In science fiction, robots are usually attempting to take over the world and kill us all. In real life, it turns out they can be rather useful for cleaning the lounge carpet. Terminator – of dust! The iRobot Roomba 880 is the current king of the robotic vacuums, but is it any good and how does it compare to a standard vacuum? The Roomba certainly doesn’t look like vacuum. The puck-shaped disc is approximately the size of a car’s steering wheel in diameter and the height of a mug. On the top are four buttons and a handle, with a big central “clean” power button and four other buttons with which to set the clock, cleaning schedule, return the robot to its dock, or concentrate on a single, troublesome spot. Hasta la vista, dog hair... Programming the robot for a schedule is easy. Select the day, input a time and press “OK”. As long as the clock is set correctly, the Roomba will trundle off on a cleaning run and return to base when it has finished, or run out of battery.

In testing, I experienced a couple of issues with the clock going wrong, once caused by a power surge, and once when the Roomba got trapped in a room and ran out of battery. It lost time when it was recharged and I failed to notice, which meant it turned on in the middle of the night and woke everyone up. The Roomba 880 is capable of cleaning several rooms on one charge, and will spend a maximum of 25 minutes in each room before moving on. Two “Virtual Wall Lighthouses” are included in the box. cleanmate multifunctional robot vacuum cleaner reviewThey simulate a wall in doorways, preventing the robot from passing into the next room until it has finished in the first, and then help it find its way back to the charging base.vacuum cleaner dubizzle Once the robot has finished cleaning, or when the bin is full or the battery runs low, it will automatically return to the charging dock.bissell 6100e upright vacuum cleaner

Disappointingly, on its first outing the robot doesn’t clean as well as a human with a decent, ordinary vacuum cleaner. But Roomba is designed to clean once a day rather than once a week, which means the first run takes a while because the bin is small and has to be emptied several times. After a couple of days the bin only needs emptying once or twice a week, depending on the floor type and size of the cleaning area. In a medium-sized two-bedroom flat, I ended up emptying the bin and cleaning the filters once a week. The spinning bush and central suction band do a solid job of cleaning even the edges of a room. Some spots that Roomba can’t reach will need to be cleaned with a handheld vacuum – including stairs – but overall the cleaning is quite impressive. The 880 also comes with a remote control, which can be used to steer it towards a particularly dirty patch. It can also be used to steer the robot away if it gets stuck under something, though generally it can get under most furniture without an issue.

If the brush gets tangled up with cables or loose paper, the main suction channel can be removed and cleaned by releasing a few screws or clips – a two minute job. The drop sensors, the bin, the air filters and the front wheel need regular maintenance: iRobot recommends once a week, but you can probably get away with less than that. The air filters need cleaning by just tapping on the side when the robot’s bin is emptied. The iRobot Roomba 880 costs £600, which is at least £300 more than most other normal vacuum cleaners. The iRobot Roomba 880 is a much better vacuum cleaner than you’d expect. As a robot it does what it says on the tin – cleans the floor when you set it to and returns to base afterwards. It requires little in the way of maintenance and just gets on with the job. But it does take on a life of its own. I have become surprisingly attached to it, like a little robotic cleaning pet. When it has caught and screwed up bits of paper or got stuck somewhere, I’ve felt more sorry for it than annoyed.

I’ve then made a special effort to keep things off the floor, which is all round a good thing. Whether the 880 is worth the cost over a traditional vacuum cleaner comes down to how much you dislike vacuuming. Cheaper Roomba models are available which are more in line with the cost of a traditional cleaner, plus it probably works out cheaper than hiring a human cleaner. For those that are very tidy and constantly clean, the Roomba probably isn’t for you, but for the rest of us, robotic vacuum cleaners are finally worth buying. I’m even thinking about buying another one for upstairs. Pros: hassle-free cleaning, that just-vacuumed feeling without the effort every day, easy to maintain and programme, remote control, effective cleaning Cons: expensive, will need another cleaner for the stairs and odd bits, needs filters changingFind out how Roomba 980 cleans longer and better Revolutionary Cleaning for Your Entire Home Cleans an entire level of your home

Uses a high-efficiency cleaning pattern and a full suite of sensors to map and adapt to real world clutter and furniture for thorough coverage. Expands the Roomba 900 series' coverage to an entire level of your home by using iRobot's proprietary vSLAM® technology to create visual landmarks in its map so it doesn’t lose track of where it is or where its been. Runs continuously for up to two hours2 then automatically recharges and resumes cleaning to complete the entire job.1 Automatically increases power where it's needed most1 Provides up to 10x the air power3 by automatically increasing the performance of the Gen 3 motor on carpet and rugs, where dust and dirt hide.1 Our patented system powerfully combines all three components of cleaning— agitation, extraction, and suction. Connect to clean from anywhere with the iRobot HOME App Connect to your Roomba 900 Series robot vacuum and start cleaning from anywhere with the iRobot HOME App.4 Get access to tips, tricks, and support in the palm of your hand, whether you're home or on the go.

Click here for more information about the Roomba 900 Series Wi-Fi Setup With the iRobot HOME App you can schedule Roomba to vacuum up to seven times per week, so your home can stay clean every day. You can also control how Roomba cleans your unique home with custom cleaning preferences. Roomba is your partner for a cleaner home, helping you stay ahead of daily dust and dirt so you can do more. See Why Dirt Has No Where To Hide Adapts to your home for thorough coverage At just 3.6 inches tall, Roomba is designed to fit under most furniture so dirt has nowhere to hide. Using a full suite of sensors, Roomba works its way around clutter and under furniture as well as in corners. Cleaning head automatically adjusts to clean carpets, tile, and hardwood floors as it moves through your home. Finds & Targets dirt with precision Dirt Detect™ Series II5 uses optical and acoustic sensors to detect high concentrations of dirt, dust and pet hair, and the robot then provides focused cleaning where it's most needed.

A spinning side brush sweeps dust and debris from wall edges and corners into the path of the patented 3-Stage Cleaning System. AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter captures 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns. Cliff Detect sensors allow the robot vacuum to avoid stairs and other dangerous drop-offs. Control where Roomba cleans with our Dual Mode Virtual Wall Dual Mode Virtual Wall keeps Roomba in the rooms you want cleaned and out of the ones you don’t by blocking openings of up to 10 feet. Halo Mode creates a 4-foot diameter “keep out zone” around items you want to protect, such as pet bowls. Compatible with Roomba 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 Series Robots. See How Easy It is for Roomba to Clean Your Home Cleans on your schedule Roomba can be preset to vacuum up to seven times a week, meaning clean floors every day. Tangle-Free AeroForce™ Debris Extractors (available on 800 Series and above) prevent tangles and jams of hair and other debris so Roomba can keep tackling daily dirt build-up.

It automatically lets you know when the bin is full and needs to be emptied. With the Roomba 900 series, you can even view the bin level through the iRobot HOME App. Automatically docks and recharges The robot vacuum is always ready to clean because it automatically returns to its Home Base® Charging Station between cleanings to recharge. Learn What Makes The Roomba Cleaning System So Effective Gets dirt in hard to reach places A spinning side brush pushes debris into the path of the 3-Stage Cleaning System to catch dirt and dust hiding along the walls. AeroForce® extractors have a durable rubber tread design that grabs dirt from any floor type. Delivers more cleaning performace3 The AeroForce® Gen 2 Motor provides up to 5x the air power3 of previous models while the Roomba 980's Gen 3 motor offers up to 10x the air power3 on carpets & rugs. 1 Features vary by model. 2 Tested in iRobot's Home Test Lab on hard floors. Run times may vary.