When it comes to cleaning your floors, it used to be a chore. Pull the heavy vacuum from the closet, unwind the cord, plug it in, vacuum a little, move to another outlet, repeat until done. Now, with the aid of robotic vacuums, you can do less manual floor cleaning and spend more time doing what you like to do.
The Roomba 600 series comes with little frills or extras. The Roomba 665 is a low-cost alternative to the newer, more technologically advanced models and still cleans your floors just as good.
Let’s find out what this little robot can do for you to cut down on the amount of time you spend doing chores each week.
Contents
Who is the Roomba 665 is for?
The Roomba 665 is designed to assist in floor cleaning maintenance. While no robot vacuum yet has been designed to replace the manual cleaning of your upright (although the Roomba s9+ is close), the 665 will cut down on the number of times per week you need to pull that large vacuum from the closet.
This model is designed for smaller homes or apartments. The cleaning time per battery charge can vary, but in general, will cover about 400 to 800 square feet on a single charge. It is also designed for those that are looking for a cleaning assistant instead of a robot to do all the work for them.
For those looking for simple controls, easy maintenance and a robot that just does what it is designed for, the Roomba 665 is a decent choice.
Who is the Roomba 665 not for?
Not every vacuum model can be specifically designed to fit the needs of every individual. While I am sure the manufacturer would love to find such a model, it just isn’t going to happen. The Roomba 665 won’t be a good fit for those that are looking for the technological advancements that come with the newer models.
If you want to control and program your robot from your table or phone, the 665 isn’t the model for you. Likewise, if you have a large floor plan, multiple rooms to keep clean and want the robot to cover the entire floor space in a timely and efficient manner, you will find better-suited models such as the Roomba 980 or Roomba i7.
Looking at the Roomba 665 in Detail
Now it is time to (figuratively) take this machine apart and see how it operates. Let’s get to the root of the machine and find out if it is a model that will work for you.
The Battery Life can be Misleading
One of the most complained about aspects of the 665, as mentioned in reviews and frequently asked questions, is about the battery life. It can be difficult information to track down and once you find it, it may not be accurate. So I will put all of that to bed for you right now.
The Roomba 665 comes with a 2600mAh lithium-ion battery pack. It has a proposed runtime of up to 90 minutes. The battery will take about three full hours to recharge completely.
Now that you know the specifics let’s look at what it means for you.
Your Robot Will Never See the Full Runtime
The runtime is the most misleading factor here. While the battery does have the potential to run for an hour and a half, you will never see the 665 scurrying around your floors for 90 minutes. The best the robot can do is 90 minutes on a single charge under extreme laboratory environments.
This means no carpeting, no rugs, no thresholds, and minimal messes to clean up. The space is also limited to about 50 square feet where the robot just continually runs around until it dies.
So, unless you live only in your bathroom, the Roomba 665 won’t run around for the full tested time. What you will get is a solid 60 to 65 minutes of cleaning time. During which the robot will go where ever it can and clean whatever it is able to cover.
After the battery reaches about 15% charge remaining, the 665 will make its way back to the charging station. Three hours later, the battery will be completely charged and ready for another round of cleaning.
The 665 does not map your home and has no idea what has already been cleaned and what is left to be cleaned. As such, it will not automatically resume cleaning once the battery is charged. You will have to wait until the next scheduled cleaning time or manually restart the robot yourself.
As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t a mapping feature on the Roomba 665. The robot uses the iAdapt (first generation) technology for cleaning your home. The cleaning algorithms rely on feedback from the sensors around the robot to tell it to turn, stop, or continue going.
When you watch the robot run around the cleaning pattern will seem sporadic and have no real sense of direction or coverage. For the most part, this is true. The Roomba will run in a straight line until an obstacle tells it to change course.
The bump sensors on the front of the robot body use touch and acoustics to alert the robot that a potential obstacle is upcoming or has been reached. If the object is passable, such as a bed skirt, the 665 will push through and continue on. However, if it is not, such as a table leg, the robot will change direction and go in a straight line once again.
The drop sensors located on the bottom of the robot will prevent it from falling off a ledge, tumbling down the stairs or getting caught on a threshold that’s too high.
