Customer Ratings & Reviews

I had a good first impression upon unboxing this iRobot, as they included an extra filter, so that's one less product I have to worry about. Setup was painless, considering I already have the app installed on my phone. I quickly connected it to my wifi, and the app did the rest. I had two robot vacuums before getting this model. One of my vacuums bounces around rooms in a random pattern, while the other one moves in straight, parallel lines. This model of vacuum is like the former; however, it still does a great job of covering the entire area. I'm impressed that this vacuum maneuvers around obstacles well and does a good job with cleaning awkward areas. It moves over thresholds more smoothly than my other robot vacuums; however, it did get stuck twice: under a dresser and while lost in a closet. These instances were disappointing, because I wish there was an included sensor that detects whether or not it has high enough clearance (for going under furniture, for example), and the entrance to the closet was rather wide, so it was odd that it got lost. Other things that missed the mark with this model were the lack of ability to change vacuum preferences (via the app) and the dustbin door was a little difficult to unlatch - there wasn't just a lever to slide to open the dustbin door. In other words, it was somewhat obvious where iRobot has cut corners to make this a lower-end robot vacuum. Overall, if you prefer to stick with a company that produces cutting-edge robot vacuum technology, then I'd recommend this model. However, there may be better options at this price point, so happy hunting.

The iRobot Roomba 694 is not the fanciest or smartest Roomba vacuum available but it does an adequate job vacuuming. It has most of the typical iRobot features like the Roomba avoidance sensors, 3 stage vacuuming, it can be controlled and scheduled using the iRobot Home app via wi-fi, its compatible with all flooring types and it can interface with Alexa and Google home. While this unit is missing some of the more advanced features found on the more expensive models it is capable of doing the standard vacuum chores around the house. It uses random cleaning patterns vs a mapped out cleaning pattern. The plus here is that you don’t have vacuum marks left in your carpet where the vacuum has run week after week. The downside is that this vacuum is more apt to run into things and because of its random nature there is no guarantee it will vacuum the entire area before the battery is depleted. If you have an older Roomba like I do you will be surprised to find that the dustbin is smaller and the filter is curved vs the old style rectangle. Due to the smaller bin size you definitely want to empty the dustbin after every use especially if you have pets. The dustbin filter, the corner brush and the rollers are easily accessible and easy to replace when worn out. So far I am able to get about 80 minutes of carpet vacuuming between charges. Unlike the more expensive models this Roomba will randomly vacuum until its battery is low and then it returns to the base unit. It does not go back out once recharged to cover any areas that were not vacuumed in the first round. Overall I like this vacuum but it is more prone to get stuck because of its random pattern of vacuuming and it is definitely noisier than previous models which I have owned. Pros: - Typical iRobot Roomba quality - Works on hardwood as well as carpet - Easy to access brushes and easy to empty the dustbin - Works with iRobot virtual Wall Barriers - Compatible with iRobot Home app via wi-fi - Compatible with Google Home and Alexa Cons: - This Roomba is louder than previous models - No Virtual Barriers are included - Random pattern of vacuuming is more prone to miss areas - Can have a difficult time docking - Small dustbin with an oddly hinged dustbin door - Not compatible with older iRobot filters

This is a very nice vacuum. It charges really fast. It only took about an hour to get to full charge which is great in my opinion. I had it running for about 45 minutes and it barely made a difference to the battery. I love that it gets familiar with the area so it knows where to vacuum. It def works better if you dont have too many blocks and an open space. Sometimes it would go back and forth and I had to re-direct it. The instructions say it should be a well lit room so the vacuum and navigate better. I love how it was able to vacuum underneath my bed without me having to move it. That is a great bonus. You can set up everything in the app and when you want to time it, you can. You can also send it back to the charging station through the app. I love how if you put it on a set timer, when the time is up, it will find its way back to the charging station. So many neat features and you dont have to do anything. I would def recommend this.

