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Comparing iRobot Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 Vacuuming Robots: Which Roomba Is Best For Your Home?
 Roomba 980 in Action (Photo Credits: iRobot)
Roomba is a robotic vacuum cleaner manufactured by iRobot. It was first introduced in 2002, and several millions of units have been sold since around the world, and many updated and improved versions have been released. Indeed, though nowadays a number of other praise worthy floor cleaning robot brands can be found, there is no doubt that Roomba robots have become the most popular and most praised of all!
Because of the various Roomba models available today, offering features from the most basic to the most sophisticated, choosing the right Roomba for your home can be a daunting task. So, if you are asking "Which Roomba is best for my home?", you might find this article useful. We will compare here some of the most popular and best rated Roomba robots presently available on Amazon, so you can choose the one that will best respond to your home's vacuuming needs. Please note: The Roomba robots that will be compared in this article include very popular Roomba robots, such as Roomba 980, 890, 891, 690, and 650 that iRobot had produced in the past and that are still available on Amazon. However, they are not part of the latest list of Robots offered by iRobot. We think that these popular robots are excellent products worth considering that offer most of the must-have features high quality vacuuming robots should have, and at a lower price than some of the latest iRobot Roomba robots. (If you want also to see a detailed comparison of the latest 2019 Roomba robots offered by iRobot, please click: Comparing Latest 2019 Roomba Robots Offered by iRobot.)
This article will compare the Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 robots.
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Comparing the Selected Roomba Vacuuming Robots
The following pictures show all the Roomba robots that will be compared below:
ROOMBA 980
ROOMBA 960
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ROOMBA 890
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ROOMBA 891
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ROOMBA 690
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ROOMBA 675
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ROOMBA 650
Detailed Comparison of the Selected Roomba Robots
The following table compares the iRobot Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 vacuuming robots.
The (N.#) notation used in the table refers to the clarification notes provided following the table. Please read these notes carefully in order to understand better the features that come with each Roomba.
The (N.#) notation used in the table refers to the clarification notes provided following the table. Please read these notes carefully in order to understand better the features that come with each Roomba.
ROOMBA COMPARISON TABLE
Explanation of Notes 1 to 18 from Comparison Table:
N. 1:
The following is brief explanation of iAdapt and iAdapt 2.0:
- Roomba 650, 675, 690, 890 and 891 were designed with the iAdapt navigation technology composed of sophisticated software and sensors that allow these robots to clean more thoroughly the room, making multiple passes, avoiding stairs, getting under and around furniture, and cleaning along wall edges and corners. The low-profile design of these robots allows cleaning under most furniture. They also automatically adjust to all floor types - carpet, tile, hardwood, laminate and more.
- Roomba 960, 980 and 891 were designed with the more advanced iAdapt 2.0 technology which features the vSLAM technology that is used to map out your home to ensure complete coverage. It allows the robot to seamlessly and efficiently navigate an entire level of your home and keep track of its location. With iAdapt 2.0, the robot uses a high-efficiency cleaning pattern and a full suite of sensors to adapt to real world clutter and furniture for thorough coverage, avoiding obstacles and stairs.
An important feature of all Roomba robots is Dirt Detection :
- Roomba 650, 675 and 690 are equipped with acoustic sensors which allow them to find dirtier areas and spend more time cleaning them.
- Roomba 890, 891, 960 and 980 come with more sophisticated dirt detection ability. They are equipped with both acoustic and optical sensors, and therefore they are more powerful and effective in finding dirtier areas.
Finally, note that these Roomba robots use either Virtual Walls or Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers to be kept away from rooms or areas they are not supposed to enter. Please see Note 14 below for more detailed explanation of these stand alone little navigation direction control devices.
N. 2:
All Roomba robots considered here use a 3-stage vacuuming system:
- Counter rotating dual multi-surface brushes pick up dust, debris, dirt, pet hair from the floor.
- A spinning side brush cleans along wall edges.
