 times per clean. You don't want to do that by hand. Came bundled with the iMop that we use for the upstairs bathroom bc of all the drool she leaves on the floor after drinking, it actually gets slippery.

I have hardwood. I also have an i7 Roomba with the self clean base. Game changer, my man. I have an Aussie that sheds a lot, and a full blown GSD that sheds twice a year, 6 months at a time.

I have a Roomba i7+, I got used a few years ago. When I got it, it seemed like it was in good condition. But there were problems like the wheels spinning once it was the base, for eternity. And the rubber brushes would just spin up my Bernese mountain dogs hair into little ropes on our ruggable. The rotating brush that pulls things to the brushes spins so slow it’s not effective. This is true before and after cleaning dog hair out, which is annoying as is. My Dyson doesn’t need to be pulled apart to get hair out of it. So I’m not 100% against the brand if they’ve fixed these issues, but I’m not interested in more of the same with a new model. Open to other models as well, budget up to $1K, although preferably less. Please comment both things you like and don’t like about yours if you recommend one!

Yeah I really tried all the things that customer support suggested, replaced the rollers and brushes, etc and it’s the same. I was watching some vacuum wars videos and I guess the hair entanglement stuff is a problem for all but very few exception vacuums Non stick tape is a good idea! Although I still have the problem of general not cleaning that well

I am currently looking at the iRobot 10 combo. Currently have an i7+ and a Braava m6, but the Braava is stupid AF. Not sure I will stick with iRobot but need good home automation (Web-API or IFTTT)

I disagree.. i have a roomba I7 and the brush design is far superior to toborocks.. Ya, hair neatly rolls up at the edges.. That is what it is supposed to do

My first robot was the i7, bought in 2020 (with a matching Braava). I thought, at the time, this was the best of what robots had to offer. It wasn't until I started testing robots that I understood just how poorly iRobot was adapting to the changes in the industry. I recently tested the 205, part of the new lineup. I thought it performed abysmally. [https://lifehacker.com/tech/roomba-205-dustcompactor-combo-review](https://lifehacker.com/tech/roomba-205-dustcompactor-combo-review) The app kept crashing (I tried on a few platforms) and it wasn't my only complaint. In terms of apps, it depends on whether you're striving for simplicity or features. I enjoy little talked about features like Pin and Go and Remote Control, and kind of hate in app adverts. So Roborock is one of my favs. But Ecovacs and Dreame robots have a decent app as well. I would never, ever overlook Switchbot, btw.

HI! I purchased my first robot (a roomba i7) in 2020. Since then, I've literally begun testing them for a living. The difference between 2020 and now is just absurd, and I mean that in every way. The difference between two years ago and now is fantastic. 1. Navigation- almost all robots now use LiDAR and some use LiDAR and AI assisted cameras. They map a room within seconds, and can tell what kind of surface is on the floor, where furniture is. The LiDAR makes obstacle recognition and avoidance a whole new ball game. 2. Extending sweeps and mops- You likely had a static mop pad and sweep. But now, they are on extending arms, and can reach under stoves, up to walls, and around spaces the robot can't fit. 3. Towers clean the mop- they sterilize, they auto dispense detergent, they can be piped directly to your water line. They're also modern and in some cases, beautiful. 4. The apps have better features, like remote control, pin and go, voice recognition, and a ton more map controls. 5. Roller design has improved 100x. Split rollers, rollers with razor cutters.... hair just isn't the issue it used to be. it's just not the same. Invest.

I’ve had many roombas from the 650, i7, S9x3 (they sent me 3 replacements), and a braava jet 240. They work good for awhile, but the crappy software updates, constant errors and resets broke me. I seriously love iRobot hardware vacuum performance as in the amount of dirt they pick up, but the software is absolute garbage and a vacuum is completely useless if it can’t navigate correctly. I still have my first 650 bouncing around in my basement and the i7 has been moved to garage duty. The S9 ended up in pieces. My main two robot vacuums are roborocks and I love their navigation. I wish I could take the navigation from a Roborock and put it into a roomba.