The iRobot Roomba was very easy to set up. The hardest part was removing the yellow tab to activate the battery. Having a vacuum cleaner that talks to you takes a little getting used to. Before testing it I made sure there was lots of open space and lots of light. I plugged the base in a few feet from the WiFii source. My expectations were that it would concentrate on the open (traffic) areas, go up and down the hallway in a straight line, and finish a room before moving on, but that’s not how it operates. It is very erratic and heads straight for a wall or piece of furniture, bounces off and then goes back the way it came. I watched it from start to finish - finish being when the battery ran down. It went about 6 feet from the charging station at an angle, bumped a wall and changed direction. Then it made a couple of passes in the foyer and got stuck between the entry rug and a plant stand where it spun around for a few minutes. Once it worked itself loose, it kept going back and forth between the two adjacent rooms. It missed most of the open area as it bounced off furniture and retraced its steps. It went under the couch and couldn’t find its way out for 10 minutes. One hour after starting, the app said that the battery was low and it was returning to base. But it didn’t. Instead it went under the couch again where it died. It didn’t get anywhere near the other 10 rooms in the house. I was never able to get it to return to its base - either by pressing the buttons on the unit or using the app - even when the base was only 4 feet away from it. Every time it would take off in the opposite direction, wandering around with its home button lit up. It showed a strong wireless signal, so not sure what its problem was. One advantage is that it can get under furniture where I can’t reach with a standard vacuum cleaner. It also did a good job of getting into corners. But I wasn’t impressed with its vacuuming capabilities. It didn’t seem to have much suction. About the only thing in the dust cup when it was finished was what it found under the furniture. Using the app, it can be activated to vacuum while no one is at home. I would never set it loose without supervision. It had trouble going over the bathroom floor mats and got a little tangled up in the corners of the rugs. When it gets lost it bumps the furniture to get its bearings and something could get knocked off. It seems like it requires more maintenance than a standard vacuum cleaner. The Owner’s Guide suggests replacing the filter every 2 months and the brushes every 6 - 12 months. It’s a good conversation piece or toy, but it won’t be replacing my standard vacuum cleaner. It’s hard to get upset with it because even though it misbehaves, it looks like it’s really trying to do a good job. It just keeps running into everything which sends it off on a tangent. Maybe it needs new glasses.

iRobot's Roomba is a rather effective cleaning tool that can be ran for up to an hour, hands free, with a simple button push or with the app on your phone. It's smart technology that revolutionizes vacuuming when you're beat from a long week and don't want to drag out the whole vacuum. The battery seems to be great once fully charged and lasts up to an hour while cleaning. The app seems to work great with the Roomba, making it a smart vacuum. And emptying out the collected dust and debris is easy and the maintenance of the device seems to be minimal and infrequent. I would recommend this device as a companion to your existing vacuum for when you're not quite in the mood to vacuum yourself.

iRobot Roomba 694 is an entry-level Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum for small homes and apartments, available today at Best Buy for $275. **WHAT’S IN THE BOX** • iRobot Roomba 694 • Extra filter • Charger/Home base with power cord • Manual and Warranty **THE SETUP** Remove from box, remove plastic covering. Unscrew battery cover to remove plastic battery insulator so Roomba can charge. As per instructions in the manual, download the iRobot Home app. Place the “home base” according to instructions. Launch the app and follow prompts to connect with Roomba. Personalize use with scheduled cleaning, cleaning zones and routines around the user’s lifestyle, home setup, and schedule so cleaning can be done while home or away. Give it a try! **PUT TO THE TEST** Along with the app, I let Roomba roam to get the lay of the land. I pressed the CLEAN button in the app and off it went. It adjusted as it transitioned from the hard floor up and onto the few rugs we have. It learned where tables and chairs are located and learned to maneuver around them and through available openings to get under the table, for example. Roomba detected the limits of the rooms and learned where the baseboards are to scoot along them and clean with its side brush. Roomba learned where the step into the living room is and not to try to go down the step. Following it around, I set test zones to avoid, as if a child’s play area. I set it to maneuver around the dog’s food and water bowl area. It roamed and carved a swath to clean, learning the terrain. After its first run, it did as it was supposed to do and returned to its base. I took it from its base and did as the manual instructs – empty the bin after each use. Next, I set Roomba to clean on a schedule as if I was going to be away, and I watched as it made its rounds. It seems that the more it is out and about, the more it learns the obstacles and general lay of the land. As a test, I put a box on the floor near the dog bowls. As Roomba approached, it slowed, assessed and avoided it. As another test, I sprinkled a small amount of salt and cereal on the kitchen floor. Then, I pressed the CLEAN button in the app and watched. Away from base, Roomba roamed. As it approached the debris it did as programmed, moving in a spiral pattern and performed a more thorough cleaning, all the while with the CLEAN button blinking on the top of Roomba. For my next test, I used Alexa to begin a cleaning session with my voice. I did not do the same test with the Google Home app. Specifications call for up to 90 minutes running on a single charge. When it senses low battery, it also returns to base where it rests on its charging pad to top up the battery. I am looking forward to this Roomba suggesting extra cleaning when it detects a high pollen count for this area. Nice job! **CONCLUSION** Mission accomplished. This entry-level iRobot Roomba 694 has come a long way since my first Roomba experience in 2005. For a small home or apartment that does not have a requirement to pick up a lot of pet fur or hair, Roomba 694 is a good choice at $275. Other models add more power, greater cleaning area, auto-emptying and even the ability to wash floors as well as vacuum. There is a model for any user. **WARRANTY** iRobot provides a one-year parts and labor warranty.

