Sponsored by iRobot Roomba, which is amazing because I love them, and I’m about to tell you why.
When we bought our house last year, we nearly doubled the square footage we were used to living in. That’s a lot of space to keep clean, including the swoon-worthy hardwood floors in 80% of the downstairs level.
We didn’t buy much when we moved in. Not even a new couch, which we SO desperately need and still don’t have. I always swore I would not take the old one with us to the new place, but life happens.
We did, however, carve out a bit of our budget to purchase an iRobot Roomba 870. We’ve had it just about a year, and I can honestly say we don’t regret a single penny spent on it. It’s been so worth it.
Here are 6 reasons why we love BeeBop so much. (Oh, did I forget to mention we named him?)
1. He’s a part of the family.
Let’s start with that. Within days of his arrival, the kids began calling “him” BeeBop, and the toddler began following him everywhere. When we hear his beeps from another room, letting us know he’s leaving his dock to begin cleaning, Lowell comes running, yelling “BeeeeeeeeBoppppp!” and when he (softly) bumps into our feet while he’s trying to get around us, we’re like, “Look out, BeeBop!”
We talk to him and about him like he’s a legit pet, except far better because no pet of ours has ever done the exact opposite of shedding hair all over our floors. So I will refer to it as him, he and BeeBop from here on out because it just feels rude not to.
2. He really works.
Yes, he keeps our floors clean from hair to crumbs and everything in between. We have textured floors (hand scraped hardwoods), and he gets it all. He gets underneath the cabinets and works his way around chairs. Every now and then we’ll have to stop him before the whole floor is finished to empty his container, but that’s only if it’s been a long time since we ran him. When we are good and run him every day (or at least every 2 days), he gets through the entire floor without needing to be emptied. 
3. He’s low maintenance.
Like I just mentioned, we do have to empty his container at least after every cleaning, but it is so simple. Just pull it off, dump it in the trash, put it back. We’ve had to clean the brushes a few times, but other than that I don’t think we’ve had to really think about him. And we’ve used him a lot this year. He even docks himself to charge when he’s done! (He lives under the foyer table.)
Also, no need to babysit him to keep him from going into rooms or off stairs. Ours came with 2 virtual wall lighthouses that we set on the floor to create invisible barriers to keep him out of the garage hallway and our bedroom. We could even let him go to town upstairs and not worry because he’s built to not commit suicide… meaning he knows to stop before falling over ledges. 
4. He helps us keep the rest of the house picked up.
Okay, don’t get too excited. I’m not saying he sprouts Go-Go-Gadget arms and picks up for me, but since we can’t run him when there is stuff all over the floor, we are more inclined to pick up on a regular basis. Usually we run him at night, after the kids have gone to bed but before we go to bed. Scott and I use this as an opportunity to tidy up together, and it leads to one of us doing the dishes while the other puts stuff away. It is SO nice to wake up to a clean house AND clean floors the next morning. 
5. He can do all the floors.
We have carpet in our downstairs bedroom and tile in the downstairs bathroom. He can do it all, and there’s no need to change any settings.
6. Our dog thinks he’s just one of us.
Maybe not a practical application, but it’s hilarious watching our dog Callie interact with him. She treats him just like another toddler, letting him bother her until she finally gets the energy to to just walk away.
Right now you can get free shipping on any Roomba from iRobot.
I really can’t say enough good things about ours. It’s definitely an investment, but it’s been a worthwhile one for us. If you’re on the fence or have any questions, let me know. I’ll do my best to answer them based on our year-long experience.
This post includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own.