Which Roomba Is Best For Your Home? - Comparing Roomba 900, 800 and 600 Series Robots: Buy Roomba 980, 960, 870, 860, 805, 690, 675, 671, 652, 650 or 614?
 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. Presently, the most popular and best rated Roomba robots belong to the 600, 800 and 900 series. We will compare below the features of these robots, so you can choose the one that will best respond to your home's vacuuming needs.
This article will compare the Roomba 980, 960, 890, 870, 860, 805, 690, 675, 671, 652 and 650 robots. |
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Comparing the 900, 800 and 600 Series Roomba Robots
The following pictures show all the Roomba robots that will be compared below:
ROOMBA 980
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ROOMBA 960
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ROOMBA 890
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ROOMBA 870
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ROOMBA 860
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ROOMBA 805
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ROOMBA 675
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ROOMBA 671
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ROOMBA 690
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ROOMBA 650
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ROOMBA 652
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Detailed Comparison of the Roomba 900, 800 and 600 Series Robots
The following table compares the iRobot Roomba 980, 960, 890, 870, 860, 805, 690, 675, 671, 652 and 650 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 20 from Comparison Table:
N. 1:
The iAdapt responsive cleaning technology composed of sophisticated software and sensors allows Roomba 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.
Note that all Roomba robots, except for Roomba 980 and 960, are designed with the original iRobot iAdapt technology, while Roomba 980 and 960 were designed with the more advanced iAdapt 2.0 technology. With Adapt 2.0, Roomba 980 and 960 feature a visual localization camera used to map out your home in order 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. Roomba 960 and 980 use a high-efficiency cleaning pattern and a full suite of sensors to adapt to real world clutter and furniture for thorough coverage.
All Roomba robots are equipped with cliff detecting sensors that prevent the robot from falling down stairs or tumbling over drop-offs.
An important feature of all Roomba robots is Dirt Detection :
- Roomba 690, 675, 671, 652 and 650 are equipped with acoustic sensors which allow them to find dirtier areas and spend more time cleaning them.
- Roomba 805, 860, 870, 890, 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 Roomba robots use either Virtual Walls, Virtual Wall Lighthouses or Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers to be kept away from rooms or areas they are not supposed to enter. Please see Note 16 below for more detailed explanation of these stand alone little navigation direction control devices.
N. 2:
All Roomba robots use a 3-stage vacuuming system:
- Counter-rotating dual multi-surface brushes (found 600 series robots) or counter-rotating dual multi-surface tangle- free brushes (found on 800 and 900 series robots) work together to grab dust, dirt, and large debris to help thoroughly clean your floors. The first brush loosens, lifts, and pulls in dust, dirt, and hair from floors and in carpet, the second accelerates debris into the suction channel. Note that the tangle-free brushes found in the 800 and 900 series robots are also referred to as debris extractors.
- A spinning side brush cleans along wall edges.
- Finally, an efficient vacuum pulls dirt and hair off the brushes (or off the debris extractors) and directs it into the bin.
- AeroVac technology found in the 600 series robots allows for optimized airflow that can pull effectively collected hair and debris off the brushes for sending into the bin. This allows the bin to fill more evenly requiring less frequent emptying of the bin.
- AeroForce technology found in 800 and 900 series robots introduces the debris extractors which are dual multi-surface tangle-free brushes that replace the regular multi-surface brushes found in the previous series robots. These brushes grab and break down debris, eliminating hair tangles and jams, while an airflow accelerator creates a sealed channel that concentrates the airflow, sucking in more debris. Thanks to the high efficiency vacuum, the air power is increased 5 times in 800 and 900 series robots compared to 600 series robots. In addition, when the Carpet Boost feature found on Roomba 980 is activated, the air power is increased up to 10 times!
- All 600 series robots are equipped with AeroVac filters which handle quite adequately hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, but not as well as the AeroForce High Efficiency filters found on the 800 and 900 series robots.
- All 900 and 800 series robots are equipped with AeroForce High Efficiency filters which can capture 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns.