This is the worst robot vacuume I've ever owned. It gets stuck on every single thing and finds ANYTHING it can to suck up and get disabled. It hasn't run a full cycle in months because of that. We have hardwood floors and rugs, and this robot seems to "sweep" all of the dirt and cat hair to the edges of all of the rugs for us to have to go and sweep up manually later. Obstacle avoidance is a joke. My last robot was a roomba i7 and it was great. We only upgraded because the mapping was better on this one, it had "better obstacle avoidance" (what a joke) and it could mop without intervention as well as cleaning the mop head on its own. The surface level stuff looks really good (like the maps and mopping stuff), but that stuff is worthless if it can't even do a single vacuume cycle without getting stuck. If I could return this, I would. I hate it. Not to mention the price...... sigh. Maybe I just got a bad one, but this thing is terrible, and I can't understand how all of these reviews look so good all the time. I can't wait to get something different. Let me know if you have any questions.

i also have a roomba i7 since 2019 and a roborock! the roborock is far better than the roomba in terms of navigation and stuff and also the filter is washable which is amazing because i dont have to buy more 😭 they're so expensive for what i also like that the double rubber rollers are a much softer material that doesnt break easily like the roomba, they seem to still use the same materials in their new robots (might also be that it's a newer roborock model but they still sell the i7 under different names for the same price)

i had to glue together my i7's main brush module😭 i bought a roborock after because it's battery was giving up and all the brushes and filters were done for and i decided it's time to let the thing rest

Lidar is less useful for my use case. Or more specifically, some of my cats. Two of them will decide to lay in the way and the lidar kind of goes over them. One of them will start digging out all of his favorite toys and the Roborock will eat them. Having better luck with the camera models like the Roomba i7 most of the time. They'll still eat feather toys but they've been good at avoiding springs and puff balls.

Both not in your selection but I found out my new Roborock Qrevo Master is more silent compared to my older iRobot I7 (which got a halve-retirement: only two smaller rooms upstairs so I don’t have to move the robots anymore). Besides the finer tuning of suction power it’s also less noisy around brakes between the tiles. Not sure if the wheels are more elastic or they have better coil springs… but it’s even possible to draw lines on the map where there gaps between eg rooms are, so it drives slower / more careful / less noisy over those.

I haven't reset my i7 back up since they changed the damned software app. I've been happy with the hardware (enough to buy a second) but the software with its frequent inability to stay connected and constant shitty advertising has defeated me.

As a long time irobot user, i will not buy another. There are several software problems that have been well known for years but not addressed. I have an i7 and braava jet. The i7 regularly wakes up at night, plays a small tune (and wakes me up). No faults, no alarms, it just does it. It is impossible to turn off this action .. many people complain. It would seem so simple to disable this from happening at night in the software. Irobots are not as gentle on your furniture as the competitors. Both of my robots regularly seem to “discover” new spaces to clean that do not exist. This screws up the mapping. It would be so easy to fix this in software by giving the user the ability to “lockdown” the current map to prevent this behavior. I braava jet tends to backup at high speed until it hits something. When it hits something (like a wall or furniture), the lid to the braava pops open .. When this happens everything stops until I intervene and close the braava lid. This is obviously a hardware issue. I ended up taking it apart and removing the spring that makes it pop up. I use the braava jet recommended cleaning fluid. After running an hour my Braava jet wheels are wet from the cleaning fluid. This makes the wheels slippery … and then the Braava jet is unable to climb the 1/16 inch plastic pad on the brrava home base without my assistance Irobots software is frozen in time. The hardware is dated. Look elsewhere.

I’ve had a Roomba i7 since around 2019. But I don’t think I’d get one again. It seems it’s getting harder to get official parts for, and is parts availability is actually why I had to get rid of my Braava M6. I had to take the wheels off to get dog fur out of them, lost a screw, and could not get a replacement. iRobot used to sell them, but stopped. (It does look like 3rd party is finally selling this part now though.) The app also seems to be getting worse with time. Whenever it gets an update it seems to lose data, especially with when consumable parts need to be replaced. Is it the end of the world? No. But it is really annoying. Lastly, I also have a Roborock and I prefer it because it doesn’t slam into my baseboards and furniture the same way the Roomba does. Meaning it leaves less scuff marks around my home. FWIW, I went with Roomba because at the time I had a large double coated dog, and the Roomba self-empty did the best at the time on Vacuum Wars for that particular use case. I’d check out that channel since they do a great job of showing how each robot does in various categories. It may help you find the best for your needs.

