| With dramatically improved navigation, cleaning coverage, vacuum pickup, and particle filtration, the Roomba 530 vacuuming robot picks up amazing amounts of dirt and debris with the simple touch of a button. The powerful unit features innovative spinning side brushes that grab dirt and dust from corners and along wall edges, as well as two high-speed, counter-rotating brushes that pick up pet hair, cat litter, food crumbs, and other debris from floors. The vacuum sucks up the debris and deposits it into a large, easy-to-empty bagless dustbin, and its improved fine-filtration system traps dust, pollen, and other allergens inside the unit, reducing infiltration into the living environment. For added convenience, the vacuum's cleaning head automatically adjusts to transition from wood, tile, and linoleum to carpets and rugs, while improved anti-tangle technology ensures it won't get stuck on cords and rug fringe. If the unit begins to pick up a cord or carpet tassel, it will automatically reverse the direction of its brushes to extract the item. A gentle-touch bumper system senses obstacles so the vacuum automatically slows its approach, gently touches the obstacle, then redirects to continue cleaning under or around the object. Because it cleans under beds, couches, and other hard-to-reach areas, it actually vacuums more of the floor than a standard upright can. The vacuum also senses dirtier areas and spends more time cleaning them, and it uses built-in cliff sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs. In addition, invisible barriers can be set using the unit's Virtual Wall system. To mark off-limit areas, simply place a Virtual Wall at a doorway or other opening and adjust the infrared beam setting to the distance of the opening. The unit automatically detects the beam and will not cross it. The vacuuming robot returns to its self-charging Home Base to dock and recharge between cleaning cycles or when the battery starts to run low. Its advanced power system c |
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 It's Like a Beloved Pet Who MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER |
| Review Date: October 11, 2007 |
| Reviewer: New Yawkuh, Queens, NY United States |
Awesome. This new generation fixes all the problems of the previous. Much smarter, much bigger dust bin, much better in every way. Great that it self-docks when tired. Maintanence is a snap...really could not be easier/faster. There are some negatives - how could there not be? - but this thing has such a contagious personality that it starts feeling like your pet, and you're inclined to forgive, and even find the faults charming.
You have to prep the room (cords up and out of the way, no papers or clutter on the floor, move small items out of the room and learn which objects present problems and get them out of the way). Performance varies on throw rugs (it's great on rug/carpet surfaces themselves, but Roomba can get caught up as it travels over edges of throw rugs that don't have much weight or cling). It's good at slowing down and banging objects gently, but less so on narrow vertical objects (e.g. piano legs), which it really clunks (not enough to damage, but it will make you wince). In terms of results, it's a notch below a stout top-end British maid with her sturdy Hoover, but several notches above what mere mortals can achieve, and it's especially good on edgework, under baseboards and furniture, and other spots most people would miss.Yes, it gets corners fine, in spite of its round shape. It's got a whirling brush that ably gets at them.
Most of all, if you're someone who's non-meticulous about keeping up housekeeping cycles (even if not, like, a total slob), it's hard to describe the satisfaction of ALWAYS having spotless floors. Since, per above, you'll develop at least some degree of affection for your Roomba, it's the ideal pet...it vastly contributes to the household, yet its needs are few (I pull hairs out of its brushes with the affection of a dog owner checking his dalmation for tics).
I have a fairly large house, and one unit is more than enough. Every other day, I bring her upstairs to work, that's all.
Oh, and it's extraordinarily entertaining to watch. The drama of whether it'll ever get to this hairball or that crumb is downright fraught. In spite of its seemingly random pattern, it does somehow get everything in the end.
One nice side effect: the act of prepping a room for vacuuming - i.e. getting clutter off the floor - is itself a life-changing improvement. I find it much easier to organize books, papers, etc, when it's for an immediate purpose than as a general habit. So the house isn't just cleaner, floor-wise....it's also generally better kept-up. Love my Roomba. Buy one now. |
A Great Product Made Even Better
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| Review Date: September 12, 2007 |
| Reviewer: damg1, Tulsa, OK |
With two dogs in the house we could not live without our Roomba. The 530 is a vast improvement from earlier models. It seems to pick up more dirt, the battery life is longer, the fast-charge is about 33% more rapid than its Discovery predecessors and it is generally more quiet.
The new sensors that prevent the robot from "speed-bumping" into furniture are a very nice touch, but beware if the robot is in a tight area, it may appear sluggish -- the sensors are working to continually slow it down. It's a feature I like, but need to get used to.