N. 3:
Except for Roomba 980 and 960, all Roomba robots consudered here 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). Only 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, 690, 675 and 671 are connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone or tablet, you can use the 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 960 and 980, 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 six Roomba robots without WiFi?". The answer is "Yes!", you can use them, but if you don't have WiFi, 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 compaibe remote-control devices). Note however that certain operations on Roomba 960 and 980 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, 690, 675 and 671, are all compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. 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 vacuum 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, Roomba reduces its vacuum 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 special final edge cleaning action 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:
When the bin gets full, Roomba 980 and 960 provide you with two options regarding the action to be taken by the robot:
N. 9:
Roomba 980 and 960 are equipped with a visual localization camera that maps out more thoroughly your home in order 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. Note that for the camera functionality to work properly some light in the room where the robot will be vacuuming may be needed.
N. 10:
The 600 series robots are equipped with counter-rotating dual multi-surface brushes (a bristle brush and a beater brush).
Debris extractors, which are counter rotating dual multi-surface tangle free brushes, were introduced starting with 800 series robots, and they replaced the two main brushes found in the 600 series robots. What is great about debris extractors is that they grab and break down all types of debris, eliminating hair tangles and jams. Starting with the 800 series Roomba robots, together with debris extractors, an airflow accelerator that creates a sealed channel that concentrates airflow, sucking in more debris was also introduced.
All Roomba robots are also equipped with a spinning side brush that clean along wall edges and corners.
N. 11:
With all Roomba robots, 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:
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. 13:
When batteries run low, all Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
Note that, except for Roomba 980 and 960, all other Roomba robots 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). Only the 980 and 960 robots 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. 14:
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. 15:
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. 16:
The navigation direction of Roomba robots can be controlled by the following battery run little devices:
When Roomba 980, 960, 890, 690, 675 and 671 are connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone or tablet, you can use the 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 960 and 980, 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 six Roomba robots without WiFi?". The answer is "Yes!", you can use them, but if you don't have WiFi, 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 compaibe remote-control devices). Note however that certain operations on Roomba 960 and 980 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, 690, 675 and 671, are all compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. 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 vacuum 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, Roomba reduces its vacuum 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 special final edge cleaning action 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:
When the bin gets full, Roomba 980 and 960 provide you with two options regarding the action to be taken by the robot:
- Finish Job: Even if the bin is full, Roomba will continue cleaning until it has covered the entire space. Once the bin is emptied, Roomba is ready for a new cleaning job. The full bin behavior is “Finish Job” by default.
- Pause Immediately: As soon as the bin is full, Roomba will return to where it started and pause its cleaning job. Once the bin is emptied, you just need to press CLEAN to resume.
N. 9:
Roomba 980 and 960 are equipped with a visual localization camera that maps out more thoroughly your home in order 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. Note that for the camera functionality to work properly some light in the room where the robot will be vacuuming may be needed.
N. 10:
The 600 series robots are equipped with counter-rotating dual multi-surface brushes (a bristle brush and a beater brush).
Debris extractors, which are counter rotating dual multi-surface tangle free brushes, were introduced starting with 800 series robots, and they replaced the two main brushes found in the 600 series robots. What is great about debris extractors is that they grab and break down all types of debris, eliminating hair tangles and jams. Starting with the 800 series Roomba robots, together with debris extractors, an airflow accelerator that creates a sealed channel that concentrates airflow, sucking in more debris was also introduced.
All Roomba robots are also equipped with a spinning side brush that clean along wall edges and corners.
N. 11:
With all Roomba robots, 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:
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. 13:
When batteries run low, all Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
Note that, except for Roomba 980 and 960, all other Roomba robots 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). Only the 980 and 960 robots 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. 14:
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. 15:
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. 16:
The navigation direction of Roomba robots 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 675, 671 and 652 do not come with a navigation control device, Roomba 675 and 671 are compatible with Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers and Roomba 652 is compatible with Virtual Walls. If needed, a Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier or a Virtual Wall 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. 17:
N. 18:
Battery Run Times:
Roomba robots can use Lithium-Ion or Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries:
N. 19:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 20:
The 1-year limited warranty is on the robot. There is also a 6-month warranty on the battery.
N. 17:
- Roomba 980, 960, 890, 690 and 671 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 805, 860, 652 and 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. 18:
Battery Run Times:
- iRobot has specified the battery run times for the 980 and 960 robots as 120 minutes and 75 minutes respectively.
- For all the other Roomba robots compared above, except for Roomba 671 and 675, the average time is about 60 minutes.
- Roomba 675 and 671 feature an updated software and can run up to 90 minutes. Note that Roomba 671 and 675 are both the same robots. The only difference is that Roomba 675 comes with one extra filter and includes a flat cleaning tool.
