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If any brand stands a chance to becoming to robot vacuums what hoover is to the conventional kind, it is iRobot with their Roomba brand. The iRobot Roomba 671 is a fantastic example of what this company is all about, with fantastic cleaning combined with outstanding connectivity. The Roomba 671 can be triggered from anywhere thanks to its Wi-Fi support, mobile app and even voice control using Alexa, Siri or Google Home, and all at a price point that represents eye-catching value for money.
- Value for Money 85%
- Battery Life 90%
- Durability 95%
- Suction Power 95%
- Noise 90%
- Connectivity 90%
Key Features
- 3-stage cleaning for all types of dirt
- Adaptable cleaning head for close contact across surfaces
- Dirt sensors to identify intense cleaning spots
- Fantastic connectivity with Wi-Fi and voice control
- Basic but useful mobile app for remote cleaning
- Plentiful support and spares from the manufacturer
iRobot Roomba 671 Price and Manufacturer Specs
- 3-Stage cleaning system picks up everything from small particles to large debris, to pet hair
- The auto-adjust cleaning head automatically adapts its height to keep the dual multi-surface brushes in close contact with different floor surfaces, to effectively clean carpets as well as hard floors
- Dirt detect sensors recognize concentrated areas of dirt and prompt the robot to clean them more thoroughly
- No smart home hub required
Our iRobot Roomba 671 Review
The iRobot Roomba 671 is a standout within the range, wrapping fantastic cleaning and excellent connectivity in a manageable price point that will appeal to new robovac users and the more experienced alike. While not the cheapest robot vacuum on the market by any stretch, owners of the Roomba 671 will benefit from cleaning that rivals more expensive models.
In the Box
The Roomba 671 comes with everything you need to get up and running immediately. The only item that is perhaps notable by its absence is a remote control – you either need to control this robot vacuum cleaner with the Roomba mobile app, or switch it on manually. It all comes down to a quality of life consideration in the end, but if you’re after a robot vacuum for someone that does not own or prefers not to use a smartphone, you may wish to consider a highly-rated alternative that does come with a remote, such as the Eufy RoboVac 15C MAX.
Outside of that, you’ll get your hands on a simple but effective combination of parts spanning the Roomba 671 itself, together with the charging station and plug and a set of operating instructions.
In coming from iRobot, arguably the biggest names in robot vacuums, spare parts are rarely required but easy to get your hands on. Such is the popularity of this model that owners even have a choice of manufacturers for their spares, so it is always possible to opt for price over quality or vice versa.
Cleaning and Capacity
On paper, the Roomba 671 is nowhere near being what we would consider the most powerful robot vacuum on the market. The 600 Pa suction pales in comparison to what you’ll find on the aforementioned RoboVac 15C MAX with its 2,000 Pa and indeed many other robot vacuums featured across the site. However, just as you might expect from iRobot and Roomba as brands, there is more to consider here than pure numbers.
iRobot has had longer than just about anyone else in the game to perfect their cleaning technologies, and the result is a robovac that may not sound like the strongest on paper, but that will get the job done. In our tests, pet hair presents no problem for this device, and even ground in mud and dirt were quickly removed. This is thanks to decent if not exceptional suction, a spot clean mode that will provide a more intense clean on areas that the robot detects as being particularly dirty, and brushes that are of particularly high quality at this price point.
The 350 ml dust box follows in the footsteps of the cleaning power, as it is not the largest on paper. However, in practice, it is more than sufficient to cover both floors of an average home without the need for emptying. If you decide to use the scheduling functionality available in the app, you can set up daily cleans of a single floor and only need to empty the robovac a couple of times each week.
Battery and Charging
The battery life clocks in at around an hour, which should be sufficient for the majority of single floors. It could potentially be suitable for cleaning the whole house without charging in between. As noted, the dust box keeps up as it is of a decent size and should last a full cleaning session or even longer if you clean the floor regularly.
Noise
One area in which the Roomba 671 does potentially fall down compared to other devices around a similar price is in the noise it produces. At 62 dB when running as normal, it is not the loudest robot vacuum around, but it is far from being the quietest either. We always seem to cover this part of our reviews by considering whether the robovac will interfere in your standard day-to-day television watching and, in all honesty, this one might unless your standard volume setting on the TV sits around 25 or above. It isn’t horrible, and the noises are actually quite pleasant, but let’s just say that you’ll know it’s there while it works!
Filters
The Roomba 671 doesn’t come with HEPA filters as standard, but this is something you get used to with Roomba robot vacuums. Basically, Roomba tends to use its own design for filters in robot vacuums and they are ultimately different enough to the official HEPA standard that they are not rated as such. However, the filter that is included with the 671 has performed more than adequately for us in our tests, even in the face of a particularly shaggy dog. Much as with the suction power on this device, you have to look past the tech specs and into practical usage, and there are no signs of the Roomba 671 falling down in this area.
