The Target Deal Days sale is officially here for 2022, and really it couldn't have come at a better time. This sale offers anyone who shops at Target (online or in-store) the chance to score some incredible products at a discount price, ahead of Black Friday. We're talking about everything from brilliant air fryers to easy-to-use vacuum cleaners and even stylish furniture. From big brands too, such as Ninja, Cuisinart, and even Dyson.

What are you waiting for? This sale officially started yesterday and is only live for three days. So, whether you're investing in a steam mop to ramp up your cleaning routine, or perhaps it's a coffee machine to help save you money (and an extra stop) every morning? We've listed six of the best appliances in the Target sale, just below. Better yet? We've tested all of these appliances, (give or take a few newer models) and we can vouch that they truly are worth your dollar. Read our reviews and buy them directly from Target today, before the sale ends.

With up to 25 percent off appliances at Target for Deal Days, there's no place else to do your shopping from now through to Saturday 8 October.

6 of the best Target Deal Days offers

1. Our best-rated air fryer for families has $20 off

2. Get $130 off this gold-rated, 7-in-1 air fryer

3. Clean your hard floors with hot water with the Shark Pocket Mop which is now only $89.99

4. Go wild for the Dyson Animal Origin, now with $50 off

5. Get your coffee fix at home with Keurig coffee maker

6. Save over $200 (and effort) with the iRobot Roomba j7

When is the Target Deal Days sale?

Target Deal Days is a three-day sales event that is currently taking place Thursday 6 October through to Saturday 10 October 2022. The online campaign requires no membership and discounts span across various product categories including home appliances, and vacuums & floor care.

When is the Target Black Friday sale?

While there has been no official announcement of when Target's Black Friday sale will start, our predictions will be that the retailer will drop prices on selected items on Friday November 25 2022. We assume this will continue right through to Monday November 28 2022 (aka 'Cyber Monday). 

Wondering how to clean a Roomba vacuum? We once were scratching our heads over this super-cool vac too.

After all, the best vacuum cleaners on the market are typically upright, canister, or cordless stick models, so when we first got to grips with this machine, we weren't quite familiar with the process of cleaning a Roomba vacuum.

Thankfully, we spoke to the geniuses at iRobot, creators of the (almost) independently cleaning appliance to break down a cleaning regime, part by part, with a rough timetable to determine how often we should be taking apart the machine and inspecting each cleaning constituent.

By the time you finish reading this guide, you'll be a master of all of the modules, knowing exactly what they do and why they need to be looked after as frequently as they do. The good news is that you don't have to be a mechanic to need any special materials or tools to maintain your machine.

How to clean a Roomba vacuum

Whether you've just bought an iRobot Roomba vacuum, thinking about a purchase, or are a veteran with your vac, each specification slightly differs from model to model. We've had the pleasure of writing up a iRobot Roomba S9+ review, iRobot Roomba i7+ review, and iRobot Roomba 980 robot vacuum cleaner review. So you can bet your bottom dollar that we know our way around this brand.

Saying that, the manufacturer knows their brand best, and so we've gone through the guides and spoke to the pros to create a mini manual that'll save you so much time.

Cleaning a Roomba vacuum bin

To keep your Roomba performing at its best, you should ideally clean the bin after each use. This small task is quick and easy to do and will stop waste from accumulating inside the appliance. After all, the less there is to decant, the simpler the job will be (and you'll be less likely to make a mess with dust particles flying about everywhere).

We spoke to at length to Brent Hild, director, product management, iRobot, who gave us a 7-step process to emptying the bin.

1. Press the bin release button on the back of the robot to remove the bin. The bin release tab has a bin icon on it.
2. Open the bin door to empty the bin's contents in your trash can. The bin door release button has a  bin icon.
3. Grasp the side of the filter to remove the filter from the left side of the bin.
4. Shake off debris by tapping the filter against your trash container. Then, replace the filter. Note: Filters are not designed to be washed or to come in contact with liquid.
5. Rinse out excess debris with warm water and allow the bin to dry. Ensure the bin is completely dry.Note: The bin is designed to be rinsed by hand only. It is not dishwasher safe and should only be cleaned by rinsing with warm water.
6. Place the filter back into the bin.
7. Slide the bin into the bin slot, securing it into place.

How to clean Roomba vacuum brushes

'For optimal performance, inspect the Roomba multi-surface brushes and cleaning head module at least once a week, and twice if you own pets.' says Hild.

1. Open the cleaning head module door by pushing on the green tab on the right side of the multi-surface brushes.
2. Remove the brushes from the robot and ensure hair and debris are removed from the square and hex pegs of the multi-surface brushes.
3. Clear debris on and under the gray bearings.
4. Insert the bearings on the multi-surface brushes.
5. Ensure the vacuum path is clear.
6. Match the shape of the multi-surface brushes pegs with the shape on the cleaning head module.

