iRobot Roomba 652

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at one of iRobot’s best selling robot vacuums, the Roomba 652. It’s part of iRobot’s 600 series and has earned a lot of praise due to its moderate price and operability.

However, we are going to dig a little deeper and examine all the enhanced functionality and features that this model comes with and what makes it stand out compared to the rest.

Therefore, if you are thinking of investing in this automated vacuum from iRobot, then this is a perfect place to start. Without further ado, let’s begin our iRobot Roomba 652 review.

iRobot Roomba 652 Review

Cleaning System

The Roomba 652 uses an efficient three-stage cleaning system that includes two brush rollers, one side brush, and vacuum suction that work together to get rid of dirt from floors.

The first stage involves an edge-sweeping brush which is a specially designed side-rotating brush. Since the unit is circular in design, it’s not able to clean right up against walls.

Therefore, the side brush helps overcome this by rotating up against the walls and moving all the debris and dirt into the vacuum’s path thus facilitating wall to wall vacuuming coverage.

In the second stage of the cleaning process is a set of rotating brushes that sit at the center of the vacuum. These are much similar to the traditional brushes found on standard vacuum cleaners.

However, what sets apart the iRobot Roomba 652 robot vacuum from the standard vacuum models is that it’s equipped with two sets of brushes that rotate in opposite directions to dislodge and move all the debris and dirt up into the unit.

The third stage is the machine’s suction motor. At about 600 Pa, the motor delivers a powerful suction from a wide inlet which sucks dirt and pet hair lifted by the brushes and then guides it through into the bin.

In general, this three-stage cleaning system is highly effective and it means that the Roomba 652 is more than capable of providing excellent floor coverage and efficient vacuuming.

Brushes and their cleaning performance

The main cleaning tool in this iRobot Roomba 652 robotic vacuum cleaner is the two brush rolls. The larger one is affixed with stiff bristles to loosen dirt while the smaller one consists of soft, flexible bristles that pick up the dirt and debris, and accelerate them into the suction channel.

These counter-rotating brush rolls are very powerful and work together to loosen and grab everything from larger debris to smaller particles as well as hairs enabling the unit to thoroughly clean the floors.

Performance on carpet

Considering that the larger center brush roll of this iRobot Roomba 652 robotic vacuum cleaner features stiff bristles, it’s highly effective at dislodging even deeply embedded dirt and debris from carpets.

It will perform well on both low and medium-pile carpets plus the bristles areas not too stiff to pull up threads from your carpet.

Another commendable thing is that the dual brush cleaning head is designed to automatically adjust its height based on the type of carpeting to ensure it’s positioned properly. This function makes it fairly easy to switch from one carpet pile to another.

Performance on hard floors

The 652 shines too when it comes to cleaning hard floors and this again is due to the use of the powerful dual multi-surface brushes.

They are highly effective at cleaning both hardwood and laminate floors, and equally, adjust themselves when they move from carpet to regular hard flooring. They don’t scratch the floor or leave marks behind either.

Furthermore, the rotating side brush is designed to sit at a 27° angle which allows it to effectively sweep away dirt and debris hiding along walls, edges, and corners hence facilitating a thorough wall coverage and cleaning.

This unit also measures 3.6 inches tall, so it has a low profile and can get under furniture and other places that are hard to access with a standard vacuum. The three caster wheels are as well smooth and gentle which makes the unit quite safe to use on delicate hard floors like hardwood floors.

Pet hair removal

Pet hair removal capability of this iRobot Roomba 652 robot vacuum is also pretty good. The powerful brush roll in combination with the strong suction power and wider inlet does a great job at lifting pet hair and other things like lint and carpet fuzz from the floor and the brushes as well. Therefore, it’s a very reliable machine for pet owners.

Dirt detection

The dirt detection technology is yet another essential feature that comes with the Roomba 652. It utilizes acoustic sensors which perform exceptionally well in identifying dirt areas and take it’s time to clean those spots, especially where it’s highly concentrated with dirt.

Precise Navigation System

Navigation is one of the areas that really set’s Roomba 652 robot vacuum apart from all its predecessors as well as other units that fall in the same price range.

iAdapt Navigation

To start, the unit has been designed intelligently to navigate your home in a precise manner. It comes equipped with iRobot’s iAdapt navigation technology which is made up of highly responsive sensors and intelligent software.

