The iRobot Roomba 614 robot vacuum is amongst the oldest models in the 600 series despite its model number but it’s still on of the iRobot’s most popular, successful and affordable entry-level model we have in the market today.
In this Roomba 614 review, we’re going to explore the key features of the model so you can see why it has remained popular for a long time.
Contents
Cleaning System
The Roomba 614 utilizes an effective three-stage cleaning system that comprises of two brush rolls, one side brush, and vacuum suction all which work together to get rid of dirt from floors.
The first stage involves an edge-sweeping brush which is actually 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 which 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 614 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 614 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 614 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 Carpets
The Roomba 614 is quite effective at cleaning carpets as the stiff bristles of the large brush roll allow it to clean carpets so deeply. It may, however, struggle a little bit to clean carpets that have extremely deep piles.
The good news though is that the bristles are not too stiff to pull up threads even when running on relatively thick carpeting and won’t catch smaller threads either.
Another commendable thing is that the 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 dual multi-surface brushes of this iRobot Roomba 614 robot vacuum really start to shine when it comes harder types of flooring.
They are highly effective at cleaning both hardwood and laminate floors, and equally, adjust themselves when they move from carpet to regular hard flooring.
Moreover, the rotating side brush is designed to sit at 27° angle which allows it to effectively sweep away dirt and debris hiding along walls, edges, and corners.
The unit also has a low profile measuring just 3.6 inches tall. It can fit under most furniture as well as other hard-to-reach areas plus the wheels are quite gentle, so they are not likely to cause any damages to hardwood floors. They are gentle enough for even bamboo floors.
Pet Hair Removal
The combination of the brush rolls and the strong suction power makes the Roomba 614 a good option for those with pets too. It does a decent job of handling pet hair, pet fur, carpet fuzz, lint as well as other pet coat droppings such as dead skin.
Dirt Detection
Dirt detection is also an area where this Roomba robot vacuum performs exceptionally well. It’s equipped with iRobot’s Dirt Detect technology which utilizes acoustic sensors that identify concentrated areas of dirt and spends a little more time cleaning them.
Navigation System
The iRobot Roomba 614 robotic vacuum cleaner has been designed such that it can intelligently navigate your home in a precise manner. The unit features iRobot’s iAdapt navigation system 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.
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.
With a climbing threshold of 0.63 inches which is pretty much the standard height of most of the Roomba models, this unit can easily manage to go over flooring transitions of different thickness provided it’s not more than 0.7 inches.
The size of the Roomba 614 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.
Dust Bin and Filtration System
The dust bin has a capacity of 600 ml which might seem a bit small but it can manage to hold plenty of dirt. At just one go, it can clean 2 to 3 rooms without having to empty it.
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 another major highlight of this iRobot Roomba 614 robot vacuum. These batteries are much superior to the Ni-Mh batteries found in most advanced models and have a longer life span.
The battery can run for up to 1 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.
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. However, you will have to restart the cleaning manually as it does not feature a recharge and resume function.
Drawbacks
As you may have noticed from this iRobot Roomba 614 review, this is a very basic robot vacuum and although it has several essential features and its cleaning performance is really commendable, it does lack some more advanced features.
The AeroVac filter is a decent standard filter but quite as effective as the HEPA filter which makes the unit not ideal for those that suffer from allergies. There’s no full bin indicator and no programmable scheduling too.
