iRobot Roomba 530 Robotic Vacuum Review

Overall 4.35 of 5 view all 20 reviews

bmesc
Escondido, CA

An invaluable tool in the right situations

a homeowner

Pros

leaves me free to do something else, cleans under the bed, time saver

Cons

you will spend some time watching it, does not work well on thicker carpet

JUL

2008

The Roomba 530 is our second in the last 4 years. This model is quieter and more intelligent than previous versions. We cannot live without a Roomba and will always have one in the future. Our situation makes it invaluable: large expanses of tile and low cut carpet floor. This is the surface Roomba works best on. I wouldn't think these are good machines for small areas or deep carpets. No one is in the house during the day, so turning it on and letting it run gets the job done without us having to do much. I don't think I'd like to be trying to do things in the house when it's running. These machines have had technical issues, but it's possible to get a good one with no problems. Parts do run out and need to be replaced, you need to clean it after each use, so there is upkeep involved. It is not cheaper than a regular vacuum cleaner, but you are paying for convenience. I would say the best you can expect is 4 years of regular use. I run ours about twice a week. I let it run until it dies, then I charge it again and run it again. It always finds something to pick up.