iRobot Roomba 770 Review: Very Thorough Robot

The Roomba 770 allows pet owners to keep up with their pets twice a year shedding by removing pet’s hair off their floor over and over again without ever getting tired or complaining.

iRobotRoomba770Review

Allergy sufferers will appreciate this because it has HEPA filtration.

iRobot is one of the innovators in this industry and have been around since 2002 when they sold their first Roomba at $200, since then over 8 million units have been sold.

The Roomba 770 in this review isn’t the top-of-the-line model. But both have similar features and this one costs $100 less.

According to iRobot the 770 is smarter is…

  • More powerful
  • Has better dirt detection
  • Larger dirt bin
  • Longer battery life (both in terms of run time and service life) than previous models
  • Better seal around the gear box so dirt doesn’t go in

Earlier models had this problem were dirt would find its way inside the gear-box, damaging it permanently and rendering it useless.

But how much has the 770 improved, let’s find out.

A quick look at the features

  • 3-stage cleaning will work on carpet, tiled, linoleum and hardwood floors
  • It will self-adjust according to the surface it cleans and transitions from one type of surface to another without any intervention
  • Advanced cleaning head picks up more dust, pet hair, allergens and other types of dirt
  • Dual HEPA filters block out allergens as little as 0.3 micros from going back out into the atmosphere
  • Goes back and forth over areas that it detects has more dirt
  • Full bin indicator lets you know when it’s time to empty
  • On board scheduling feature allows you to schedule when to clean for up to 7-times in a week
  • iAdapt technology uses multiple sensors to avoid falling over stairs, detects the dirtiest areas and avoids obstacles like furniture to efficiency clean the entire room
  • The molded soft-touch bumper protects furniture from scrapes
  • Carrier handle allows users to carry this with one hand

Pros

  • Self-adjusts according to the surface it’s cleaning
  • Easy to use and empty
  • Self-docking
  • Comes with an extra pair of HEPA filter
  • Dirt bin indicator lets you know when it’s time to empty
  • You can schedule it to clean on its own for up to 7 times in a week
  • Can clean multiple rooms
  • Goes back and forth over dirtier areas
  • Short enough to clean areas under the bed and table

Cons

  • Noisy
  • Price
  • Small dust bin
  • You need to clean this often to maintain peak performance

What to expect from the iRobot Roomba 770?

The Roomba 770 comes with an improved dirt detection system called the “Dirt Detect Series 2” that zeroes in on dirtier areas of the floor – it goes back and forth if it detects the surface has more dirt on it.

Underneath, it utilizes two counter-rotating motorized brushes that act like a broom that pick up all types of dirt like dust and pet hair plus it has a small edge brush on the side that works on the edges.

Do you have allergies and concerned about dust? This robot has 2 HEPA filters that can filter out fine dust as 0.3 microns.

Related: Roomba 700 Comparison

Navigation

To give you a bird’s eye view so to speak on how a Roomba navigates, here’s a long exposure shot made by signaltheorist.com

Roomba Long Exposure Pattern

Will it clean stairs?

Unfortunately, it will not clean stairs.

Scheduled cleaning

You can schedule this robot to clean your home autonomously once a day, 7 days a week.

Attachments and accessories

It comes with an extra set of HEPA filters, 2 brush cleaning tools, 2 virtual walls that need 2-C batteries which aren’t included in the package, battery charger, 1 remote control (AA batteries not included), self-charging home base and an instructional DVD.

Charging time

It will take around 3 hours to fully charge this Roomba. iRobot recommends keeping the charging station plugged in. The only time you’ll unplug this if you’re going on vacation and won’t be using this for a long time.

The light on top of the robot will turn yellow if battery is low and goes back to green if there is still a lot left.

The virtual walls though do not have any indicators that’ll let you know if batteries are running low.

Filter clean up

Instruction manual recommends filter clean-up after every use for optimal cleaning.

Battery life

iRobot says that this robot will run for up to 90 minutes and consumers say that this figure is pretty accurate.

Warranty

The robot comes with a 1-year warranty and the battery has a 6-month warranty.

Bare Floor Cleaning

It does great on bare floors such as hardwood, tile and linoleum because of the presence of the motorized brush and edge brush that will pick up most of the dust and pet hair on this surface.

Take note that before using this that all potential hazards like wires, rug tassels or spilled liquid must be cleared out.

According to reviews, it does have a penchant for getting tangled up with wires and when it gets stuck it has to be manually dislodged.