I had a i7 that lasted about 5 years. I had replaced battery, both wheels, completely disassembled and cleaned it out 4 or 5 times, but it was still chugging along after daily use for over 4 years. The dock was actually the weakest point...the contacts where it charges the roomba wore down and it stopped making good contact. I was able to get some conductive tape and kinda fix it for quite a while. We replaced it because it started getting really bad about getting stuck, failing to re-dock, just generally failing and being more of a pain as it got older. I suspect some sensor failed internally but there was no way to tell. I replaced it with a roborock and it is so far doing a much better job (due to lidar sensors and newer tech. Roomba was still mostly just bumping around and a few infrared scanners)

About a month ago I bought one of the new 705 models. I was excited to try the new Roomba’s because of the addition of LiDAR and an “apparent” over 100x suction than the previous Roomba I had. I didn’t have it more than 3 days before it went back to the store. My older i7 has stared having issues on carpet, leaving behind trails of cat hair it just smeared around the floor instead of picking it up. When I upgraded I thought that the new one would at least be a bit better, but nope! It did the exact same thing but I paid 900$ more dollars for the displeasure. The initial set up was painful, it got suck on the software update screen even tho the robot updated fine. It made me wait there 2 hours like that before I finally just reopened the app and it decided to work. Initial mapping run went fine and I was able to refine the set up. However I noticed the robot would go out to clean and it would go to the rooms I wanted but it would never complete job. It would return to dock to charge only to about 30% then head out and repeat until I cancelled it manually, sometimes it would show 5-6 hour jobs when nobody was home to stop it. This thing had way too many issues for being so expensive! I just returned it and that was that, won’t buy another one ever again. I also bot permanently banned from the iRobot subreddit for sharing my experience and saying Roomba’s use to be the high standard but have since fallen from grace.

Hearing about longevity is great!! The issue is that current models change and may not have the longevity of the old ones. With that said… We bought an iRobot i7 with the emptying base in 2019. We have recently replaced his battery but he still cleans everyday. He has nearly 2000 hours of vacuuming and paired well with the M6. I try and “bathe” him weekly cleaning brushes and blowing dust out of sensors and what not, but generally speaking they are still going strong. Just to be honest within the last 2 weeks we purchased a 705 max and he is brilliant. mapped the main floor in 15 min and can clean the whole thing in an hour. All while avoiding obstacles like errant socks and cables that the i7 didn’t know to look for. The i7 is great, but i don’t always have time to tidy the house before the scheduled run (which is part of why i like him. it kinda forces people to pick up after themselves until it just became me picking up after everyone for the bot)

I am considered (by my husband, who doesn’t care to clean at all) as a bit obsessed with cleaning. My 19 month old is a tornado barbarian who would only eat when he is running around. The food mess is a lot. It grinds me when i walk barefoot and i feel bits of stuff under my feet whatever it may be. We had the stupidest vacuum roomba i7 that was so loud when i am home i cannot hesr my toddler. It’s so inefficient i need to empty it after every use because the dust pocket smears dust at the base and my hair gets tangled in the rubber brush. Its so violent the side brush destroyed the interlocking foam mat which a large area of our house is covered in and when the robot is running around me it literally rams into my feet and cannot find its way again. It also has docking issues and when my toddler accidentally brushes his feet against that thing, it wakes up and needs to noisily redock again. I ended up having to clean the floor with a swiffer and handheld vacuum anyway because it cannot go on the foam mat, and it cannot navigate and gets stuck between chairs. I took advantage of Prime Day deals and got a MOVA p10 pro-ultra. (I am not paid by MOVA and i am not associated with them in any way). I am running my robot twice a day in a 900 sqm place. It is so quiet compared to the stupid roomba, it doesn’t ram into me or my toddler (it goes around us politely), and it self empties with no dust around the base. Never have docking issues, and have not seen any single hair and only need to spot clean when my son spills oily food or milk ever since. The best part is that it cleans the foam mat and avoids toys so so well!!!! Needless to say i want to throw the roomba and see it smash into pieces, that’s how much hate i have for that thing. And i wish i didn’t listen to my husband who said the roombs was “not that bad, you just don’t know how to use it”. Excuse me, this new MOVA is like 2000% better and it’s so easy to use, it mops, it dries itself, it self empties, and i barely have to clean my floors anymore! I realized this turned into a rant. Lol. I am just so happy and have nobody to share it with.