Pooch or puss packing up your vacuum cleaner with hair or fur? Browse the best vacuums for pet hair that come out top dog in our tests.

How to clean the charging docks

As one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners on the market, your Roomba charging docks ensure that your vacuum cleaner is full of energy ready to take on the whole house. These components can collect dust, so it's important that you don't overlook them when learning how to clean a Roomba vacuum cleaner thoroughly. And thankfully, the process is (almost) instantaneous.

Simply wipe the charging contacts and docking sensor window on the Home Base® and robot with a clean melamine foam, such as a Magic Eraser, that you can find on Amazon.

How to clean the cliff sensors

The cliff sensors on your Roomba vacuum cleaner do exactly what they say on the tin. They stop your device from diving off a 'cliff'... or rather a staircase in your house or balcony if you live in an apartment. These features work by bouncing infrared light off the surface photocell sensors.

In a similar fashion to the charging docks, you can use a magic eraser.

How to clean a Roomba vacuum filter

You should aim to clean your iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner filers once per week (or bi-weekly if you're a pet owner). What's more, be prepared to replace them entirely every two months. 

You can either buy these direct from iRobot or shop the parts and other accessories straight from Amazon, along with the best cleaning products and other bits and bobs that catch your eye.

1. Grasp the side of the filter to remove the filter from the left side of the bin.
2. Shake off debris by tapping the filter against your trash container. Then, replace the filter.
3. Slide the bin into the bin slot, securing it into place.

How to clean a Roomba vacuum's front caster wheels

The front caster wheels on your Roomba vacuum cleaner help it to travel along the floor and clean the ground. If there is a bit of resistance (caused by dirt or debris), you'll need to examine the machine and extract the offending object.

If you're blessed with luscious locks, hair can be a common culprit to clogging your machine. Ideally, you should clean them every fortnight, and change them annually.

Here's how to clean the rotating discs:

1. Pull firmly on the front wheel to remove it.
2. Remove any debris from inside the wheel cavity.
3. Spin the wheel by hand. If rotation is restricted, remove the wheel from its housing and push firmly to remove the axle and clear any debris or hair wrapped around it.
4. Reinstall all parts when finished. Make sure the wheel clicks back into place.

How to clean the edge sweeping brush

Put simply, this bit of your robotic vac gets to the nooks and crannies of your floor, and is perfect for tight corners and skirting areas. With a few basic tools/things you can find lying around the house, you can keep your sweeper going strong.

1. Loosen the edge sweeping brush with a coin or small screwdriver.
2. Remove the brush.
3. Remove any debris from the edge sweeping brush and the post of the edge sweeping brush module.
4. Reinstall the edge sweeping brush.

Lynsie Crombie's expert advice on how to clean a Roomba

'Turn it over and lay it on its back, use the comb tool that comes with your Roomba to remove hair and threads that could be stuck in the brushes.' says cleanfluencer Lynsey Crombie, aka Lynsey Queen of Clean.

'Locate the sensors and use a damp rubber cloth to gently clean these, check there is nothing stuck in the wheels and then gives with a wipe over and finally empty the dust collecting canister and clean the filter.'

Cleaning a Roomba vacuum: TikTok top tips

Robotic vacuums are a craze, and that craze will probably never let up. They are awesome little helpers that can keep your home tidy with very little effort on your port, and they keep getting better every year. But, if you’ve seen the prices of the most capable ones, you’ve probably thought about settling for a simpler, budget option. With eBay’s Certified Refurbished program, you don’t have to settle, as it makes otherwise expensive products much more affordable.

You can snag a mid-range Roomba E6 from iRobot for just $199 through the program, saving you 47% off the retail price. Premium models are also discounted, like the iRobot Roomba 980, which would normally cost about $600 but is just $399 on eBay through the Certified Refurbished program.

The new eBay Certified Refurbished program brings you products that come in like-new condition but you don’t have to pay like-new prices. The Certified Refurbished products have been inspected, cleaned, and refurbished by the manufacturers themselves or by manufacturer-approved vendors, so when you get a Certified Refurbished Roomba, you know the Roomba will look and function just like any new Roomba would. 

You don’t miss out on warranty coverage either. Certified Refurbished products in this program all come with a two-year warranty, so if for some reason the iRobot Roomba E6 or Roomba 980 doesn’t manage to hold up as it should, you’re covered.

In the case of the iRobot Roomba 980, the $200 in savings will be hard to beat. This robotic vacuum can scurry around your house for up to 2 hours on a single charge. That’s plenty of time for it to get cleaning done, considering that it uses intelligent navigation to navigate and systematically clean your home. If you’ve got a lot of area to cover or the Roomba needs to use extra power to handle lots of carpet and rugs, it can automatically head back to its charger to get the power it needs to keep on cleaning until the job is done.

The Roomba 980 can not only keep your home cleaner but also healthier, as it's designed to handle dust, pet hair, mites, and allergens alike. It can even schedule more cleanings during allergy seasons, helping improve the air quality in your home.

