Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum Review: iRobot’s Affordable Robot Vacuum

Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum

The Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum is a smart home appliance designed to make your cleaning routine more efficient. With its sleek design, solid cleaning performance, and user-friendly features, this vacuum offers a convenient and reliable solution for keeping your home clean.

Product Brand: iRobot

Editor's Rating:
4.2

Pros

• Solid Cleaning Performance: The Roomba 694 performs well on a variety of surfaces, effectively picking up dirt, dust, and debris.
• Impressive Battery Life: The vacuum charges quickly and can clean for a significant amount of time on a single charge.
• User-Friendly Features: The Roomba 694 is easy to use and comes with the iRobot Home app, which allows for remote control, scheduling, and monitoring of the vacuum's cleaning progress.
• Good Value for Money: Considering its performance and features, the Roomba 694 offers good value for its price.
• Compatibility with Smart Home Devices: The vacuum is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing for voice control.

Cons

• Struggles with Pet Hair on Bare Floors: While the Roomba 694 can handle pet hair on carpets, it may struggle with larger amounts of pet hair on bare floors.
• Lacks Advanced Mapping Technology: Unlike some higher-end models, the Roomba 694 does not feature advanced room mapping technology.
• Random Cleaning Pattern: Due to its lack of mapping technology, the Roomba 694 cleans in a random pattern, which may not be as efficient as the systematic cleaning pattern of some other models.
• No Virtual Wall Barriers Included: The Roomba 694 does not come with virtual wall barriers, which are used to block off certain areas of your home.
• May Require Regular Maintenance: Like all robot vacuums, the Roomba 694 will need regular maintenance, such as emptying the dustbin and cleaning the brushes, to keep it running optimally.

iRobot is a well-known, respected robot vacuum brand, and the Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum is a testament to their commitment to quality and innovation. This robot vacuum combines a sleek, modern design with powerful cleaning capabilities to offer a solution that fits seamlessly into any home décor while effectively tackling daily dirt, dust, and debris. Equipped with a three-stage cleaning system, various sensors, and an impressive battery life, the Roomba 694 is designed to easily navigate your home, ensuring every corner is covered. Coupled with the user-friendly iRobot Home app, this vacuum not only promises a cleaner home but also a more convenient and efficient cleaning routine. Whether you have carpets, hard floors, or a mix of both, the Roomba 694 is ready to handle it all.

If you would like to see more Robot Vacuum choices, check out our Top 10 Robot Vacuum Buying Guide.

Video Review

Design and Build

The Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum is designed with a sleek, modern aesthetic that fits seamlessly into any home décor. Its compact size and low-profile design allow it to navigate under furniture and around obstacles with ease. The vacuum is built with a three-stage cleaning system that effectively picks up dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets and hard floors.

The Roomba 694 is equipped with a variety of sensors that help it navigate your home and avoid obstacles. It also features a bumper on the front to protect your furniture and walls from any potential damage. The vacuum is built to last, with high-quality materials and robust construction that ensure it can withstand the rigors of daily use.

Performance on Different Surfaces

When it comes to the performance of the Roomba 694 on different surfaces, it’s important to note that this robot vacuum is designed to handle a variety of flooring types, making it a versatile choice for homes with a mix of hard floors and carpets.

On hard surfaces such as tile and hardwood, the Roomba 694 performs admirably. Its dual multi-surface brushes work in unison to agitate, lift, and suction dirt and dust from your floors. The vacuum’s edge-sweeping brush is specially designed at a 27-degree angle to sweep debris away from edges and corners and into the path of the vacuum. This ensures that even those hard-to-reach areas are kept clean. However, while the Roomba 694 can handle pet hair on these surfaces, it may struggle with larger amounts, especially on bare floors.

When it comes to carpets, the Roomba 694’s performance is commendable. The vacuum’s brushes are designed to work harder on carpets, agitating the carpet fibers to lift out embedded dirt and dust. This makes the Roomba 694 a good option for homes with pets or for those who suffer from allergies, as it can help to reduce the amount of pet hair and allergens in your carpets.

One of the standout features of the Roomba 694 is its Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head, which automatically adapts its height to keep the multi-surface brushes in close contact with different floor surfaces. This ensures that whether it’s cleaning hard floors or carpets, the Roomba 694 is always at the optimal height for the best cleaning performance.

However, it’s worth noting that while the Roomba 694 is capable of cleaning on different surfaces, it may not perform as well on high-pile carpets or rugs. The vacuum can sometimes struggle to navigate these surfaces, and may not be able to pick up as much dirt and dust as it can on lower-pile carpets and hard floors.

Battery Performance

The Roomba 694 is equipped with a powerful battery that allows it to clean for a significant amount of time on a single charge. This ensures that the vacuum can cover a large area of your home in a single cleaning cycle, making it a great choice for larger homes or homes with multiple rooms.

One of the standout features of the Roomba 694’s battery performance is its quick charging time. The vacuum charges quickly, reaching a full charge in about an hour. This means that even if the vacuum runs out of charge mid-clean, it can return to its dock, recharge, and be ready to resume cleaning in a relatively short amount of time.

