iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Vacuum

Yes. Set to run every day or two, the Roomba i3+ EVO keeps crumbs, dust and pet hair from building up, and the broom comes out far less often. It works best as steady upkeep: the floors never get bad, and the base empties the bin for up to 60 days before you need to touch it.

Better on hard floors than carpet. On wood, tile and vinyl the Roomba i3+ EVO keeps up with shedding cats and dogs, but carpet is less certain, and in at least one home it couldn't pull pet hair out of the pile. If most of your floors are carpeted, plan on a deeper vacuum now and then.

More than you'd expect. A recurring complaint with the Roomba i3+ EVO is frequent error messages, along with sensor cleaning and troubleshooting to get it running again. Wiping the sensors and clearing the brushes on a routine heads off a lot of it, but it's not a robot you can ignore for weeks.

It takes some effort. The Roomba i3+ EVO only connects to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, which can mean digging into router settings, and building a good map can take several mapping runs before room cleaning works properly. Give it the first week to learn the house before judging the results.

Very loud, but only briefly. When the Roomba i3+ EVO docks, the Clean Base runs for a few seconds to pull the dirt out, and that burst is loud. The robot itself while cleaning is a different matter, and views split on whether it's a bother. Scheduling runs while you're out avoids both.

Yes. The Roomba i3+ EVO can catch loose cables and small items, and it gets stuck under some furniture, so a quick pickup before each run saves a rescue mission. Tie up charger cords, lift anything small off the floor, and block off any low gap it keeps wedging itself into.