Roomba Competition: Who are they?

Once iRobot put Roomba, the world's first consumer robot, on the market, the die was cast. Robots would now be a part of American homes, and they'd start by vacuuming our floors. Roomba competition sprung up almost immediately, led by traditional vacuum cleaner manufacturers who didn't want to be left out in the cold when regular vacuums went the way of the dodo bird - "extinct". They didn't dare let Roomba go unchallenged, and so they put together electronic robot floorvacs of their own. Most were clearly based on Roomba, using the same body style and electronic sensors, and probably the same kind of heuristic software.

Jumping on the robotic bandwagon

We've all heard the saying: nothing succeeds like success. When the iRobot Roomba succeeded in a big way, various companies realized they were missing out on a potentially lucrative market. Some, Electrolux, had made vacuums for decades; others, like Samsung and Sharper Image, were better known for their consumer electronics. A number of robotic vacuums now grace the market, most by necessity using the same type of technology and design as iRobot's Roomba. It seems ironic that it was the desire to build a better vacuum cleaner that kickstarted the consumer robot revolution.

Software + electronics technology = Robovac

Roomba, despite its competition, remains the premier line of robotic vacuum cleaners in the country. The Discovery and Discovery SE models can be had for less than $300. They're not necessarily the cheapest anymore, but they're sturdy, smart, and well-made, and worth every cent you might pay (Roomba's lowest price is just $149 -- what a great deal!). Oddly enough, they're especially popular among software geeks, who like to soup-up the onboard processors to create vacuum cleaners they call "Zoombas." More power to 'em!

iRobot's® Roombas®

It doesn't get any better than this!

Top technology from iRobot® and Hammacher Schlemmer's lifetime guarantee -- it's a match made in heaven! When you purchase your Roomba Vacuum from Hammacher Schlemmer not only do you get the best product iRobot® has to offer -- you also get to take advantage of Hammacher Schlemmer's unconditional and unwavering promise -- their merchandise is guaranteed for life.

iRobot® Roomba Vacuums
It looks like iRobot® has cleaned house and is now only manufacturing the following floor cleaning robots (Models 780, 770, 760, 560 and 530). Narrowing the selection makes it so much easier to choose the model that will work best as it appears they have weeded out the models that people were having so many problems with -- which is a good thing! Only the best of the best are available for sale from our online merchant and they also offer an unconditonal lifetime warranty!

Roomba® Pet Series
Spend more quality time with your pet - while Roomba® does the cleaning for you! The Pet Series was designed specifically for pet owners who are fighting the war on pet hair, debris and pet dander. This little hair ball sucker covers 3 to 4 rooms on a single battery charge depending on what model you buy. It's large debris bins, anti-tangle technology, and other pet friendly features will do the vacuuming for you and your household of pets.

iRobot® Scooba
The Scooba® floor washing robot does it all: it preps by sucking up loose dirt and crumbs, washes, scrubs, and cleans up after itself, leaving the floor sparkling and dry -- and it does it all in one pass. One of the Scooba's best features is the fact that it'll scrub every spot on your floor an average of four times, ensuring a thorough cleaning. It even gets up beneath the edges of kitchen cabinets and under tables to clean where normal cleaning tools don't. It's the only mop you'll ever need!