The iRobot Roomba 760 is one of the more advanced models in the Roomba family. These vacuums sure are fun to watch the first few times you let them roam free in your house. It probably is the closest we’ll come to seeing flying cars and jet packs, so at least we got one thing to marvel at, albeit not a big game changer in the grand scheme of things. So how well does this robotic vacuum get the job done?
Overview
If you’re used to vacuuming your floors by hand, you might have to assimilate to a life of no more vacuuming. It may sound strange, but some people have trouble letting go of this long-established routine. But after you see the sort of job it does, and realize that it did it on its own, you’ll quickly change your mind about how much you need to be involved in all sorts of cleaning projects. Combine this with other automatic devices, like an electric toothbrush and you start taking lazy to a whole other level.
The Claim
The iRobot Roomba 760 is supposedly easy to use, you just have to press one button and it goes to work. It’s supposedly smart enough to know where the extra dirty spots are, and will go over them repeatedly until it gets them properly clean. They’ve designed it with a protective bumper which means that it can bump up against obstacles around the house and it won’t mar the surfaces. It can store a good amount of debris, including hair and lint so you won’t have to continually empty it.
iRobot claims that this can be programmed so that it cleans at various times during the week, and you can even set it up so that each day has a different time. It can work even when you’re not at home, see you can return to a freshly vacuumed house.
The Hype
These vacuums get a lot of hype because they’re pretty much the only thing on the market that is attempting to do what they do, and is pulling it off so successfully. They make it into mainstream media like TV sitcoms, and other talk shows because of the novelty factor. They are pretty much ripped from the pages of classic novels that dreamed of what the future would be like, or episodes of The Jetsons where houses clean themselves and we don’t do much anymore.
The Cost
They aren’t running a charity over here, and the iRobot Roomba 760 is priced at $450. You might think that this has to be topping the charts price wise, but in actuality it is not the most expensive vacuum that they sell. You can get models that have all the bells and whistles for an extra $150
The Commitment
The biggest selling feature of a Roomba is that your vacuuming obligation is pretty much taken down to zero. With the set and forget sort of technology we’re dealing with here, it makes you look at vacuuming in a whole different light. This can be one chore you can check off your to-do list, without actually doing anything.
Evaluation
Since the iRobot Roomba 760 has a low profile, it goes where you can’t, or don’t want to, like underneath beds, underneath sofas, chairs, tables, and other things. This means you get those areas clean but you don’t have to exert any effort to do so.
The overwhelming majority of people have tried this model of said that it does a great job, and that it is actually fun to use. Some have even said that it works great on pet hair, even though there is a special pet hair model that you can buy that works even better than this one.
Final iRobot Roomba 760 Review
IF you’ve got the means, the iRobot Roomba 760 is a superb choice. It is important to remember what you are buying here, because for as well as it works, there are more powerful vacuums to be had at this price point. What you are getting is the convenience factor of not having to vacuum yourself, and the feeling of living in a future society, minus the jet packs.
Some people seem to miss the point of a Roomba, and say that this vacuum isn’t worth it because upright vacuums that you control yourself do a better job of cleaning up. However, they do make these models pretty powerful, so it could be a psychological issue where they feel a little guilty for not actually contributing to the cleanup process. Perhaps some people need to have the kinesthetic, tactile feel of doing something to believe that something has gotten done.
But the proof is in the pudding, and all you have to do is open up the dust compartment to realize that this vacuum is not just good concept, but is actually executing very well.
Our Recommendation
Roombas are a lot of fun to have, and once you get used to watching it go, and the novelty wears off, you are still left with a good vacuum and a pretty clean home once it’s done doing its thing. Could you maybe cleanup a little more dirt and dust with a Dyson model at this price? Probably. But you wouldn’t have as much fun, and you could even start to dread using your Dyson at some point, because the novelty of the Dyson brand wears off as well.
What an awesome what to keep your house clean! But is the price really worth it though? $450 is a lot of money and if it’s one of the overly priced low quality products, I think I’ll pass. It looks great for those hard to reach and awkward places but, will that be enough though? From what Andres is saying, it sounds like it should be used as a supplement to your regular vacuuming. So maybe it is worth a try.
Oh man this thing is so sweet! Okay its ridiculous, really and it’s very expensive at $450, but its a piece of a sic-fi future come to life! Ever seen that scene in the Fifth Element? When Gary Oldman makes that speech about all his little gadgets having a purpose? I saw that little automated hoover and wanted one so bad and now I have one! It has its own camera! Okay so it doesn’t do nearly the same job as a human armed with a hoover could ever possibly do (alright I’ll be honest, as a hoover its actually pretty rubbish) but if your house is generally quite tidy anyway, then it keeps on top of the bulk of the hoovering quite nicely. But yeah, its really expensive and you’ll still have to do some of the hoovering yourself.
The iRobot Roomba is amazing. This is one of the best inventions ever! I purchased this for my hardwood floors. It comes with a programmable option. You can set it up to clean your floors while you are work. The Roomba goes back and forth and gets each and every bit of your floors. It doesn’t scratch the baseboards or walls. The chargeable dock keep the Roomba charged at all times. The price is a bit high, but for the functions and options available with this model it is worth the money. It comes with a warranty, but I’ve never had a problem with mine. If you have hardwood floors, then get the iRobot Roomba. Have your floors clean always with it.
Can anyone tell me how big this model is? It looks really big in the video. While I would love to purchase one, it’s a big investment. And because I live in a small apartment, I’m not sure that I have the room for it to work to its best ability. When it comes to docking it to charge, how much space is required? That is yet another concern of mine. Even if I can only make it work in one room of my house–the busiest room that has the most debris throughout the day–I will be happy. But I would like more details before making the jump.
I have an earlier model 500 roomba for 5 years. It does a good job. But I need to clean the dustbin and the wheels from hair and dust regularly after a vacuum. I like to be able to set and forget it and go and do something else whole it spins away.
My bachelor brother-in-law owns one of these and I must admit that at first, I was skeptical but it REALLY works! For the money he paid for his, it was worth every penny.