So, if you want all the assurances and quality of buying a new Roomba 980, you can save a huge chunk of change by grabbing one through eBay’s Certified Refurbished program. See the Roomba 980 for $399 here.

If you want to make your home a smart home then you've come to the right place for some inspiration. With us spending more time at home as the nights draw in and the heating becoming more in demand, some tech which can lend a hand in helping you feel more comfortable could be a welcomed relief.

Whether you're looking for a smart thermostat, smart cleaning products, smart doorbells and even smart smoke alarms, we have them all here. And with Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday on the horizon, now has never been a better time to keep a look out for some smart tech deals. 

Keep scrolling to see our top buys then, check out our best home security system guide to make your home more smart AND more secure. 

1. Robot vacuum cleaners

Want to have a tidy home but don’t want to spend all of your spare time vacuuming to keep your floors clean? A robot vacuum cleaner is the perfect way to automate the cleaning regime in your home.

If you currently use a manual vacuum cleaner, the iRobot Roomba 980 will change the way you spruce up your home. It’s an expensive piece of kit – you can buy cheaper robot vacuum cleaners, mind you – but this is one of the top products on the market that will give you some of the best quality cleaning as well as working efficiently.

The cleaner works well on floorboards, tiles and other flat flooring, but the Roomba 980 is particularly impressive when it comes to carpets. The vacuum cleaner automatically senses the type of flooring it’s cleaning and it switches to its high gear mode to give a more powerful clean on carpets and rugs.

The iRobot Room 980 will also map your home to ensure it cleans in an efficient way to make the most of the battery. You can even schedule it to clean when you’re out of the house so you won’t even need to remember to turn the cleaner on.

• Best robot vacuum cleaners: top 5 robot cleaners to help around the home

2. Smart video doorbell

Why would you ever need a video doorbell? Once you’ve got one, you won’t know how you had things delivered to your house without one. It essentially acts as a way to see who arrives at your front door, whether it’s friends, family, complete strangers or the postman.

The Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus features a 1080p camera and two-way audio, so once the visitor has rung your bell you’ll have a notification through to your phone and you can speak through to the app to see what they want.

If it’s a delivery driver, you can then have a chat to make sure they put it in a safe spot or you can ask questions about the delivery. It’s a great idea to keep an eye on who’s visiting your house, and if you want to receive notifications when even motion is detected then the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus can amazingly do that, too.

Plus, you won’t need to wire this into your home. Some video doorbells need to be wired into your front door, but this one runs on a battery so you can connect it to your phone and internet, set it up at your front door and use it with ease. Being a 'Plus' itself means that it has a four second video preview pre-roll feature, which eliminates another gripe of the long-term wireless security consumer.

• Best video doorbell: 6 smart doorbells to boost your home security

3. Smart smoke alarm

It’s well worth investing in a smart smoke detector so you can be sure your home is safe while you’re away. We’ve chosen one of the most expensive devices, which is a top-quality product and gives you some real peace of mind.

The Nest Protect will keep an eye on smoke in your home as well as carbon monoxide. Unlike your normal smoke detector, it will connect to the internet and give you a notification if there’s an issue as well as sounding an alarm in your home. That means you can know if there’s an issue even when you’re on the other side of the world.

There’s an LED ring around the bottom of the alarm which will also give you a visual sign it has been triggered, especially useful for those who are hard of hearing. If you’ve got smart lighting, you can also set this up so the lights in your room turn on if you’re worried an alarm won’t wake you up.

4. Smart security camera

Much like the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, the Ring Spotlight will allow you to monitor who is coming and going from your home but rather than on your front door, you can place this wherever you want inside to give you peace of mind that your property is secure. This is especially useful when you’re away from the home for long periods of time.

It comes as a wired or battery-powered camera which will deter how you set it up, but either way is not tricky. The Ring app is all you need to be able to control it which is very intuitive and takes around five minutes to set up. It can sync to all your other Ring devices so you can access, and control, them all on one nifty dashboard.

There’s also two-way audio, so you can have a conversation when you spot someone has just got home. You’ll especially find this useful if you have children coming home from school so you can make sure they got back safely without having to pester them every day.

• Best security cameras: 7 home camera buys for the home and garden

5. Smart thermostat

There’s nothing worse than returning to a freezing cold home during winter, and the Nest Learning Thermostat is perfectly suited to fix that problem. You’ll have to have this installed in your home by an engineer, which can mean it’ll take a while, but it’s well worth it if you want to have smart heating and save money on your bills.

The Nest Learning Thermostat will learn how your home is heated at different times of day and year so you won’t be needlessly heating up the house during times of day when you’re not home, but it’ll also be nicely warmed up for your return home.

