The iRobot Roomba 650 appears to be a bestseller when it comes to vacuum cleaning robots for pet hair, carpets and hard floors.

Roomba 650: Overview

The Roomba 650 is an entry-level vacuum cleaning robot made by iRobot. It has all the basic features, but for more advanced features you need to pay more money for a 700, 800 or 900 series Roomba.

The Roomba 650 has a schedule button. It also has buttons for setting the clock, day, hour and minute. Use this to program the day, hour and minute you want the robot vacuum to start cleaning for up to seven days in advance (only once per day). You will still need to empty the bin when it is full, since the robot cannot do that by itself.

The iRobot Roomba 650 can sweep all floor types with its three-stage cleaning system: agitation, brushing and suction. There are two counter-rotating brushes on the bottom and a single rotating brush on the side of the robot vacuum cleaner. It is low enough (only 3.6 inches tall) to clean under most beds, sofas and furniture.

iRobot vacuum cleaning robots use iAdapt navigation to move around your home while avoiding most obstacles. The virtual wall accessory can keep the Roomba in a specific room and out of other rooms. It returns to its home base dock when its battery runs low and then recharges itself. However, it does not resume cleaning after recharging itself.

The Roomba 650 has infrared sensors that scan the room multiple times every second. This prevents the vacuum robot from hitting large objects or walls. Even so, the sensors are not so good at sensing thinner objects such as table legs. The Roomba will bump into chair legs and other thin furniture. Luckily, it has rubber bumpers on its sides so that it does not leave marks on the furniture.

Moving from one room to the next, and therefore from one surface type to another, does not present a problem. The Roomba 650 moves from hardwood floor to normal carpet to tile. However, it might avoid carpets that are thick, heavy or very dark.

The Roomba 650 is a low-end iRobot vacuum cleaner, so it does not have a remote control or phone application. Nevertheless, it is an automatic vacuum cleaning robot that can be programmed to clean once per day at a specific time.

Restrict it to cleaning a single room at a time with the included virtual wall. The Roomba will find its home base much easier if it is located in the same room. Its battery charge lasts for almost an hour before it returns to the home base for a recharge.

What is included?

The vacuum robot comes with its own internal bin for storing dirt and pet hair. Its home base docking station comes with a battery charger which you connect to a household power outlet. It will recharge the Roomba’s battery in less than four hours. An extra AeroVac filter is also included.

The last included item is the virtual wall, which is used to prevent the Roomba from wandering out the door before it has finished cleaning a room. The virtual wall is powered by two C batteries (not included).

The Roomba 650 has an iRobot limited warranty, which is valid for vacuum robots that are bought and used in North America. The manufacturer gives a one-year limited warranty on the vacuum robot. The battery has a six-month limited warranty. You will need to replace the battery after about two years of regular use, but it is worth it.

What are the advantages of the Roomba 650?

It is relatively easy to use: its operation is without any serious complications. It cleans efficiently and effectively in both open spaces and underneath furniture.

The Roomba 650 seems to clean hardwood floors better than carpets. It can keep dust and pet hair from multiplying if you schedule it to clean every day. It is a good vacuum cleaning robot for pet hair, hard floors, small or large rooms.

The Roomba 650 is strong enough to keep the floors and carpets clean between the weekly manual cleaning with a big vacuum cleaner.

This robot vacuum has sensors that allow it to steer safely around the room. Its cliff-detection sensors prevent the cleaning robot from falling down the stairs like a character in a crime thriller. It is only 3.6 inches tall, so it can clean the surfaces underneath most pieces of furniture.

What are its disadvantages?

A robotic vacuum cleaner might be small enough to fit underneath most furniture, but that does not mean it is as quiet as a mouse. It is still a vacuum cleaner, and it can be noisy. Its small size means that its bin capacity is also small. Cleaning out the bin after every use is a regular maintenance chore.

The Roomba 650 might sometimes get stuck in a tight spot or on an uneven surface, so it is not 100% free from problems. If you have a lot of furniture in your house, then the Roomba might frequently bump into chair legs or table posts. It might also miss a few dirty spots. Even so, it helps to reduce the daily chore of sweeping up hair and dust.

The Roomba 650 does not have a HEPA filter, therefore it does not trap very fine particles such as pollen when releasing the air it inhaled during its vacuum operation. It uses a normal vacuum filter to clean small particles from the air it expels.

Keep in mind that robotic vacuum cleaners cannot scrub and remove tough dirt or stains. They do not clean as deeply and do not last as long as ordinary manual vacuum cleaners.

Is the Roomba 650 simple to use?

Press a single button (CLEAN) to start the Roomba on its cleaning journey around the room. It will automatically return to its home docking station to recharge its battery. You can also program its presets to do vacuum cleaning for up to seven times in seven days.

Which floor surface types can it clean?

This robot vacuum cleans multiple surface types and moves from one surface to the next while cleaning. It can brush off and vacuum away pet hair, dirt and dust from hardwood floors, linoleum, tile, rugs and carpets.

How does it clean carpets and floors?

The Roomba 650 uses a combination of brushes and vacuum suction to clean floor surfaces. The agitator brush loosens debris, which is then picked up by a counter-rotating brush. A side brush spins and sweeps the edges of walls and corners. The dirt is then vacuumed into its internal bin.

It cleans carpets and rugs, unless the carpet is too thick and shaggy. Some owners have also observed that the Roomba often fails to clean very dark or black carpets. It seems that the Roomba mistakes the black color for an abyss and simply avoids cleaning the carpet. Therefore, very dark carpets might trigger its cliff-detection sensors.

Does it get rid of pet hair?

Yes, it picks up pet hair. Schedule the robot vacuum to clean the floor once per day. Empty the bin when it is full and check the brushes for an accumulation of hair.

Will it slip down the stairs?

It has cliff-detention sensors that detect a decrease in height and stops the cleaner from falling down a stairway. Even so, it might be a good idea to position the virtual wall at the top of the stairs when the Roomba 650 is cleaning the top floor. This is an added safety practice to prevent a costly and damaging slip down the stairs.

How much noise does it make?

It is not quite as loud as a regular vacuum cleaner, but it is close. Some pets ignore its vacuum whine, while a few might avoid it when it is working. It depends on the individual pet. However, if your cats and dogs run away from a regular vacuum cleaner, then they will definitely dislike the noise the Roomba makes.

Roomba 650 vs. Roomba 860

These vacuum cleaning robots have the same iAdapt responsive navigation system. They are both self-charging robots with a scheduling feature. However, the Roomba 860 (reviewed here) has the newer AeroForce performance cleaning system that makes it up to five times more powerful than the Roomba 650 model.

The Roomba 860 also has an indicator that shows you when the debris bin is full. Its brushes are tangle free, which means hair does not stick to it. Even so, it might cost a few dollars more than the Roomba 650.

Roomba 650: Verdict

The iRobot Roomba 650 is a popular robotic vacuum cleaner for pet owners. The amount of pet hair and dander it collects on a daily schedule makes it worth the investment. It is an affordable fur fighter! Nevertheless, too many pieces of furniture might be too much for the robot: it will bump into stuff too often.

Overall, the Roomba 650 removes a lot of the dander and fur from dogs, cats and humans that accumulate on the floor every day. However, it works best on hard floors and thin carpets.

Please note that there are newer and better model numbers available. The Roomba 650 is unfortunately becoming an old robot vacuum. There are more advanced iRobot vacuum cleaners on the market, such as the Roomba e5. At the end of the day, you might still be able to buy a used Roomba 650 robot vacuum, if you can still find such a unit (shop now on Amazon).