First we put the Roomba 880 head-to-head with the Roomba 870. Next, the Neato 80 and the Neato 75 squared off. Now, we’re comparing the Samsung VR9000 and the Roomba 880. Before you decide which device to buy, check out Round 3 of our robotic vacuum cleaner face-off. Weighing the pros and cons of any purchase decision is important, but even more so when there’s a $300 difference between the two items you’re considering. The Samsung Powerbot VR9000 costs almost $1,000, and is a robotic vacuum designed to clean large areas of carpet and flooring. The iRobot Roomba 880 is a nearly $700 robotic vacuum that comes with lots of extras. No matter which vacuum you declare the winner, take a look at our list of best robot vacuums for tips on which features you should be paying attention to. Samsung Powerbot VR9000iRobot Roomba 880 Price$999, according to Samsung$699.99 from iRobot Surface typesCarpets and hard floorsCarpets and hard floors But vacuum choice comes down to more than just weight and surface-cleaning capability.

Read on to find out which features are a fit for you. NerdWallet takes you shopping: First up is the Samsung Powerbot VR9000. With a retail price of $999, this robot is the more expensive of the two vacuum models we studied. The VR9000 is distinguished by its sleek black-and-copper finish. It features a Cyclone Force system to ensure strong suction. Additionally, while it affords users the convenience of hands-off cleaning, it also allows for point cleaning; best vacuum cleaner rainbowusers need only point the remote toward an area of the home to initiate cleaning in a particular area.buy usb vacuum cleaner india At 10.5 pounds, this robot is heavier than the iRobot, but the device’s Visionary Mapping Plus System — which includes an onboard digital camera — is designed to avoid run-ins between the comparatively clunky vacuum and your furniture. washing vacuum cleaner karcher

It will even map out your home’s obstacles for you. Good fit for: The Samsung Powerbot VR9000 works well for consumers who want a top-of-the-line robotic vacuum. Choose this model if convenience (even at the cost of price) is your main priority or if you want your vacuum to be as smart as the rest of your technology products. NerdWallet takes you shopping: The Roomba 880 from iRobot is $300 less expensive than the VR9000 at $699.99. It’s also more svelte, weighing just 8.4 pounds. This Roomba model boasts up to seven preset cleanings per week, Wall-Following technology for cleaning in every nook and cranny of a room, and a soft-touch bumper to avoid destructive collisions with furniture. In addition to the vacuum itself, the Roomba 880 also comes with one iRobot XLife Extended Life Battery, two Virtual Wall Lighthouses (batteries included), one integrated home base, one remote control (batteries included) and one extra HEPA filter. A noteworthy benefit of the Virtual Wall Lighthouses is the ability of these accessories to set the device on a path of room-to-room cleaning.

The device’s infrared signal can also allow users to block off areas the vacuum should avoid. Good fit for: Put these two vacuums side-by-side, and the iRobot Roomba 880 is the better choice for consumers who desire a reliable, effective and convenient robot without paying top dollar for it. Top image via iStock; other images via Samsung and iRobot.In science fiction, robots are usually attempting to take over the world and kill us all. In real life, it turns out they can be rather useful for cleaning the lounge carpet. Terminator – of dust! The iRobot Roomba 880 is the current king of the robotic vacuums, but is it any good and how does it compare to a standard vacuum? The Roomba certainly doesn’t look like vacuum. The puck-shaped disc is approximately the size of a car’s steering wheel in diameter and the height of a mug. On the top are four buttons and a handle, with a big central “clean” power button and four other buttons with which to set the clock, cleaning schedule, return the robot to its dock, or concentrate on a single, troublesome spot.

Hasta la vista, dog hair... Programming the robot for a schedule is easy. Select the day, input a time and press “OK”. As long as the clock is set correctly, the Roomba will trundle off on a cleaning run and return to base when it has finished, or run out of battery. In testing, I experienced a couple of issues with the clock going wrong, once caused by a power surge, and once when the Roomba got trapped in a room and ran out of battery. It lost time when it was recharged and I failed to notice, which meant it turned on in the middle of the night and woke everyone up. The Roomba 880 is capable of cleaning several rooms on one charge, and will spend a maximum of 25 minutes in each room before moving on. Two “Virtual Wall Lighthouses” are included in the box. They simulate a wall in doorways, preventing the robot from passing into the next room until it has finished in the first, and then help it find its way back to the charging base. Once the robot has finished cleaning, or when the bin is full or the battery runs low, it will automatically return to the charging dock.

Disappointingly, on its first outing the robot doesn’t clean as well as a human with a decent, ordinary vacuum cleaner. But Roomba is designed to clean once a day rather than once a week, which means the first run takes a while because the bin is small and has to be emptied several times. After a couple of days the bin only needs emptying once or twice a week, depending on the floor type and size of the cleaning area. In a medium-sized two-bedroom flat, I ended up emptying the bin and cleaning the filters once a week. The spinning bush and central suction band do a solid job of cleaning even the edges of a room. Some spots that Roomba can’t reach will need to be cleaned with a handheld vacuum – including stairs – but overall the cleaning is quite impressive. The 880 also comes with a remote control, which can be used to steer it towards a particularly dirty patch. It can also be used to steer the robot away if it gets stuck under something, though generally it can get under most furniture without an issue.

If the brush gets tangled up with cables or loose paper, the main suction channel can be removed and cleaned by releasing a few screws or clips – a two minute job. The drop sensors, the bin, the air filters and the front wheel need regular maintenance: iRobot recommends once a week, but you can probably get away with less than that. The air filters need cleaning by just tapping on the side when the robot’s bin is emptied. The iRobot Roomba 880 costs £600, which is at least £300 more than most other normal vacuum cleaners. The iRobot Roomba 880 is a much better vacuum cleaner than you’d expect. As a robot it does what it says on the tin – cleans the floor when you set it to and returns to base afterwards. It requires little in the way of maintenance and just gets on with the job. But it does take on a life of its own. I have become surprisingly attached to it, like a little robotic cleaning pet. When it has caught and screwed up bits of paper or got stuck somewhere, I’ve felt more sorry for it than annoyed.