A robot vacuum can take one chore off your hands, and now you can grab one of iRobot’s most affordable machines for less. The Roomba 694 robot vacuum is back down to $180, which is just about an all-time low (we’ve seen it $1 cheaper in the past). That’s $94 off, making it a great deal if you’ve had your eye on a robo-vac for a while but have been hesitant to drop a lot of money on one.
Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon – $180
The Roomba 694 is one of iRobot’s most basic machines, but don’t let that fool you. It earned a spot on our list of favorite affordable robot vacuums thanks to its good cleaning power and easy to use companion app. Its three-stage cleaning system and dual multi-surface brushes do a good job sucking up dirt and debris on both carpeted and hard floors, and it has sensors that can detect furniture and “cliffs” (stairs, really) so it can avoid or maneuver around those obstacles.
You can control the robo-vac via its on-device buttons or from within the iRobot mobile app, and when it has finished cleaning your home, it’ll automatically return to its charging base to power up. Even if you’ve never used a robot vacuum before, you’ll likely be able to learn the ins and outs of the iRobot mobile app pretty easily. It’ll be your portal for doing things like setting cleaning schedules, checking the status of your machine and more. And if you have an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker in your home, you can use voice commands to control the Roomba 694.
Most people will find all of their semi-autonomous vacuuming needs met by the Roomba 694, but if you want to splurge, the Roomba j7+ is also on sale right now for $589. That’s $210 off its regular rate and a new record low. The j7+ is one of iRobot’s newest machines and its first “pet poop-detecting” robot vacuum. It has advanced obstacle avoidance which should allow it to avoid unexpected things on your floors, including a robo-vac’s arch nemesis: pet poop. It also comes with a clean base into which the machine will automatically empty its dustbin after each job.
Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon – $589
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.