Moreover, the Roomba 694 features an intelligent battery management system. This system allows the vacuum to maximize its battery life by optimizing the power usage based on the cleaning task at hand. For instance, when the vacuum is cleaning a heavily soiled area, it may use more power to ensure thorough cleaning, while in areas with less dirt, it can conserve power.

The Roomba 694 also has the ability to return to its charging dock automatically when its battery is low. Once it’s fully charged, it can resume cleaning where it left off, ensuring that no area of your home is left uncleaned. This feature, known as ‘Recharge and Resume’, ensures that the vacuum’s cleaning process is as seamless and efficient as possible.

Mapping and Navigation

The Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum employs a suite of sensors to navigate your home and ensure a thorough cleaning. While it may not feature the advanced mapping technology found in some higher-end models, it still employs effective strategies to cover your entire home.

The Roomba 694 uses a method known as ‘bump-and-clean’ to navigate around your home. This method involves the vacuum moving in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle, such as a piece of furniture or a wall. Once it bumps into the obstacle, it changes direction and continues cleaning. Over time, this method ensures that the vacuum covers all areas of your home, even if it doesn’t clean in the most efficient pattern.

One of the advantages of this navigation method is that it doesn’t require any prior knowledge of your home’s layout. This means that the Roomba 694 can start cleaning as soon as you take it out of the box, without needing to map your home first. It also means that the vacuum can adapt to changes in your home’s layout, such as when you move furniture around.

The Roomba 694 is also equipped with cliff-detection sensors. These sensors prevent the vacuum from falling down stairs or off ledges, ensuring its safety as it cleans. This is particularly useful if you live in a multi-story home or if you have areas in your home where the floor level changes.

While the Roomba 694’s navigation method may not be as advanced or efficient as the systematic cleaning pattern of some other models, it still ensures that all areas of your home are cleaned over time. This, combined with its ability to adapt to changes in your home’s layout and its safety features, makes the Roomba 694 a reliable choice for keeping your home clean.

User Experience

The Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum is designed with the user’s convenience and satisfaction in mind. From its easy setup process to its intuitive controls and smart features, the Roomba 694 offers a user experience that is both enjoyable and hassle-free.

Setting up the Roomba 694 is a straightforward process. The vacuum comes with a user manual that provides clear instructions on how to get started. Once the vacuum is charged and ready to go, you can start a cleaning cycle with just the press of a button.

One of the standout features of the Roomba 694 in terms of user experience is the iRobot Home app. This app, available for both iOS and Android devices, allows you to control the vacuum remotely from your smartphone. You can start or stop a cleaning cycle, set a cleaning schedule, and even monitor the vacuum’s cleaning progress in real-time. The app also provides helpful alerts and status updates, so you can stay informed about the vacuum’s performance and maintenance needs.

In addition to the iRobot Home app, the Roomba 694 is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This means you can control the vacuum using voice commands, adding another layer of convenience to your cleaning routine. Whether you want to start a cleaning cycle, pause cleaning, or send the vacuum back to its dock, you can do it all without lifting a finger.

Despite its advanced features, the Roomba 694 is designed to be user-friendly. Its controls are intuitive and easy to understand, making it a great choice even for those who are new to robot vacuums. The vacuum also features a sleek, modern design that not only looks good but also makes it easy to handle and maintain.

In terms of maintenance, the Roomba 694 is designed to be as low-maintenance as possible. The vacuum dustbin is easy to remove and empty, and its brushes and filters are accessible for cleaning or replacement. The iRobot Home app even provides reminders when it’s time to perform certain maintenance tasks, so you can keep your vacuum in top condition with minimal effort.

Value for Money

When considering the purchase of a robot vacuum, one of the key factors to consider is the value for money it offers. The Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum stands out in this regard, offering a range of features and solid performance at a price point that is more affordable than many other robot vacuums on the market.

The Roomba 694 provides a solid cleaning performance, effectively picking up dirt, dust, and debris from a variety of surfaces. It’s equipped with a three-stage cleaning system and dual multi-surface brushes that work together to ensure a thorough cleaning. Despite its affordable price, it doesn’t compromise on cleaning power.

In terms of features, the Roomba 694 comes with a range of smart features that enhance its usability and convenience. The iRobot Home app allows for remote control and scheduling, while compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allows for voice control. These features are often found in more expensive models, making their inclusion in the Roomba 694 a significant value add.

The Roomba 694 offers good value for money. It provides solid cleaning performance and a range of smart features at a price point that is more affordable than many other robot vacuums on the market. While it may lack some of the advanced features of higher-end models, it still delivers reliable and efficient cleaning.

Conclusion

the Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum makes a compelling case for itself. This model from iRobot, a brand known for its commitment to quality and innovation, offers a blend of performance, features, and value that is hard to overlook.

The Roomba 694 is a capable and reliable robot vacuum that offers good value for money. Its solid cleaning performance, impressive battery life, and smart features make it a worthwhile option for those looking to make their home cleaning routine more efficient. While it may not have advanced mapping technology, it still ensures that all areas of your home are cleaned effectively. Whether you’re new to robot vacuums or looking to upgrade your current model, the Roomba 694 is a choice worth considering.

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