iRobot Roomba 560 Robotic Vacuum

We are very pleased with this item. We have set the timer for Roomba to clean in the middle of the night every day so it's ideal if you have pets as it keeps pet hair down and then we have a nice clean home to wake up to!

It's easy to set up and easy to maintain, not to mention how entertaining it is! Our friends are impressed! We would recommend it.

i bought this for my parents as i thought it was good according to the video.. that was my 1st mistake.. im so ashamed i let my parents down as they gave me money to buy this rubbish..please please dont be foooooollllllled by the video ..1st point if you have a dog forget buying this it will pick up maybe a few hairs and thats it after half an hour honest ..in an hour when its had its use i found little of the dog hair was jammed up in the belt so basically you have to clean the belt the cavity the filter and the brush on the belt everytime you use it cos it will clog guaranteed . it had a tea spoon of dirt no joke thats it .2nd it gets stuck alot it goes in between the chairs and it just twitches cos it cant make it back out..basically in half an hour my father and i had to move it out of a jam 6 times honestly we did and my parents only live in a normal 2 bedroom bungalow .. i had to send the adaptor back twice cos it kept blowing thats the usa to uk converter adaptor it just cant take the voltage in this country so my parents in the end had to buy it locally in an electronics shop it cost just a few pence short of £30 so weve now had it for nearly 2 weeks and it only last few days weve been able to use it cos weve sent that adaptor back twice seller only gave us 7 days for return ...for 7 days we couldnt use the poxy thing so my parents are out over £200 ...just one more thing for you people who see the video does anyone else notice how spotless that room is before the vacuum works and the dirt is just light dust and how thin the carpet is .realistic lets see it work on a thicker carpet with dog hairs and then make a video of it please listen to me if people say they are happy with it their either insane or they work for the company ok iv done my best to warn you cant do any more

My new "best friend" arrived today; I charged it up immediately and let it (or should that be "him") loose in my lounge where he did a great job and brought a smile to my face when he decided he had finished (he had) and put himself to bed in his docking station! He coped with carpet, a thick rug (with fringes which he reversed off to avoid tangling) and a tiled fireplace but managed to pull the telephone off the coffee table as he got caught in the cable but I can easily rectify that by tidying up the cable.

As I had only vacummed two days ago with a Dyson I was shocked at the amount of pet hair he picked up; although two of my cats are often in that room I had been sceptical about other reviews which raved about the iRobot cleaning power but I can see that claims were not exaggerated.

I just need to experiment with the Virtual-walls and Lighthouses now so he can do more than one room......and in order to gain maximum benefit I'll need to be more tidy from now on and not use the floor as "horizontal filing"!

After buying a lookalike robot vacuum cleaner and being dissapointed (buy cheap buy twice) I sprung for the 560 model and found it does exactly what it says on the 'tin' it really does clean your rooms and then toddles off to recharge itself. We were amazed just how much dust and dirt it got off our carpets bearing in mind they had only been cleaned the day before with a Dyson so I only expected a little bit of dirt to have accumulate. Not so ! and this clever little robot picked up a bucket full in minutes flat. I am not one for manuals so the onboard demonstration WITH VOICE was more than enough to get the unit up and running. I set it to come on at 7pm and clean the ground floor of the house,it did this then beetled off back to its charger all I had to do was empty its bin, a twenty second task. I think the only problem I can see with this robot is that I now want ANOTHER ONE to do upstairs !!!.
My recommendation to anyone making the investment is to buy the best you can. The 560 seems to have just about everything you could wish for, beating brushes, reasonable level of suction, a 'corners' brush and the all important self docking station. Well done IRobot this is a fabulous product. Steven Barrett 15/07/08

Update 13/10/08

Well after being really impressed with my 560 model I have to report how dissapointing it turned out to be. After four weeks the brush unit packed in, I tried to get hold of the supplier without and luck so I contacted Irobot in the US and discovered my 560 is a 'grey' import and not under warranty. I purchased a replacement brush set for just under £53.00 from Domotec the authorised UK seller. This arrived very quickly but again only worked for a few weeks then packed in. On contacting Domotec they were very helpful and arranged a one-for-one swap-out the very next day. Unfortunately the new brush module only worked for a few weeks and died on me. I complained to Ebay about the original supplier who then started to respond to my emails and I have now sent off our 560 to be repaired or replaced, another fifteen quid in postage. Hopefully the new unit will actually work. I feel the US models just do not operate on our power. I will report again once something useable arrives. If I get a refund then it will be off to the authorised source for a replacement !.