The Roomba 665 also comes with dirt detection sensors that tell the robot if an area it passed over is still dirty. If so, the 665 will make a 360-degree loop and pass over the area again before continuing.
Knowing What has been Cleaned and What Hasn’t
The main problem with this style of navigation is that unless you chart the progress, you can’t be sure exactly where the robot has been. What you need to know, though, is that it doesn’t matter. The robot will not clean every square inch of your floor on every run.
This is where scheduling comes into play. Creating a daily schedule will ensure that what is missed on Monday (for example) will be covered on Tuesday.
The alternative is to confine the robot to a specific room and let it run around that one room until the battery dies, recharging and moving it to the next room.
The second option is more thorough but takes up a lot of time and effort. Instead, it is recommended to simply let the robot run in the entire allotted space daily and by the end of the week your entire floor will have been covered at least twice.
The Controls are Simple and the Containment is Superb
Controlling the robot is as simple as pressing a button. Literally, that is all you have to do. There are no wireless controls, so you don’t need to worry about downloading and using a mobile app. There aren’t any voice commands to use either.
There are several buttons on the faceplate of the robot. The large Clean button will wake the robot, send it off to do a cleaning cycle or pause/resume a cleaning cycle already in progress.
The Spot clean button will make the robot perform a spot clean. Note that you may have to press the Clean button once before the spot clean mode activates.
There is also a Home button that will send the robot back to the charging station, effectively canceling the cleaning cycle in progress. You will need to pause the cleaning cycle before sending the robot to the dock.
Under these buttons, you will find the Day, Hour and Minute buttons. These will be used to program a cleaning schedule. You can program a schedule seven days in advance, or once a day for seven days.
The Containment Options are Quite Good
The navigation and controls are all helped by the containment of the robot. Telling it where to go and where to avoid will cut down on accidents or missed areas of the house.
You can use the included virtual wall barrier to block off a room or a portion of the room where ever you like.
The barrier is a small, battery operated tower that you can put on the floor. It will send out an infrared beam in either a 10-foot straight line (linear mode) or a 4-foot diameter ring (halo mode).
The beam will alert the robot not to proceed, acting much the same way as an actual wall would.
You do get a single virtual wall barrier with your purchase. If you decide you need more you can purchase a single pack or double pack from either iRobot’s website or on Amazon.
Cleaning and Maintenance
It is said that once you clean a vacuum cleaner, you become a vacuum cleaner. Ironic as that is, cleaning and maintenance are a crucial part of keeping your Roomba 665 healthy and operating to its full potential.
Regular maintenance should be carried out and there is a suggested schedule included in the owner’s manual. The basics are as follows:
Daily
- After every cleaning cycle empty the collection bin.
Weekly
- Check the wheels for tangles or debris build up.
- Wipe off the body and sensors of the robot.
- Remove the brush rollers and detangle hair, fibers and strings.
- Check the collection vent for clogs or large debris.
Monthly
- Test the runtime of the robot to ensure the battery is still holding a charge.
Quarterly
- Check/replace the side brush.
- Replace the filter.
Specifications Chart
Here is a look at all the features the Roomba 665 has to offer.
| Roomba 665 | |
| Battery | 2600mAh Lithium-Ion |
| Runtime | Up to 90 minutes |
| Recharge Time | 3 hours |
| Automatic Recharge | Yes |
| Navigation | iAdapt |
| Drop Sensors | Yes |
| Bump Sensors | Yes |
| Dirt Detection Sensors | Yes |
| Filtration | AeroVac |
| Spot Clean | Yes |
| Edge Clean | Yes |
| Side Brushes | 1 |
| Cleaning Method | 3-stage with dual brush bars |
| Wireless Communications | No |
| Mobile App | No |
| Voice Control | No |
| Local Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Containment | 1 Virtual Wall Barrier |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Price | Check on Amazon |
Alternative Options
If you are still undecided or want to compare the Roomba 665 to other models, here are a few worth considering.
Roomba 690
The Roomba 690 and 665 are near identical in features, options and cleaning. Coming from the same series, the prices are quite similar as well. You get the same battery, same filtration, same collection bin capacity and same navigation.
