Roomba 694: Smart, Pet‑Friendly Robot Vacuum
Overview:The Roomba 694 brings smart, effortless daily floor cleaning to U.S. homes, compatible with the iRobot Home app and major voice assistants. Its sleek, premium design pairs with an Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head that adapts height to clean carpets and hard floors effectively.
Key Features & Benefits:
- Control cleaning via the iRobot Home app or voice assistants for scheduled routines.
- Enjoy consistent cleaning with the Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head for carpets and hard floors.
- Avoid falls using Cliff Detect and Adaptive Navigation sensors around furniture and edges.
- Get up to 90 minutes runtime before automatic docking and recharging.
- Fit low-profile design under furniture to reach hidden dirt and dust.
- Reduce daily dirt with scheduled cleans that adapt to your home’s layout.
$257.52
Introduction
The Roomba 694 is an entry-level, app-connected robot vacuum from iRobot designed to keep everyday floors tidy with minimal fuss. It combines a compact, attractive chassis with basic smart features — scheduling, sensor-guided navigation, and an adaptive cleaning head — aimed at homeowners who want regular maintenance cleaning without committing to a premium robot.
If you live in a small-to-medium home or apartment and want automated daily pickup of dust, crumbs and pet hair without manual scheduling, the Roomba 694 is worth considering. Quick verdict: a straightforward, reliable option for hands-off everyday cleaning that leans on simplicity rather than advanced mapping or high-end power.
What’s in the Box
- Not specified (manufacturer listing does not provide a complete component list)
Note: The product page does not list the included accessories and extras. If included items — such as a Home Base charging dock, extra filters, or side brushes — are important to you, check the retailer’s details or the box contents before buying.
Design & Build
The Roomba 694 has a low-profile, sleek appearance that is intended to blend into modern home decor rather than stand out. iRobot positions it as a visually neutral appliance that fits comfortably under sofas and around furniture lines, aided by a compact circular footprint and a broadly flat top.
Materials and finish are consistent with iRobot’s midrange models: a plastic chassis with a matte and slightly textured surface that resists fingerprints. The build is light enough for easy handling but solid enough for routine use. Its low height (typical of Roombas) helps it slip under most couches and nightstands; specific dimensions and weight are not listed in the manufacturer’s summary.
Ergonomics are simple — a few intuitive buttons on the unit for start/pause and spot cleaning, and most scheduling and full-control features are handled through the app or voice assistant. The design favors unobtrusive daily operation over flashy hardware extras.
Key Features
Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head
Benefit: Automatically changes height to maintain contact across hard floors and area rugs, so it can transition without manual swapping or adjustment.
Where it helps: In homes with mixed surfaces — think hardwood in the living room and low- to medium-pile carpets in bedrooms — the Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head reduces the number of times the robot gets stuck or leaves a line of debris behind at threshold transitions. It helps maintain consistent suction/contact without you having to babysit the machine.
Adaptive Navigation
Benefit: A suite of sensors lets the robot detect and navigate around obstacles, travel along walls, and find its way under furniture while avoiding drops.
Where it helps: Everyday clutter like chair legs, cables, and low cabinets are negotiated more smoothly than with very basic bump-and-go units. The Cliff Detect sensors prevent accidental falls down stairs. For small-to-medium homes where you want the robot to operate autonomously while you’re out, Adaptive Navigation reduces the chance of interruptions.
Clean Floors Every Day (Smart Scheduling + Sensing)
Benefit: The Roomba 694 combines sensor-driven cleaning patterns with scheduled runs to deliver routine maintenance cleaning tailored to your home.
Where it helps: If your goal is to manage dust accumulation and light debris daily, setting a schedule via the app or voice assistant keeps floors consistently cleaner without manual intervention. The sensors allow the robot to respond to changes in the environment, such as spending more time on dirtier areas.
Automatically Recharges (Up to 90 Minutes Runtime)
Benefit: The vacuum runs for up to 90 minutes before returning to its dock for a recharge, so it can resume regular cleaning cycles without you needing to plug it in.
Where it helps: For daily spot maintenance in apartments and many houses, a 90-minute runtime is sufficient to cover the main living areas. Note: the runtime figure is from the manufacturer’s listing and tested data is not provided here (source: listing, checked 2025).
App and Voice Control
Benefit: Schedule cleanings, start or stop jobs, and integrate with voice assistants to control the robot without touching the unit.
Where it helps: If you prefer remote control or want to include the robot in routines (for example, “Hey Google, start the Roomba”), the app and voice support make operation convenient. The product listing highlights scheduling through the iRobot Home app and voice-assistant compatibility for effortless setup.
Performance & Use
Practical tips for setting up and getting consistent results:
- Initial setup: Place the charging base against a wall with a clear area in front so the Roomba can dock easily. Power up, pair the device with your Wi‑Fi via the iRobot Home app, and run a short test cycle to confirm navigation and docking.
- Scheduling: Set daily or multiple-weekday schedules in the iRobot Home app to keep high-traffic areas maintained. If you have predictable heavy-use times (kids’ snack hour, pet shedding days), schedule runs shortly after those times to reduce build-up.