Do you currently vacuum your house yourself? Get a Roomba and all you'll have to do is stairs! You'll also find that your Roomba (mine is called Barry)will make you a much tidier person without really noticing the difference. Extremely effective and very reliable - I can't wait for Scoobas (lino/tile cleaners) to be launched in England!

the irobot does exactly what it says on the box hoovers while you don't have to, rechrges itself and starts at scheduled times so you come home to a clean home, absolutely superb on carpert and tiled floors, we have a pet and it picks up all the hairs with ease, the only dislike is that it does not clean along the skirting boards thouroughly but apart from that i would highly recommend it.

The Roomba 560 is far quieter than our last one (Roomba Discovery) and also has onboard scheduling so can be set to clean automaically without any button pressing at all.

Overall this was a worthy replacement for an already brilliant product.

I bought a 560 to replace my roomba scheduler which stopped after 4 years of hard work.
The 560 is quite reasonable but as with all robotic vacums the dust bin is still too small and the suction is still quite poor. They are however very handy.
One particular point of note is the cost of spare brushes and all the consumables. UK prices are double US prices.
All in all I rate these vacums highly.

I absolutely loath vacuuming but didn't believe that the iRobot would work. What a doubting Thomas. This product is a TOTAL GODSEND. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!! It picks up nearly 100%, fluffs the carpet and the amount of dust it collect is astounding. The Robot is very easy to set up and use (no lengthy manuals) doesn't fall down stairs and is just as happy on wood, lino, and tiles etc. It makes you laugh as it has little tunes to tell you when it is starting - if it is stuck and needs your help, and when it has gone back to re-charge. If in dire difficulty it will bleep and then an automated voice tells you what the problem is when you press the help button. It's easy to clean and not too heavy. The only downsides I can see are: 1. It needs the docking station in the room it is working on and so obviously the floor below it doesn't get cleaned. I am quite fanatical so I let it do one cycle then I move the dock and any furniture it couldn't get under and press start again - obviously you can just not worry about the bits it can't get to/underneath. I tend to move rugs, cables, lift curtain etc. before it starts. 2. After each cycle it re-charges which can take a while and so the process of doing the whole house can be quite a lengthy one - but hey.
This machine has a real character and begs to be given a name and be spoken to (when it re-charges it looks like it is eating/drinking!!). The lighthouses are also easy to use, I approached them with some trepidation but they must have taken me all of two mins. to work out, insert batteries and set up - really like the buttons to open the battery compartment.
When iRobot's doing its cycle you can hear it but I wouldn't say it was too loud, I find it incredibly comforting to know it is whizzing about accomplishing my most hated chore - it is BRILLIANT!!! I haven't stopped telling people about it since it arrived. All in all very well built and I would fight if someone tried to take it away from me now.

Brilliant - My wife loves it, as do I.
I think it slowly learns the rooms it is doing as it took ages first time but cleans up in next to no time now.
As for the scheduler - We come home and it has cleaned the carpets while we were out and put itself on charge so it can do it all again tomorrow.
We still need to do a proper vacuum once a week, but BOY it is nice to come home and the house looks nice and clean and freshly hoovered.

it makes life so much easier!, programme the irobot, off to work and pronto!! clean carpet when i return from work!! excellent buy for me!!!

You'll either love this little robot and want to name it and get it friends or you'll hate it and banish it to the cupboard.
The Irobot Roomba 560 is not a toy, it is a very capable vacuuming robot that can clean up to three 4mx4m rooms with one charge of it's battery. Once you place the docking station (for changing Roomba) and the Lighthouses (used to control room access), you need to set the clock and seven day scheduler. The scheduler is used to send Roomba on regular cleaning missions

I like the fact the side brush sweeps dirt from the corners into the path of the main sweeping brushes and vacuum. The main brushes act as beaters to and lift the dust to the surface of carpets were the vacuum can get to it. The dirt box is small but suitable for 4 rooms that are cleaned on daily missions.

What I found to be the best thing about Roomba is "The Roomba Effect". This is what happens when the 4 year old (or 34 year old) realises that Roomba does not ask him to pick up his toys before clean the house. It takes just once for Roomba to swallow a toy, cry for help if it gets stuck (It DOES talk to you!) for the toys to be put away, chairs pushed in, shoes put in racks. You'll soon notice that clutter disappears because of "The Roomba Effect".