Carpet Cleaning

Don’t expect deep cleaning performance from this but it’ll still do a good job on maintenance clean-ups again because it has two motorized brushes and some reviews mentioned that the brush on the side works well on edges of carpet.

Rugs

If you have thick rugs the Roomba 770 might not be able to go over it – it’ll either get stuck trying to or just move in another direction as several consumers mentioned.

For rugs with tassels, vacuum these separately because those tassels may get stuck in-between the two brushes underneath.

If strings or wires get in-between the brushes, it has an anti-tangle system that automatically shuts off and spins in reverse to free itself.

Also if you have a really dark rug or carpet, the cliff detection sensors might think that it’s an open space and not go over to clean it.

Pet Hair Removal

Pet owners were among the happy customers here, a lot of them have at least 2 or 3 of them running around.

Take note that like in all vacuums with motorized brushes, those brushes need to be cleaned at least once every two weeks. Though more frequent cleaning may be needed if your pet has longer strands of hair.

Fortunately this comes with a brush cleaning tool that will help in removing pet hair stuck on the motorized brush.

See it in Action

Product Specifications

Battery typeNot specified
Charger typeCharging Station
Charge time3 hours
Run Time question mark90 minutes
Net weight (with battery)8.4 pounds
Shipping weight14.4 pounds
Diameter13.9 inches
Height3.6 inches
Multi Room question mark
Yes
Self docking question mark
Yes
Remote control
Yes
Hepa filtration
Yes
Cliff detection question mark
Yes
Self adjusting question mark
Yes
Side brushe
Yes
Full bin indicator question mark
Yes
Stair Cleaning
No
Cleaning sessions per week question mark7
Extra Filter1
Containment question mark2
Brush cleaning tools2
Accessories includedCharging base

A/C adapter

Remote (AA-batteries not included)

2 virtual walls (needs 2 C batteries that are not included)

1 extra filter

2 brush cleaning tools
Voltage110v
Manufactured inChina
Warranty1 year on robot
6 months on battery

Customer Reviews

In Amazon, it had over 300 reviews and a majority loved this robot, cleaning performance was satisfactory according to consumers here.

The biggest pro is the hands-free approach, just schedule it and let it do its thing.

It is capable of cleaning multiple rooms and reach areas under the bed and table.

But it will have some difficulty going back to its docking station to recharge if there are objects on its way.

So make sure that you move everything away when it’s time to clean.

Some consumers though complained that it seemed not to know where it was going, often in moving in a random pattern (thus missing some spots according to some reviews) bumping in furniture that resulting in some marks or getting stuck somewhere in the room.

A great suggestion by people was to put rubber padding around it so that it won’t scratch any of your furniture.

Other complains mentioned that it had trouble going back to its base. It sometimes bumping the charging base out of its position and running out of battery trying to go back.

One solution for this is to make sure that there isn’t any obstruction around the charging base. Clear anything that’s in the way like wires.

Reviews from other sites

iRobot Store

Close to a hundred left a review in iRobot’s online store. And a majority of them enjoyed the convenience of having a robot do the vacuuming for them.

Cleaning performance was very good according to reviews and it can go under furniture.

Noise is subjective, some say it was tolerable while others say it was too loud.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this robot from Amazon for close to $600. And it’ll be eligible to their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.

Extended warranties are available of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.

But for about the same price you can buy the newer, more efficient and better cleaning Roomba 960.

Please don’t forget to check out my article about the best Roomba robots to see the latest.

Conclusion

This product is great for people who really don’t have time to vacuum their floors on their own. And would want a helper to do this task for them.

Folks who have allergies should consider getting this autonomous cleaner. It has 2 HEPA filters that help trap dirt inside the bin..

Remember to do your part. As with any robot vacuum, make sure to remove all obstacles like wires or toys to make the most out of this robot.

Like all mechanical and electronic devices, show this some TLC and it’ll reward you with years of problem free cleaning.

It will not clean stairs or dark rugs but aside from that it will work pretty decently to keep your home clean.

Think of this as an every day cleaner that will help keep dirt from piling up.

You may want to check out the newer Roomba 900 series as these robots have the latest navigation that’s more efficient.

 

About the author: Garrick, the visionary behind Cordless Vacuum Guide, brings over a decade of hands-on expertise in cordless vacuum testing to his insightful reviews showcased on this platform. Beyond his passion for empowering consumers with informed choices, he cherishes precious moments with his family, exploring global cuisines and exploring different horizons with his beloved wife and son. Follow him on Youtube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram.

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