Sure, you’ve all heard about the Roomba, but it really is so cool that we had to have it as a Gizmo of the Day. Wouldn’t you just love to have one less thing to worry about at home (vacuuming), and better yet, you would have a real robot working in your house!
The new Roomba ProElite works around obstacles as it sweeps, making it simple to stay on top of daily touch-up floor maintenance. Its upgrades make the task truly effortless.
Just press one button to tell the unit what size room it is about to clean: small, medium, or large. The sweeper-vac methodically covers your floor, moving from carpeted to hard surfaces seamlessly. When it finishes it turns itself off. In response to customer requests, Roomba ProElite includes an additional button for “maximum cleaningâ€? (for continuous cleaning until Roomba runs out of power) and “spot cleaning” (for focused cleaning in a 4′ radius).
Roomba begins its rounds in a spiral pattern, but when its non-marring bumper encounters an obstacle, it adjusts until it finds a clear path. An internal sensor detects drop-offs like stairs, and it turns to avoid them. The two included “virtual walls� create an infrared beam the unit will not cross; placed in a doorway, the beam constrains the sweeper to one room, or it divides a large room in half. Either way, the sweeper-vac will “bump� off the beam as if it were a wall.
An included remote control for the Roomba ProElite enables you to turn it on and off, and the option to direct Roomba’s path to clean specific areas. Use the remote’s basic joystick controls to guide Roomba where you want it.
The sweeper-vac turns off when picked up, so it’s safe near children and pets. At 7 1/2 lbs., it can be easily picked up by its handle and ported to another room. Rechargeable battery lasts up to 90 minutes per 12-hour charge.
Price: $229.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)