Roomba does need looking after but this is easy with it modular design that allows you to quickly take out and clean the beater and brushes. You WILL need to do this often when you first get Roomba as you'll find they are very efficient cleaners and the first few weeks Roomba is making up for the time that you did not spend with you old vacuum cleaner.

Something that I found helpful was the Irobot user support forum found at the Irobot web site. There you will find many people who are obsessed with these little robots. There are hint, tips and warnings. I read these a lot before buying.

I hope you are as happy with an Irobot Roomba 560 as my family is.

I purchased a Roomba 560 just before christmas. Now I just wouldn't be without it!!
I have a Dyson and it had now sat dormant for months. These little robots do an excellent job. I set mine every night to clean my kitchen while the house is asleep, I still get so excited to wake up to a spotless floor!
Ours is called Benson. I have just purchased 'Betty' too. She is upstairs doing a great job. I am a full time working mum and spent all weekend cleaning. The Roomba's now allow me to clean during the week, leaving my weekend free to do other things. Everyone should have at least one.
Watch out though some 560's sold on Ebay are from US and have Us plug hence you need a converter, before biding ask the question. There are UK models available.

Bought this on ebay, brand new at a vastly reduced price. This device was recommended to me by friends, and I am delighted with it.

IMPORTANT: Do make sure that the machine you buy has been produced for sale in the country that you live in. On the UK ebay there are a lot for sale from the USA with voltage converters. It seems that these can give trouble. UK market machines have the correct electrics, and they come with a UK warranty!

This is not a toy, but a proper vacuum cleaner. I bought it for my wife, who thought she would just use it for intermediate cleans between the weekly manual vacuums, but it does so well that it is now our main machine! Our house has a mixture of hard floors and shallow-pile carpets.The robot comes with 2 "Virtual wall lighthouses" that can divide the house into zones, and guide Roomba back to it's docking station to recharge after a "mission".Roomba 560 can also be scheduled to clean automatically once a day, if you wish.

Of course, it can't climb stairs, so these still need to be cleaned manually.

If you are thinking of buying one do research the opinions of others on the Internet. As far as cleaning is concerned the Roomba will save loads of time and effort, but be aware that it does require more routine maintenance than an ordinary cleaner. There is loads of information about this on the Internet. Basically, once it has cleaned the whole house, it will need emptying, the filter will need blowing out, and the brushes need to be cleaned of hairs etc which will wrap around them. Once a month it is recommended(not by the factory, but by many expert users)to strip the machine a bit more thoroughly to get dust out of the interior. Cleaning the machine after it has vacuumed the whole house takes 5 mins, and the monthly clean about 15 minutes. Being mechanically minded, this optional monthly servicing is not a chore to me, but I realise that not everyone would want,or be able to do it. The 5 mins servicing after cleaning the house is a doddle.... anyone could do that!

I also took out an extended warranty (1 year factory warranty + 4 years for £69.00)details of which were in the box with the robot. I think that this is worth doing because this would be the price of just one cleaning module....and much less than a new circuit board!

I liked this so much that I have just ordered the Scooba from the same company: a robot that automatically mops the floors!

I purchased this iRobot Roomba 560 Robotic Vacuum as a Christmas present for my elderly parents who were finding it harder and harder to carry/push around their existing upright vacuum cleaner.
It was the "hit" of Christmas..... they loved it, the rest of the family loved it, all their neighbours love it and all the visitors who came to the house over Christmas were given a "Roomba display".
I must say it is BRILLIANT.
Check out the adverts, look at the YouTube clips, read the descriptions....it really does do everything it says it will. I know its rather expensive but it is worth every penny. It is mesmerising to watch, cleans absolutely everywhere and I can honestly recommend this gadget to everyone. I will be buying one for myself soon.
Only one, ever so slight, negative thing to say about the Roomba... the dust/dirt collection compartment is not very big so you have to empty it quite often (Mum does it every day after its been right through her house) it takes less than 3 minutes to empty/clean, so not really a problem at all.
If you are considering purchasing a Roomba, for whatever reason, don't hesitate.... this is the model to buy, I honestly believe you will not be disappointed.

