Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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Compare iRobot Roomba 890 and 650: What Are the Main Differences?
 Roomba 890 in Action (Photo Credits: iRobot)
If you have decided to get an iRobot Roomba vacuuming robot so you may never have to manually vacuum your home again, and you don't want to pay the higher prices of the 900 series Roomba robots, you might want to consider Roomba 890 or Roomba 650.
Roomba 890 comes with some of the important features found on the 900 series robots such as AeroForce vacuuming technology with debris extractors, a Lithium-Ion battery and Wi-Fi support, without costing as much as the 900 series robots. Though Roomba 650 will not offer you all the features Roomba 890 comes with, it still comes with enough must-have features, such as good floor coverage, auto-recharge, and scheduling, that make it quite acceptable for most homes. As a matter of fact, Roomba 650 was at the time of this writing one of the most popular Roomba robots sold. In this article, we will compare Roomba 890 with Roomba 650, so you may know exactly if the features that come with Roomba 650 are sufficient to clean effectively your home, or whether it would be better for you to get a Roomba 890. Note that while Roomba 890 and Roomba 650 have been very popular and are still available on Amazon, they are older models not anymore offered by iRobot. If you'd rather see a detailed comparison of ALL the latest 2019 Romba robots offered by iRobot, please click: Comparing Latest 2019 Roomba Robots Offered by iRobot.
This article will compare the Roomba 890 and 650 robots.
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Comparing the Roomba 890 and 650 Robots
The following pictures show the Roomba 890 and 650 robots that will be compared below:
ROOMBA 890
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ROOMBA 650
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Detailed Comparison of the Roomba 890 and 650 Robots
The following table compares the iRobot Roomba 890 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 of these two 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 of these two Roomba.
Explanation of Notes 1 to 13 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.
An important aspect of iAdapt technology is Dirt Detection:
Finally, note that Roomba 650 comes with one Virtual Wall, while Roomba 890 comes with one Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. These are little standalone devices that are used to keep away the robot from rooms or areas they are not supposed to enter:
The following pictures illustrate Virtual Walls and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers in action:
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.
An important aspect of iAdapt technology is Dirt Detection:
- Roomba 650 is equipped with acoustic sensors which allow them to find dirtier areas and spend more time cleaning them.
- Roomba 890 comes with more sophisticated dirt detection ability. It is equipped with both acoustic and optical sensors, and therefore it is more powerful and effective when looking for dirtier areas.
Finally, note that Roomba 650 comes with one Virtual Wall, while Roomba 890 comes with one Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. These are little standalone devices that are used to keep away the robot from rooms or areas they are not supposed to enter:
- Virtual Walls are tiny devices that emit an infra-red beam that the Roomba will not cross. It is used to stop the Roomba from entering areas not wanted to be cleaned. It can be set to block an area ranging from three to eight feet long.
- Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers, like Virtual Walls, 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, such as the area you where your dogs food is placed..
The following pictures illustrate Virtual Walls and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers in action:
(Photo Credits: iRobot)
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(Photo Credits: iRobot)
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N. 2:
Roomba robots use a 3-stage vacuuming system:
N. 3:
The tangle-free brushes (also known as debris extractors) found on Roomba 890 grab and break down debris, eliminating hair tangles and jams, and an airflow accelerator creates a sealed channel that concentrates airflow, sucking in more debris.
N. 4:
When Roomba 890 is connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone, you can use the iRobot Home App for Android and iOS to invoke remotely operations (such as cleaning, scheduling, etc.).
Note that Roomba 890 is compatible with Amazon Alexa. Simply ask Alexa to start, stop, or dock your robot.
N. 5:
N. 6:
Scheduling can be pre-set up to 7 times per week. The robot starts vacuuming as soon as the scheduled time is reached.
Both robots can be scheduled.
N. 7:
When batteries run low, both Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
N. 8:
Both robots are equipped with a Home 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. 9:
Both robots cab 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. 10:
Roomba 650 has a Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery, while Roomba 890 has a Lithium-Ion battery.
Lithium-Ion batteries are designed to provide longer cleaning sessions and last longer before needing to be replaced.
Battery Run Times:
For both robots the average run time is about 60 minutes,.
Note that run times can vary extensively depending on the amount of work the robot has to do to clean the floors. That is because different types of carpets, different floor plans and different amounts of dirt may require different amounts of effort from the robot and hence different amounts of ''juice'' from the battery.
However, keep in mind that Lithium-Ion batteries are designed to provide longer cleaning sessions.
N. 11:
N. 12:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 13:
The 1-year limited warranty is on the robot. There is also a 6-month warranty on the battery.