If you set up the mobile app, you’ll be able to change the temperature yourself but our favourite feature is it can track your GPS location. It means if you often have the thermostat on from 6pm on a Thursday night, but you decide to head out for dinner instead of heading home, it’ll know you’re not on your way back so it won’t turn on the heating.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is fiddly to set up, but it should help you save money on your heating bill and make warming up your home easier than ever.

• Best smart thermostat: save energy and money in 2020

Read more:

• Best smart lightbulbs
• Best pet cameras
• 10 reasons why you need a smart assistant

It's no question that pet owners love their four-legged friends, but no one wants dog smell in the house. Fall's shedding season is right around the corner, so get ahead of the game now by incorporating a few easy hacks to keep Fido's odor from taking over.

Check out our guide to the best vacuums for pet hair for top fluff-busters.

Invest in a quality vacuum

The more your pet's hair gathers in your rugs and carpets, the worse your home will smell. You'll want to vacuum frequently. While it may feel like a big splurge now, investing in a quality vacuum that won't get clogged up by Fido's fur is a must for pet owners.

For mobility and cord-free versatility, nothing beats the Dyson Cyclone stick vacuum. It features the brand's most powerful cleaner head to remove dust from carpets as well as on hardwood floors. Choosing a vacuum that can go work on a variety of surfaces is key, since your pooch's mess isn't confined to the carpet. Plus, this one has a handy attachable groom tool you can use to vacuum loose hair straight from your dog. 

While Dyson vacuums are great, they aren't known for being cheap. If the price tag is out of your range right now, consider a more budget-friendly option, like the Eureka Upright Pet Vacuum. This handy design has easy-glide wheels designed to traverse floors and carpets. There's also a filtration system and HEPA filter to trap more than 99% of dust and allergens — key for pet owners. 

Want to save time? Let your robot do the work by splurging on a hard-working Roomba vacuum. 

Opt for washable everything

Upholstered furniture is going to trap a lot more odor than other surfaces, but professional cleaning costs a pretty penny. If you have a particularly smelly dog, consider machine-washable slipcovers for your sofa and side chairs. 

Wash slip covers, pillow shams, and throw blankets weekly to keep odors under control during shedding season. Consider upgrading your laundry detergent for a formula with extra odor-fighting ingredients, like baking soda.  

Steam clean

Even with frequent vacuuming and washing, you'll want to give your carpets (and any uncovered upholstery) a good steam cleaning now and then. You can hire a service like Stanley Steamer to come in and do the job for you or purchase the equipment to do it yourself. 

The Bissell Multipurpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is a versatile option that's easy to maneuver. The Hoover SmartWash PET Complete is great for larger areas, but a portable option works better on stairs, area rugs, and upholstery. Simply fill tanks in the sink and empty when the job is done. 

If you really want to go for a budget option, consider this hack: Liberally sprinkle baking soda on your carpet and furniture overnight. In the morning, vacuum it up. This natural odor eliminator is completely safe for your pooch. 

Go to the source

While many pet odors can't be helped, there are ways you can keep your pup from getting too smelly. Give them a bath every two weeks with a quality pet shampoo. You'll want to opt for a formula that won't irritate their skin, since that can cause even more dander and smell.

For long-haired dogs, enlist a shedding tool to remove excess hair once they are dry. Consider a handy deshedding glove, which will feel like a relaxing massage for your fur baby. 

Don't forget to clean their ears with a soft cloth or towel, as they can become smelly. And if your pet has any skin issues or irritation, take them to the vet...You may need to consider a new diet. 

Neutralize odors with scent

Finally, cover up odors with some more appealing scents — like candles, potpourri, and essential oils. Just be sure to keep these items out of reach of pets, and check that they contain safe ingredients. (Check out our list of the best reed diffusers and best home fragrances for inspiration).

Diffusing essential oils is a great way to eliminate stinky odors in your home. However, there are some oils that are not safe for dogs. These can include citrus oils, pine, tea tree, and ylang ylang. So, resist using lemon to mimic your favorite cleaner.

Don't worry, plenty are quite safe. For odor-busting qualities, peppermint is a great option. Plus, it has a lot of other perks for pooches, like helping to combat your pet's seasonal allergies. Lavender is another good option for dogs, and boasts the same relaxation benefits humans enjoy from the herb. (Note, lavender is not safe for cats, so don't use it if you have felines in the house as well.) 

Keep urine odors at bay

Aside from shedding, accidents can cause lingering smells in your house. Try an enzymatic neutralizer like Nature's Miracle to spot-treat the scene of the crime. This cleaner will eliminate the smell for both you and your pooch, so they won't be tempted to do it again. 

Check out our list of the best upholstery cleaning products for more top spot treaters.

Wow, I enjoyed writing this Roomba i7+ review (it's a hard life). The main USP of the Roomba i7+ has to be its Clean Base. Guzzling up to 30 robot bin empties, the Clean Base means you don’t have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time. Truly game-changing! But is it any good at actual cleaning? We tested the Roomba i7+ for six weeks, paying particular attention to set-up ease, manoeuvrability and cleaning prowess. 

