We have been big fans of the iRobot line of robotic cleaning products for a year and a half now. We've bought the Roomba and Scooba for our home and have given the Roomba and Looj as gifts. We order Scooba cleaning solution, extra batteries, and robot replenishment kits. All in all, we've probably thrown about $1500 at iRobot in the past 18 months...
...so you can imagine my anger when the socket for our Roomba's brush became totally stripped which rendered the robot completely useless after just 15 months of use. I emailed the company to see if there was anything that they could do. At first they said they would send a replacement. A few days later, though, they changed their tune and offered to sell us a refurbished model (with a 30 or 60 day warranty) a a discounted price. I was livid. If they had gone through my account history, they would/should have seen that we were very good customers. I ranted and raved to my husband. I swore off iRobot products for good. And then my husband brought home a
iRobot Roomba 530 for me. That's why I married him--he knows how to keep me happy.
About This Vacuuming Robot
The
Roomba 530 is part of the newest generation of Roombas. This incredible little machine will zoom around and vacuum your floors for you while you are cooking dinner, napping, or out shopping. It has a low profile to fit beneath tables, chairs, coffee tables, beds, and even some couches. This machine comes with two Virtual Walls which are devices that you can use to confine it in just one area so it can clean it thoroughly.
The
Roomba 530 boasts improved anti-tangle technology, edge and and corner cleaning, and transitioning from carpet to hard floors. The battery life is supposed to last long enough to clean three rooms in one go. Also, this robot comes with a self-charging base that the
Roomba 530 will return to and dock itself on when its battery is running low.
Setting Up Your Roomba
Out of the box, there isn't much to do but plug in the self-charging base and place the robot on it for the initial charge of 10 hours. When the "clean" button (also the only one) on top of the device is showing a solid green light, then your
Roomba 530 is fully-charged and ready to go.
You don't need to sweep before using your robotic vacuum, but I would suggest picking up any fairly large pieces that you can easily see. For example, I have three parrots who love to make a gigantic mess. When I send the
Roomba 530 into their room or near their playstands in the front room, I pick up the wood splinters, nut shells, plastic bits, newspaper shreds, etc. that I find. Yes, the robot could probably pick most of them up but all they will do is fill up the dirt bin faster and probably stop the brushes from spinning. You'll also want to remove your running sneakers with untied laces--trust me on this.
Once the room has been Roomba-proofed (which really takes very little effort unless you live in this madhouse), you just press the "clean" button and let the vacuuming robot do its thing. You'll want to utilize the Virtual Walls to keep the
Roomba 530 confined to just one room. Sure, you can let the thing zip around haphazardly throughout your house, but none of the rooms will actually be completely cleaned after the cycle. The best method that I've found is to just block it into one room, let it vacuum for a half hour or so, and then move it into another area and confine it to that too.
My Experience
I've been using this new-and-improved Roomba for over a month now. I have to say that it does an excellent job of picking up dirt, dust, and pet fur. The battery life does last for at least three rooms as promised... for now. I also like the fact that it has a barrier sensor in it now. My older model used to just crash into walls, doors, and anything else in the way full speed ahead. The
Roomba 530 detects objects in its path and slows to half-speed when it approaches them. Maybe it doesn't make much of a difference, but I like to think that the whole experience is gentler on the machine than the full-speed version.
This isn't a Dyson Roomba, so it does lose suction over time. I've found that I get the best results from this robot when I pause it, empty out the dirt bin, and then send it on its way again. Most people probably won't have that issue with just one room but we have 9 cats living here (pets and fosters waiting to be adopted), so we have a lot of dirt and fur in each room.
The noise level of the
Roomba 530 is much less than that of my older version. I can easily run it in the kitchen or front room without worrying about waking up my husband in our bedroom in this small 3BR ranch.
One issue that I have had with this product involves the side brush. Two of the arms broke off within the first two weeks of use. So far everything else on the brush seems to be holding in place, but I must say I am disappointed in the flimsiness of this particular part. The company web site sells replacement 3-packs for just $14.99. In my humble opinion, I don't think these brushes are worth $5 each.
Overall, I really like this machine and the way that it cleans my rugs and hardwood floors. We run a cat/dog rescue out of our home and own three parrots so I always have loads of cleaning chores to do. The
Roomba 530 does a great job of vacuuming the floors while I clean, cook, feed the animals, etc.
Cost and Availability
We paid $300 for the
Roomba 530 at the local Target. It costs the same at Linens N Things and the iRobot site too. I've seen cheaper prices listed online for drugstore.com and HSN, but I didn't really read further than the Google listing page so I don't know if there were any catches to the deal.
Extra Expenses Involved With iRobot Products
As someone who has owned iRobot devices for awhile now, I have to point out that there are many other expenses involved in addition to the initial purchase price. You'll need to buy replacement filters from the company web site in 3-packs for $19.99 plus shipping. Yes, you can tap the dust out and eventually rinse and dry them a few times, but you'll have to bite the bullet and buy new ones within 3 or 4 months or purchasing the
Roomba 530. The beater brushes get beat up, bent, and basically lose their effectiveness. You'll need to buy a Maintenance Kit (1 beater brush, 1 bristle brush, 1 side brush, 3 replacement filters, and 1 brush cleaning tool) for $39.99 within one year of purchase. Of course the battery will lose power over time. If it does during the one year warranty period, the company will replace it. If it loses it after that, then you are on your own and must pay $90 for a new battery. By that point, you'll need new filters and maybe even new brushes again. iRobot certainly knows how to work the extra money angle. Your $300
Roomba 530 could very well cost you $500 or more within the first two years.
Overall Opinion
I'm not going to lie: I absolutely love my
Roomba 530 just as I loved my other Roomba. It vacuums floors while I am cooking, napping, or taking a bubble bath. Though I find the extra expenses involved to be annoying, I am more concerned with the fact that my last Roomba died after 15 months and the company could have cared less. We will see exactly how well it does in terms of durability. I don't have high hopes at this point but I certainly hope that I'm wrong. $300 for a robotic vaccum that may last for only one year isn't exactly practical, but I find it worth the cost because of the amount of pet fur we have around here.
Other iRobot Reviews:
iRobot.com
Scooba 5800
Scooba 350
Scooba Cleaner
Scooba Replenish Kit
Scooba Caddy
Roomba Sage for Pets
Roomba Replenish Kit
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