N. 2:
Roomba robots use a 3-stage vacuuming system:
- Counter-rotating dual multi-surface brushes (on Roomba 650) or counter-rotating dual multi-surface tangle-free brushes (on Roomba 890) pick up dust, debris, dirt, pet hair from the floor. Note that the tangle-free brushes are also called 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 Roomba 650 uses dual counter-rotating brushes and allows for optimized airflow that pulls hair off the brushes and sends it into the bin. This allows the bin to fill more evenly requiring less frequent emptying of the bin.
- AeroForce technology found in Roomba 890 introduces the dual tangle-free brushes (debris extractors) and delivers an ideal balance of vacuum suction and debris extraction: These tangle free extractors grab and break down debris eliminating hair tangles and jams, and 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 Roomba 890 compared to Roomba 650.
N. 3:
The tangle-free brushes (also known as debris extractors) found on Roomba 890 grab and break down debris, eliminating hair tangles and jams, and an airflow accelerator creates a sealed channel that concentrates airflow, sucking in more debris.
N. 4:
When Roomba 890 is connected via Wi-Fi to your smartphone, you can use the iRobot Home App for Android and iOS to invoke remotely operations (such as cleaning, scheduling, etc.).
Note that Roomba 890 is compatible with Amazon Alexa. Simply ask Alexa to start, stop, or dock your robot.
N. 5:
- The AeroVac filter found in Roomba 650 handles quite adequately hair, pet fur, lint and carpet fuzz, but not as well as AeroForce High Efficency filters do.
- Roomba 890 is equipped with an AeroForce High Efficency filter that can capture 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns.
N. 6:
Scheduling can be pre-set up to 7 times per week. The robot starts vacuuming as soon as the scheduled time is reached.
Both robots can be scheduled.
N. 7:
When batteries run low, both Roomba robots return to their Home Base to dock and recharge.
N. 8:
Both robots are equipped with a Home 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. 9:
Both robots cab 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. 10:
Roomba 650 has a Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery, while Roomba 890 has a Lithium-Ion battery.
Lithium-Ion batteries are designed to provide longer cleaning sessions and last longer before needing to be replaced.
Battery Run Times:
For both robots the average run time is about 60 minutes,.
Note that run times can vary extensively depending on the amount of work the robot has to do to clean the floors. That is because different types of carpets, different floor plans and different amounts of dirt may require different amounts of effort from the robot and hence different amounts of ''juice'' from the battery.
However, keep in mind that Lithium-Ion batteries are designed to provide longer cleaning sessions.
N. 11:
- Roomba 890 can be remotely controlled from your smartphone or tablet using the iRobot Home App. No explicit remote-control device is provided.
- Roomba 650 can not be controlled from your smartphone and does not come with a remote-control device. But, if desired, an optionl remote-control device can be separately purchased (see below Amazon products section).
- Note that Roomba 890 is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, including Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap.
N. 12:
The "d" in the dimensions refers to the diameter, and "h" to the height of the unit. All measurements are in inches.
N. 13:
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?
Roomba robots are high quality products as shown by the average rating of at least 4.5 stars (out of 5 stars) each of the Roomba robots considered here had received from Amazon customers at the time this article was written. But as the above comparison table shows, Roomba 650 and 890 come with a few 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 Roomba 890, which supports Wi-Fi communications. Roomba 890 also comes with some additional neat features not found in Roomba 650:
Though the above listed Roomba 890 additional features can be quite useful in certain situations, unless you wish to use your smartphone to control the robot, you would probably be more than satisfied with the vacuuming results obtained with Roomba 650 which comes with all the must-have features such as good floor coverage, auto-docking, self-charging and scheduling.
If you wish to be able to control your Roomba from your smartphone, you should consider Roomba 890, which supports Wi-Fi communications. Roomba 890 also comes with some additional neat features not found in Roomba 650:
- It's built with the AeroForce vacuuming technology with debris extractor which is more powerful than the AeroVac technology used by Roomba 650.
- It has a more efficient filter.
- It is equipped with a full bin indicator.
- It uses a Lithium-Ion battery which is designed to provide longer cleaning sessions and last longer than Ni-Mh batteries before needing to be replaced.
- It comes with a Dual Virtual Wall Barrier instead of just a Virtual Wall (please see N.1 above for an explanation of these).
Though the above listed Roomba 890 additional features can be quite useful in certain situations, unless you wish to use your smartphone to control the robot, you would probably be more than satisfied with the vacuuming results obtained with Roomba 650 which comes with all the must-have features such as good floor coverage, auto-docking, self-charging and scheduling.
Roomba 890 and Roomba 650 Robots on Amazon
Please click the Amazon product link images below to see exact prices or to purchase.
Roomba 890 |
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.
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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Roomba Virtual Wall, Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier & Remote-Control Device on Amazon
Additional Virtual Walls, Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers and Remote-Control devices can be purchased below:
Roomba Virtual Wall |
Dual Virtual Wall Bariers |
Optional Remote-Control Device for Roomba 650 and 652
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