Which Roomba to Buy in 2020? – Part 1: Cleaning Carpets & Hardwood
There is no doubt that the iRobot Roomba is among the best and most durable vacuum robots. Yet, it’s not easy to pick one. Searching amazon we got 60+ different answers. There are indeed many Roombas on the market, with different features and accessories. There is also a wide range of prices: from $200 up to $1100.
This “Which Roomba to Buy?” is a 5 parts series that will help you choose the Roomba that best meets your needs. We focus on 15 Roomba that actually worth it. Those are the ones that have satisfied a large panel of users. To provide you with the best possible reviews, we have collected no less than 375 data points, based on criteria presented in our 2019 Vacuum Robot Guide.
The following, is dedicated to Part 1 of our series. We first discusses features that impact cleaning performance on different types of floors, including carpets and hardwood. Then, web build up on these criteria to select the 3 best among the 15 Roomba we have reviewed.
How to Compare Roomba Cleaning Performance on Carpets & Hardwood?
With regular vacuums, cleaning performance is mostly related to suction power. But, with vacuum robots, suction power is not the only characteristic to impact cleaning performance. In the following we discuss all the features that make a Roomba good at cleaning different kinds of floors: hardwood, tiles, linoleum, or carpets.
– Main Brush System
Most vacuum robots have a main brush underneath to loosen dirt and make it easier to suck. All Roomba do have a main brush system, made of two brushes. These are counter rotating brushes to maximize dust and hair pick up. Besides, some Roomba can adjust the height of their main brush system to adapt to the type of floor they are cleaning. So, for better performance, best Roomba raise the brushes on hardwood floors, and lower them on carpets.
– Edge Cleaning
Because Roomba are round, their main brush cannot collect dirt at the edges. Side brushes compensate by allowing Roomba to reach most dust and hair strands that are often located near walls and at corners.
– Dirt Sensor
It makes Roomba detect dirtiest spots, and spend more time cleaning them. Advanced combo-sensors are better than basic ones. They combine acoustics and optics to better detect dirt.
– Filter Type
The filter is located right at the exhaust of the robotic vacuum. This is why the filter type directly impacts the quality of air in your home. There are 2 kinds of filters for Roomba: basic and high-performance HEPA filter. Only the high-performance one can capture very fine particles, pollen, and dust mite.
Which Roomba is Best for Thick Carpets & Hardwood?
Best Roomba overall for cleaning all floors, including thick carpets and hardwood is the Roomba i7. It is the one with highest suction power. But, as explained above, other criteria are important too. And this high-end Roomba has it all. This is why it achieves best cleaning performance on all kind of floors. It is also excellent for fighting allergy, thanks to its high performance filter.
Best for All Floors
Buy Roomba i7 from Amazon - Best Value Roomba for Carpets & Allergy
Best Value for Carpets
Buy Roomba e5 from Amazon - Best Value Roomba for Hardwood
If your home has only slick floor such as hardwood, tiles, or linoleum, a cheap Roomba 690 is a good pick. Its suction power combined with counter rotating main brushes will do a good job. Combined with the side brush, it will remove all dust and hair. And, thanks to the advanced dirt sensor, Roomba 690 will spend more time cleaning dirtiest areas.
Best Value for Hardwood
Buy Roomba 690 from Amazon Read Next
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Which Roomba for Large Homes?
We've compared 15 Roomba for cleaning large areas. Best ones definitely have a long lasting battery. They also embed sensors and algorithms for smart navigation. Read more
Which Roomba is Easy to Use?
The easiest Roomba to use, are WiFi enabled. You can control them from your couch using a smartphone app. You can also rely on voice command. Read more
Which Roomba is Best Overall?
Our review relies on 375 data points as well as the prices of each Roomba we have analyzed. We guide to choose a vacuum robot that best fits your home and your habits. Read more
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14 Comments
Irobot Roomba 650 does a decent job. Does a lot of bouncing around. I see no program that makes it cover the whole floor but it does a decent job.
To clean the whole floor just press the “Clean” button. But, since the Roomba 650 moves according to a random pattern, observers don’t have the impression that it does cover all the surface. According to iRobot, it eventually covers most of the floor. The systematic cleaning introduced by Neato and replicated on the Roomba 900 series, is definitely more natural.
The Roomba 980 is really great. It cleans like a charm in my 850 sq ft apartment. It makes it all the way through the apartment without needing to stop and recharge. We have cats (which I’m allergic to), and run this two to three times a week to keep my allergies from going crazy. This thing changed my life, as I can feel comfortable in the home even with the cats.
Wonderful and very helpful post. I mean….Wow! Such an EXCELLENT review! I really appreciate your thoroughness in your review. So many great details are addressed. Very comprehensive information! Really, appreciate that you addressed the cheaper alternatives. So glad you covered that!