I have roomba i3 and i7, both with a docking station and 2 Golden’s retrievers. Once a week I remove and clean the ends of the rollers and vacuum the collection bin and filter for the fine layer of dust that forms. They do a good job on wall to wall carpet and laminate flooring with area rug.

Also have an i7 amd i love it. Run it every day when i am exercising outside and just let it run till I am sick of it following me around. I don't use the mop function. But if I give an hour a day and alternate ends of the house. I only have to spot vacuum occasionally.

Hardwood only: Roborock (S6 or newer) Carpet: Roomba. (i7+ or newer)

Used on ebay. If you have carpet, Roomba i7. If hard floors, Roborock S6.

I have the i7 still I’m so far behind haha

I’m still rocking a roomba i7 I paid $400 for in 2019 or 2020. It does what it’s supposed to do and is pretty bomb proof. I want a nice new vaccum but I can’t bring myself to pay for one.

I have an I7 Roomba and it runs just fine for my GSD. If I had 2 or more dogs I would probably have at least 2 and run them daily and twice daily for the shoulder seasons when they shed the most.

Hated my roomba (think it was an i7)...one of the more basic models. No zones so it would get stuck under all the chairs or tables and get stuck at the stairs. Did not work well on rugs or the elevation change from rugs to wood floor. It also would not charge well and was always low battery. Eventually stopped charging at all despite cleaning everything. Monitoring the roomba to guide it around the house was not worth my time. I wish I could have returned it. I Eventually threw it in the trash because of the charging issue. If I could go back id never buy it....maybe its worth it if you buy a very premium one but a real house cleaner might be less hassle.

THIS. I'm not looking for a robot mop because I leave my floors filthy with caked on mud and dried grape juice and coffee spills. I want one because I have dark floors (never again) and cats...I don't wear shoes inside my condo, nor do I allow anyone else to; my i7 Roomba is great for getting the floors free of dust and light debris; now I want those occasional kitty foot prints mopped away by something that mops the floors just as well as my Swiffer Wet Jet does without me having to hunch over 1,300 sq feet twice/week. There seems to be two groups of people who shop for these machines: folks who think they are competing in Robot Wars and folks who just want to make their lives a bit easier lol

I bought the iRobot Roomba I-7 Vacuum and Braava M6 Mop combo in 2020 and I have used them like workhorses for 5 years with no issues. I did have to add a piece of plastic to the mop to prevent it from getting stuck on rug edges, and you have to keep on top of the vacuum parts, but even 5 years on, they are both very functional and do a great job. When I decide to upgrade, I will go with iRobot again. EDIT: Also, I have three furry cats that shed.

my i7 hasnt been working right since last year tbh

Been using roomba i7 for nearly 3 years now. Works well and does an excellent job in vacuuming. Needs filter replacement maybe once in 7-8 months. I don't recommend a robot mop. People in my family have it and it takes too long to mop and there isn't enough force on the mop head to remove sticky dirt

I have an i7 roomba that I’ve been using for the past 6 years. It worked really well with my pup who was a husky mix. I don’t know if this counts, but my girlfriend is basically a golden retriever and it works pretty well on her hair too. Her hair does get caught in the ends of the rollers, but they’re super easy to take apart and the hair slides right off the ends of the rollers. I do need to be diligent about cleaning it once a month or so, but hair getting caught in it hasn’t been an issue with the performance. Definitely avoid any of the models with the older bristles, though.

I've always heard bad things about Shark robot vacuums. We bought a secondhand Roomba i7 from Facebook and it was great at first but now I want to chuck it.

I have an i7 combined with a Braava M6, and I'm satisfied with it. The predecessor was made by Ecovacs, and after a year, I incurred significant costs with it (which I did not anticipate). I have not regretted buying the iRobot Roomba and Braava; the devices have worked well for almost three years with few problems or costs. The i7 has cleaned for almost 500 hours, with only one exceptional cost: a new front swivel wheel because the previous one was worn out.

My previous vacuum cleaner was a Roomba i7, and I never had any complaints about it. The robot was replaced by another brand, with a mopping function. I changed brands because iRobot has not been doing well since the failed takeover by Amazon, but the robot's reliability was good. I think that sometimes expectations are too high; a robot cleaner is an aid, not a total solution. Weekly maintenance also prevents many minor problems during operation.

