(My 100th Review!)
What Is It?
The iRobot Scooba is one of the latest robots; built for busy people and to fit into peoples day-to-day lives. It is an automatic floor washer/claeaner that runs efficiently, safely and effortlessly on its own. It uses amazing technology that is used for ... Read review
Advantages: Deep Clean, Very Safe, Excellent To Use, Fun Disadvantages: Can get a bit heavy
...===What Is It?===
The iRobot Scooba is one of the latest robots; built for busy people and to fit into peoples day-to-day lives. It is an automatic floor washer/claeaner that runs efficiently, safely and effortlessly on its own. It uses amazing technology that is used for bomb disposal robots in the armies all over the world. I think that is pretty cool anyway!
===Why Would You Buy It?===
I got the iRobot Scooba after ... ...I really now trust the iRobot range and found out about this in a leaflet that came with the Roomba.
There are a lot of reasons to buy it , for example it would be very useful if you have an older relative who finds it hard to clean the house then this would be perfect as it does all the washing of the floors for you. If you have a medical condition or just have a busy life, and do not have time to mop the floor and clean it then ... more
(My 100th Review!)
What Is It?
The iRobot Scooba is one of the latest robots; built for busy people and to fit into peoples day-to-day lives. It is an automatic floor washer/claeaner that runs efficiently, safely and effortlessly on its own. It uses amazing technology that is used for bomb disposal robots in the armies all over the world. I think that is pretty cool anyway!
Why Would You Buy It?
I got the iRobot Scooba after I bought the iRobot roomba. I couldn't imagine life without our little Roomba working away giving us so much more time to do other things! It had gone over to her house and you watch it vacuum the whole room effortlessly! Now I really now trust the iRobot range and found out about this in a leaflet that came with the Roomba. There are a lot of reasons to buy it , for example it would be very useful if you have an older relative who finds it hard to clean the house then this would be perfect as it does all the washing of the floors for you. If you have a medical condition or just have a busy life, and do not have time to mop the floor and clean it then this would be an exceptionally good reason to buy it. However time saving to me, seems to be the most important reason, especially in these very busy times.
The iRobot Family Tree
There are around 3 different families of iRobot robots. The Roombas are the first, them being the hovering robots. There are three to choose from, increasing in price as it gets bigger. They basically get a bit fancier, as you go up a model, a lot like a car for example. More info on iRobot website (www.iRobot.com) There is then the iRobot Scooba which is designed to scrub floors. This is the newer idea from iRobot which follows the success of its older siblings in the Roombas. It looks similar and works roughly the same way as the Roombas however do a different job. And last there are the Packbots, which are actually bomb disposal units and are used by police and the army. I'm not really sure if you can buy them but they are definitely worth a mention. On the website it says it has even saved lives which is very impressive.
Where To Get It
I got my iRobot Scooba of the iRobot website its self. We bought our Roomba vaccum by chance on the PricedropTV shopping channel so it is worth having a look out for listings as I have seen them once on the channel. However I would also recommend the following sites if you wished to purchase from another website and not the from irobot directly. www.domotec.uk.com (Looks like the best) www.amazon.co.uk www.freenet.ltd.uk www.barmey.co.uk They can be seen on QVC, Price-drop TV and Bid TV but you will have to check listings. Keep a look out for them, it may be under cleaning products but on QVC they even got their own hour.
The Packaging
I had to sign for it 3 days later (Just as quick as when I bought the Roomba so this is obviously pretty reliable with quick delivery) I wasn't really surprised by the pretty vast size of the box. It has a huge picture of Scooba on the front and information about the other robots on the side. Scooba comes with its own cleaning solution called Clorox. It is enough for only 4/5 full washes. I was expecting a little more, however more can be easily bought. It also comes with the battery which you have to put into the robot itself and a virtual wall. Now you get a "Quick Start Guide" and a small booklet of detailed instructions. It was cosily packed and in fantastic, factory fresh condition when I got it. It also comes with a warrenty card (which I have lost?!) But I think it was for one year.
