Though most automated vacuum cleaners are happy to bounce around your rooms, bumping into furniture like a drunk sleepwalker, iRobot's Roomba 980 is leading the pack in terms of vacuum intelligence.

Self-navigating; Self-charging; Two-hour battery; Environment mapping; App connectivity

Sluggish app control; Struggles over cables

Vacuuming is a laborious chore that I both hate and love. How so Viewing the contents of the bin upon finish makes the chore worth it, but yet every time the chore comes to head I often skip it.

iRobot Roomba 980 review: A Wi-Fi connected, sensor packed, dust busting monster

iRobot sells everything from gutter- and pool-cleaning gadgets to commercial-grade military, security and HazMat robots -- a recent FCC waiver even suggests automated lawnmowers are in the works -- but the brand is best known for its fleet of Roomba robot vacuum cleaners.

iRobot gives its $900 Roomba 980 a brain power boost with a lithium ion battery; additional sensors; a camera; and Wi-Fi and app connectivity on Android and iOS devices

It didn't perform as well as the $700 Roomba 880 we reviewed in 2013; We also want to see features like a remaining battery life readout, push alerts and third-party integrations added to the iRobot Home app

Our Floor has never been cleaner, with not time on our hands we come home to a clean floor everyday. Best investment I've made in a while, Love this robot.

Gets Stuck

Anything that promises to take the work out of vacuuming has got to be a good thing, right Right! Not even having to push the vacuum cleaner around is certainly taking out the work. That is, of course, what the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner famously offers.

The easy way to do housework; remote control with app; finds its own way home to charge up

Somewhat limited bin size; can get confused as to location

Having a robotic vacuum cleaner buzzing around while you get on with something else feels a lot like living in the future. Of all the technology we have – smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi, electric cars – a cleaning robot is the one which will make you think reality has caught up with science fiction.

We love using the Roomba and feel it has genuinely helped us keep our house cleaner and tidier. It is the very essence of what a gadget should be, in that it is cool, smart, desirable and works well.

As far as robot vacuums go, the Roomba 980 is excellent. It cleans fairly thoroughly, looks great, doesn't make too much noise, and is super-simple to use. Suction or sense of direction might not quite match Dyson's all-seeing 360 Eye, but it comes very close.

Excellent app; Surprising suction; Not afraid of cliffs - or more likely; stairs

Can't cut into corners; Shaken up by shag pile rugs

You can control this Roomba even if you're not home.