What is different is the use of wireless communications. The Roomba 690 has the ability to use your home’s wireless network to enable the iRobot Home App and voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant devices. You may visit our review on the Roomba 690 to learn further about it.
> Check out the popular Roomba 690 on Amazon <
Roomba 890
The Roomba 890 is quite a step up from the 665, though, with the current releases of the i7 and s9, the prices of the 800 series continue to drop. The 890 still uses the same navigation and pseudo-random cleaning patterns of the 665 but has better filtration, a larger collection bin and better brush rolls.
The brush rolls are bristle-less and use rubber paddles to gather the dirt, dust and debris. They also clean off with a single swipe of your hand, so you don’t have to get out scissors or spend hours removing hairs and string with your fingers.
You also get wireless communications so you can use the mobile app or voice commands to schedule and program the robot. If you wish to know more about it, you can read my review of Roomba 890 here.
> See what owners say about the Roomba 890 on Amazon. <
Neato D3 Connected.
Neato’s D-shaped robots have rivaled Roomba for years. The D3 Connected is no different. It sports a HEPA quality filter, larger collection bin and wireless controls over the Roomba 665.
However, the clean isn’t quite as thorough and the containment method (magnetic strip tape) is cumbersome and more difficult to use. The price point is about the same as the 665, though, so if mobile apps and HEPA filters are something you need, it’s worth looking into.
> See what people say about the Neato D3 Connted on Amazon <
Frequently Asked Questions
Let me answer a few of the most common questions that arise because of the Roomba 665 model.
Q. What type of filter does the 665 use?
A. The Roomba 665, like most of the 600 series, will use the AeroVac standard filter. This filter is not HEPA rated, though, and will only capture particles down to 10 microns in size.
What it will not capture is mold, mildew, pet dander, dust mites and other allergen causing microbes. Your upright vacuum (which does most of the heavy lifting) should be HEPA certified with its filter. However, if you are looking for added protection, you won’t find it in the Roomba 665.
Q. What are the standard error codes and how do I reset them?
A. There are several error codes that the Roomba 665 can throw at you. The most common ones are listed below:
- Error Code 6 and 1: The robot is lost or cannot move due to a cliff detection. This usually happens when the robot has dust covering one or more of the drop sensors. To solve the issue, either move the robot to a new location or clean off the drop sensors. Press clean after to restart the machine.
- Error Code 5 and 2: These two codes refer to a malfunction with the brush rolls. Either they cannot move, or there is too much debris for them to operate efficiently. The fix is to remove the brush rolls, clean thoroughly and reinstall them properly.
- Error Code 14: This error code means the collection bin isn’t in place or inserted incorrectly. To fix, remove the collection bin and ensure it is cleaned. Reinstall properly.
Most other error codes are related to internal parts and will need to be checked by iRobot. You can contact customer service to find out if your robot can be repaired or if there are other steps to try before making a warranty claim.
Q. Where can I buy the Roomba 665?
A. The 665 was a special edition model that was made exclusively for Sam’s Club, Walmart and Canadian Tire. Because of its age, though, these retailers are consistently out of stock or no longer list it. The best place to buy a Roomba 665 with a warranty is through Amazon.
In Conclusion
The Roomba 665 can currently be found on Amazon or auction sites. However, getting your hands on one is still a priority for a lot of consumers. The simplistic controls, lack of fuss, or higher-end technology is a huge draw.
While the battery could be better and the collection bin could be larger, the Roomba 665 still finds its way into many homes. The choice to bring one into your home is something you need to decide. Smaller floor plans, apartments and second floors will find the Roomba 665 the most beneficial.
If you want more technology or control options, you will need to find a different model, but for a robot that does exactly what it says it will do, there aren’t many that are better.
In a Nutshell
The Roomba 665 is a budget-friendly model that doesn’t add a lot to the mix. It is a simple machine with simple controls that simply cleans your floors. Easy to program and use make it ideal for older persons or those in a hurry.
What I Like
- No fuss controls make using the robot simple.
- Returns to the charging dock when the battery gets low.
- Ideal for smaller floor plans and apartments/condos.
What I Don’t Like
- Smarter navigation would be beneficial.
- Side brush tends to blow debris around instead of collecting it.
- Small collection bin needs to be emptied after every use.