iRobot Roomba 780 Review and Test

In Roomba 780, iRobot allows busy people to spend less time cleaning up and more time with their work or family.

It is able to do this because Roomba can be scheduled to clean up on its own and will return to the charging base as soon as it needs to be recharged.

All you have to do is empty it.

The Roomba 780 is a minor upgrade to the iRobot 770 and claims to remove 98% of dirt on all types of surfaces.

In terms of specs, it’s no different from the Roomba 770 I wrote earlier, but let’s dig deeper and find out how consumers feel about its performance in their homes.

If you’re curious, these are the main differences, unlike the 770 that uses virtual walls, the 780 uses virtual beacons that confine it to an area and then automatically turn off at a preset time so the robot can move to another room.

Virtual walls simultaneously act as a physical barrier that keeps the robot outside or in a confined area.

The second difference is that the 780 uses touchpad controls while the 770 uses physical buttons.

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Positives

• Picks up pet hair well
• Enhanced Containment System – Uses a beacon instead of a virtual wall
• To a reasonable extent compared to other robots
• Navigation system improvement
• HEPA filter
• Good edge cleaning
• Areas under furniture can be cleaned
• Easy to set up and use the box

Negatives

• very expensive
• small dirt box
• If the doors are light enough, it can close the door and lock itself in the room
• Due to its round shape, it will not work well in corners
• No firmware update
• The stairs cannot be cleaned

What to expect from the iRobot Roomba 780?

Uses a 3-step cleaning system.

First there is a 3-prong side brush that can reach the edges. This tool will pick up the dirt and direct it toward the center reverse spin brushes (step two). Finally, it takes over the suction and pulls the dirt toward the dirt container located at the back of the robot.

There are two HEPA filters flanking the sides of the dirt container. Both will be able to filter out allergens down to 0.3 mcg.

Here are the other features

• 2 reversible motorized brushes
• Dual HEPA filters
• Three-stage cleaning works on all types of surfaces
• It is only 3.6 inches high – can fit under most furniture and clean floors underneath
• Soft touch bumper will not damage furniture
• It moves back and forth over the most polluted areas it detects
• In-flight scheduling allows users to schedule automated cleaning up to 7 times per week
• The full container indicator lets you know when you need to empty it

Full specifications can be found here.

Mobility

Unlike Neato bots, which have a more predictable pattern, the iRobot tends to bump into things and then move in a random pattern that can scratch your head if you watch it but does a good job of getting into most areas.

While there will be a few missing points here and there, it has been improved over previous models.

Do not hit the obstacles at full speed instead it slows down and thus avoids damage to the furniture.

Remember to do your part and prepare the area that needs cleaning. This includes removing things that could get in your way such as wires or toys. No robot is smart enough to make a decision on its own to avoid these obstacles.

There should be at least 3 feet of space around the charging base to avoid docking problems.

iRobot offers a better containment system with this variant. Unlike the older variant which only has a virtual wall, this robot uses a virtual beacon that acts like a door.

But this is not ideal. Room sizes vary as well as cleaning times. So if she’s cleaning a big room, she might go to the other room before she’s finished cleaning it.

What people will do is clean one room at a time with the doors closed.

Pet hair removal

There have been a lot of happy pet owners using this and some of them have over 4 dogs!

This is because this robot has two brushes of opposite rotation to pick up pet hair.

Remember to clean the brush regularly to maintain performance especially since your home has a lot of pets.

Will he clean the stairs?

no.

scheduled cleaning

Similar to the 770, it will allow up to 7 scheduled cleanings per week.

Shipping time

It usually takes about 2 to 3 hours.

Filter cleaning

You will need to replace the HEPA filter every two to three months to maintain performance.

Replacement filters are available on Amazon for about $20 per pack of 3.

HEPA filters are washable just make sure they are completely dry when you put them back in.

the show length

The official listed runtime is 90 minutes but some consumers claimed they got up to 4 hours of playtime per charge.

Customer Service and Warranty

Reviews on customer service are generally positive, with iRobot offering a replacement if there are faults.

It comes with a 1 year warranty on the robot and 6 months on the battery.

Executing floor cleaning

The presence of 3 brushes makes this vacuum cleaner ideal for cleaning bare floors.

A side brush and a two-counter rotating brush will pick up most, if not all, of the dust and pet hair from this type of surface.

However, you may struggle with larger debris like chiaros as the side brush tends to fling them out of their way, but for smaller pieces, they will suck it all up.

Carpet cleaning

First, let’s put the forecasts in order, do not expect deep cleaning to be done, there is currently no robotic vacuum on the market that can do this.

But for cleaning ups, it does a good job with dirt and pet hair with its three brushes.

Note that you will have to check the brush at least once a week to see if there are any hairs (pet or human) that are coiled.

Here is a short video on how to perform maintenance. Check frequently if anyone in your home has long hair or if you have more pets.

Like the 770, sensors may have problems going into the really dark carpet because their sensors may think they are outdoors (like the edge of a ladder).