I've tested a wide selection of the best vacuum cleaners on carpet, parquet, tiles, stairs and upholstery, and challenged them with mud, fluff, light debris and pet hair to give you the lowdown on how efficiently they’ll do the job, how easy they are to use, and how much space they’ll take up in your cupboard. Read on to see how the Roomba i7+ rates.

For all our robot vacuum cleaner top picks, see our buyer's guide. Looking for something slightly more easy on the wallet? Check out our vacuum cleaner deals page for all the best affordable options right now.

• iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners: which one should you buy?
• iRobot Roomba 980 robot vacuum cleaner review
• Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum cleaner review

Roomba i7+ at a glance

• Best for: getting on with your life
• Type: robot 
• Noise level (dB): Not available (but it seemed loud to me)
• Battery life: 75-90 mins
• Weight: 3.8kg
• Recharge time: 1.5hrs
• Smart features: voice control, App control, virtual walls

Who will the Roomba i7+ suit?

Time-starved, cash-rich pet owners, without too many stairs in their home.

What is the Roomba i7+ like to use

Set-up is refreshingly easy; if you can download an app (specifically, the iRobot Home app for Android and  iOS) and know your home Wi-Fi password, you’re golden. It took less than two minutes to go from plugging the Clean Base into the wall, and the Roomba i7+ making its first foray down the hallway. To turn it on you just press a large button on top of the robot, or use the app on your smartphone or device. You can also pair it with Alexa or Google Assistant if you prefer to shout orders at your staff.

• How to choose a vacuum cleaner
• How to vacuum

Finding its way around

The room-mapping tech is properly clever. Kids scattered cookie crumbs on the floor again? Just select the room in question on your app and the Roomba i7+ will take care of everything (except reprimanding the kids). It works by mapping your home’s floor plan on the first few cleaning runs. Once the maps are ready on the app, you can create boundaries and name each room – upstairs and downstairs (no, it can’t climb them but luckily it’s not too heavy) then use the maps to decide which rooms need cleaning. 

I set it up to do all rooms automatically once a day, while I was on the school run. Then, if necessary, used the map facility to re-do any particularly messy floors while I put the kids to bed. It took about an hour to do the ground floor (four rooms plus hallway), and 10 minutes to do a single 4m x 4m room. One particularly savvy feature is the Virtual Wall barrier, a small black box (included, alongside two batteries) that can create a virtual wall. Switch it to Straight Line to keep the Roomba i7+ from wandering into an unused room, or Halo to cast an arched barrier around items like a pet’s water bowl. 

How well does the Roomba i7+ tackle different floor types

We have pretty much all possible flooring types in our home, specifically; vinyl tiles, ceramic tiles, encaustic tiles, solid wood, concrete (the rough and ready subfloor sort, not the posh polished type, sadly), laminate, carpet and numerous rugs. The Roomba i7+ tackled all easily, moving from one to the other with a determined gait. It even attempted to mount the 3cm high fireplace hearth on one of its first runs – sending me a message (I was out, out) to say it was stuck, poor thing. It must have learned its lesson though, because there was no repeat rescue SOS. The only serious fail was the big Ikea shag-pile rug in the living room, which it would skirt around, bumping into the edge repeatedly but never conquering. Consequently only a quarter of the living room was ever cleaned – mainly underneath the sofas.

How well does the Roomba i7+ clean?

Considering we are renovating so the whole house is under a thick layer of continuously falling dust at all times, the Roomba i7+ performed extremely well. It has sensors to recognize areas that need more attention, and I noticed it would spend a lot more time methodically tracking back and forth until the main threshold areas (where the builders trekked in and out) were clean. The rubber rollers work well – I tested it on patches of flour, lentils and pet hair (Tess, our black Sprocker spaniel was no match for the Roomba i7+). And the rather wimpy looking Edge-Sweeping brush captured everything right up to the skirting. Corners were less successful. Its round shape just doesn’t allow the brushes to get right into the crux of corners. Also, while there wasn’t any noticeable difference in cleaning results on the different floor surfaces, the Roomba i7+ really didn’t like feathers stuck in carpet. They stayed stuck until I plucked them up.

Is the Clean Base worth the extra expense?

