ROOMBA, SCOOBA Worth It?

My DIL has one, but they have a huge house with lots of open space for it to roam without getting stuck. She says the best part about it is that my 3yr old granddaughter freaks out and starts picking up all her stuff so it doesnt get sucked up.

I adore my Roomba. It really keeps the floor much cleaner than I would otherwise, and the dust to a minimum. I do use a traditional vacuum cleaner to do the corners and a few places it doesn't get to every week or two, but besides that it really is a dream.

I have a Roomba and it it is one of the best things I have ever bought.

Do they work?
Yes. You would be amazed at what my roomba (I've named it Saul) picks up. I test it every now and then by running a regular vacuum and then Saul. Saul always comes away with quite a bit of dirt remaining. Yay!

Do they have adequate capacity/ battery power?
Meh. I don't have the base where Saul can go charge himself. I wish I did. The new models have it. I usually do the living room and kitchen at one time (plenty of battery power) and then the girls' bedrooms another time. So it could probably do your entire apt. in one or two sweeps.

Would they annoy our downstairs neighbor?
Nope...probably not. Saul isn't very noisy. I don't even take notice when I am downstairs and it is running upstairs. My daughter and dog hate regular vacuums. They don't mind the roomba.

If we have hardwood/ tile floor can we use the Scooba exclusively?
I don't have a scooba but my mother-in-law does. It does suck up dirt before scrubbing with a cleaning solution but I don't know how well it does with the sucking. She hasn't complained about it or raved about it.

Will it clean the bit under the cupboards near the toe boards?
If it can fit under there, yes, it will. I think Saul is about 3 inches tall. Roomba has little brushes to sweep dirt away from walls/corners.

Are they kid proof?
Sort of. If your kid throws it around a lot it might break. Saul has been used as a seat many times and still works. My big fat cat sometimes plops himself on it.

Do you know anyone who raves about theirs?
Nope. But I know people like them. If nothing else it is fun to own a robot. But, everyone I know who has one humanizes it and then feels silly.

Anyone who has had a nightmare of a time with them?
Nope.

how is the upkeep/ maintenance?
You have to clean the brushes and the underside of a roomba. I don't know about a scooba. Not a big deal.

how is the warranty?
No clue. Never had to replace anything. It is probably a limited one year warranty (isn't that what most things have)?

My mom has a roomba and it's a lifesaver for her. She has back problems and lugging a vacuum to 3 floors to vacuum does not work for her. And she says the roomba does a better job than most vacuums she's ever had... so yes, it does seem to be worth it!

Hi B.,

I have both a Roomba and a Scooba. They are the best purchases I ever made. Both are MUCH quieter than a conventional vacuum cleaner (you can easily watch TV in another room while their going) and are super easy to use and clean. The battery life in the newer models is pretty long and the batteries only take 2 -3 hours to recharge. I can mop two large floors with the Scooba on a single charge (about 200 sq ft) and sweep 4 rooms with the Roomba (about 1000 sq ft).

I have to say, my floors have never been cleaner! You'll be amazed at how black the waste water gets when you use the Scooba for the first time. You can use the Scooba on the tiled floors, but it may put out too much water for the hardwood floor -- check with iRobot and your floor manufacturer. I have hardwood parquet floors, however, and it works just fine on them.

Both of these devices have a very low profile and can get under most kickboards. Roomb cleans well into the corners but Scooba does not, so I clean the corners with a sponge every few weeks. Maintenance is virtually zero, although you may need to replace the brush and filter on the Roomba ocassionally -- not a big deal. You can buy replacement parts online or at Bed Bath and Beyond.

My kids were older (12 and 15) when I got these "toys", so I can't tell you how baby proof they are, but there isn't much in the way of moving parts and they automatically turn off if they get tilted off of horizontal, so I don't thing there's a way for your creeper to get his little fingers caught. I wouldn't let him bounce the towers around because of the electronics, but other than that, I can't see where these wouldn't be kid friendly. My two actually fought over who got to use them when we first got them (the novelty wore off pretty quickly, though), and used to have fun giving the guinea pigs rides on the machines.

BTW, I'm on my second Roomba and Scooba. iRobot has a great upgrade program for getting newer model machines at a lower price.

I have the Roomba, and I love it simply because I can clean something else while the floor is being vacuumed. We haven't used it downstairs on the carpet, but it works on our hardwoods. I was a little disappointed that it is too tall to get under the cupboard (kickboard) in the kitchen and some of our furniture in the bedroom. Our hardwoods are wide plank floors with quite a big gap between each board, so I do need a more heavy duty sucker upper to get in those spaces, but on normal hardwoods, Roomba would be just great. Now if there were only one to cook and wash dishes :)

I have both Roomba and Scooba. I love my Roomba more than my Scooba - Scooba is a LOT of work to keep clean (although I love the fact that I can start it, take our puppy for a walk, and come home a clean kitchen floor!). Scooba does well on tile - I don't know if you can use it on hardwood (I do not - I don't use water on my hardwood at all). The battery is adequate for a good year (assuming regular use) and then you need to replace it (which is pricey).

I am using Roombas 2 and 3 for us. (We have a 2000 sq. ft. home) This allows me to vacuum two of my three floors at the same time (usually bedrooms and finished basement while my kids are in school, and the main floor when bathing the kids at night). The first one got to where the buttons on top wouldn't work anymore, and, being close to 10 years old, I opted to trash it vs. trying to get it fixed.

L.