## Design The iRobot Roomba 694 features a sleek new design with a mostly all black exterior (previous models used a combination of black and silver). It definitely gives the Roomba a more modern look over previous models. Other than that, the brushes, dust bin, and bumper are very similar to older generations of the Roomba 600 series. ## Performance The Roomba 694 does not have any type of smart "mapping" feature. Instead, it kind of just "ping-pongs" around the room in a seemingly random pattern until the battery gets low. You may assume that it's going to miss big sections of the floor but it surprisingly does a good job of reaching most of the surfaces it can. Even if it does miss a section of the floor, it will likely get it on subsequent run. So if you run it multiple times a week, missed spots become less of an issue. The Roomba 694 has a side brush that helps push debris in towards the larger brushes and vacuum located on the bottom of the unit. The Roomba 694 was a "dirt detection" feature that I assume activates when it hits an area that causes a lot of "rattle" as it collects debris. When it detects a dirty area, it will go around and around in that area to give it extra attention. As you might expect, the Roomba can get tangled up on cords, frays, and other "stringy" things, so you might have to do a little pre-cleaning before you set the Roomba loose in your home. Thanks to the WiFi connection, the Roomba app can alert you when it gets hung up and needs attention. It also uses a voice announcement to say what is wrong, but I typically miss it as I'm in another room. In fact, I typically run the Roomba while I'm home as it will trip the motion sensors of my home security system when it's armed. It's fairly easy to remove tangles as you can open up the Roomba to remove the brushes and untangle whatever is wrapped around them. ## Features - WiFi connection: I appreciate the WiFi feature as the Roomba app will send a notification whenever it is stuck or when it completes cleaning. I don't use the Alexa feature very often to start it because I typically need to clean the debris bin before starting it, so while I'm bent over replacing the bin it's just quicker to hit the "start" button on the unit than to yell, "Alexa, ask Roomba to start cleaning". However, it is handy if I'm in another room and need to stop the Roomba: "Alexa, ask Roomba to stop". Alexa will then ask if you want the Roomba return to its base to charge. - App: The iRobot app provides access to the device manuals, as well as links to parts with videos showing you how to maintain your Roomba. You can also view the history and stats of previous cleaning jobs, as well as schedule future cleanings (or start one immediately). - Spot Clean: If you have a specific area that needs cleaned, you can press the "spot clean" button and the Roomba will stay in roughly the same spot instead of cleaning the entire room. This is ideal for cleaning up a cereal spill, for example. ## Gripes - No virtual barrier included: Previous iRobot Roomba models I've owned have come with a virtual barrier device. Sadly, this model does not include one (but it can be purchased separately). ## Summary Overall, the Roomba 694 is a great way to vacuum your home. It doesn't include any of the bells or whistles (such as mapping or mopping features) of the more expensive models, but it does include WiFi which allows you to start and stop the Roomba with the app or with Alexa. While it may seem to aimlessly wonder around my home, it does a fairly good job of reaching all areas of the floor.

I like it, but you do have to accommodate its idiosyncrasies. I’m in a one bed room apartment, so there’s not much space it has to deal with. First time I ran it, I monitored how it did, and made note of where it had problems. I was particularly impressed with how it manages getting under, and than out of, certain pieces of furniture (chairs, couches, dresser, etc.). That said, for efficiency’s sake you do want to move some stuff before hand. For me, that amounts to folding and putting away a couple of trays, moving one chair out of the kitchen and onto the bed, and moving a couple of other items. First time I let it run solo it got hung up on the small bathroom carpet. Fine, so I make sure that’s out of the way. Second time it finished, but then ran out of battery before it could make its way back to the charging base. Appeared to get “lost” in the bedroom and wasn’t able to get back to the living room where it could sense the base. Perhaps the third time will be the charm. I may have to move its base station. But really, otherwise I actually am pretty happy with it so far.