- Finally, an efficient vacuum pulls dirt and hair off the brushes and directs it into the bin.
- Roomba 650, 675 and 690 use dual multi surface bristle brushes, while Roomba 890, 891, 960 and 980 use dual multi surface debris extractors which are non-bristle rubber brushes that are tangle free. So, they are better for picking up pet hair and debris.
- Note also that the suction power in Roomba 960, 890 and 891 is increased 5 times compared to the suction power in the 600 series robots, and the suction power in Roomba 980 is increased 10 times compared to the suction power in the 600 series robots.
N. 3:
Roomba 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 need to be restarted after they recharge themselves at their Home Base (unless of course they had been previously scheduled to restart at a later time). On the other hand, Roomba 980 and 960 are able to resume automatically the cleaning job where it was interrupted before going to Home Base to recharge. They continue this way until the job is done and the entire level of your home is cleaned!
N. 4:
When Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675 are connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone or tablet, you can use the free iRobot Home App for Android and iOS to invoke remotely operations (such as cleaning, scheduling, etc.) from wherever you are, using your smartphone or tablet.
When the App is used with Roomba 980 and 960, you can also see the status of cleaning jobs, and you can customize your cleaning preferences (such as setting the number of cleaning passes, choosing special edge cleaning action, etc.).
Note: You may be asking the question: Can we use these seven Roomba robots without Wi-Fi?". The answer is "Yes!", you can use them, but if you don't have Wi-Fi, you will have to control them by using the control buttons on the robot or by purchasing a compatible remote-control device (see the Amazon products section below for compatible remote-control devices). Note however that certain operations on Roomba 980 and 960 are only available from the App on the smartphone which needs Wi-Fi.
N. 5:
Wi‐Fi connected Roomba vacuuming robots, Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675, are all compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, so they are voice controllable. Simply ask Alexa or the Google Assistant to start, stop, or dock your robot.
N. 6:
When on carpet, thanks to the Carpet Boost feature, Roomba 980 automatically increases its vacuuming power to provide a deeper clean. Carpet Boost provides up to 10 times the air power by automatically increasing performance on carpet and rugs, where dust and dirt hide.
On hard surfaces, the robot reduces its vacuuming power to decrease battery consumption while still delivering excellent cleaning performance. Carpet Boost feature is turned on by default and can be turned off from the App.
N. 7:
All Roomba robots are equipped with a side brush to clean wall edges. But Roomba 980 and 960 feature the special Final Edge Clean function to make sure that stubborn dirt and debris along wall edges are all removed. After these robots finish cleaning the open areas of your floor, they use the Final Edge Clean feature to ensure that they have cleaned along walls and around furniture legs. If you prefer a quicker clean, you can disable Final Edge Clean from the App. This feature is turned on by default.
N. 8:
The AeroVac filters on Roomba 650, 675 and 690 handle quite adequately hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, but the AeroForce High Efficiency filters on Roomba 890, 891, 960 and 980 do even a better job capturing hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, and can capture 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns.
N. 9:
When batteries run low, all Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
Note that, Roomba 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 need to be restarted after they recharge themselves at their Home Base (unless of course they had been previously scheduled to restart at a later time). But, Roomba 980 and 960 are able to resume automatically the cleaning job where it was interrupted before going to Home Base to recharge. They continue this way until the job is done and the whole level of your home is cleaned..
N. 10:
In most cases, Roomba will remove dirt and debris with just one pass over each area of your home. With Roomba 980 and 960, two-pass cleaning can be requested and can be particularly helpful in homes with pets or for periodic deep cleaning. The number of cleaning passes is one by default. This feature is only available on Roomba 980 and 960 and can be invoked from the App.
N. 11:
With all Roomba robots considered here, scheduling can be pre-set up to 7 times per week. The robot starts vacuuming as soon as the scheduled time is reached.
N. 12:
All Roomba robots are equipped with a docking button that can be pressed to force the robot to dock at its Home Base. Of course, the robot will also go automatically to its Home Base when battery runs low.
