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An intelligent vacuum that uses robotic technology to deliver barefoot-clean floors in-between more thorough cleanings, iRobot’s Roomba Pro follows in the footsteps of the original model (the first automatic vacuum available in the U.S.). But it also adds some great new features, including Spot Clean. Selecting this option sets the Roomba Pro spiraling around a small area up to three feet wide, great for cleaning up dry spills or extra dirt. Thirteen inches in diameter and lighter than your average bowling ball, this innovative vacuum will roam a room devouring dust, dirt, pet hair, and tidbits left behind from everyday living.
Setting up the Roomba Pro for its first sashay through the living room is fairly easy. First, the battery needs charging for at least 12 hours before its maiden voyage; simply plug the AC adapter into any outlet and it will shut off automatically when fully charged. After that, the indicator light’s different colors will show the battery’s charge status. The Roomba Pro can clean two to three medium sized rooms on one charge, approximately 60 to 90 minutes, depending on floor surface. Although it may look more like a Frisbee than a vacuum, the Roomba Pro cleans carpet, wood, linoleum, and tile, transitioning smoothly between those surfaces. It even senses and avoids stairs, and glides easily under beds.
Next, remove any clothing, papers, cords, and fragile items from the floor. You may choose to set up one or both of the fist-sized Virtual Wall units, which emit a beam to redirect the Roomba Pro, keeping it out of unwanted areas. Set the Roomba Pro in the center of the room, and press the green power button to turn it on. Then select the corresponding button for a small (10 by 12 feet), medium (14 by 16 feet), or large (15 by 20 feet) room. The Roomba Pro plays a few musical notes of greeting, then begins moving.
When the Roomba Pro starts cleaning, it travels around the floor in a spiral pattern. When its non-marring bumper touches a wall, the Roomba Pro follows the wall for a short time, then crosses the room in straight lines. It repeats this pattern until its cleaning time has elapsed, providing maximum cleaning coverage.
The Roomba Pro’s breakthrough three-stage cleaning system uses side brushes, two main counter-rotating brushes, and a high-efficiency squeegee to pick up everything from fine to large particles. The particle bin removes for emptying. The unit comes with an easy-to-follow manual and two replacement filters. Additional Virtual Wall units, battery packs, and a rapid charger can be purchased separately. Two D batteries (not included) are required for each Virtual Wall. The Roomba Pro is covered by a 180-day parts and labor warranty. --Rhonda Langdon
From the Manufacturer
Roomba is the original robotic vacuum cleaner from iRobot. The first of its kind in the US, Roomba has won a number of awards, and has won the praise of thousands of users across the globe. It uses intelligent navigation technology to automatically clean nearly all household floor surfaces without human direction, so there's nothing to push.
Roomba is easy to use. Place it in the middle of the room to be cleaned, turn it on, push a button, and walk away. Since Roomba can clean under your beds and other places regular vacuums can't reach, Roomba cleans more of your floor. Its spinning side brush and two counter rotating brushes, along with a unique squeegee vacuum system, pick up more of your household debris, including pet hair, dust, dirt and other debris.
The Spot Cleaning cycle--new with the Roomba Pro--is designed to intensively clean focused areas in a circular area up to 3 feet in diameter. The Spot Cleaning cycle is perfect for cleaning up small dry spills or high traffic areas.
Roomba is great for anyone who either doesn't want to push a vacuum or can't push a vacuum - as well as anyone who wants more time to do other things with their lives. And because you don't have to push it, you can use Roomba to keep your floors barefoot clean every day.
Roomba uses four brushes (the spinning side brush, two counter rotating brushes and side brush) to sweep up debris and direct fine particles to the compact, effective squeegee vacuum. Its non-marring smart bumper allows Roomba to gently contact walls and furniture and navigate around them. Roomba also has special sensors that allow it to follow walls and furniture without touching them, and other sensors that allow it to detect and avoid stairs or other steep edges.
All of these high-tech components are made even more powerful by Roomba's smarts. It uses artificial intelligence algorithms to help ensure that it covers the entire surface of your floor in each cleaning. And, since its compact profile means Roomba gets where upright vacuums can't - under beds, couches, chairs and tables - Roomba keeps more of your house cleaner than you could before. It even cleans effectively under kitchen counters.
Roomba has special safety features that make it safe around children and pets. It automatically pauses cleaning when it's picked up, so fingers can't get caught in any moving parts. And its automatic cliff sensing system prevents Roomba from falling down stairs.
Roomba's Edge Cleaning Side Brush is made of non-marring bristles mounted to soft, flexible brush heads that are reinforced for strength and durability. As it spins, it reaches out from underneath Roomba to grab particles from along walls and into corners, as well as around furniture legs. The particles are swept into Roomba's main cleaning path, to be picked up by its two counter-rotating brushes and high-efficiency Squeegee Vacuum.
Roomba has been shown to clean most home floor surfaces as well or better than most standard upright vacuums. Roomba excels at cleaning all hard floor surfaces, including hardwood, linoleum, tile, laminate, slate and other surfaces. Roomba is also superb on a wide variety of low- and medium-pile carpets. And since Roomba transitions between different floor surfaces automatically, you never need to worry where it's going. Roomba is not recommended for high-pile or shag carpets. Like standard upright vacuums, Roomba has trouble on rugs with long tassels or fringe, but there are simple ways for Roomba to work around these in your home. Unlike standard upright vacuums, many of which require their owner to manually change floor settings or add bulky attachments depending on the surface to be cleaned, Roomba's breakthrough cleaning system transitions between different floor surfaces automatically. That means Roomba can climb onto low- and medium-pile carpets from hard floors, and climb right off of them too - maintaining its cleaning effectiveness throughout your house. Roomba can climb over most raised doorway thresholds, so it can clean all the floors you want it to clean at the touch of a button.
Roomba's built-in intelligence means that it cleans without human intervention. Even if it doesn't vacuum the floor the way you might, it is smart enough to get your floors barefoot clean. When Roomba starts cleaning it first travels in a spiral pattern. Its Non-Marring Bumper will contact a wall, or it may try to find a wall after spiraling for a while. Roomba follows the wall for a little while, sweeping up dirt next to the wall with the Edge Cleaning Side Brush. After cleaning along a portion of the wall or other object, Roomba crisscrosses the room in straight lines. For most of Roomba's cleaning cycles, Roomba repeats this cleaning pattern until its cleaning time has elapsed, providing maximum coverage of the room.
One component of Roomba's Intelligent Navigation System is its ability to automatically follow walls. This feature enables Roomba to use its Spinning, Edge-Cleaning Side Brush to grab dirt and debris right up to the wall, following along the wall, scooping up particles in these edges and corners that standard upright vacuums can miss. Because Roomba's design is so ingeniously compact, it cleans effectively under kitchen counters and bathroom vanities.
The Virtual Wall Unit is designed to confine Roomba to one room or area without using a physical barrier. The Virtual Wall Unit uses a harmless, invisible beam of infrared light to create an invisible wall up to 13 feet wide that Roomba cannot pass. It is useful for large archways, rooms without doors, or for dividing a large room into smaller sections. It requires two "D" alkaline batteries, not included.
Roomba collects large particles as well as dirt, dust, lint, hair and other debris in its unique, removable Particle Bin. Push a button and the Particle Bin releases, and all the large debris can be easily emptied into the trash. Unclip the Air Filter Door on the Particle Bin and the dust and lint collected by the high-efficiency Squeegee Vacuum may be emptied out as well. Brush off the high-density Air Filter, snap the door back in place and the Particle Bin is ready for the next job. Like the lint trap in a clothes drier, the Particle Bin should be emptied after each use.
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