This smart mapping technology enables the machine to make more than sixty decisions per second allowing it to adapt to your home such that it can detect and maneuver around furniture, walls, and people.

The iAdapt technology is also what helps the unit to accurately survey and identify those areas that need the most attention to ensure thorough cleaning. It not only allows the machine to avoid obstacles but also ensures that your room is efficiently covered.

Virtual Wall Navigation Technology

The Roomba 652 robot vacuum has been further reinforced with iRobot’s virtual wall navigation technology making it even more efficient than its counterparts.

With this particular feature in place, the 652 gives you extra control over the rooms you want it to access and clean plus the order it should clean them.

You can create invisible walls that the unit won’t cross using the virtual wall navigation system. That’s a big plus given that models within this price simply start cleaning randomly and continue to all rooms within a single floor.

Cliff Detect Sensors

Cliff detect sensors are also incorporated into this iRobot model and they enable it to sense significant level changes such as stairs and avoid them automatically. Therefore, it won’t fall down the stairs or tumble over drop-offs.

Although it has a climbing threshold of 0.59 inches which is a bit low, the machine is capable of going over most flooring transitions of different thicknesses provided it’s not more than 0.7 inches.

The compact design of the Roomba 652 is also meant to allow for nimble yet sturdy movement and considering that it sits atop a pair of smooth, anti-scratch wheels, it’s not going to wobble even when rolling across uneven surfaces and thresholds.

Scheduling function

Unlike the Roomba 614, this model already has a fairly useful scheduling feature. This is an advanced feature that’s not only time saving but also gives you great convenience because you can preset the machine to clean on your schedule.

You can schedule it to clean up to 7 times a week and it’s intuitive and simple. The unit comes with a Schedule button along with other 3 separate buttons for a minute, hour, and day.

Therefore, you can easily set different cleaning schedules for the week and the machine will automatically clean the house based on the preset schedule without requiring any further assistance from you.

Dust bin and filtration system

The 652 features a 300 ml dust bin which is relatively small especially considering that the previous models like the Roomba 614 come with a 600 ml dust bin.

However, with said, the 300 ml bin is enough to clean several rooms before you can empty it which you will have to do manually since it has no self-emptying capability.

Inside the dirt bin is an AeroVac filter. It’s not one of those higher filtration systems but it’s an effective small-particle filter that does a great job of trapping fine particles such as dust. There’s no full bin indicator but the bin is transparent which is somewhat convenient.

Powered by Lithium-Ion battery

The use of Lithium-Ion battery is also a commendable feature of this iRobot Roomba 652 robot vacuum. These batteries are much superior to the Ni-Mh batteries found in most advanced models and have a longer life span.

The unit utilizes a 2600 mAh Lithium-Ion battery that can run for up to 2  hour which is enough to cover a large room before requiring recharging.  The best part is that the machine is set to charge itself without any assistance.

Related: New Roomba i7+ with automatic dirt disposal

Once the battery is low, it returns to the docking station and then charges itself. Plus, it takes 3 hours or less to recharge which is not that long and there’s an on-board light indicator to let you know when it’s fully charged.

Even much better, when the schedule is activated, the machine can recharge and resume cleaning on its own which is a function that’s not present in most previous models in iRobot’s 600 series.

Drawbacks

Our Roomba 652 review will be incomplete, if not to mention some of the shortcomings of this robot vacuum cleaner.

For instance, the AeroVac filter is not as effective as a HEPA filter and thus renders this model unsuitable for those that suffer from allergies.

Besides, there’s no full bin indicator and it cannot connect with Wi-Fi or be controlled via a smartphone. You will also have to empty the bin manually as it doesn’t feature a self-emptying capability.

Final thoughts

We decided to do this iRobot Roomba 652 review not only because this model is still in demand. Despite its basic functionality, it has excellent cleaning performance everywhere, whether it is carpeted or hardwood flooring.

Roomba 652 is suitable for those who do not want to overpay for additional bells and whistles and expects from a robot vacuum what it is intended for – regularly keeping floors clean.