Wow, ok so I got this cool new robot vacuum because I am lazy and also like having cool house gadgets.

Guys! This thing is amazing! Kinda makes me feel gross, but also amazing. You see, because I run a B&B from my home, I am always cleaning and vacuuming. I had just vacuumed before I got this little guy, but after I ran it through the living room it was full of crap. Like, gross, floor-icky junk. I couldn’t believe it.

I’ll spare you the photo of it, but just believe me, it was gross.

I couldn’t believe it because I had just cleaned, and it still managed to pull up that much junk. I don’t know if I should be ashamed or proud of myself for getting this thing.

Like I said, this thing is cool in a Star Wars kind of way. Just look at it!

Details

This little magic trick is a Neato Robotics Xv-12/Xv-11 Automatic Vacuum Cleaner. You can find it online in a bunch of places, but I got a refurbished one from FactoryDirect.ca because I’m a little low on funds right now and really shouldn’t be buying robots for my house.

I got the basic one I think (hard to tell) and it’s been great. I just wish I had the extra brush for all the cat hair around here!

I decided to go with this brand rather than a Roomba this time for a few reasons.

1. Price. Generally speaking, this brand is much less expensive than the Roomba models currently available.
2. Positive Reviews. I did a bunch of research and this brand seemed pretty solid to me. We’ll see how it fares over time.
3. Features. This is the only robot vac that is actually a vacuum and not a sweeper. I also like how it has a square shape for corners, maps the space & it’s path around it efficiently and won’t fall down my stairs. I can also program it to clean automatically every day and it usually finds it’s way back to the docking station.

I had a Roomba way back in the day, when they were still new. It was a cute little red thing we called Ruby; I had bought it for my parents. Unfortunately the battery died and they never really used it. At that time they had to be manually plugged in to charge, so that was a pain. At some point my folks threw it out which was a shame because it cost so much.

Now the Roombas are so damned popular, they can charge a small fortune for it. I don’t think they’re really that much better than the other brands, they’ve just done a great job branding themselves. I wouldn’t say no to a free one, but I don’t see myself paying $800 for a robot vac that still can’t get into the corners or get a room 100% clean.

Like any robot vac, I’ll still need the old canister vac to do a really thorough job, and also to pick up after whatever the robot misses. I really, really, REALLY want a super-sexy Dyson vacuum, but haven’t been able to justify the spending, no matter how much my allergies, cat, and guests demand it. One day. For now I shall content myself with a robot. In my house. Doing my chores.

Life is good.