I finally wanted to try robo vacuum cleaners and wanted to buy Roomba during this Black Friday. When I started looking on Amazon, Costco and Kohls, I came to know that there are tons of different types of Roomba models and it is very confusing. Surprisingly Roomba website doesn’t do a good job at providing info on different options in an easy way. The official website doesn’t even mention some model no.s that you see on shopping sites. Hence, finally I reached out KV WhatsApp and I got some pointers from some of you. In addition, I also started googling and done more research around this. I am writing this blog to document my findings and assist other shoppers.
At a high level, there are 3 series of models.
600 series – Lower end, basic features
800 series – Mid-range price and feature wise
900 series – Flagship with all the features
Within each series, there are further models like 690, 860, 980 etc.
600 Series
- Clean all floor types
- Patented 3-stage cleaning using acostic sensors
- 60 minutes run-time
- Cleans under furniture
Popular models – 614, 652, 690
I recommend minimum 690 (wi-fi/app), it has good reviews on Amazon too. I didn’t research much on other models
800 Series
- Tangle-Free AeroForce Extractors – Dual extractors break down dirt and debris to prevent hair and debris clogs
- 5x more power and less maintenance
- 60 minutes run-time
- Dirt Detect Series 2 – Uses optical and acoustic sensors to find dirt
- AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System – Uses agitation, brushing, and suction
- Aeroforce high-efficiency filter which captures 99% of allergens, pollen etc.
Popular models –
805 – One that you find in Costco, No HEPA filter
860: HEPA filter, Dual Mode Virtual Wall – It will block openings up to 10 ft. to keep Roomba out of specific rooms
870: 2 virtual walls – will block openings to rooms or areas you want to keep the Roomba out of
880: comes with remote control and a smarter virtual lighthouse that we can use to direct Roomba to different rooms once cleaned
890: all above and wi-fi and app, work with Google home and Alexa
900 Series
I Roomba models below 900 don’t have a camera or any other sensors to detect walls/rooms. Those models use soft-touch bumpers to detect walls and obstacles. Multi rooms cleaning is only available from 900 series.
- All features of 800 series
- On-board camera
- Multi-room cleaning using visual map of home
- Carpet Boost – Automatically increases power and suction on carpets and rugs (only 980)
- 10x more power (only 980)
- 75 minutes run-time (only 980)
Popular models:
960, 980
Note that high numbered models include/enhance all the features of the low ones.
My final decision and thought process:
As it was my first robot vacuum cleaner I wanted to start with basic and check how it compares to manual cleaning. Hence, initially, I decided to go with 690 when it was on a deal @ Amazon for $274. Summoning Roomba to clean via my Google home seemed very cool feature. However, the main concern was hair and other objects getting tangled in cleaning brush. Also cleaning of 600 series is not efficient and advanced compare to Roomba 800, 900 which defeats the reason to buy automatic vacuum cleaner.
Hence, I started looking into 800 series, I couldn’t find much info on Costco 805 which was available in $329. Luckily Amazon dropped new deal on Roomba 860 for $379 and the price fell to $349 on both Target and Amazon. Then finally on Cyber Monday Target offered 15% off on the entire website and on top of that 5% Red Card final price of 860 was around 690. This way I didn’t have to compromise on features and price.
A verdict on Roomba 860:
Over last couple of weeks my review is, cleaning is excellent it picks up more dirt than traditional manual vacuum. Its totally tangle free and easy to clean. It cleans corners very well. I found that App and Alexa/home access is cool but not a big deal as I can schedule multiple cleanings per week. Also, hardly any significant difference between 870,880 and 890 but all are $50-100 more than 860.
Hence, I recommend Roomba 860 as its good value for buck and no compromise on basic features needed for efficient cleaning. Its nice option as your first Roomba while you are still getting used to Robo Cleaners. If budget is not a problem go for 980 as 960 is very similar to 800 series.
References
https://smartrobotichome.com/best-roomba-model-comparison-chart/
https://www.allhomerobotics.com
Execellent artIcle Sumit !! I know what I’m getting now !!! very helpful
Great article Sumit. I have Roomba 614. Its ok for occasional cleaning. I am surprised by how many times it travels on the same path though. Now maybe next year I would like to upgrade to a higher model.
Nice write-up. We were also using Roomba, earlier generation and recently switched to Neato. Neato is surely much quiter than the earlier generation Roomba (don’t know about new ones), and follows a more streamlined path to cleaning. It also bumps less into furniture when cleaning.
We also have a Scooba – the wet vaccum version from Roomba. The water tank is too small for out liking and does not do an even clean with the water.