Robotic vacuums are all the rage, but are they worth it and will you really save time using them? We were skeptical, but decided to put the iRobot Roomba 4230 to the test.
First, let me start by saying that we typically turn to our Dyson when it comes to picking up dirt from our floors. It would be a tough match for this little disk-shaped robot.
We started with some tests. A few dried coffee grounds on the floor, some paper, a few pieces of dirt under the table. Of course, this wouldn’t be a challenge for our experienced vacuum rider who usually carries a Dyson animal, but what would the iRobot look like?
We turned on the iRobot Roomba 4230 after charging it for a few hours and let it go to work. This little robotic vacuum cleaner quickly circled the floor crashing into furniture and redirected itself. At first it seemed a bit chaotic. Like a dog on a walk in the park, stopping and sniffing everything, the iRobot Roomba stopped dead in its tracks, made a few circles, and was cleaning up the coffee grounds it had just found. Truly amazing!
We all stood and watched as this little machine hit the ground and stopped short when it hit the virtual walls we had installed. The Roomba 4230 comes with Virtual Walls that allow you to restrict the Roomba from entering other rooms or unwanted areas. (These can also be purchased separately.)
After about 30 minutes of randomly wandering around the room, the Roomba completed its task and found its way back to its docking station and began charging. We were amazing to see that he had covered almost every square inch of carpet in our room and he did a great job. We found that some spots weren’t up to scratch, but these were the spots where we intentionally dumped some dried coffee grounds.
The best thing about the programmer version is that you can program it to vacuum while you work, sleep, or watch TV. I can see how this vacuum could save you time if it ran every day and took care of daily dirt.
If you are thinking of making an innovative gift this holiday season, I suggest the Roomba. However, this little vacuum cleaner will never replace our vacuum cleaner’s thirst for the power of the Animal Dyson, but it is a great worker bee that will help the rest of us.