What To Make Of Amazon’s Acquisition Of iRobot

In recent years, you have surely heard the familiar tagline: “If it’s not from iRobot, it’s not a Roomba.” That refrain may be tested going forward, as Amazon just announced it is buying iRobot (the company, not the Will Smith movie) for $1.7 billion. Will they still use the iRobot branding or will Roombas now form part of an “Amazon Robotics” line along with the eminently creepy Amazon Astro? Only time will tell.

Unlike the company founded by Jeff Bezos, you, dear consumer, do not need to spend a billion dollars to own one of these popular robotic vacuum cleaners. Instead you can pay a few hundred bucks. Here are the most popular models currently available on Amazon:

iRobot Roomba i3 EVO (3150) Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum – Now Clean by Room with Smart Mapping Works with Alexa Ideal for Pet Hair Carpets & Hard Floors, Roomba i3 — $299.99

iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum-Wi-Fi Connectivity, Personalized Cleaning Recommendations, Works with Alexa, Good for Pet Hair, Carpets, Hard Floors, Self-Charging, Roomba 694 — $249

iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal – Empties Itself for up to 60 days, Wi-Fi Connected, Smart Mapping, Works with Alexa, Ideal for Pet Hair, Carpets, Hard Floors, Black — $769