Should I Buy a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner?

The answer is strong yes for most people. Price tags on the cheapest models have come down during last couple years and the time starts to be ripe for buying one. Prices start from just a little bit over 100 dollars for the basic models. Some regular non-robotic vacuum cleaners are nowadays actually more expensive. Robotic vacuum cleaners have also matured technically. Few years back, tear and wear were common problems but as there has been multiple model updates, most such problems should be in the history now.

So which one would be the best one? The available selection has gone up fast with the market. Robotic vacuum cleaners are pretty popular (still lagging iPhone though) so there are multiple vendors for them. Few things that should affect your choice are:

• Price: What can you afford? Often the more expensive models have higher quality.
• Area: What are you cleaning? Should robot fit under the sofa that's just 8 cm high? Are there stairways that the robot should be able to detect (most do nowadays). And how big should the dust bin and the battery be? Small and cheap robots won't handle large areas that well.
• Maintenance: Eventhough robots need less maintenance nowadays, they still require some help every now and then. Ease of maintenance and price of spare parts should show up on your list when making a decision.
• Other: there are many other differences too. Some robots have for example better collision detection which can be handy if you have easily breakable objects in the cleaning area.

There are quite a few web sites that can give help in choice making, such as robotic reviews and housewares. Youtube also provides plenty of videos where you can see and hear what a robotic vacuum cleaner looks and sounds like.

One of the best known manufacturer is probably iRobot with its Roomba robots. Roombas are good basic cleaners that do their job well. iRobot has also solid support and spare parts are availabe for almost everything. One of the latest contenders is Neato robotics and its XV-11 robot. Some say that it's a solid contender against Roomba. More well known manufacturers, such as Siemens, have also their own models, though they are usually on the higher end of the price range.

iRobot Roomba

Neato XV-11

 So what is our conclusion? In our opionion you should get one unless you are one those few people who actually like cleaning. You should look for robotic models especially if your old cleaner is starting to show its age and you are thinking about getting a new one ...and your cat will probably love it too!