There have been a few reviews indicating this.

carpets

If the carpet is too thick, let’s say it’s thicker than ¾”, it can get stuck while climbing. If the carpet is too light, it may push it aside, so before leaving it clean unsupervised, do a visual inspection first to see how it reacts to different types of carpet Carpet in your home.

Also, if the carpet has long tassels, you may want to vacuum it separately as these can get stuck between the two mattresses.

The Roomba 780 has a feature that stops the brush automatically as soon as it detects something stuck between it and rotates it and lets you know with a message on the LCD screen.

Watch it in action

 

RobotShop tests 780

product specification

Battery Type	undefined
charger type	charging station
Shipping time	3 hours
the show length	90 minutes
net weight (with battery)	8.4 pounds
Purchase Weight	14.4 EGP
Diameter	13.9 inches
Height	3.6 inches
multi room
self docking
remote control
HEPA filtration
Detecting cliff
self-control
side brush
bin full indicator
drawer cleaning
Cleaning sessions per week	7
Extra filter	1
containment	2 virtual beacons
brush cleaning tools	2
Accessories included	charging base AC adapter Remote control (AA batteries not included) 2 virtual beacons (requires 2 C batteries not included) 1 set extra filters 2 cleaning brushes
Voltage	110 volts
Made in	China
Price	Check Price

Customer Reviews

Over 150 people have left a review on Amazon, and they’ve given it nearly a hundred 5 stars! Some people who gave 1 star reviews said it performed well!

Satisfied consumers love the way it cleans dirt and even pet hair especially (many pet owners have bought this!) on the hard floor.

There were also reviews that were not from Roomba users who liked the performance of the older models so much that they decided to upgrade.

Some of the issues include navigation issues where the robot gets lost under furniture. But most of them don’t seem to mind missing it because it didn’t happen very often.

Other issues include small dirt that needs frequent vacuuming. The hair will also wrap around the side brush and main brush, so expect plenty of maintenance brushing if you have pets.

Some people say that if you use this for the first time, it will pick up a lot of dirt. And if you use this regularly, you don’t need to vacuum it up as often because the floors are cleaner!

There have also been some reports of lemon units considered normal to organs in this complex but there have been fewer than 10 cases reported here.

Noise is another but subjective complaint, one of the owners measured it and stated that it produces between 55 to 65 decibels.

Another suggestion made in the reviews is that if your room has lighted doors, consider setting a wedge so the robot doesn’t bump into it and lock itself or shut the door and let it clean the room and then move it to another room when it’s finished.

Reviews from other sites

Trusted Reviews

Performance-wise it’s rated highly – they loved how this robot performed on all kinds of indoor surfaces like carpet, hardwood, tiled floors and linoleum, but they mentioned that you shouldn’t throw out a full-size vacuum cleaner just yet and wondered if you should invest in this So much in a robot for the simple task of vacuuming.

But for those busy people who can afford it, it’s a smart buy.

iRobot Store

Over 100 people (mostly certified reviewers) have left comments and many of them have pets.

Consumers were happy with the way this product helps them clean pet hair.

People who had previous issues were another group of happy customers.

In general, they were happy with the way you kept their floors clean, especially those hard to reach under the table or bed.

There were very few complaints about the lemon units (less than 5).

Android Reviews

Robot Reviews user viper001 offered his second hand Roomba 780.

Build quality was good, HEPA filters snap firmly into place, touch controls were nice, but he complained about hair (human not pet) brushing and runtime no longer than previous models although iRobot claims 50% battery life Which may mean they will last longer than older models.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this robot on Amazon for as low as $200 but it won’t be eligible for its free 2-day shipping.

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A better option might be to get the Roomba 860 or 890 which have fresh extractors that are bristle free and require less maintenance. These new Roomba robots also have newer Li-Ion batteries which will last longer.

Conclusion

This is great for very busy people who are looking to buy a robot vacuum cleaner for the first time.

Pet owners who want a tool that helps them clean pet hair should consider this product.

Note that it will not clean stairs, so you will still need a separate mobile device if you live in a multi-level house. But you can move this robot up and down and it will do the work for you.

If you already own a 770, wait a bit for a more substantial upgrade because both of these robots have the same motor and brush, the only difference being that the 780 uses a virtual beacon and digital buttons.

As a better containment system will allow this to clean multiple rooms.

If you have more than two rooms and want to schedule a cleaning alone, consider getting additional beacons.

Two opposing brushes will pick up tough hair and dust from hard floors and carpets.

But don’t get rid of your full-size broom just yet if you have wall-to-wall carpeting.

While there have been some complaints about the noise, it is really subjective.

The obvious downside is the price, approaching $600, which is expensive but a worthwhile investment for those who can afford it.

It comes with a lot in the package that includes an extra set of HEPA filters that will last 4-6 months, see what comes in the package here.

Overall, a very good robotic vacuum cleaner will do a great job on hard floors and a pretty decent job on carpets.

Just be sure to do your part when buying this – clean the brushes and sensors regularly and remove clutter that gets in your way before letting this robot do its job.