N. 13:
All Roomba robots can be asked to spot clean. When spot clean is invoked, the robot will spiral approximately 3 feet in diameter and then spiral back to where it started for an intense, localized clean for those quick fixes.
N. 14:
The navigation direction of the Roomba robots considered here can be controlled by the following battery run little devices:
When Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675 are connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone or tablet, you can use the free iRobot Home App for Android and iOS to invoke remotely operations (such as cleaning, scheduling, etc.) from wherever you are, using your smartphone or tablet.
When the App is used with Roomba 980 and 960, you can also see the status of cleaning jobs, and you can customize your cleaning preferences (such as setting the number of cleaning passes, choosing special edge cleaning action, etc.).
Note: You may be asking the question: Can we use these seven Roomba robots without Wi-Fi?". The answer is "Yes!", you can use them, but if you don't have Wi-Fi, you will have to control them by using the control buttons on the robot or by purchasing a compatible remote-control device (see the Amazon products section below for compatible remote-control devices). Note however that certain operations on Roomba 980 and 960 are only available from the App on the smartphone which needs Wi-Fi.
N. 5:
Wi‐Fi connected Roomba vacuuming robots, Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675, are all compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, so they are voice controllable. Simply ask Alexa or the Google Assistant to start, stop, or dock your robot.
N. 6:
When on carpet, thanks to the Carpet Boost feature, Roomba 980 automatically increases its vacuuming power to provide a deeper clean. Carpet Boost provides up to 10 times the air power by automatically increasing performance on carpet and rugs, where dust and dirt hide.
On hard surfaces, the robot reduces its vacuuming power to decrease battery consumption while still delivering excellent cleaning performance. Carpet Boost feature is turned on by default and can be turned off from the App.
N. 7:
All Roomba robots are equipped with a side brush to clean wall edges. But Roomba 980 and 960 feature the special Final Edge Clean function to make sure that stubborn dirt and debris along wall edges are all removed. After these robots finish cleaning the open areas of your floor, they use the Final Edge Clean feature to ensure that they have cleaned along walls and around furniture legs. If you prefer a quicker clean, you can disable Final Edge Clean from the App. This feature is turned on by default.
N. 8:
The AeroVac filters on Roomba 650, 675 and 690 handle quite adequately hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, but the AeroForce High Efficiency filters on Roomba 890, 891, 960 and 980 do even a better job capturing hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, and can capture 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns.
N. 9:
When batteries run low, all Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
Note that, Roomba 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 need to be restarted after they recharge themselves at their Home Base (unless of course they had been previously scheduled to restart at a later time). But, Roomba 980 and 960 are able to resume automatically the cleaning job where it was interrupted before going to Home Base to recharge. They continue this way until the job is done and the whole level of your home is cleaned..
N. 10:
In most cases, Roomba will remove dirt and debris with just one pass over each area of your home. With Roomba 980 and 960, two-pass cleaning can be requested and can be particularly helpful in homes with pets or for periodic deep cleaning. The number of cleaning passes is one by default. This feature is only available on Roomba 980 and 960 and can be invoked from the App.
N. 11:
With all Roomba robots considered here, scheduling can be pre-set up to 7 times per week. The robot starts vacuuming as soon as the scheduled time is reached.
N. 12:
All Roomba robots are equipped with a docking button that can be pressed to force the robot to dock at its Home Base. Of course, the robot will also go automatically to its Home Base when battery runs low.
N. 13:
All Roomba robots can be asked to spot clean. When spot clean is invoked, the robot will spiral approximately 3 feet in diameter and then spiral back to where it started for an intense, localized clean for those quick fixes.
N. 14:
The navigation direction of the Roomba robots considered here can be controlled by the following battery run little devices:
- Virtual Walls: These are tiny devices that emit an infra-red beam that the Roomba will not cross. They are used to stop the Roomba from entering areas not wanted to be cleaned. They can be set to block an area ranging from three to eight feet long.
- Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers: Like Virtual Walls, these small devices can be used to block off an open doorway, but they can also be used as Virtual Wall Halos to protect some restricted area within the room, like for instance the area where the dog food might be.
Note: Though as shown in the above table Roomba 891 and Roomba 675 do not come with a navigation control device, Roomba 891 and 675 are both compatible with Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers. If needed, a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier can be optionally obtained for these robots (see Amazon products section below).
The following two pictures illustrate how the Virtual Wall and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier devices protect the off-limit areas:
The following two pictures illustrate how the Virtual Wall and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier devices protect the off-limit areas:
(Photo credits: iRobot)
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(Photo credits: iRobot)
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N. 15:
N. 16:
Battery Run Times:
Roomba robots can use Lithium-Ion or Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries:
N. 17:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 18:
The 1-year limited warranty is on the robot. There is also a 6-month warranty on the battery.
N. 15:
- Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675 can be remotely controlled from your smartphone or tablet using the iRobot Home App. No explicit remote-control device is provided.
- For Roomba robots that can't be controlled from your smartphone and don't come with a remote-control device, such as Roomba 650, an optional remote-control device can be obtained separately. These robots are compatible with the Roomba remote-control device, but the device is not included in the purchase of the robot. See Amazon products section below for optional Roomba remote-control devices.
N. 16:
Battery Run Times:
- iRobot has specified the battery run times for Roomba 980 as 120 minutes.
- iRobot has specified the battery run times for Roomba 960 as 75 minutes.
- For all the other Roomba robots compared above, except for Roomba 675, the average time is about 60 minutes.
- Roomba 675 features an updated software and can run up to 90 minutes.
Roomba robots can use Lithium-Ion or Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries:
- Roomba 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 and 675 come with a Lithium-Ion battery.
- Roomba 650 comes with a Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery.
N. 17:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 18:
The 1-year limited warranty is on the robot. There is also a 6-month warranty on the battery.
So which Roomba is best for your home?
Having read the above comparison, you should be in a better position to answer the question "Which Roomba is best for your home?".
Roomba robots are high quality products as shown by the high average rating each Roomba robot considered here had received from Amazon customers at the time this article was written. As you progress from Roomba 650 all the way up to Roomba 980, you will basically notice more powerful vacuuming and more thorough floor coverage. But as to be expected, the latest models will also cost you more. As the above comparison table shows, different Roomba robots come with different features. So, we suggest you carefully study the above comparison before you decide which Roomba will respond best to your needs. However, keep in mind the following important points before you make your selection:
If you wish to be able to control your Roomba from your smartphone or tablet, you should consider either the 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 or 675, which support Wi-Fi communications. But note that Roomba 980 and 960 also come with some additional neat features listed below and not found on any of the other Roomba robots:
The above listed Roomba 980 and 960 additional features can be quite useful in larger homes. But for smaller homes, if you need to control your phone from your smartphone, you could also consider Roomba 890, 891, 690 or 675, as they support the must-have important features, such as good floor coverage, avoiding stairs, self-recharging and scheduling. But when you choose between Roomba 890 (or 891) and the 600 series Roomba robots, keep in mind that the suction power in Roomba 890 and 891 is increased 5 times compared to the suction power in the 600 series robots,
Note that the only difference between Roomba 890 and Roomba 891 is that Roomba 891 has a slightly different looking faceplate, and, as mentioned in Note 16 above, it does not come with a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. But it is compatible with Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers, and If needed, a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier can be optionally obtained (see Amazon products section below).
Now, if you don't need to control your phone from your smartphone (i.e. no Wi-Fi needed), and if you don't need the additional functionality that comes with Roomba 980 and 960, you would probably be quite satisfied with the vacuuming results obtained with Roomba 650.
You will find in the Amazon products section below Amazon links for all the Roomba robots compared above which you can click for exact price information or to purchase.
