In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't get much better than an autonomous robot that cleans up your messes while you're off doing whatever. Even so, it's never an entirely hands-off process. Your hands will become intimately reacquainted with all the disgusting gunk that's been hiding in your carpet as soon as you clean the vacuum's brushes.
The new iRobot Roomba 880 eliminates the need to handle those hair clumps by dispensing with brush cylinders altogether. Instead, the 880's new "AeroForce" system uses spinning thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) tubes equipped with treads to kick carpet detritus into its belly.
That means there are no brushes to clean, and iRobot says that the new system is also more efficient. The 880 uses the same battery and body style as last year's models, but thanks to a newly designed sealed channel, iRobot claims the new Roomba's suction power is five times greater than its predecessors.
You won't have to empty it out as much, either. The Roomba 880's cleaning system is much smaller than the brush-equipped units in previous Roombas, so iRobot has devoted that extra space to a much bigger dust bin. Compared to last year's models, the company claims the Roomba 800 Series bin holds 60 percent more dirt. You'll also get a single, large HEPA filter instead of the twin (smaller) filters of previous versions.
WIRED New York Editor Joe Brown has been pitting the Roomba 880 against last year's 780 model, and he says the new robo-vacuum is definitely quieter and faster. Another plus? The newer model has physical buttons, which is an operational step up from the last generation's wonky capacitive touch controls.
IRobot claims the 880 performs better on carpeted floor, but that was less evident in Brown's hands-on tests. Still, it does a good job on both hardwood and carpeted surfaces.
If you've got $700 and a dirty floor, the Roomba 880 is available right now on the iRobot site.
