iRobot Roomba 630 Review – An Affordable Robotic Vacuum?

As robotic vacuums continue to improve with technology, the iRobot Roomba 630 is one vacuum that continues to be a popular despite the fact that newer models have been released by iRobot.

iRobot is one of the most respected names in the robot vacuum industry and has been considered the innovators of robot vacuum systems, but where does the Roomba 630 stand.

With newer models, is it worth your money to stick with this model? In this post we will dig a bit deeper and see what the 630 still has to offer.

Pros of the 630

• Cleans Around and Under Furniture: One of the best features about this robot vacuum is the same that can be said of most. It can be used to clean the hard to reach areas including under beds, dressers, closet, couches, work benches and basically any area imaginable. Never again will you have to move furniture simply to clean beneath it, which for older owners, is an extremely important factor.
• Good for Pet Dander: For pet owners that are tired of having to sweep their floors three times a day to keep it somewhat clean, the iRobot Roomba 630 is one of the best tools in the fight to keep your home clean. It works directly alongside your baseboard, eliminating all the pet hair and dirt that usually remains when cleaning with an upright vacuum.
• Redundancy Coverage: One feature about the iRobot series that makes their vacuums – the Roomba 630 included – the best is they use a zig-zag motion to clean every inch of your home. When you use an upright vacuum, most people operate it in a straight line back and forth motion. If a robot vacuum uses this motion to clean, it will miss important debris. By using the zig-zag motion, it is going over the same area several times, ensuring it picks up everything in its path.
• Solid Battery Life: The battery life of this vacuum is about two hours per full charge, which is about the industry par. That is still enough time to clean most homes and when the unit starts to lost its battery charge, it will automatically dock itself for a recharge, making your job that much easier.

Cons to Consider

• Only 1 Virtual Wall: The first negative that comes to mind about the iRobot Roomba 630 is that it only has one virtual wall to keep it from going into areas it shouldn’t be. With many homes, you may be able to find a way around this being a negative aspect of the unit including shutting doors to some areas you don’t want the unit in.

• Still Needs Some House Proofing: Another con is when you operate the vacuum the first time; you will need to “Roomba-Proof” it. This means that at first, it may get caught on certain items including rug tassels and curtains. While previous models would have tried to suck up electrical wires and other cables, the Roomba 630 has been programmed to bypass these wires. Either way, once you figure out the cautions that need to be worried about, the vacuum will run flawlessly.
• Dust Bin Can Fill and Reduce Effectiveness: The tray of this vacuum is something else that people may find problems with.  The battery on the unit is supposed to have a two hour battery life, so those with larger homes will see this unit run out of charge before cleaning their home. With a smaller tray, the need to check on the vacuum halfway through the cycle is important as it can become filled and begin to not work as well as desired or advertised.
• Certain Carpeting May Cause Problems: If you own a runner or other carpets with shag material, you may notice something interesting when the iRobot Roomba 630 is operating.  When your vacuum comes up to these surfaces, instead of cleaning the rug, it will treat it like an obstacle. Just like with any obstacle this means the vacuum will move on to the next dirty area.
• No Auto Scheduling Like Newer Roomba’s: With many robot vacuums, one of the greatest perks is the ability to schedule it to clean while you’re sleeping, working or in another room. Many might automatically assume the Roomba 630 features scheduling mode to allow you to do this, but it doesn’t. While the instruction manual does tell you how to schedule the vacuum to operate, the unit itself doesn’t contain the buttons that are needed for this feature. For example, paying slightly extra for the Roomba 650 means you will get the scheduling features (see full review here).

Key Features Out of the Box

• AeroVac  Filter
• Accoustic Dirt Sensors
• Self-Charging Base
• Virtual Wall
• iAdapt Responsive Cleaning Technology

Final Assessment – Does the 630 Still Offer Enough?

Between all the pros and cons of the iRobot Roomba 630, this is still one of the best robot vacuums – in terms of value for your money – that you could get to clean your home.

What is more, because the 630 has been out for a few years, it is much more affordable than other models without sacrificing much functionality.

Who is it Ideal for?

Short Answer: Smaller apartments or 1-2 rooms of a house.

For smaller homes and apartments, it should clean your entire home in one charge and while the tray is smaller than other vacuums and needs to be cleaned more often, it is a minor flaw in the system.

You can always buy additional virtual walls for larger homes, if needed.

Even without the ability to schedule the vacuum to operate when you are not around, you can still make it start working when you walk out the door and when you come back home, it will be docked and charging and your floors will be clean.

If you are ready to buy or need to research more, check out the Amazon page via our direct link below.