- Declutter before runs: Pick up loose cords, small objects, and clothing that can tangle in the brushes. The Roomba’s sensors are good at navigating furniture, but smaller obstacles can cause interruptions.
- Edge and corner performance: The Roomba follows walls and edges well thanks to dedicated sensors, but like most circular robots, it may miss very tight corners. Periodic manual touch-ups with a stick vacuum or handheld will fill those micro-gaps.
- Maintenance: Empty the dust bin regularly and check the brushes and filter for hair tangles. The listing doesn’t specify filter type or replacement intervals; follow prompts in the app and inspect components after heavy-use periods. Clean cliff and cliff-detect sensors if you notice navigation issues.
- Large homes and long runs: The 90-minute runtime (source: listing, checked 2025) is suited to small-to-medium layouts. For larger homes, expect the robot to dock and recharge during longer tasks; it will resume in many cases but check the app/notifications to confirm behavior for multi-room jobs.
- Pet hair and allergens: The Roomba 694 is useful for everyday pet hair pickup, but the listing doesn’t state whether it uses HEPA filtration or a specialized allergy filter. If severe allergies are a concern, verify filter specifications with the seller.
Common real-world scenarios
- Apartments and condos: Excellent for daily maintenance; a single scheduled run can keep floors presentable between deep cleanings.
- Multi-surface homes: The Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head helps with transitions from tile to rug, reducing the need for manual intervention.
- Busy households: Set-and-forget scheduling via the app and voice commands minimizes interruptions to family routines.
Pros vs Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Simple, set-and-forget scheduling via the app and voice assistants — convenient for daily maintenance. (Listing: scheduling with iRobot Home app and voice control) | Runtime up to 90 minutes may be limiting for very large homes — manufacturer-stated runtime: up to 90 minutes (source: listing, checked 2025). |
| Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head adjusts to different floor heights for better transitions between hard floors and carpets. | The listing does not specify included accessories or a full component list, so you should confirm what’s in the box before purchase. |
| Adaptive Navigation and cliff detection reduce stumbles, falls, and getting stuck under furniture. | No detailed specs for bin capacity, filter type, or brush design are listed — filter/allergen performance is not specified. |
| Sleek, low-profile design blends into home decor and fits under most furniture. | Advanced mapping or multi-room mapping features are not detailed on the product page (Not specified). |
| Automatically docks and recharges to keep cleaning cycles continuous. | The listing lacks full technical details such as dimensions, weight, and replacement-part info (Not listed). |
Who Should Buy
- You want a low-effort way to keep floors picked up daily without a premium price tag.
- You live in an apartment or small-to-medium house where 90 minutes of runtime covers the main living areas.
- You value simple smart features like app scheduling and voice control rather than advanced mapping or high-suction deep cleaning.
- You appreciate a compact, unobtrusive design that stays out of sight when not in use.
Who Shouldn’t Buy
- You need a robot to deep-clean high-pile carpets or heavy debris — higher-end models specify stronger suction and specialized brush systems.
- You have a very large home where a 90-minute run is insufficient and where sophisticated multi-room mapping is essential (mapping features are not specified for this model).
- You require detailed specifications about filters, bin capacity, or included accessories before buying — the listing does not provide a full component/spec breakdown.
Specs
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | Roomba 694 |
| Runtime | Up to 90 minutes (source: listing, checked 2025) |
| Cleaning Head | Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head (adapts height for carpets and hard floors) |
| Navigation | Adaptive Navigation with multiple sensors |
| Cliff Detection | Yes |
| Charging | Automatically recharges to Home Base |
| App Control | Scheduling and control via iRobot Home app (listing) |
| Voice Assistant | Works with voice assistants (listing) |
| Box contents | Not listed |
| Dimensions | Not listed |
| Weight | Not listed |
| Filter type | Not listed |
| Bin capacity | Not listed |
Final Thoughts & Buying Tips
The Roomba 694 is a sensible pick if your priority is routine, hands-off floor maintenance in a smaller home or apartment. It focuses on dependable navigation, automatic height adjustment for mixed floors, and convenient scheduling via the iRobot Home app and voice assistants. If you need heavy-duty suction, advanced room mapping, or extensive specification transparency up front, consider higher-tier models or confirm key details with the seller.
If you decide to buy, verify the retailer’s listing for included accessories (charging dock, extra filters, replacement brushes), confirm any warranty terms, and check return policies. For optimal day-to-day performance: keep clutter cleared, empty the bin frequently, and inspect brushes and sensors on a regular basis.
Ready to automate your daily floor care? Check detailed retailer listings for the most up-to-date price and package contents before purchasing.
Specification: Roomba 694: Smart, Pet‑Friendly Robot Vacuum
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25282 reviews for Roomba 694: Smart, Pet‑Friendly Robot Vacuum
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Aklealea –
Fantastic iRobot — it cleans thoroughly. I don’t have Alexa and never connected it to a computer or programmed cleaning patterns, yet it still does an amazing job. I let it run through several rooms and it’s impressive how much dust and pet hair it picks up. It’s a bit noisy, but worth it. My cats won’t ride it, but they enjoy following it around and weren’t scared after the first couple times. I love this little guy — it even says “Touch Rumba” when it needs help or gets stuck on a rug. So easy to use and easy to clean.
