iRobot Roomba 694 Vacuum Review

The iRobot Roomba 694 has a very good build quality. Its body is mostly made of hard plastic, while the drive and swivel wheels are made out of rubber. The body has a sturdy feel. Though the dustbin feels like it could break if dropped, it feels sturdier than most other plastic dustbins. It's really easy to set up since there's no assembly required for the vacuum itself, and you just need to plug in the dock station.

The iRobot Roomba 694 is a bit difficult to maintain since there are a lot of parts that need regular maintenance. Thankfully, they're all easy to access.

• Dustbin: The dustbin can be removed by pressing the release button. You should empty it into a garbage bin after every use.
• Brushrolls: The brushrolls can be accessed by removing the brushroll compartment door. The brushes and their bearings should be cleaned once or twice per week, depending on whether or not you have pets.
• Filter: The filter is located inside the dustbin and can be pulled out via release tabs. You can clean it by tapping it against the edge of a garbage can. It should be cleaned once or twice a week, depending on if you have pets. Make sure to remove it and clean it before emptying the dustbin.
• Side brush: The side brush can be removed by unscrewing it from the bottom of the vacuum. You should clear it of any hair or debris that's stuck onto it approximately once a month.
• Front wheel: While you can pull the wheel out of its socket by hand, you may find it easier to use a tool to pry it out. It should be cleaned every two weeks. Also, you should clean its socket of any debris to allow it to spin freely.
• Sensors/Charging pads: The sensors and charging pads on the vacuum and dock station should be wiped down with a dry cloth once a month.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has a lot of recurring costs. Thankfully, they can all be purchased from iRobot's website individually or together as a 'Replenishment Kit'.

• Filter: The filter should be replaced every two months.
• Brushrolls: The brushrolls should be replaced every six to 12 months.
• Front wheel: The front wheel should be replaced every 12 months.

The iRobot Roomba 694 is remarkably easy to store. It has a compact design, so it doesn't take up much room. Also, it comes with a charging station that the vacuum mounts itself to.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has a mediocre dirt compartment. It's fairly large for a robot vacuum, but it doesn't have a max fill sensor to indicate when it's full.

• iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum
• AeroVac dirt compartment
• 2x AeroVac filter
• Beater brush
• Bristle brush
• Charging dock
• Charging cable
• User guide

The iRobot Roomba 694 has a virtually unlimited range as long as it has battery life remaining and room left in its dirt compartment. However, it can't go up or down stairs.

The iRobot Roomba 694 is very portable. While it doesn't have a carrying handle, it's fairly light, so you can easily bring it between rooms.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has an outstanding battery performance. While it doesn't have any manual power mode settings, it automatically adjusts its suction power based on the cleaning conditions. It lasts over two hours on a single charge, though it automatically returns to the docking station after 90 minutes. There's a battery indicator light on top of the vacuum, and you can also see the battery level through its companion app.

This vacuum has a few quality of life features. Its cleaning head automatically adjusts its height based on the surface it's on. Also, the vacuum automatically adjusts its power setting based on the cleaning conditions. It has dirt sensors that it uses to detect which areas to clean more thoroughly.

This vacuum has a few accessories included. It has a two-part brushroll that uses a beater brush to crush debris and a bristle brush to pick up these smaller pieces. It also has a side brush that pushes debris from around the vacuum towards its cleaning path.

This vacuum has a very good performance on bare floors. While it struggles to pick up pet hair, it has no problem cleaning small and bulky debris like rice and cereal. However, when picking up bulkier debris, its performance decreases noticeably as the dirt compartment fills up.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has a poor performance on low-pile carpet. It can pick up some pet hair and larger debris like sand, though it may need to take an extra pass to clear it all. Unfortunately, it really struggles to pick up fine debris like baking soda. Thankfully, its performance is consistent as the dirt compartment fills up.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has an acceptable performance on high-pile carpet. It can clean a reasonable amount of pet hair and larger debris like sand. Unfortunately, it really struggles to pick up finer debris like baking soda. Thankfully, its performance doesn't decrease much as the dirt compartment fills up.

The iRobot Roomba 694 is decently maneuverable. Its small size lets it fit under furniture like couches and low tables. While it can move freely from bare floors to rugs, it sometimes gets caught on rug tassels. It doesn't get caught on low-lying obstacles like electrical cords, though, but it may push them around a bit. This vacuum uses random pathing, but it still results in good coverage.

The iRobot Roomba 694 has okay automation features. This vacuum uses random pathing, which isn't as efficient as smart pathing, but it still does a good job of covering the whole area of a room. Using the iRobot Home companion app, you can start and stop the vacuum, check the battery, schedule cleaning times, and get the vacuum to return to its charging dock. You can also set up voice commands with Alexa or Google Home devices. Although you can't create virtual boundary markers in the app, you can buy physical boundary markers at an additional cost to stop the vacuum from going to certain areas.