If you are new to Roomba, you will wonder if it is worthwhile. The answer is clearly YES, since anything it cleans is that much less for you to clean. However, which is better, the old (and cheaper) Roomba, or the new models like the 530?

First, the 530 comes with the charging/base station, and this is very useful. I have placed this in the entranceway which leads into the livingroom, the kitchen or the bedroom. Using the virtual walls (included), I block off rooms so that it can only do the entranceway + 1 other room. I simply press the "Clean" button, and it backs itself off the charging stand and then spends the next 2 hours cleaning, finally returning to the charging stand. Nice!

Should you upgrade from an older model Roomba (I now use my old Roomba upstairs)? It depends on your situation. By-the-way, the old virtual walls do NOT work with the new Roomba.

New Roomba:
Fall down stairs? Never
Climb onto thick throw rugs? Sometimes
Effectiveness on hard floors? Excellent
Effectiveness on carpets? Good
Trap itself in electrical cords? No
Trap itself in carpet fringes? No
# rooms it can do at once? 2
Ease of emptying dirt? Fairly good
Scare cats and dogs? No
Clean under low furniture? Yes
Quietness? Fairly

Old Roomba:
Fall down stairs? Never
Climb onto thick throw rugs? Rarely
Effectiveness on hard floors? Excellent
Effectiveness on carpets? Good
Trap itself in electrical cords? Usually
Trap itself in carpet fringes? Always
# rooms it can do at once? 2
Ease of emptying dirt? Fair
Scare cats and dogs? No
Clean under low furniture? Yes
Quietness? Fairly