This Roomba is pretty loud and will bump into everything as it cleans the floor of your home, but it will get it clean. Pros: Does a good job of cleaning and picks up dust in areas I wouldn't have seen or reached otherwise Avoids most major obstacles and has not fallen down the stairs once Cons: This device works by bumping and adjusting its path, not mapping your home, so this means it sometimes will not get a particular spot until its 6th visit to a particular area of your house. What it doesn't do with intelligence, it makes up for in endurance. This also means it will get scuffed almost immediately as it finds its way. While it avoids most obstacles, it has trouble with some things like C-tables (end tables) and certain chairs that don't have traditional legs. It will get stuck on those and you need to set up your room accordingly. Overall, it's good for what it does, as long as you're not expecting perfection. If you're afraid of iRobot cleaning your house, but are also too lazy to sweep every day, the Roomba 694 is your new best friend.

The iRobot Roomba 694 Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum is a great option for those looking for a reliable and affordable robot vacuum. It features a three-stage cleaning system that effectively picks up dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets and hard floors. The Roomba 694 also has a variety of smart features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, voice control, and personalized cleaning recommendations. Here are some of the pros and cons of the iRobot Roomba 694 Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum: **Pros:** * Powerful suction * Three-stage cleaning system * Wi-Fi connectivity * Voice control * Personalized cleaning recommendations * Affordable **Cons:** * Can get stuck under furniture * Not as good at cleaning corners as some other robot vacuums Overall, the iRobot Roomba 694 Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum is a great option for those looking for a reliable and affordable robot vacuum. It features a powerful suction and a variety of smart features that make it easy to use and maintain. Here are some additional details about the iRobot Roomba 694 Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum: * Suction: The Roomba 694 has a powerful suction that can easily pick up dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets and hard floors. * Cleaning system: The Roomba 694 features a three-stage cleaning system that includes a main brushroll, a side brush, and a dustbin. The main brushroll loosens dirt and debris from carpets and hard floors, the side brush sweeps dirt and debris into the path of the main brushroll, and the dustbin collects the dirt and debris. * Wi-Fi connectivity: The Roomba 694 can be connected to a Wi-Fi network, which allows you to control it using the iRobot HOME app. The iRobot HOME app allows you to schedule cleanings, set cleaning preferences, and view cleaning history. * Voice control: The Roomba 694 can be controlled using voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. This makes it easy to start a cleaning, stop a cleaning, or pause a cleaning without having to get up and touch the Roomba. * Personalized cleaning recommendations: The Roomba 694 learns your cleaning habits and can provide personalized cleaning recommendations. These recommendations can help you get the most out of your Roomba and keep your home clean. * Affordable: The iRobot Roomba 694 is an affordable robot vacuum that offers a lot of features for the price. It is a great option for those looking for a reliable and affordable robot vacuum.

Gets underneath furniture and picks up dust and dog hair. I have yet to figure out how to properly program it. I have noticed when you push the button to send it back home it does not automatically return to base. Continued cleaning. I ran out of battery power and it just stopped under the furniture rather than go back to base

I love this vacuum. It cleans surprisingly well. I can use my fancy push vacuum and go over the carpet. If I follow up with the Roomba, it still feels up, so this thing cleans very well. I do sort of dislike the randomness of how it cleans. For example, if I release this in a room I want it to clean, if I don’t seal off the area or close a door, the Roomba will usually just make its way into a different area and die before it cleans what I want it too. It also gets stuck on stuff and under stuff while easily going over many things I didn’t think it would be able to. So in that sense, it is sort of unpredictable. Getting past that, it is great at what it does, particularly in small spaces.