My only concern with this robot is the high cost of parts. The bot itself is cheaper than earlier models but the components most prone to breakage or wear-out are twice the cost so the lifetime operation costs may be higher. Replacement batteries are nearly $100. Earlier models were $50.
ONE MONTH LATER ....
This is a slight amend to my review above. Having used it for a month a couple points of note:
1) All of the new 5-Series Roombas lack the "Max Mode" that was common on earlier models. I miss this. I can no longer let it go util the battery runs out. It goes until it "thinks" it's finshed. Well, sometimes we disagree. And I'm usually right. It simply doesn't cover as much ground as I need it too in the standard clean mode. I'd have to mark it down a full star for this -- I can't count on it to do the whole house when I'm at work anymore.
2) The folks I know who have these encountered problems with the side cleaning bushes breaking off. After a month's use, I lost all but one. I'm sure this is high on their list of fixes. |
Delighted!
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| Review Date: October 1, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. P. Hewitt, Tucson, Arizona |
| I didn't really want a Roomba, but my inner techie did, and so we ordered one. In the space of a few weeks and a few cleanings, Roomba has been transformed from "want" to "need." It's cute, it's high-tech, it's fun to watch (better than 90% of what's on TV), and it works. We live in the desert, which in some seasons coats our floors, our furniture, and ourselves with dust, some of it incredibly fine. And we have a Labrador retriever, who generously donates great quantities of hair wherever he goes. Some of his hair is no doubt on the space station. And we have brick floors, with a couple of oriental rugs and several Zapotec throw rugs. Roomba makes the floors shine, removing more dust, I swear it, than a mop; it negotiates the fringe on the orientals with aplomb. It does have difficulty with the throw rugs -- they're too light, so it tends to move them rather than crawl up onto them. Some double sided tape or velcro will probably fix that problem. We bought the 630 -- with invisible walls but no lighthouses and no scheduling -- because we don't need to clean floors in the whole house in one session, and we are home most of the time and don't need to schedule cleanings while we are away. Roomba picks up dog hair extremely well, it gets dust in places our vacuum cleaners can't easily reach, and it tells you when it is having a problem (not often) and what to do about it. It even tells you when it needs cleaning and what to clean. It may have a "plan," like the robots on Battlestar Gallactica, but I'm convinced it's for my own good. |
Excellent cleaning, finally can deal with fringe!
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| Review Date: September 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. Merryman, New York, NY USA |
I received my Roomba 530 as a birthday gift and have been very impressed so far. My apartment was quite messy when I turned Roomba loose for the first time. I was astonished by how much dirt it picked up (I had to run it several times, emptying the dirt bin each time). It didn't get stuck on my carpet fringe (the reason I hadn't bought the prior generation Roomba), nor on any of the wires under furniture. The fact that it cleans under the bed and sofa so thoroughly is a big advantage over conventional cleaners.
As for downsides, it cannot efficiently clean multiple rooms in one shot (not a big deal because you can easily move it from room to room). Apparently even the lighthouse technology in the higher end models isn't a total solution to this problem. It can also get stuck in some situations. Mine can get stuck under my dresser, which is just slightly too short, and the Roomba can wedge itself underneath the front edge if it approaches from the correct direction. I plan to add some small shims under the legs to raise it slightly to avoid this.
Overall, it's a pretty amazing piece of technology that performs a useful function very effectively. |
Maintain it and you will be very happy
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| Review Date: February 10, 2008 |
| Reviewer: MP3 Guy, Mars, Pa. USA |
I have had the 530 model for about two weeks now and we are very happy with it. The first time I ran it, it went under our bed and I could only imagine what it was picking up. Needless to say, we needed to empty the bin immediately, and run it a few more times because it did a very effective job of cleaning. So here are my key points:
1) You should clean out the dust bin after each use. Believe me, its not a big deal, but every machine (regardless of its purpose) that is well maintained runs better. We have two cats and its amazing how much hair is underneath the couches, dressers, etc.
2) This will keep the floors looking freshly vacuumed, but you probably still want to keep the old one around and run that every few weeks for a deeper cleaning. The roomba is surprisingly strong, but its suction is still less that a traditional vacuum cleaner.
3) The ability to turn this on and walk away is something that you can't describe. Its just great.
4) I came home one night and my roomba had not returned home to her charging base. I called in a search party and found her underneath the bed with a sock stuffed in her brushes. I can't imagine what she must have gone through as she battled to return home to her charger, but never made it. The lesson here is get all clothes and other things off the floor just as you would a traditional vacuum cleaner. They can handle themselves very well with rugs and other items, but not small clothing items.
A great product. |
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