By popular opinion, the iRobot Roomba series of home robotic vacuum cleaners seems to be the best out there. There are several models to choose from ranging in brand-new price tags starting from approximately $200 to $600 - depending on the functionality and features that each model provides.
Although there are also other great home robotic cleaning products that iRobot offers, this article will only focus on the Roomba vacuum cleaner line. Since it can be a challenging decision of which model to choose and buy because of all the different options that you do have, this article hopes to help you in that decision process to decide which Roomba is best for you.
Roomba models are all very similar in many regards, but vary in the accessories that come with each model, and the extra features and advances in technology. When you do a Roomba vacuum cleaner comparison, one thing to know is that the newer Roomba models are called the Discovery Series - which is important point because iRobot makes all accessories for newer models compatible with each other, but they're only compatible among other Discovery Series robots. Which model you choose is more a matter of what kind of challenges you're going to put in front of the Roomba and how much ease you are hoping to achieve in your perpetual home vacuuming task.
We'll start with the basic model and work our way up to the top of the line. Each subsequent model includes at least what is provided in the previous lower model.
The Roomba 435 model is your basic robotic vacuum cleaner. It does the simple job of auto-pilot or non-manual vacuuming, but it requires much more manual intervention and daily maintenance than does the other models. Some challenges are:
• good only for 1 to 2 rooms
• pre-scheduling is not available
• automatic self-charging is not available
• anti-tangle & light-touch bumpers not available
• room-to-room navigation not available
• high-capacity bin not available
The Roomba 435 starts at around $200. However, it has been rated high by consumers for its price to functionality trade-off. It is still a good value for your money.
For approximately $80 more, you can elect to get the Roomba 510 which will include the anti-tangle functionality and light-touch bumpers, plus an optional high-capacity storage bin.
The next step up is the Roomba 530 for just $20 more which includes additional power for cleaning another room (up to 3), and the automatic self-charging feature - which is nice. This model is approximately $300.
The upgrade from the Roomba 530 is the Roomba 560 for another $50 which gives you additional power for cleaning an additional room (up to 4), and the cool scheduling feature. This model goes for around $350.
Within the Roomba brand is the "Pet Series", including models 532 & 562, which include special accessories and a high-capacity bin for dealing with animal hair and fur. They cost approximately $20 more each than the Roomba 530 & 560 models, respectively. Otherwise, they are the same as the regular models.
The smarter Roomba 570 has the room-to-room navigation feature included, which is also really nice. This model costs approximately $450.
The ultimate Roomba 610 Professional Series has three cleaning modes instead of two, the included high-capacity bin, and a full two year warranty. All other Roomba models have standard two cleaning modes and a standard one year warranty. This top-of-the-line model is approximately $600.
In summary, the newer models are more reliable, more powerful, and have more intelligent functionality built-in. They also have more standard parts and accessories. However, if your robotic cleaning needs are very basic, an older (and less expensive) model might be all you need. Do a Roomba vacuum cleaner comparison for yourself.
