iRobot Roomba Vac 2 Essential robot vacuum + AutoEmpty dock (Q0520) - Black

Nowadays everything is smart, or robotic, or smart and robotic, but Roomba is a name synonymous with robot vacuums as far as most can remember robot vacuums. The name recognition has most referring to any robot vacuum as a "Roomba," so overall, iRobot has won. The Roomba Vac 2 Essential is a solid entry level in to the space. It doesn't have all the extras of some of the other models, but, it does vacuum. Set up for this was super easy. Plug it up, scan the code on the box to download the app and you're ready to go. I thought the app would allow for all sort of crazy stuff with all the features...boy was I wrong. The feature set is very limited. All of the room mapping of other models/vacuums...absent. From the app you can tell the vacuum to vacuum, you can set a time limit, you can "call it home" you can tell it to empty itself. The basics. With that said, it DOES vacuum. That's what you got this for, right? In terms of vacuuming, the vacuum does a decent job. My floor wasn't a mess, but it definitely needed to be vacuumed. I was surprised with how easily the Vac 2 transitioned from the carpet of my bedroom to the floor of my bathroom and back. No assistance needed getting back up the carpet. It did vacuum for quite awhile. My room isn't necessarily large, but in the few times I used the Vac 2 i never seen it finish vacuuming, I called it home because it seemed to just keep going for over 40 minutes. The Roomba Vac 2 Essential robot vacuum is a solid entry point in to the world of robot vacuuming. With it's minimal feature set, it's so easy a caveman could do it...however, I might recommend most pick another model with more go-to moves and variety.

I was excited to use the new iRobot Roomba Vac 2. I have used these automated vacuums for a few years now and was glad to see this new one by iRobot. I have hardwood floors throughout the house and have a dog that semi sheds around, so I felt this was essential to have. Set up was pretty simple and connecting it to the app was a breeze. I set it up for the first vacuum run and experienced mixed feelings about it. For the most part the iRobot Roomba Vac 2 works well but had some disappointing moments. Pro: - Like previous models and editions of iRobot or other touch-and-go vacuums, you can simply just turn it on and it will go and vacuum around the home. It is supposed to sense the area around it, often bumping into things and remembering it as it lays out it's pattern of where to go. I feel that this has always been its strength and really nice to have as you can just leave it be so you can be free to do what you need to do in the home. - This is smaller compared to other devices which I like. It does not take up too much area against the wall and the vacuum itself is no wider than a through pillow. It's not large or bulky so it can fit anywhere in your home. I have it up against the wall near our bedroom and living room divider where it can go about easily. - The sound is amazing as it is quiet. Of course, compared to regular stand up vacuums this does not emit loud decibels so you hear it humming around the room. It does get loud when you send it home and it empties the bag into the home center. Then, you hear the vacuum sound and it can be quite jarring. - App control. This is the heart of the device where you can see the current job, device health, empty bin, create a schedule and add new jobs for it to accomplish. I actually like setting it up on a schedule once-a-week so that I know that it will get the larger areas that I feel will allow me freedom to do other errands around the home and not worry. Cons: - It misses spots. Yes, it is supposed to learn its environment but there were large sections where it completely ignored and I had to try to gently nudge it back. That was really disappointing in my opinion. Because of this, you have to ensure that the area you want it to clean is void of objects (shoes, ottomans, smaller items that you can simple move out of the way.) As "smart" as this Roomba is supposed to be, because it does not recognize that an object it runs into is temporary or permanent, it will by pass it. - This is a supplementary device. I need to keep a traditional vacuum around just for areas that this cannot get. Thick carpets and it will get stuck. Smaller crevices that it cannot get underneath requires a traditional vacuum with hose set. Overall, this is a fun little axillary device to have in the home. I hope this review helps anyone considering buying a robot vacuum!

The iRobot Roomba Vac 2 Essentials is a compact self-emptying robot vacuum that is budget friendly and great at doing its one job, vacuuming. The first thing to note is that it is built with the reliable and typical iRobot quality. It does not feel any cheaper in material or components than any of the other Roombas on the market. It just comes with less technological features integrated. This robot vacuum is a speedy little guy that doesn’t exactly know where he is going, but he ultimately gets the job done. There is no mapping with this vacuum, so when it is time to go, it just bumps around and once it finds an open space, it begins going back and forth to clean every part it can until it bumps into something again and can go no further. It is surprisingly good at traversing through high-pill carpets without getting stuck and even good around stray cables. It found one by accident and just left it rather than sucking it up or getting tangled in it. During initial set-up, I had it set to medium suction, and this produced lackluster results. I had trouble finding how to change the suction setting. I eventually figured it out, so for anyone who encounters this same issue the setting can be changed by scrolling all the way down on the initial app page and selecting Product Settings>Cleaning Preferences. Once I switched to Maximum suction I had great results. It completely cleaned up a rug where, during its medium suction setting, it has just dragged around a tissue and left a shredded mess. My tile floors where completely cleaned, and it spent extra time under one of my furniture pieces getting it really clean. It does exceptionally well cleaning along the edges of the walls and furniture, something impossible to do with a regular vacuum cleaner. One of the downsides of not having mapping with this Roomba is that I can’t just send it to one specific room, I just have to hope it will find the area I most want cleaned. I have a 1500sq ft home, so it usually only does a third of the house before going home to recharge. I never know which way it will go either, so I’ll put up blockades to prevent it from going in the opposite direction to where I want it. The app is quick to set-up and get the Roomba going, especially if you already own one. It tells you the battery level, the time it will take to get back to work after going home to charge, when to change a part out, and the history and map of where it cleaned. It will also notify you if there are any issues while cleaning, for example, mine found and gobbled up a stray plastic zip-up bag, shutting down on the spot. Once I found and removed the object, it got right back to work. In my opinion, the Roomba Vac 2 is great for people with a smaller footprint home or who need one in a specific area of the home, like upstairs or in a room. I do feel it does better at getting around thick high-pill carpets than pricier options, but not having a sense of direction can be a bit frustrating with a large home. Regardless, it does a great job at vacuuming and spot cleaning plus is an asset for anyone on a budget who wants a handy helper to keep the floors clean.