I had one and it wouldn't get around the dining room chairs, just make passes under the table leaving around the chair legs and under the chairs not vacuumed. I still had to use my vacuum. So if I had to drag out the vacuum I may as well vacuum the floor. The big open areas it worked fine.

Watch out for fringes on area rugs, as they get caught in the brushes. Do your research for prices, repairs and strength. Works well on pet hair and goes under couches. Neato is a reliable brand for us.

I have a Roomba & I really like it! I turn it on when I run errands, but it is very quiet - can talk on the phone & hear TV when it is running. I didn't program zones, but will close doors or set footstool in the way so it covers certain areas at certain times. When I'm home, I just let it go. It hasn't gotten tangled in anything yet. It has a docking station & can be programmed for days/time. It does carpeting, tile & scatter rugs (no fringe).

pull it out of the box and use it--you CAN set up the zones, but we just close the doors for rooms we don't it going in!
Have a Roomba--got 2 yrs ago and it's not the largest/most powerful (maybe a 650??). We have 2 dogs that shed non-stop so have to empty the dust containers several times during the cycle and have to clean out the brushes each cycle too.
One problem we have is that it does great on the laminate and tile, but on the area rug it "drops" the dog hair around the edge. But does help with our dog hair issue and with both Dh and I having bad knees, sure helps! We call it "Thomas" after the wayward butler in Downton Abbey cause it always sees to wander into rooms we did not intend!

This inquiry leads me to remember of a posting on FB that someone had a pet that pottied on the floor. The "roomba" did it's thing when nobody was around and it did a very effective job running through that and distributing tracks all over the carpet!

Both, my daughter & my cousin, had one when they first came out several years ago. Neither one lasted very long at all especially for the price. We thought maybe they didn't last very long because they both had pets & of course pet hair. They probably are much better today. Products usually are when they have been on the market for awhile. I would love to have one because vacuuming really bothers my back since my injury. It isn't in the budget but maybe someday.

My DD's friend had one and set it up and went to work. The dog got sick and messed up the floor and the vac, ran through it time after time and when she got home the floors were in such a mess she had to call carpet cleaners to do her floors. So if you have one be sure your pets are not sick when you run it.

We do not have one. Bro does - has an older one that he's had for several years. He definitely has to clean more frequently and thoroughly than suggested due to the dog hair (2 dogs). When we get rid of the carpet left in the house I might consider one. Otherwise, I'll just keep my love affair going with my Dyson Animal.

Okay, I just ordered one. Hope my dogs don't go wild chasing it or maybe running from it depending on their personality.

If you have hairy pets, the Roomba is going to be your new best friend especially if you get one of the higher end ones. My DIL used her first bonus to buy hers. It is the highest end Roomba you could buy. Named it Rosie (Jetson's maid!) and it's the best thing since sliced bread. Dog hair problems are gone. She even uses her phone to run it while she's at work. It docks itself when it needs charging or just stops and announces it needs to be emptied. The higher end one seems to have a higher capacity for pickup and is easier to dump and keep cleared out. I bought a mid range one for my little fishing shack and it does a better job than my vacuuming ever did. No problems from carpet to tile to hardwood either. Even goes over electric cords. It can get stuck if you have something that it can clear but is on a slant and it gets itself stuck in the wedge. Think treadmill. But that is a minor problem and easily monitored. Doesn't happen often. Emptying is easier with the higher end one as well. It is worth the difference to go with the more expensive model so I bought the best one for my other DIL after they treated me to a trip to DisneyWorld. They have two dogs and love it as well.