I bought my i7 new in 2022 for €430, so the asking price is reasonable. I am very satisfied with my i7; it performs excellently. Keep in mind that the i7 does not use LIDAR to create its map, so it occasionally bumps into things.

I had the same combination and wasn't really that impressed with the Braava M6. If it works for you, I would recommend going back for an i7. The robot is solidly built and replacement parts are readily available. I switched to a Deebot X9 Pro Omni from Ecovacs and am extremely pleased with the improved mopping function compared to the Braava M6. I sold the i7 and Braava to family.

The comment about robot vacuums only being for small places is probably based on the old random pattern robots. Most robots now map and do well in large houses. It sounds like most mapping robots would work for you, since you don't want mopping, have hardfloors, and no pets. So anything with lidar (prefered) or vslam navigation. Obstacle avoidance might be a useful feature for cords, shoes, toys etc. left on the ground. It might be worth looking into a Eufy L60, iRobot Roomba j series, Roborock Q series, or shark. I'm biased because I have three robot vacs (Roborock S6, Ecovacs x1 omni, and iRobot Roomba j5+ combo) and my roomba j5+ is the only one that is reliable and working at the moment

iRobot is likely the longest lasting brand, there are many accounts of people having these bots for so many years and well over 1k hours.. iRobot are still providing parts for 12+ year old bots. Where is the planned obsolescence there?

The combo 10 max (almost the same obstacle avoidance as all other modern/j-series iRobot models) initially scored in vacuum war's top ten for obstacle avoidance. It's also the only brand that guarantees avoidance of pet poo. Battery is debatable, but it's also a non-issue for most because of charge and resume

It's hard for people to recommend since few people would test their vacuums with this much fur. Picking up hair from hard floors is easy for any robot vacuums, even on low suction settings. I think the challenge will be keeping the bin from filling or the dock from clogging. iRobot roomba i+ and j+ series are suited for this as they have sensors that detect debris building up in the vacuum path and send the bot to the dock to auto-empty and resume. Whatever you get, you will likely need to run regularly and maybe one room at a time.

I have 3 Roomba's of varying intelligence. A dumb one which bounces around a room until the battery is almost dead, a smarter one that will actually pass through the room in a pattern, and a smart one that self empties. I also have a self-emptying shark... considerably cheaper but supposed to be more features. Other than the dumb Roomba... I actually prefer my Roombas over the Shark. I find the Shark to just be too stupid to adapt to change. For example, I have a cat bed against 1 wall. Shark has determined that something is there and avoids it ALWAYS.. even when I move it to allow it to clean there. It just drives around the open space. Roomba, ensures that it gets every place it can get into. I am not unhappy with my Roomba. I am unhappy with my Shark.

I have an IRobot Roomba self emptying one! It literally just got done vacuuming. Genuinely LIFE CHANGING. I got mine as a Christmas gift and it’s great but I’d probably go with the Shark 2 in 1 self emptying robot mop/vacuum when my Roomba dies. I run mine at least 2 times a day and I think it helps keep it where hairballs don’t build up and get stuck in it.

What you need is a Roomba with a base: the "+" model. It self empties into the base. It changes your life. I have an old English Sheepdog

We named our Roomba Harry. We have a lab/beagle mix.

Hi, I’m not a mom but my roomba with self-emptying base is a - and I cannot stress this enough - fucking lifesaver. I have three cats, have hardwood and carpet and the roomba is literally one of the only reasons my floors look even remotely clean. Beware: I owned one without the self-emptying base thing and I never used it because emptying it every time it was full was a barrier I wouldn’t get past. Getting the base where the roomba empties itself is a GAME CHANGER.

I have a roomba we named homewrecker because it leaves a trail of destruction behind it. It always knocks over something or gets tangled up in wires.

All the i and j7 and below series vacuums have the same motor. Only the s9 and j9 have more suction, the s9 is actually better suction. On hard floors any of them will pick up the hair. The s9 will do very well on the area rugs. Not worth buying the combo models.

I guess I’m the outlier here but I love mine. I have the self emptying, mapping Roomba. It mapped my space great and does a really good job cleaning. Self emptying is the best upgrade, as I previously had a much cheaper model and haaaated emptying that thing constantly.

