Is the Roomba Vac Essential a good entry-level robot vacuum?

Regarding the Roomba: Yes, because it strips away expensive bells and whistles but keeps iRobot’s 3-Stage Cleaning System and app control. It connects to the iRobot Home app, works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and doesn’t try to be smarter than it needs to be. For a lot of people, that’s exactly the right trade-off.