You can buy the Roomba i7 without the Clean Base (which is denoted by the +), but why would you (besides the £300 saving that is)? The Clean Base hosts a regular paper vacuum bag, of similar size to one you’d find in a cylinder vacuum cleaner. The Roomba i7+ docks onto the base, which is also a charger, and with a massive suction sound (not dissimilar to the loo on a plane), discharges its load. It will return to Base to empty during the cleaning process if necessary and the Mother Bag can take about 30 loads. I got through two bags in six weeks but we are living in exceptionally dirty times… 

Cleaning and maintenance of the Roomba i7+

Twice, the Roomba i7+ sent a mayday message to say the bin couldn’t empty. First time, the internal waste bin was rammed with what looked like damp cement but was, more likely, a build up of brick dust and rubble. Oops. Luckily the on-board waste container is removable and can be cleaned under the tap. The filter can also be replaced, and the rollers washed, too. All without consulting the Manual - it was intuitive to take apart and then restore order. The second time, one of the girls’ springy keychains was stuck in the rollers, which took seconds to sort (but served as a reminder to check the floors for blockage fodder in future). The only real flaw on the cleaning front is that it’s not a cat – i.e. it can’t clean itself. This sleek machine may look smart but its shiny black façade did show the dust and regularly needed a wipe down (probably not nearly as frequently in a DIY-free home though). 

Manoeuvrability of the Roomba i7+

While it can admirably navigate reasonable floor level differences – we’ve got a 2cm step into the cloakroom at the moment – the Roomba i7+ won’t attempt to fling itself Lemming-style down the stairs. Thankfully. No children were hurt in the testing of this robot, either. It did ram their feet but not enough to cause pain and, frankly, it was their own fault for trying to make it change direction. Nor were pets under attack, both dogs did vacate the room fairly smartish whenever the Roomba i7+ entered. I was also impressed at how well it circled around bar stools and chair legs, getting in tight to all the food crumbs under the table/island. In fact, the shag-pile was the only thing that beat this determined little bot. I’d seriously consider getting shot of the rug if I was ever given the green light to get a Roomba i7+ for keeps. The rug is far less useful.

How does the Roomba i7+ rate online?

The Roomba i7+’s reviews are pretty impressive online, with Amazon customers rating it 4.1 out of five (181 reviews). Most of the negative comments referred to difficulties with mapping. The only trouble I had on that score was when I decided to move the Clean Base (because its socket was moved by our electrician!) and it couldn’t find its way home again. I just restored it to Factory Settings then reconnected to my Wi-Fi. 

How does the Roomba i7+ rate against similar vacuum cleaners?

The closest comparison match in terms of performance, tech and agility is the Dyson 360 Eye. Except the Dyson doesn’t have a Clean Base and, with a meager 0.3-litre dust capacity, needs emptying frequently. I’m out.

MORE VACUUM REVIEWS:

• Dyson Light Ball multi floor vacuum review
• Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat&Dog PowerLine vacuum cleaner review
• Vax Blade 2 Max vacuum cleaner review
• Miele Complete C3 Total Solution PowerLine vacuum cleaner review
• Dyson Big Ball Animal 2 vacuum cleaner review

Thinking of investing in an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner? It's a smart idea.

A vacuum cleaner that gets on with this time-consuming chore while you’re out at work, spending time with the kids, or putting your feet up (and out of its way, of course)? If your response is, 'yes, please', then an iRobot could be for you. But what’s in the range, and where can you get a great deal? We have the answers.

If you’re not sure a robot vacuum’s the right choice for your home right now, find out about cordless, upright and cylinder alternatives in our guide to the best vacuum cleaners.

• How to choose a vacuum cleaner?
• Need help? Read or handy guide on how to vacuum properly
• Otherwise, head over to our review section for in-depth vacuum cleaner reviews

WHAT IS THE BEST IROBOT VACUUM?

The iRobot Roomba 980 robot vacuum cleaner is our top pick. Find out why below.

Best features?
We’ll take doing the vacuuming for you as read because we’re talking robots throughout, but we just want to acknowledge the marvellousness of this. This model gets great results whether it’s cleaning hard flooring or carpet, and it’ll deal, er, robotfully with pet hair. When it needs recharging, it’ll take itself back to the docking station, so you don’t need to worry about that.

The verdicts
When we tested this vac (read our full review), we found it a great mover and an efficient cleaner. It’s easy to set up and simple to use and can even be voice controlled via Alexa or Google Assistant. It’ll deal with small steps, and you can keep it away from pet bowls with the virtual wall gadget, although whether cats and dogs will tolerate it in general is another story.

Reviewers on the iRobot site awarded a 4.5 out of five star average for the cleaner. Delighted users applaud its performance and suction power on both hard floors and carpet, like its competence in removing pet hair, and think it has a long running time. 

Those who bought on Amazon gave it an overall 4.4 out of five stars with 80% of reviewers awarding the top score. Its fans report spotless floors after the robot vac’s attentions, and are happy with the way the app works and scheduling of cleans. 

Shop more iRobot vacuums at Amazon

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Best features?
We’ve noted in our previous robot vacuum reviews that, sadly, they don’t put what they suck up in the dustbin themselves – but here’s one that does. The machine empties into its own bin, filling the bag in there, and then eventually you take the sealed bag to your own bin to dispose of the dirt and dust. The bag has the capacity for 30 of the robot’s bins, so that’s one emptying trip in place of 30. Cleaning the way you like is easy to arrange, too. You can schedule sessions and specify rooms via the app.

