While there are more robotic vacuums on the market than ever before, that doesn’t necessarily make finding a good machine any easier. When anyone and their mother can open up a factory in China and churn out disk-shaped carpet sweepers, a lot of junk is going to flood the market. We’ve taken the time to review a number of budget, no-name robotic cleaners, and while we’ve seen some great ones (e.g., the Deebot N79), we’ve also seen some that left us wondering how they’d hold up once the one year warranty expired (e.g., the Dibea D960). The more we survey the economy robot market, the more we’re of the opinion that sticking with recognized brands may be your best bet for reliability. More often than not, that means Roomba.

We’ve reviewed several of their cheaper models lately, including the 690, 652, 650, and 614, and have confirmed, fortunately, that they still pay attention to quality in the Roomba factory even when you don’t buy their flagship models (e.g., the 980 and 960). Today we’re going to look at a previous generation model, the iRobot Roomba 860 Robot Vacuum, and see how it compares to other inexpensive Roombas. If you’re in a hurry, here’s our ten second summary: it’s basically the 652 with stronger suction, more battery life, and a HEPA filter. Our full review is below, and you can buy it here.

Pros, Cons, and Key Features of the iRobot Roomba 860 Robot Vacuum

While the Roomba 860 doesn’t showcase the newest technology in robotic vacuums, it still features an impressive array of features compared to fellow budget vacuums, including programmability (unlike the Roomba 614) and the ability to schedule cleaning routines. It doesn’t include a remote control or Wi-Fi (unlike the 690), but it does have push-button activation for immediate cleaning.

Runtime with the Li-on battery is an impressive 75 minutes and the minimum clearance for cleaning beneath furniture, beds, and cabinets is 3.6 inches, which lets it reach most, though not all, areas of your home. The 860 also includes a virtual wall barrier to help it avoid certain areas of your home. The robot has a 14 inch cleaning radius and weighs 8 pounds on our scale. Unlike most vacuums in this price range and the 690, 652, 650, and 614 in particular, the Roomba 860 also includes a HEPA filter with 99% filtration down to 1 micron, making it a strong choice for families with allergies.

Inside the box, you’ll find the Roomba, its wall charger (to which it’ll return automatically when either finished cleaning or low on battery), a number of extra brushes and filters, and the same too-short one year warranty common to just about every robotic vacuum on the market.

What’s the difference between the Roomba 690, 652, 650, 614, and the 860?

Between the 860 and most of the 600-series Roombas (except for the 690, which includes Wi-Fi and smart phone compatibility as well as a remote), the differences mainly have to do with suction, battery life, and filtration.

Compared to the 690, the most significant difference, as noted above, is the presence or absence of Wi-Fi and remote controls. Simply put, you can sync an Apple or Android smart phone to the 690 to program it, check battery life and cleaning progress, and read error codes when they appear. You also get a remote. The 860 doesn’t have Wi-Fi or a remote, and neither can be added after the fact. The 860 does have the advantages of longer battery life (75 vs 60 minutes) and the inclusion of a HEPA filter. It also has significantly better suction, which is a recurring theme compared to all 600-series models.

Compared to the 652, the 860 is older, but features a better battery life at 75 minutes vs 60 minutes; both use Lithium-ion batteries, which will give you more charges before reaching the end of their useful life. They both weigh about the same (8 pounds in the 860 vs 7.9 pounds in the 652). The 860, unlike the 652, includes a virtual wall for restricting access to forbidden zones (e.g., piles of laundry or pet food bowls). The 860 also includes a HEPA filter, which the 652 does not. Once again, the 860 also features better suction.

Compared to the 650, beyond the additional suction, the 860 also uses a more efficient Li-on battery instead of an older Nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) battery, and has much better battery life at 75 vs 50 minutes. The 860 also weighs significantly less at 7.9 pounds vs 11.7 pounds and includes a HEPA filter. Both include a virtual wall barrier.

Finally, compared to the 614, the 860 maintains the advantages it has over the 650 and adds programmability and scheduling, which are both absent in the 614. Don’t underestimate the value of being able to set a cleaning schedule on usability; your Roomba will never clean while you’re at work without such a feature.

How well does the Roomba 860 clean carpets, hardwood floors, and pet hair?

When it comes to affordable robotic vacuums, we’re not looking for perfection. At this price range, what we want is a vacuum that can clean low-pile carpets and area rugs without getting stuck, and which can make quick work of bare floors. We also look for machines that will clean in somewhat logical patterns without repeatedly cleaning the same areas a dozen times while leaving others untouched. A robot in this price range should also have a decent battery life–at least 50 minutes–and be capable of finding its way back to its home base to recharge when low on battery or done cleaning.

The 860 checks all of these boxes, and handily. Its battery life is significantly longer than we’d expect at 75 minutes on hardwood floors (somewhat less on carpeting, which is also to be expected), and although it resembles a wayward sailor when wandering from one section of a room to another, it always gets everything clean, given enough time, and doesn’t repeat itself enough to become infuriating. Its cleaning power is commendable on low-pile carpets and rugs; Roomba claims it has 5x as much power as that of the 600-series models, and while we couldn’t confirm this directly, it did seem to leave carpets significantly cleaner given the same amount of time spent cleaning them.

Overall, we were pleased with the job the 860 did on a variety of surfaces. It couldn’t deal with mid- or high-pile carpeting, but you’re generally not going to find a robotic vacuum that can without spending much more money (e.g., for a Botvac Connected); we’d recommend buying a cheap robot like the 860 and a higher-end canister like the Miele Soft Carpet or Electro+ if you want a machine to do most of the vacuuming for you but also want to be able to deal with more difficult carpet piles and styles (e.g., frieze carpets).

Why buy the Roomba 860?

While there have never been as many choices for cheap domestic robots as there are today, that doesn’t mean all the choices are worth considering. Rather than being taken in by impossibly cheap vacuums promising the sun and moon (2 hour cleaning times! Mopping and vacuuming in one! Whisper quiet!), we often recommend spending a bit more for a lot more reliability.

The Roomba 860 isn’t the cheapest vacuum on the market, but it’ll clean as well as most affordable robots while lasting longer than five minutes past the warranty period. We’re particularly pleased with the battery life, which is greater than what you’ll see in most reliable brands at this price range. And between the 652, 650, and 614, there are fewer reasons to choose any over the 860 besides price. If you like the 860 but want to be able to steer it with a smart phone, get the 690 instead.

You can buy the Roomba 860 here on Amazon. Alternatively, you can buy the Roomba 652 here, the Roomba 650 here, or the Roomba 614 here. If you want a Roomba you can control with your smart phone, buy the Roomba 690 here instead.

Canadians can buy the Roomba 860 here on Amazon, the Roomba 652 here, the Roomba 650 here, or the Roomba 614 here. For smart phone compatibility, upgrade to the Roomba 690 instead.

If you find our research on PMC helpful, you can follow our efforts to keep maniacally reviewing home cleaning tools by shopping through our links above. We promise to keep fighting the good fight against every horror children, animals, and grown, yet messy humans can inflict upon a clean home.