Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update: 9/15/2021 They are still going strong. Everything I said previously applies, and I'm just as satisfied if not more. Smart mapping is still problematic. The Roomba and Braava don't share maps. So each one has to create it's own map and you have to manage them separately. I have also ended up moving the base station a few times because of changes and remodeling I'm doing, and each time the map is completely lost and has to be re-learned. It doesn't really bother me because I just do clean all jobs and let it run until it's completely done. The other issue I've had which I don't think I can really blame on the roomba is that my bed has legs that are kind of an arc (sort of like a rainbow) from the mattress level to the floor. This creates "ramps" where the legs meet the floor. At least every other if not two out of three times the roomba will get stuck on the ramp. I wish it wouldn't, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape, I can see why it's a problem. I just close the bedroom door if I'm going to be out of the house and have it run unattended, and only vacuum the bedroom when I'm home to assist it if it becomes stuck. Original review: 12/20/2020 I purchased two of these. One was for me, and one for my mother. I am keeping mine, returned the one for my mother. I have a cat, and while it watches the roomba or just goes downstairs, it doesn't really bother the cat. My mother has a toy poodle that is terrified of the roomba and will hide for hours and leaves it shaking. I had to return hers because of this, not due to a functionality issue. If your pets are high strung, you might want to make a test run with someone else's if possible. Pro's: 1. Works like a charm. It has only been stuck once (hung up on curtains that were on the floor) 2. It took about three cleaning cycles to map the area. Once I did that, it cleans the floors while I'm at work and I come home to a clean house. 3. The app is easy to use. I can start a cleaning cycle while I'm away, and I get notifications on my app if there are any issues (Only useful if I am home to help, but still..) It was simple to set up. Download app, press two buttons on roomba, enter wi-fi password, and 2 minutes later you're done and ready to go. I couldn't ask for a better experience. 4. The app allows you to create zones in your house. You can do a clean all task or only do specific zones. You can also make no vacuum areas. Con's: 1. It is somewhat loud, and when the roomba returns to the base it starts a VERY loud fan/vacuum in the base that sucks debris out of the roomba itself for a minute or so. If you sleep lightly, don't expect to run it while you're napping. 2. I moved the roomba once to the other side of the living room. When I did, it lost the map of the house completely. It needed to re-map the floor from scratch. It didn't affect me too much because I hadn't customized the map or set up and named zones, but for someone who had, this could be very irritating. 3. Other reviews complain about roomba's breaking and having to be replaced, especially after the 1 year warranty runs out. Because of this, I purchased the Assurian 3 year warranty. If comparing cost, consider the additional cost of the warranty if you have similar concerns. 4. It leaves about an inch of uncleaned area around the roomba base. You will need to move them and clean around the bases periodically or if noticable. 5. It gets 95% of the dirt off your floor. You will still need to vacuum once a month or so to ensure you clean under furniture, around the roomba base, baseboards, corners, nooks, and crannies. This is in the cons section, but no other robotic vacuum avoids this and I don't see it as a knock against the product, just something that you will deal with when you use ANY of these vacuums. The roomba isn't the perfect set it and forget it robot. You need to tidy up before vacuuming by ensuring there isn't anything on the floor such as clothes/cloth, cables, or anything else that could get sucked into the roomba (be cautious of phone charging cables attached to a wall charger). I don't say this as a con, because it's not like you wouldn't have to do this if you were vacuuming manually, but other reviews complain about this. Be aware of the completely reasonable limitations. This does however somewhat limit the benefit of the app because you need to prep the area before setting the roomba loose. It limits your ability to just randomly set a job up when you're away from home. I'm not disappointed or upset about it, just a need to pre-plan. I also purchased the S9+ vs the S9 which comes with the cleaning tower for an additional $200. You can buy it either way so it doesn't affect the review per se, but I feel the cost is worth not having to perform maintenance on the roomba every time you vacuum. The time I will save vs manually vacuuming a couple of times a week (cat fur) is well worth it over time. I chose the S9 instead of the 7 because of it's filtration and better corner cleaning. The hepa-lite filter seems to make a difference with cat dander as well. Supplies aren't unreasonable and appear that they will not be an onerous cost. I have hardwood and tile floors and do not use it on carpets so I can't make a judgement as to performance on carpets.