Robot Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

Price: $2,488

Get it at: Tangs, Best Denki, Harvey Norman and Courts

Ease of setting up: Simple

Noise level: Lower than a normal vacuum cleaner's but still too high to leave running constantly or use at night. I wasn't able to read while the cleaner was left running.

Cleaning ability: Well below that of a human being. Chased a pigeon feather around the room for 20 minutes without being able to pick it up.

Navigational ability: Avoids every obstacle, so refused to go below some beds because the bedcover was hanging a bit low.

Could not clean corners of a hexagonal room. Can't cover entire room in an hour.

Supervision needed?: No, but it's hard to leave it on and forget about it.

Great for: Scaring away burglars thanks to the noise - or tripping up the intrepid.

Minus points: Too noisy, not as efficient as a human hand and I find it a waste of electricity.

The only way to clean a room with this would be to leave it on non-stop and pray for the laws of entropy to work in your favour.

Price: $3,699

Get it at: Harvey Norman Millenia Walk or call Electrolux on 6507-8699 to order.

Ease of setting up: Simply plug in, charge and you are ready to go. Press the Power button on the machine until the display lights up. Follow the instructions and off it goes.

Noise level: Drowns out any form of conversation.

Cleaning ability: It picked up the dog and cat fur on the floor but I had to repeatedly pick it up and put it in places where I wanted it to clean.

It does not have a dirt sensor so it tends to keep cleaning the places it had vacuumed.

Navigational ability: A nimble machine. I expected it to bump into the room corners or roll over my shoes but its inbuilt sensor helped it avoid corners and even manoeuvre out of a tight squeeze between my couch and lamp. It also has a stair sensor to prevent it from falling down stairs. Cordon off a boundary with magnetic strips if you want only a certain area cleaned.

Supervision needed?: Not unless you have a dirty spot that needs cleaned.

Great for: Getting dust off the floor.

Minus points: It is noisy and lacks a dirt sensor.

Price: $799

Get it at: Courts Megastore and Courts Orchard

Ease of setting up: Easy - I just plugged it in, charged it and it was ready to go.

Noise level: It was much quieter than my vacuum cleaner.

Cleaning ability: It studiously avoided little bits of lint and string I had strewn around for it to pick up. But when it decided to suck up dirt, it did so efficiently. Its two 'arms', which swing out from the sides, were good at sweeping up dirt from corners.

Navigational ability: Poor. It kept taking the same route over and over, and would not venture beyond said route unless I picked it up and set it in another direction. Sometimes, it would become disoriented after bumping into furniture.

Supervision needed?: Yes. Using the machine was like watching a blind dog navigate a room. It had to be moved often to cover other areas of a room.

Great for: People with a lot of time and patience.

Minus points: Great cleaning ability but the navigational abilities could be improved.

Price: $1,098

Get it at: John Ackerman, 34 Upper Cross Street, 04-138

Ease of setting up: Simple. Just plug it in, get it charged and it is ready to go. This model can be set up to clean at a selected time.

Noise level: Noisy but not as loud as my regular vacuum cleaner. Impossible to watch TV with the Roomba on.

Cleaning ability: Better than expected. It has three small brushes that spin to clean along walls, while rotating brushes sweep up bigger pieces of rubbish such as bits of paper. Dust and finer particles, such as hair, get sucked up by its vacuum.

Navigational ability: Good. Bumps into corners and legs of furniture but can find its way out. At times, it seems to avoid cleaning certain areas of a room but eventually covers everywhere.

Supervision needed?: No, but watching it navigate the room is fun for first-time users. Safe to leave it running on its own. Comes with a remote control.

Great for: Working folks. Leave it to clean the home while you are at work.

Minus points: The noise level. Hard to have a conversation when it is running.

Price: $1,398

Get it at: John Ackerman, 34 Upper Cross Street, 04-138

Ease of setting up: Very easy, but you need to fill it with clean tap water first. No floor detergent is needed.

Noise level: As noisy as the Roomba.

Cleaning ability: Very good. It doesn't immediately mop the floor but sucks up small particles such as sand and dirt first. It doesn't vacuum as well as the Roomba, so I could only use the Scooba after.

Clean water is slowly released as the Scooba moves. At the same time, a brush gently scrubs the floor. A built-in squeegee pushes water back into the Scooba, which has separate compartments for clean and dirty water.

Navigational ability: Able to negotiate tight corners.

Supervision needed?: No. It beeps if it needs a refill of clean water.

Great for: Folks who don't like to mop.

Minus points: Takes a while to clean, as it stops only when the clean water has run out. It took an hour to clean my living room but this can be solved by filling it with less water. Floor feels clean but lacks that freshly 'mopped' scent that I like.