I have a self emptying roomba vacuum. It runs daily at 9:30 am, recharges and empties itself, then finishes rhe rest around 2 in the afternoon. I live on a horse farm with 4 dogs and 5 cats and only if its muddy do shoes come off at the door. That robot is a wonderful thing.

Two huskies here. We have a self emptying Roomba. We run it 5 days a week. I have to keep up with the replacement parts, or it starts just wadding up hair and leaving it in chunks. But even that cuts manual cleaning time, because I can just take the hand vac to the chunks. We've had it since 2021.

Get a roomba with the self-emptying base station. Pays for itself 10 times over.

We got the Costco iRobot Roomba on sale (just sweep function) and it’s been really helpful. Definitely worth the time savings and it probably does a better job than our manual vacuuming. We don’t care for the mop function that much, just don’t want to deal with the water compartment

If you get a roomba I highly recommend one that self-empties into a tower. We run ours 4 days a week in our bedroom, the living room, front hall. Kitchen, dining room. It keeps the ACD tumbleweeds at bay between weekly Dyson vacuumings.

We’ve used a self emptying Roomba for years. 3 dogs, a Basset, a Lab, and a Terrier. All are moderate shedders and fur accumulation is a problem. All three are indoor/outdoor dogs and mud is a consideration for us. We have area rugs from Costco that help dry paws and pick up some dirt. We launder them at a coin-op each month to save wear and tear on our washer. The Roomba is fine for keeping visible areas tidy, but one pass on the floor and the internal bin will fill with fur and dust. We still vacuum with a stick vac in corners and under furniture, Roomba can’t reach. No mopping robot can keep up with mud from paws if you live in a rainy muddy area. Invest in a good Swiffer wet mop or a light weight bucket based mop.

I started with a eufy and it was pretty good on all hardwood floors. It would pile some fire up in the corners I could pick up. But then I upgraded to a roomba with the self emptying thing and I love it. The app and tutorials are very helpful.

Thats literally crazy.. I've had my roomba for like 5 years now.. We have 3 big dogs and a cat, in a small house. Still works great, I've replaced the brushes and obviously the filters on it but it still works awesome.

Robot vacuum. We have a roomba with the self emptying bin, SAVED MY SANITY.

I have a Roomba that I picked up from Costco. It can be controlled via app and it has a self emptying base.

I have the Wyze robot vac and a roomba self emptying vac. I vastly prefer the performance of the wyze vac.

We love ours. We have one for upstairs and downstairs. Don’t try to get a cheap one, we did that and went through a couple of them pretty quickly. Now we have two good ones (iRobot) with the bin that they self empty into when they get full. We have three kids, two dogs, and a cat that sheds more than both dogs combined, and having robot vacuums has been a game changer. Before we got the one with the bins, it would get full and need emptying before it finished a whole cycle. Now it goes and empties itself and then goes back to cleaning. It’s some trial and error at first. Just run it the first few times when you’re watching it to see where it has any problems. Then you can try to adjust any problem areas. Our upstairs vacuum doesn’t go into the bedrooms because the kids have lots of tiny Barbie shoes and stuff. We have them clean up good and just regular vacuum real quick every other week or so (and we keep bedroom doors closed so the pets don’t go in there to keep hair shedding out). But the robot keeps the main areas of the house from getting hairballs and dirty. We recently got a robot mop as well, and that has been awesome! I feel like it’s just like having any other vacuum. You have to get everything picked up off the floor before you start. You wouldn’t start regular vacuuming with things still on the floor. If there are areas that it gets stuck often, either block it off or try to adjust any problem areas. We usually pull all of the dining room chairs away from the table so that it can get a good clean under the table and around it. We run the vacuums & mop anytime we leave the house, and it’s so nice coming home to freshly vacuumed and mopped floors!

I bought one well over a year ago possibly on year 2. iRobot self emptying. If it only lasted a year I’d buy another one. It works as well as it did when I bought it. I replace the rollers and the brush thingy like twice. Get the iRobot replacement the knock off parts lasted like a week. I have all tile. Bedroom is carpet. If it runs everyday it’s not a problem on carpet. If it’s a few days of fur it creates nests I just hand pick up. I don’t have to do this if it runs daily. Completely worth it. I also live near a beach and it straight picks up all the sand too. It’s great. Never not having one.

I have one basic Roomba that moves around randomly and another that supposedly maps the space. The cheaper, random movement robot is vastly superior in all ways.