Jeremy Riley –
Excellent — it vacuums perfectly.
Mayte Diaz –
We have two white-haired dogs that shed constantly, leaving drifts of hair around the house.
Pros: Our floors are about 90% wood with small areas of carpet and some lino — the Roomba handles all of them with no problems. It manages level changes between older and newer sections of the house and navigates obstacles like chair legs and kids’ shoes very well. It hasn’t picked up objects or cables so far, though you should still clear small items like LEGO.
Cons: It’s much noisier than I expected — clearly intended to run when you’re out. It can also take a long time to return to its dock when instructed (10+ minutes), though that may improve as it learns. We’ve only had it a few days, but so far it works as described.
Mazie –
Good for daily use with quiet operation. You’ll need to prepare the floor beforehand, but it can move across carpets.
Teresa –
I bought it to see if it would make my life easier, and it does — with a dog it’s far better to spend 10 minutes emptying and cleaning it than an hour vacuuming every day. It doesn’t handle corners well or get under very low furniture, but it’s perfect for rugs and hallways. It tends to get stuck for no reason, the battery doesn’t last long, it bangs into things a lot and quite hard, the sensors aren’t very precise, and it has trouble finding its way back to the charger. Still, all that is negligible compared to the time and energy saved; it’s very easy to clean and seems very durable.
Hs –
It does exactly what I wanted — gives me back time I used to spend cleaning. It leaves the floors pretty clean; I haven’t needed to sweep except occasionally for three weeks now, even with a chihuahua and a German shepherd. Things to keep in mind: check the front spinning brush after each use because it tangles with long hair and can jam, though it’s very easy to clean. The vacuum’s suction and brush size can pull in long, flexible items like dog collars or phone charging cables, which may clog it; the main wheels can also ride up onto objects that at first seem harmless. So clear the floor well — basically, if you would move it with a broom, remove it. Also, this model cleans randomly, so the smaller the area, the faster and more thoroughly it works; it helps to section rooms. My approximate areas are: kitchen 12 m², dining+living+entry 55 m², hallway 12 m², bedrooms 24 m². Considering that sweeping by hand takes time, is tiring, and makes me sweat, I highly recommend it.
Aklealea –
I’d been curious about an automatic vacuum but unsure it would clean well. Straight out of the box (and not even fully charged—I’d recommend charging the full 3 hours) my first run went great. I accidentally started it before a full charge, and after running two days in a row the dirt bin was full, so it’s definitely picking up debris.
I’m still learning how to use and program it; right now its pattern seems a bit random and it doesn’t always finish one area before moving on, so it misses some spots. I’ll update after I’ve explored the settings more. The app was super easy to set up, which helps.
I’m happy with this purchase so far. If you don’t want to empty the bin every day or two, consider the self-emptying model—I wanted to try the basic unit first. I’m a professional cleaner, so I had high expectations, and this has met my needs. The little “sweeper legs” do get into corners and under counters, though occasionally it misses things. It’s making my life easier. We named ours Dusty. It’s not too loud, but it can be distracting on a phone call, so I’ll go to another room if I’m on a call. I set it to run at 12 PM daily and, like clockwork, Dusty comes out and gets to work.
One issue: it gets stuck on a couple of my thick rugs. One rug caused it to stop with an error; another made it think it was near a cliff even though it’s just a bit higher than the hardwood floor. I just move it and restart—annoying but manageable since I’m home a lot. If you’ll be away frequently, that could be a problem (I’m still learning whether the app can help remotely). Also, pick up cords and remove sticky bug traps—its sweeper legs can get stuck on those.
Other than those issues, I’m loving this vacuum and would recommend it. I’ll update this review after I’ve used it longer.
Lexie –
We’re very happy with the cleaning performance — this vacuum is a real workhorse. We run it twice a week in two large carpeted rooms and it does an excellent job. The first few runs took nearly 90 minutes as it made up for our old push vacuum’s poor job; now, on our twice-weekly schedule, it finishes in about 45 minutes and everything looks great. I can’t comment on hard floors because we only use it on carpet.
That said, it’s not as hands-off as we expected. The app’s scheduling is unreliable — the iRobot has started two hours early, one hour early, and even on a day we didn’t schedule. It might be related to the Wi‑Fi. Occasionally it fails to return before the battery runs out; this doesn’t happen every time and we can’t tell what causes the difference. When the battery does die it’s usually after it’s essentially finished vacuuming, so the main inconvenience is having to retrieve it and put it back on the base.
The biggest downside so far is durability: two of the three spinning side brush arms broke off after only a few uses. The replacement part is $15 and currently out of stock, so we’ll see if it’s worth replacing. We bought it so my 92-year-old mother wouldn’t have to push a vacuum, and she absolutely loves it. It vacuums very well and, for us, the other issues aren’t deal breakers.