# Advice please: Anyone have experience with a Roomba? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220 "2006-05-25T18:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/1 "2006-05-25T18:34:04Z")
I think I have found a solution to my dog-hair problem (no, _I’m_ not shedding, it’s my Hubby’s dog). I’m thinking of purchasing a [Roomba](http://store.irobot.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2174930&cp=2174940) robotic vacuum cleaner. Have you used one? Been satisfied with it? Do you think it could handle the large amount of hair shed from a Labrador Retriever? Thanks in advance ~ ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/2 "2006-05-25T18:46:26Z")
There was just a thread about this, but I’m too lazy to look it up. Fortunately, in that thread, I’m the poster who addressed the Roomba and dog hair, so you’re in luck. The Roomba is awesome - and specifically, it’s awesome at getting picking pet hair up **off the floor**. It will have no problem handling that portion of your lab’s shedding that goes onto the floor. That said, the reality is that pet hair goes everywhere: on top of the fridge, all over the couch and chairs, on the tv, on the pictures, on the table, in the drawers, in the tub, on the bed, etc. So it’s definitely not going to “solve” your problem - but it will make it somewhat more manageable. Also - I have carpet - and the Roomba is great. I have not found the Roomba to be as effective on my vinyl kitchen floor. My friends with hardwood, however, tell me that it works well on that surface. The Doctor ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/3 "2006-05-25T18:54:21Z")
> [@Doctor Who](#): > > There was just a thread about this, but I’m too lazy to look it up. Oops - I was afraid of that. Not that you are lazy but that I should have searched for a previous thread. > [@](#): > > the reality is that pet hair goes everywhere: Yeah - I’ve even found it in the refrigerator. I think what I’ll do is dust before the Roomba is scheduled to vacuum. > [@](#): > > I have not found the Roomba to be as effective on my vinyl kitchen floor. Hmm - not good. We have stained concrete & vinyl floors in the dog’s Permitted Zone. Thanks. I think I’ll go search for that other thread. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/4 "2006-05-25T19:14:02Z")
[Amazon has 250 user reviews of the Roomba.](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B00008439Y/ref=cm_cr_dp_pt/002-9086593-8432843?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen) I gotta admit, it sounds fantastic. It is well worth 250 dollars not to have to fight over vacuuming turns. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/5 "2006-05-25T19:29:26Z")
Re: Amazon reviews of Roomba. I want to make it clear (if I didn’t already) that I freaking _love_ my Roomba. I named him R2-D2, and honestly, I can just get a beer and watch that little booger work all day. I don’t think that the OP will be unhappy if he gets a Roomba. In fact, I think he’ll be blown away the first time he looks to see how much lab hair it picked up. I just wanted to be crystal clear that in my observations, it doesn’t work as well on my vinyl floor. The Doctor ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/6 "2006-05-25T19:58:33Z")
Here’s an alternative, even though it sounds cheesy as all get-out. A little thing called a Robo-Maid. If you’ve got a **Big Lots!** by you, see if they have one. We just picked up one the other week for $4.98, and it’s literally one of the best fivers we’ve ever spent, but I doubt if it’s for everyone. In function, it is not really a robot, but a self-propelled Swiffer. Can’t go on carpets, and you really don’t want it to go bouncing down the stairs. Ever seen those toys that look like a weasel wrestling with a ball? This is just the ball with a little operational timer in-built. It sits inside a lightweight frame that looks like a hat. In between the hat’s “brim” and the floor lies a circular sweeping pad; as the ball rolls randomly around, it sweeps as it goes. It’s no good for picking up large things like spilled dogfood – it certainly won’t replace a vacuum. But for 5 (spare pads are available on ebay for about .20 a piece, and it comes with a charger), it’s very good at what it does (YMMV, of course). ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/7 "2006-05-25T20:50:25Z")
Wow. That thing is _sweet_. Here’s their [site](http://www.therobomaid.com/). I may get that for the part of the house which is outside of the dog’s Permitted Zone. I’ve already decided to stop on the way home from work for a Roomba. I have one more question though - will the Roomba have trouble going across those little metal strips separating different floor types? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/8 "2006-05-25T20:57:26Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Wow. That thing is _sweet_. Here’s their [site](http://www.therobomaid.com/). I may get that for the part of the house which is outside of the dog’s Permitted Zone. > > I’ve already decided to stop on the way home from work for a Roomba. I have one more question though - will the Roomba have trouble going across those little metal strips separating different floor types? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/9 "2006-05-25T21:02:31Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Wow. That thing is _sweet_. Here’s their [site](http://www.therobomaid.com/). I may get that for the part of the house which is outside of the dog’s Permitted Zone. A word of warning: I have seen on other review sites that Robomaid’s website may be terribly expensive for the shipping costs of any item. I recommend extreme caution before purchasing through their website. _Caveat emptor_. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/10 "2006-05-25T21:37:07Z")