Setting It Up
After reading the Quick Start card which was in the box, you find out you have to connect the charger to the scooba through a plug and leave it to charge for 8 hours (or overnight). After you have done that you have to open up the top of the Scooba. This is easily as you have a little silver handle which clicks in to keep everything inside the Scooba secure. You have to fill it with water and add the "Scooba Solution" (but only a little bit) However you can also use White Vinegar. I've found this just as effective as buying the solution. It will be ready to start straight away. Pretty easy really!
How To Work It
After setting it up you are ready to give the Scooba its first run. There is a small button which simply says 'Clean', which you just click, it then seems to beep a 'Hello' to you, which is really cool. It then just gets on with it and goes. The iRobot Scooba will start up and start cleaning. Now it simply just glides and deeply cleans the floor. Unlike a mop, the booklet that comes with it says its actually picks up the dirt. This is really impressive, and so you just empty it after the cycle. Now sometimes you will have to clean the filter. It basically picks up the bigger bits and after each cycle you can just rinse it under the tap. The maintence is overally simple and much more hygenic than using a mop.
How Well It Cleans
I had started it off in the Kitchen. It is a hard-wood floor and since we live in the country, you need something that will pick up mud (from humans and dogs!) which this did perfectly. I could see where it had been as it left a slightly damp rectangle 'slug trail' (sorry only way I could describe it, but you get the idea) which can tell you it is working perfectly. It has a bumper at the front so when it approaches chairs, tables lamps etc it will gently nudge them but then just wash around them, as close as possible. Now with corners, as it is circular it cannot reach corners, however the little mops at the side are able to reach out and deeply clean the corners. You floor will not be left unclean at all. It can usually clear mud in one go, however I have seen it have to go over the same bit twice. It works on all hard floors. We have a variety of wood, tiles and vino and have had a hugely deep clean from them all. It however will not work on carpets, which is a little obvious however it is a bit of a let down. But it really does get 5 stars for cleaning! Very deep clean indeed.
Noise
When it first starts up it is a bit loud as that is the brushes starting etc. But when it starts cleaning it is fairly quiet. You can hear it squgiying about, which is pretty cool actually but after a couple of minutes you really can't hear it. Roomba's noise is really from the brushes and scrubbers and you sometimes hear it delicately banging into the tables or chairs. One of the best advantages is when it goes near the television, it doesn't get any interference like you do with a lot of electronics which is an added bonus. I remember having problems with the hoover doing that. When Scooba has ran out of clean water (or it has ran out of battery), it will stop and beep 3/4 times. It wall also beep if something is wrong. These beeps are very loud and noticeable which is a good thing. So overall it is pretty quiet but it can be very loud if it needs to be.
The Virtual Wall
This is a feature I had not heard of until I bought this Scooba. Basically what it is is a square block which seems to emit a laser to stop the Scooba going past it. This is really handy as I just put it beside the door, instead of having to close it. However I have never really had to use it, in the 6 months in which I have had Scooba I must have only used it about 4 times. But it is a handy extra to have and I have found it also works for the Roomba. So works for both the robots which is an added bonus.
Safety
Safety was one of the things I had to consider when buying this. If it hits something it will just stop for a millisecond and turn in another direction. It has not yet even scratched any of the furniture at all because of its soft bumper. It will sometimes avoid the furniture as it can scan and find where objects are. This, I find very impressive. One of the best feature about this Scooba however is when it was upstairs it will get so close but won't fall. It is pretty cool but again it uses its technology, so it cannot fall down stairs. It is designed not to fall down stairs or holes which is an excellent feature. Scooba once got caught on sheets. Now none of this had not been noticed by any of us. Instead of dragging and knocking over a lamp and ornaments, it must of immediately stopped. It did its beeps and we found it. This is FANTASTIC! It will work if it gets caught in lots of wires, or curtains or anything like that. It will immediately stop and beep for you. Our Roomba did this when he got caught in Computer cables, so is a fantastic extra with the iRobot range.