Ok this is my 5th vacuuming robot; this one I got for a specific single room, where I just got tired of moving any others to. This is my first Roomba, but my daughter has one. They obviously cut some corners to keep the price down. Roomba for years continued to improve their robots, making them more and more expensive, with the 600 series they've decided to attack the entry level market. For example this robot only supports 2.4G wi-fi, all my others support both 2.4G and 5G; before I got this I moved to a single wifi name for both my 2.4 and 5G products; well I could not get Roomba to connect to my dual network. So I changed my routers setting to expose both networks, not a big deal but it should have worked. I just got another product I could not get to work on my network that was 2.4G only, so I would have probably done this anyhow. My next complaint about the Roomba, is you can't tell when it's charging, when it first "arrives home" you can see the low battery indicator, but then it goes off and stays off unless push a button, or tell it do do something via wifi you cant tell if it's charging/charged. The base is ALSO very light, the robot has trouble arriving home without bumping into/moving it charging base (I think I'll use alien tape to adhere if better). The home button caused it to return home, not in a very efficient fashion, but the go home command in the app did not do the same, although it said it did. This Roomba just moves in a random matter, no form of room mapping, it bumps into thinks and re-adjusts. It moves fairly quickly, but it only has one power level (most of my other bots have at least hi/lo); it does a good job of negotiating carpet (better than some of my others), it like my others will happily eat my carpet fringe, at first I did not think the suction was strong enough to suck up the fringe, but I was wrong (see picture). On hardwood and tile floors, it tends to blow some dust instead of just sucking it up, another picture show some dust after running an hour, I saw it go over this point several times, but it would turn and blow against the wall moving dirt before it got to it, I had some garlic paper on the floor that never got picked up. I think the exhaust is disrupting it's cleaning duties. On carpet is does a much better job, it did a great job of picking up crumbs under my dining room table, event with all the chair legs to work around. The plastic dust bin is fairly large and well designed, it's easy to remove and empty, but because it is plastic it does re-attract some amount of dust. On my "big" tile room I thought the robot was a little on the noisy side, on carpet it's not as noticable. Dust does aslo stick to the front of the unit, you will want to wipe the front down every time you empty it. It has dual rotating "cleaners", one rubber and the other brushes, the rubber paddles seem to prevent the brushes from collecting hair (a good design). For the price this robot is competitive, but it's no where near as smart as their higher end (3-4x the price). How i'm planning using it, it will be more than adequate. This is where my wife call me Mr Obvious....

(Let me be fair by sharing upfront that I bought my Roomba to replace a Eufy brand smart vacuum.) Smart vacuums are a great way to keep a house clean while ideally maintaining a work or relaxation schedule in your busy day. This vacuum does not allow you to have those. It is clunky, uncoordinated, loud, abrasive, and not very good at its job. I have a mixture of wood flooring, carpet, and a somewhat shaggy rug in my home along with 2 cats who have a well used litterbox. The vacuum scurries along loudly grabbing all it can, and to be fair it does okay when vacuuming the wood flooring, but it doesnt even try to climb surfaces that are barely higher than a flat surface - meaning it struggles to transition from my wood flooring to the carpet or rugs. Yikes! On top of that, it will SCREAM at you, spouting off error codes and woes of its life being stuck on a half inch cliff anytime it percieves it is stuck. Finally, the 3-armed brush that is meant to spin dust and litter into the vacuum is worthless. It is made of paperlike silicone, and mine tore itself to shreds within a week. Plus, it hardly even accurately returned to the charging station. I mean it would park itself, but wouldn’t always align properly and thus wouldn’t charge. The only reason I didn’t return this product is because I figured the damaged brush wouldn’t allow me to. Very sad my money went down the drain. The only reason this isn’t a one star review is because if this vacuum was actually able to get on carpet, it didn’t do a terrible job. I’ll end this review by saying again that before owning this product I had an entry level Eufy smart vacuum and it was much much much much better.

Does a great job for the price! Vacuums well, it doesn't map, so it may take a while to get all the area. But it's great to turn it on and do something else while it works. For my next one, I'll spend the extra money and get the one that maps the area.

I absolutely LOVE this IROBOT. It really does a great job vacuuming the floor. It will even climb onto my Braided throw rugs to vacuum without getting stuck. I am so pleased. I like that I can control it with my cell phone. Telling it to start a job. It will also message me if it gets stuck. This model does the task. No more sweeping! Worth the buy

I purchased this for my parents brand new home. Safe to say it does its job well and for the price it’s a bargain. It’s controlled via the app which lets you set schedules etc. It will return to its charging point when completed. Recommend only for open floor plans as smaller rooms or rooms with a lot of furniture may impede its ability to speak efficiently. I wish I owned a home or I’d have purchased one myself.

I knew I wanted a vacuum that could same me time but I didn't expect it to make such a difference. There's never anything on the floor (not that there was much before) and walking barefoot is lovely. Each time I empty it there's so much more than I could see and it's a great happy chemical release. 4 stars only because it keeps getting stuck under my coffee table and the corner sweep arms broke off when it got stuck under my couch...

This thing is a workhorse! Pretty simple instructions and setup. The app to a long time to unload, but it works good on iPhone. It’s a bit loud if watching TV, but cleans great. The cat accidentally turns it on often by stepping it’s paw on the activate button on top. Easy to clean.

Setup was very quick and easy. The app will alert you if the trash bin needs to be emptied and it will also alert you if you the brushes are too dirty. The robot will clean for up to almost 2 hours and does a really good job. It is a bit noisy and can take a while to find its “home” charging base, but other than that it does a really good job.