Roomba robots can use Lithium-Ion or Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries:
- Roomba 980, 960, 890, 870, 860, 805, 690, 675, 671 and 652 come with a Lithium-Ion battery.
- Roomba 850 comes with a Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery.
N. 19:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 20:
The 1-year limited warranty is on the robot. There is also a 6-month warranty on the battery.
So which Roomba should you get?
Having read the above comparison, you should be in a better position to answer the question "Which Roomba is best?".
Roomba robots are high quality products as shown by the average rating of at least 4.5 stars (out of 5 stars) 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 slightly different features. So, we suggest you carefully study the above table and clarification notes 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, you should consider either the 980, 960, 890, 690, 675 or 671, which are presently the only ones supporting Wi-Fi communications. But note that Roomba 980 and 960 also come with some additional neat features listed below and not found on Roomba 890, 690, 675 and 671, or 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, 690, 675 and 671, as they support the must-have important features, such as good floor coverage, avoiding stairs, self-recharging and scheduling. Note also that Roomba 890 comes with the more powerful AeroForce technology found in all 800 and 900 series robots.
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 any of the 600 and 800 series robots. But before choosing between 600 and 800 series robots, remember that the main difference between them is the vacuuming technology used: 600 series robots use the AeroVac technology, while 800 and 900 series robots use the more powerful AeroForce technology (please see comparison table Note 2 above for a description of AeroVac and AeroForce).
You will find in the following section 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 average rating of at least 4.5 stars (out of 5 stars) 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 slightly different features. So, we suggest you carefully study the above table and clarification notes 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, you should consider either the 980, 960, 890, 690, 675 or 671, which are presently the only ones supporting Wi-Fi communications. But note that Roomba 980 and 960 also come with some additional neat features listed below and not found on Roomba 890, 690, 675 and 671, or 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, except for emptying the bin when it gets full. And even if the bin gets full, and for some reason you aren't available to empty it, the robot will continue vacuuming until the entire space is covered and the job is finished, unless you have requested from the App to stop vacuuming at full bin. - 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.
- 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 other Roomba robots, except for Roomba 671 and 675, can run about 60 minutes before going back to recharge. Roomba 671 and 675 can run for 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, 690, 675 and 671, as they support the must-have important features, such as good floor coverage, avoiding stairs, self-recharging and scheduling. Note also that Roomba 890 comes with the more powerful AeroForce technology found in all 800 and 900 series robots.
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 any of the 600 and 800 series robots. But before choosing between 600 and 800 series robots, remember that the main difference between them is the vacuuming technology used: 600 series robots use the AeroVac technology, while 800 and 900 series robots use the more powerful AeroForce technology (please see comparison table Note 2 above for a description of AeroVac and AeroForce).
You will find in the following section Amazon links for all the Roomba robots compared above which you can click for exact price information or to purchase:
Roomba 900, 800 and 600 Series Robots on Amazon
Please click the Amazon link image below for the Roomba robot of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
Please note: If some of the prices are not shown on the Amazon link images below, they will be provided once you click the images.
Also, the prices shown on the images below may not reflect all the prices available for a particular Roomba; please click the images below to see all available prices.
Please note: If some of the prices are not shown on the Amazon link images below, they will be provided once you click the images.
Also, the prices shown on the images below may not reflect all the prices available for a particular Roomba; please click the images below to see all available prices.
Roomba 980 |
Roomba 960 |
Roomba 890 |
Roomba 870 |
Roomba 860 |
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Roomba 690 |
Roomba 675 |
Roomba 671 |
Roomba 652 |
Roomba 650 |
Please note: More recently, iRobot introduced a new entry-level Roomba based on the 600 series robots: Roomba 614.
Roomba 614 comes with all the features listed above for Roomba 650, except for the following:
Roomba 614 comes with all the features listed above for Roomba 650, except for the following:
- There is no scheduling function. By just pressing the CLEAN button on the robot, it gets to work with no scheduling.
- There is no Virtual Wall Barrier included.
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.
Please click the images below to see price information or to purchase:
Please click the images below to see price information or to purchase:
Authentic Roomba
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Authentic Roomba
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Virtual Wall, Virtual Wall Lighthouse and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers on Amazon
Additional Virtual Walls, Virtual Wall Lighthouses and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers can be purchased below:
Roomba Dual Mode
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Roomba
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Roomba
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Optional Roomba Remote Control Device
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Optional Roomba Remote Control Device
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