The verdicts
The need to empty the small bin of a robot vac has been a negative for us as it necessarily means the whole cleaning process isn’t taken off your plate. This machine makes this a much less frequent task for which we commend it. Of course, you’ll pay for the privilege of a more automated home, so whether this is your top model will involve weighing up convenience against cost.

For Amazon buyers, this robot vac was a 4.1 out of five overall. They note its ability to clean up pet hair without getting clogged, the fact that the app will show where the machine has cleaned, and pronounce it quieter than previous models.

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Best features?
OK, this model will require you to empty the bin but, aside from that, you can leave it to get on with the cleaning, or use the app to give it a schedule. It’ll also nip back to the docking station when it’s running out of power so it can recharge ready to go again. It has dirt detector sensors so it can work harder at cleaning where the muck lurks. Brushless extractors are designed to avoid the hair-tangling issues users sometimes report.

The verdicts
Robot vacs aren’t the bargain basement choices of the vacuum cleaner world, but in the put-your-feet-up cleaning scheme of things, we like this mid-priced model’s ability to get the job done effectively across a single floor of your house at a time – without falling down the stairs when it comes to the first floor. It’s made for both hard floors and carpets, and will keep track of where it’s been for cleaning efficiency. 

The thoughts of those who bought this model on Amazon? They aren’t many, but those that have offered their opinion give an average score of 4.8 out of five. Buyers thought it did a good job on both carpet and hard floors, and called it an awesome machine.

Those who shopped on Appliances Direct gave it 9.2 out of 10 overall with ease of use, design and performance the highest rated features. Purchasers here found it kept the house extremely clean, liked the fact it didn’t scare cats, and appreciated being able to see what it was doing via the app.

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Best features?
A dust container you can clean under the tap is useful, as is a running time of 90 minutes before this neat little number has to return to its base station. It has improved filters, and is recommended particularly for allergy sufferers. Pet owners, it’s designed to lift and suck up pet fur effectively. Rubber extractors need minimal maintenance as they don’t have the bristles that can get snarled up with hair.

The verdicts
A less expensive way to launch yourself into the world of very little vacuuming (because you’ll still need to sort out the upholstery and the stairs yourself, remember), this model still offers plenty of suction power. As anyone who uses a bagless vacuum will testify, the dirt container can look pretty grotty quite quickly, so we think you’ll like being able to wash away the dirt and dust that’s inclined to hang around. A long running time before it returns to charge itself should mean you don’t think it’s been sitting around rather than working when you come home.

Amazon customers thought it worthy of 4.2 out of five stars overall. They liked its abilities in open-plan rooms, pet hair prowess, and the fact that if an area’s particularly dirty, it stays there until it’s finished its work.

Shop more iRobot vacuum cleaners at Appliances Direct

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Best features?
The price of this robot makes it stand out, allowing you to swerve vacuuming the floors of your home and pay less than you could for many an upright or cylinder vacuum cleaner. The model is designed with two brushes so that the first loosens dirt and the other picks it up. Like more expensive iRobot Roomba models, its sensors tell it where to lavish extra cleaning effort, it won’t fall down the staircase, and it will fit under sofas and beds. 

The verdicts
We think this is a good value way to see how you like using a robot vac. It might not have all the suction of its more costly counterparts in the range, nor the feedback and scheduling aspects that come with the app, but it should still save you a chore, getting on with the cleaning of both hard flooring and carpet while you’re doing something else. It spares you thinking about recharging, too, as it’ll handle that when it needs to.

It hasn’t brought out the online reviewers in droves, but it does get five out of five stars on Amazon.

Buyers at Currys gave it 8.6 out of 10 overall. They appreciated its cleaning right up to the edges, easy set up, and pet hair pick up. 

Shop more robot vacuum cleaners at AO.com

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Love the idea of the iRobot Roomba 980 doing the vacuuming instead of you, but wondering if it lives up to expectations? Our review will help you decide whether it’s the best robot vacuum cleaner you want in your home.

I tested a wide selection of vacuum cleaners on carpet, parquet, tiles, stairs and upholstery, and challenged them with mud, fluff, light debris and pet hair to give you the lowdown on how efficiently they’ll do the job, how easy they are to use, and how much space they’ll take up in your cupboard. 

Can’t wait to buy? Browse the iRobot Roomba 980 at the best price currently available. Otherwise, keep scrolling to read our review. 

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• Find more tips on choosing the perfect model in our guide to how to choose a vacuum cleaner
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iRobot Roomba 980 at a glance

• Type: robot
• Bag or bagless: bagless
• Suction: great
• Noise: OK – and you might be out in any case
• Easy storage: yes, it won’t take up much space

iRobot Roomba 980 specifications

• Power: [NOT AVAILABLE]
• Dimensions: Diameter 35.05cm x H9.14cm
• Weight: 3.9 kg
• Noise: [NOT AVAILABLE]
• Energy rating: [NOT AVAILABLE]
• Container capacity: 0.6 litres

Who will the iRobot Roomba 980 suit?