Connectivity
What sets the iRobot Roomba 671 apart from many other automatic vacuums in the same price range is the connectivity. Many competing models are essentially equal to this one in terms of cleaning power and their abilities to get around the house, but it is the mobile app and Wi-Fi connection that really take this model to the next level.
The app is available for Android and iOS, and while it is unlikely to be the most complex piece of software on anyone’s phone or tablet, it does the job. Your device can be activated from anywhere that you have a signal, and you can see whether the battery is full before commencing a clean. There is basic scheduling within the app, where users can set the robot vacuum to start cleaning at a specific time each day, and it keeps track of a history of cleaning jobs to answer the question that nobody really ever asks concerning when the floor was last cleaned.
The Roomba 671 is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and all major smart home products, and that includes voice activation. When setting the device up with the mobile app, you will be invited to give it a name. This name is then used by your smart speaker to turn the robovac on with your voice for a novel but personal touch.
In the more than a year in which we used the Roomba 671, we never encountered any problems, but the app can come in handy for resets too. Rather than going to the unit and holding various buttons, it is possible to trigger a factory reset within the app settings – usually enough to get any robovac back on the straight and narrow.
Navigation
What does enable more expensive robot vacuums to stand out ahead of the Roomba 671 are the sensors. There is no dedicated mapping in this unit, and it tends to find its way around through trial and error, similarly to the Eufy RoboVac 11. That means that you can expect a bit of banging and crashing when the unit is active, although we have never encountered any instances of it causing damage to fixtures and fittings. There are proximity sensors and also drop sensors, so you can safely leave the Roomba to clean upstairs without supervision without it going kamikaze off the top step.
iRobot Roomba 671 – Pros and Cons
Excellent cleaning for the price thanks to the 3-stage cleaning system
First-class connectivity in this price range with voice activation and remote access
- Reliably returns to base after completing a job to commence charging
Not the quietest robot vacuum around
Slower than some more expensive models and will often take 15 minutes per room
- Can get confused on darker flooring such as rugs
iRobot Roomba 671 – The Verdict
The iRobot Roomba is an excellent robot vacuum that certainly feels like it justifies its midrange price. Cleaning quality is everything that you would expect from a brand that has been working on smart robots for decades while specialising in robovacs, and the dirt sensor that enables more intense cleaning on certain spots can set this model apart from the competition. If you do have dark carpets or rugs in the home, it is worth considering that this can confuse the dirt sensor somewhat, slowing the unit down and causing it to go into its intensive cleaning mode when potentially not required.
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iRobot Roomba 671 Review
The app is simple but works incredibly well, with the only slight criticism being that you may occasionally find yourself unable to connect when outside the home. Such instances are rare, and the Roomba 671 is an excellent entry point to robot vacuuming for anyone that like to adopt a genuinely hands-off approach. The unit can be triggered from the other side of the world if you so choose, and will get to work before automatically heading back to its home base to charge up again. Other than emptying the dust box and occasionally untangling hair from the rollers, this robovac can be relied upon to look after itself. It is excellent value for anyone that demands this level of connectivity and comes highly recommended.
iRobot Roomba 671 – Questions and Answers
Does the Roomba 671 Learn the Floor Plan?
No. In line with most robot vacuums around this price point, the Roomba 671 relies on a suite of sensors to detect obstacles but otherwise moves randomly. It does get the job done and covers all floor space, and also does a fine job of returning to base at the end of the cleaning cycle. However, it’s cleaning pattern is dictated by the drop sensors where required, together with collision detection.
How Long is the Roomba 671 Cleaning Cycle?
The Roomba 671 will clean for as long as needed, or until the battery gets low and it needs to return to base. The official runtime of the robot is 90 minutes, which measures up accurately to our own tests. In most cases, this should be more than sufficient to do both floors in the average home. The robot is also intelligent and senses when everywhere is clean, and will often head back to base automatically far sooner – and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Is the Roomba 671 Good for Pet Hair?
The Roomba 671 is rather hit and miss when it comes to pet hair, much like any other robot vacuum that you’ll find for around this price. In terms of suction, it will have no trouble at all with picking up hairs and, while not a true HEPA filter, the filtration system in this unit is more than sufficient to take care of hair and dander. However, what prevents us from recommending this robovac particularly highly for pet owners is the roller brush. The best robot vacuums for pets usually go one of two ways, with either a rubber brush or nothing at all, relying instead on suction. If you have pets that shed a lot, you can expect to spend half an hour every week cutting wound-up hair out of the brush and that goes against the convenience that we appreciate from robot vacuums overall. If you’re intent on sticking with the Roomba brand, we’d recommend the Roomba 981 and its rubber brushes. If you’d prefer something closer to the Roomba 671’s price point, the Neato Robotics D301 will get the job done.
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