's ok. There’s a **Big Lots** right down the street. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/11 "2006-05-26T07:07:21Z")
w00t! I am so … thrilled with the thing. Bought it, took it home, charged it up. On its trial run, it ran … EVARYWHERE in our big living/dining room combo. It only got stuck twice, and those are both places which I will probably put the “virtual wall” so it won’t go in there. It has some excellent algorithms in its little brain, in respect to going around corners and sniffing out which way is _out_. I could almost hear it thinking "Do … Untill… or IF NOT, then … heh It’s very fascinating to watch it puzzle out, say, a square column which we have in our living area. It ended up going completely around and has a little whisker which works like weedeater string which whisked the entire baseboard of said column. So far, so good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/12 "2006-05-26T13:22:02Z")
**Anyone have experience with a Roomba?** I had a Cuban girlfriend once that taught me lots of stuff, but I could never quite pick up the Roomba moves. Hope this helps… ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/13 "2006-05-26T13:26:44Z")
Welcome to the Cult of the Roomba,\*\* NinetyWt\*\*. I looooooooooove my Roomba. Best 200 bucks I ever spent. It gets the floors far cleaner than any regular vaccum I have used. I run it almost every day and it’s amazing how much dust and dirt it’ll pick up every time. The filter is easy to clean out also. And they have great customer service. Mine suddenly stopped running for no apparent reason last year and I called the 1-800 number and was instructed to send it back for repair. I expected it to take a few weeks but I got a package via UPS exactly 7 days later. They hadn’t repaired it but instead sent me a brand new one, free of charge. It’s entertaining to watch too. No, really! Yes, I am easily amused. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/14 "2006-05-26T16:06:36Z")
I am suddenly overcome with desire for a Roomba. This is only partly because it would scare the cats horribly. (Begins rationalization)A regular vacuum cleaner costs about $150 to $200 here, and a Dyson costs a whole lot more… I wonder if I can sell this to my husband. Any more experiences? And are they available in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/15 "2006-05-26T17:04:27Z")
I want one and I can’t justify getting one. Two weeks ago at the Home Depot. Me: Oh, look a Roomba, its a robot vacuum. If we get one of these, we won’t have to vacuum. Her: We have a cleaning lady, remember, she vacuums the carpets and cleans the floors. We don’t vacuum now. We never vacuumed. This is why we have the cleaning lady in the first place. Is this just another excuse for you to get some shiny new gadget which you claim will make our lives easier but instead will sit on some shelf like the rice cooker because it doesn’t meet a need that we have? Me: No, this time will be different, I swear! Her: No. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/16 "2006-05-26T18:16:38Z")
> [@Caffeine.addict](#): > > I want one and I can’t justify getting one. > > Two weeks ago at the Home Depot. > Me: Oh, look a Roomba, its a robot vacuum. If we get one of these, we won’t have to vacuum. > > Her: We have a cleaning lady, remember, she vacuums the carpets and cleans the floors. We don’t vacuum now. We never vacuumed. This is why we have the cleaning lady in the first place. > . Sure you can justify it–just find something else for the cleaning lady to do instead of vacuuming. There’s got to be _someting_. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/17 "2006-05-26T18:43:15Z")
My Dyson could have that Roomba for an appetizer. 🙂 Seriously, where does the dirt go with the Roomba? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-please-anyone-have-experience-with-a-roomba/358220/18 "2006-05-26T21:23:18Z")
**John Carter** : you funny. 😛 **Lisa** it has a dust bin which clicks out and you empty it in the trash. I’d estimate it holds two or three cups. The appeal to me is that I can be doing something else while it’s vacuuming. This morning I ran it in the master bedroom & bathroom while I was getting ready for work. It got all the dust balls out from under the bed and even found a (very) dusty shoe under there. It works for me because I don’t have to do a lot of preparing a room prior to - I don’t have fringe-y rugs or a lot of cords or drapes dragging the floor for it to get caught in. I think if one had a lot of that stuff it wouldn’t be nearly as beneficial. YMMV.