Roomba robots are high quality products as shown by the high average rating each Roomba robot considered here had received from Amazon customers at the time this article was written. As you progress from Roomba 650 all the way up to Roomba 980, you will basically notice more powerful vacuuming and more thorough floor coverage. But as to be expected, the latest models will also cost you more. As the above comparison table shows, different Roomba robots come with different features. So, we suggest you carefully study the above comparison before you decide which Roomba will respond best to your needs. However, keep in mind the following important points before you make your selection:
If you wish to be able to control your Roomba from your smartphone or tablet, you should consider either the 980, 960, 890, 891, 690 or 675, which support Wi-Fi communications. But note that Roomba 980 and 960 also come with some additional neat features listed below and not found on any of the other Roomba robots:
- They use camera based visual localization which helps the robot seamlessly and efficiently navigate an entire level of your home and keep track of its location (note that for the camera functionality to work properly some light in the room where the robot will be vacuuming is needed).
- They use a high-efficiency cleaning pattern and a full suite of sensors to adapt to real world clutter and furniture for thorough coverage.
- They have the capability, after they recharge themselves at Home Base, to resume operation automatically where it had been interrupted.
So, if you have large areas in your home that require the robot to recharge multiple times, and you don't want to bother with having to restart the robot after each recharge, you might want to consider either the 980 or 960, as they are both capable of completing the job without human interference. - Roomba 980 has also the ability to boost the vacuuming intensity up to 10 times when carpets and rugs are detected, a feature not available on the 960 or on any of the other Roomba robots considered here.
- Roomba 980 can run for about 120 minutes before going back to Home Base to recharge, while Roomba 960 can run 75 minutes before recharging. All the other Roomba robots consudered here, except for Roomba 675, can run about 60 minutes before going back to recharge. Roomba 675 can run about 90 minutes,.
The above listed Roomba 980 and 960 additional features can be quite useful in larger homes. But for smaller homes, if you need to control your phone from your smartphone, you could also consider Roomba 890, 891, 690 or 675, as they support the must-have important features, such as good floor coverage, avoiding stairs, self-recharging and scheduling. But when you choose between Roomba 890 (or 891) and the 600 series Roomba robots, keep in mind that the suction power in Roomba 890 and 891 is increased 5 times compared to the suction power in the 600 series robots,
Note that the only difference between Roomba 890 and Roomba 891 is that Roomba 891 has a slightly different looking faceplate, and, as mentioned in Note 16 above, it does not come with a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. But it is compatible with Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers, and If needed, a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier can be optionally obtained (see Amazon products section below).
Now, if you don't need to control your phone from your smartphone (i.e. no Wi-Fi needed), and if you don't need the additional functionality that comes with Roomba 980 and 960, you would probably be quite satisfied with the vacuuming results obtained with Roomba 650.
You will find in the Amazon products section below Amazon links for all the Roomba robots compared above which you can click for exact price information or to purchase.
ROOMBA 980, 960, 890, 891, 690, 675 and 650 on Amazon
Please click the Amazon US link image below for the Roomba vacuuming robot of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
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Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
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Roomba 980 |
Roomba 960 |
Roomba 890 |
Roomba 891 |
Roomba 690 |
Roomba 675 |
Roomba 650 |
Authentic Roomba Replenishment Kits on Amazon
Accessories and replacement parts manufactured by 3rd parties may have a negative impact on product performance and can cause damage to your robot. Always ensure that replacement parts such as batteries, filters, and brushes are Authentic iRobot Parts. Note also that the use of 3rd party replacement parts could void your robot's warranty.
AuthenticRoomba
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AuthenticRoomba
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Roomba Virtual Wall and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier on Amazon
Additional Virtual Walls and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers can be purchased below:
Roomba Dual Mode
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Roomba
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Optional Roomba Remote Control Device
(for Roomba 600 series)
If you are also looking for a floor mopping robot, for a detailed comparison of ALL iRobot Braava floor mopping robots, please click below:
Comparing the Latest 2019 iRobot Braava Mopping Robots
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