I love this ! I'd read a lot of reviews before I went ahead and purchased, and it's exceeded my expectations. I knew I'd made a good decision when I took the 2 page instruction manual out of the box. You basically, take it out of the box and put it on its charger. Let it charge overnight and then when you're ready, press the big glowing centre button. It then trundles off by itself and learns about its environment - I was really impressed how it sensed obstacles and slowed down before it bumped gently into them. My partner had a bet on that it would launch itself down the stairs, but it wandered off, worked out that it was close to a drop and managed to stop with millimetres to spare.
I then programmed it to clean the next day when I was out at work (again, no instructions needed - it was easy). I came home to find my house clean and it sitting neatly back on its charger with loads of dust and crumbs that it had picked up.
It was easy to empty - I didn't need to read any instructions, just pressed a couple of obvious clips and the dust boxes just slid right out.
My house is laminate with a small amount of carpeting - the Roomba cleaned both areas quite happily and negotiated a rug and some cables without tangling itself up. I do tend to push most things out of the way though so it can have a clear run at cleaning.
I'll quite happily buy one of these again in the future when I need to replace it.

I love it we've got hard floors and 5 cats and a dog - it just eats up the hair I swear the pets should be bald with the amount of hair it collects. It does under the IKEA furniture which I only did once in a blue moon before.

I don't schedule it beasue the dog chases it and barks at it and doesn't understand why it won't play with him and I don't think leaving him alone with it would be a good idea. I want to buy a second one for upstairs and maybe one for the in-laws for Christmas.

Love it Love it Love it!!!

Ronnie was bought to clean up the dog hair in our new kitchen extension. Whilst the extension is not quite there yet, we have made sure that Ronnie is up to the job elsewhere.

He is very good in the hall and upstairs landing - and doesn't fall down the stairs! He was a little messy in the main bedroom but that's because he found a tissue and managed to spread it across the room. Once re-charged, I put him back to work in that room and he did the necessary very well!

I haven't tried all the features yet like the lighthouses and timer but as soon as Ronnie has a proper place of work then I will set them all up and he can do his thing each day. I will be very happy to come down in the mornings to a hair free kitchen - hurrah!!!

My husband was very skeptical but not enough to stop him from showing Ronnie off to all our friends - most of whom now want one!

I am very pleased with the robot and if it stops the arguements about the dog hair then it's worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned!!

brilliant. i dont need to hoover except stairs.i've told everybody about my hoover and they cant belive that its the best robot they've heard of. my neighbor is very impressed and my mum thinks everyone should have one. maybe new houses should come with one personalized for each floor.i clean the brushes regularly and empty the collected dust and rubbish.

Becoming increasingly disabled I was finding the effort of pulling out and operating my vacuum cleaner very difficult and looked around for an easier way to deal with this normal household task. I found the idea of a robotic vacuum cleaner enticing but despite a recommendation from a family member who has an Rhoomba 530 felt they were too expensive so I bought a cheaper version. Big mistake! I spent so long stopping and starting it, picking it up and putting it right, which proved every bit as difficult as dealing with the conventional cleaner, that I decided such machines were no use so gave up and packed it away.
After further urging by the family I bought the iRobot Rhoomba 560 and oh boy, I wish I had done that to begin with. It is wonderful. It can be programmed to operate at times that suit so in my case it starts itself at 6.30am every day, and after cleaning the areas I have chosen before I get up it then puts itself to bed back in the docking station and recharges itself ready for the next day or whenever I want it to work. Where it goes can be controlled with the help of two virtual walls, battery operated, that create a barrier across anywhere it is not allowed, a doorway for instance or an area with sensitive electrics, and they switch on and off whenever Rhoomba does. I believe the 530 can become entangled in cables or the fringes of rugs for instance but the 560 rides straight over them with little problem. It talks to me and tells me when the dust box needs to be emptied!
My floors have never been so clean with so little effort and I am so thankful I had the sense to buy one eventually.
Any regrets? Just one. I'd love someone to devise a version that goes up and down the stairs but that is being very greedy.

We have 7 dogs plus the dog hair and dust and roomba is great, I have to empty it more often that most people usually would but it really makes a huge difference. It struggles a bit with the very deep rug we have depositing some bits around the edge but I would not give it back now.

I am arthritic, I saw this on television and couldn't resist purchasing it. One of its main advantages for me is that I don't have to pay my cleaner for doing this chore. With its side brushes it cleans the skirtings more efficiently than my conventional vacuums have. It cn be scheduled to start at set times and is quite enough to work whilst I am asleep.

Excellent little machine, does a better job than our manual vacuum.

We have two of them now, one for upstairs, one for downstairs, both on a scheduled time, it's nice coming home to a clean house every day when you have cats AND a dog!

Needs cleaning every couple of uses but that takes less time than doing the house, so it more than makes up for it.