IRobot Roomba 870: Entertainment and Timesaver in One!

I was one of the lucky few chosen by for the IRobot Roomba Red Carpet House Party, and I was totally over the moon about it. Because Roomba. Serious cleaning tech.

Yes, the robot/vacuum cleaner that runs by itself. What busy mom wouldn't be excited, right? So, you also get the docking station and the perfect accessory: the Auto Virtual Wall.

The Auto Virtual Wall is a handy little device that tells the Roomba where not to go, and it works fabulously. It can cover doorways up to seven feet. I put it between my living room and kitchen, and the happy little robot turned away every time.

First up, you find a good location for the Dock, and let it charge. When you first plug it in, it'll have a blinking amber light. It's best to not disturb it when it's doing that initial charge, which is why that carpet around it looks less than perfect. You want a clear outlet that's not blocked in by anything, like this:

You then just hit the Clean button, and off it goes. You can also schedule it to run at a specific time each day. Make sure you warn people if you do that, though...it can be a bit startling, albeit amusing. There's also a Spot Clean mode for those sudden crumb attacks that kids are prone to.

Once it's done, it returns to the Dock and recharges. You can also hit the Dock button and send it back home whenever you like. You do need to empty it, and to keep it at its best, it's a good idea to do that after every use.

I was concerned that because I have a bit of clutter in my living room, it would have trouble doing its job, especially with the foam tiles I have in the play area. The Roomba took it on just fine, and did all the jobs my usual vacuum could, without my having to swap the hoses and lug it around. It's also very kid and pet friendly...it's not at all as loud as my other vac. I was even able to run it at night without waking people. It's also very aware of people and animals and diverts handily. And it has serious cleaning power...it got dust out of my carpet that my upright missed.

Don't believe me? Check out my video! Note how it turns right around when it gets near The Auto Virtual Wall in the doorway. No cats were harmed in the making of this video, though he was pretty confused.

 For more info, check out their site HERE.

I received products from House Party and IRobot for sharing and review purposes. My opinions and VERY curious cat are my own.