If you’ve got a houseful of kids and a couple of pets, you’ll be delighted to hand over vacuuming the floors to this machine.

What is the iRobot Roomba 980 like to use?

Getting started for the first time takes minutes. Plug in the docking station, remove the battery pull tab and yellow bin insert from the machine, press the ‘Clean’ button, and it’ll begin.

Tackling hard flooring, carpet and stairs

The iRobot Roomba 980 wasn’t troubled by hard flooring or carpet. Like other robots, it’s not able to do the stairs for you and this is where ownership of another vacuum will be necessary.

It’s low to the ground, which allowed it to fit under furniture where another robot model wouldn’t, and it could take itself under the beds. However, this does depend on the beds’ designs and wouldn’t necessarily be the case in all homes.

iRobot Roomba 980 attachments

Attaching a crevice tool to a conventional vacuum cleaner isn’t a challenge for most, but this robot lacks the arms necessary to do likewise when it needs to clean into tight spots.

It does, however, have a spinning brush head with long bristles to help clean corners and other places that its circular shape makes hard to reach. It cleaned the corners of rooms as well as a normal vacuum floorhead would, but you might find dirt that’s escaped it in these areas.

iRobot Roomba 980 power and debris removal

The iRobot Roomba 980 had no trouble in removing all the dirt and debris it was challenged with on both tiles and wooden flooring. It’s also a dab (no) hand at carpet. It’s able to sense when it has rolled on to this type of surface, and boosts the cleaning power.

This does mean it needs recharging sooner when it’s cleaning carpet; on hard floors there are up to two hours of cleaning time before it needs to take itself back to the dock (see below). Pet owners, it didn’t have any problems with picking up hair.

iRobot Roomba 980 container emptying

Yes, you’re up because, sadly, the robot vac isn’t doing it for you. It will let you know, though, by illuminating the red bin light, sending a notification via the app if you’re using it (see below), and returning to its dock. Detaching the dust capsule is easy, and it slides out ready to open over the bin. Roomba advises cleaning the filter once a week, or twice a week if you have pets.

iRobot Roomba 980 handy features

You can leave the iRobot Roomba 980 to get on with the cleaning when you’re out because it returns to the docking station to recharge when it needs to. The tech allows it to map your home as it cleans to make the process more efficient. If you want to get more sophisticated than the push-button start, you can control the robot with an iOS or Android app.

This way, you can start it from your phone, schedule cleaning sessions and adjust its cleaning – for example choosing two passes, or edge cleaning. You can also team it with Alexa or Google Assistant and speak your mind.

Storing the iRobot Roomba 980

Used to a conventional cylinder or upright? This robot vac is diminutive in comparison and only demands a small amount of house room.

Manoeuvrability of the iRobot Roomba 980

This robot doesn’t mind small steps, but cables weren’t its favourite obstacle, causing it to struggle a bit. It didn’t suck them up, however. It also made contact with walls and furniture, but we’re not talking crashes. In fact, it moved itself alongside obstacles to its progress to clean as much as it could. 

On the other side of the coin, if there’s a room you don’t want this vac to go into, you can use the battery-operated virtual wall gadget. Set it on the floor to prevent the robot crossing the invisible line. There’s a halo effect possible with this gizmo as well, so you can place it near pet bowls to keep the robot away from them.

How does the iRobot Roomba 980 rate online?

Reviewers on the iRobot site give a 4.5 out of five star average for the cleaner. Delighted users applaud its performance and suction power on both hard floors and carpet, like its competence in removing pet hair, and think it has a long running time. The niggles are about missed spots, the size of the dust container, and that it’s not small enough to get under all furniture.

Those who have bought on Amazon give it an overall 4.4 out of five stars with 80 per cent of reviewers awarding the top score. Its fans report spotless floors after the robot vac’s attentions, and are happy with the way the app works and scheduling of cleans. Turning to the snags, shoppers note its inclination to get stuck on some things, and difficulty with deep pile carpet.

How does it rate against similar vacuum cleaners?

We’re talking the priciest part of the robot vacuum market – which isn’t very big as a whole yet – so the iRobot Roomba 980 doesn’t have many competitors. However, against that select few, it holds its own well, and if you’re ready for a robot, it’s one for your shortlist.

About our review – and our reviewer

Sarah Warwick has specialised in homes and interiors for over 20 years. She was Executive Editor of Ideal Home magazine, and has written for nationals, magazines and websites including Real Homes, Homebuilding & Renovating, Grand Designs, Homes & Gardens, Houzz, The Guardian, House Beautiful and Country Homes & Interiors. She put the vacuums through their paces all round the house, on all sorts of dirt and debris, and a variety of flooring and surfaces. 

@SMWarwick

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