Battery Life
When you first get the Scooba, you do need to charge it a full 8 hours. After that you will only need to charge for around 4/5 hours at a time. It will work on full cleaning for around 2/3 hours, which is thoroughly cleaning around 1 room per hour. The booklet says it will do about 250 square feet or 23 square metres at a time. I am very impressed with the battery power and cannot fault it.
Price
Now as I said I paid £139.99 excluding postage and packaging. That is a lot of money but I really believe it is worth it. I bought iRobot Roomba 560 in November 2007 (last year) and bought iRobot Scooba 5800 in August 2008. It is more an investment and has saved me so much time, and let me do other things in that. Well that is how I thought it was. Now I can get on with the rest of my chores. So you do have to be pretty serious in 'investing it' as it is a lot of money. There are some sites offering nearly £250 which you shouldn't go near. Also I have seen copies, now I am not sure if they are as good however the company is the orignal so it is completely up to your choice. But from my experience this is a fantastic product. There are more industrial versions of Scooba which you may be interested in, for example if you have a bigger house or own a B&B or even a restraunt. You might decide you would like the bigger ones, but they are more expensive but do have a lot more features.
What's Right With It?
Everything is right with iRobot Scooba.
The robot itself is a stylish blue, looks modern and it works perfectly. *It picks up even tiny bits and when you empty out the water, you are amazed on what it has picked up. This is because it is powerful and will go over the area again.
Have had no problems at all with it, is super efficent
It is delicate around furniture and is able to get under sofas and tables if it needs to.
Saves so much time to do other things
Does a better job than a mop
Fun to watch (also an excellent talking point)
It works near stairs and you are able to leave it for example to go shopping and come back to it finished.
Fantastic (can that be a point?)
Once you start using it, it is hard to stop and I have completely stopped using the mop.
What's Wrong With It?
It sounds like an odd thing to write but it doesn't do carpets. Now I know you wouldn't take a mop to a carpet but I was hoping it would go over them and give them a clean. Now we only have about 2 rooms carpeted but it would not be suitable and really a bit of a waste of money for people who just have 1 room that needs to be mopped. It doesn't do that well with rugs that have edging on them as it can choke on it. It can get easily caught on it so stops so you have to remember to tuck the edging in if you are wanting Scooba to do that room. Another thing that is a let down but cannot be avoided, however it can become a bit heavy when you have all the water in it. This isn't much of a problem for me, however could be if you are buying this and you maybe have problem lifting slightly heavier weights. Keep in mind if you are going to buy. It is also a very lazy way to get your washing of floors done. I don't have an excuse to own one, but it is a fantastic thing to have!
Some Extra Facts You May Want To Know
It removes over 98% of household bacteria
It has sold more than 1 million Roomba's in Britain alone
The Packbot Robots (Roomba's 'Cousins') have saved British troops lives in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan and have been praised by the government.
It won "Best of Innovations Award"
It is used by some of the biggest hotels in the UK
Conclusion
One of the best gadgets I have ever bought. I have bought something that is so useful and timesaving it is brilliant. I have worked on this review a lot to try and persuade people to get it as it is BRILLIANT! The price is off putting but I really believe it is worth it and have never had a trouble with it yet. Simply a brilliant bit of machinery for the 21st century house.
Ok it is a robot, but it is so safe and brilliant. I have the Roomba which I love. I have complete trust in the company it both are fantastic products. If you are considering buying Scooba I would completely recommend it to you. You will wonder what you did without it.
These smart, efficient robots prep, wash, scrub and squeegee tile, linoleum and sealed hardwood floors so you don't have to! Scooba cleans up to four average size rooms on a single battery charge and washes an average size kitchen using one tank of cleaning solution. Scooba navigates throughout each room and uses a 4-stage cleaning system to prep, wash, scrub and squeegee sealed hardwood, tile and linoleum floors.
