UPDATED: Jan 05, 2020.
It is almost impossible to miss the iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuums from any online review. iRobot is one of the first brands to hit the industry and today we want to look at the iRobot Roomba 960 Robot Vacuum.
Roomba 960 Specifications
The model comes with the following specifications:
- Product dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 inches
- Product weight: 8.6 pounds
- Manufacturer: iRobot
- Item model number: 960
What Does it Offer?
The Roomba 960 has a lot of things on offer that makes it a leading machine that you should have for cleaning your home. Some of the notable features are:
Excellent Functionality
When it comes to functionality, the Roomba 960 functions like the advanced 980 machines. However, there is a difference when it comes to the battery and the motor.
The unit comes with the same cell as the 800 series, so it will suffer when cleaning the carpet. That means it provides the same power as Roomba 880, but it won’t come with the carpet booster present in the 980.
The brand states that the unit has five times more power when compared with the 600 and 700 models. What that means is that you get a powerful cleaner that will remove almost all the dirt.
For houses with low pile carpet and bare floor, this would be the right machine to get.
Smaller Lithium-Ion Battery
The manufacturer notes that the unit comes with a smaller sized cell that provides enough power to last up to 75 minutes. It should, therefore, be an excellent cleaner for vacuuming low to medium surfaces, and it comes with upgraded camera-based navigation and efficient cleaning pattern.
We have mentioned about the navigation, but that’s not enough without going further into the fine details. Its navigation is made possible by the iAdapt 2.0 that is also present in the Roomba 980.
This technology is more advanced, and the camera helps to mark landmarks and ensure that the cleaner is always on track. When your machine docks, it easily recalls the area it has cleaned and will start from that spot when it gets charged.
Rubber Extractors
The issue with bristled brushes is that they get tangled with pet hair – you need to cut them regularly to continue enjoying the safe level of efficiency. These types of brushes also wear over time, meaning that you will need to replace them soon.
That is not the case with the rubber extractors as they get rid of the two problems. With that said, you might still need to remove the hair.
The best thing is that they last as long as the Roomba 960 continues to operate and requires little maintenance.
Virtual Wall
The fact that the machine comes with the iAdapt 2.0 means that it can quickly work without a virtual wall. However, it comes with a wall that makes use of infrared signals to prevent the cleaner from accessing areas you don’t want to be cleaned.
One Side Brush
Just like all the other iRobot cleaners, this unit comes with only one side brush that lets you clean all hard-to-reach areas. You can be confident that the robot will clean all corners of your house to give a thorough home cleaning.
iRobot Home App
In this age of smart devices, vacuum cleaners companies have taken advantage of the wireless tech, and iRobot has its app that lets you control your vacuum remotely. That enables you to ask the machine to clean your house when you are away, at work, gym, or vacation.
Besides, the app has a few uses that make it easier to use your cleaner. One such application is scheduling the cleaning time.
Instead of touching the robot when you want it to start to clean, you can easily schedule it to clean at least once per day. It is a flexible setting, that means you don’t need to worry about forgetting when to clean your home.
Cleaning Ability
There are thee aspects of cleaning that you should know about the iRobot Roomba 960.
Bare floor cleaning
Although it has a weaker motor, this cleaner can clean most bare surfaces around your house with ease. The unit comes with a dirt detector that makes it possible to spot all the areas with a lot of dirt.
Besides, there are acoustic and optical sonars that spot the surfaces with embedded dirt to add more power.
Carpet cleaning
As we said, this unit might struggle when cleaning your carpets. However, it does a great job when cleaning low pile carpets.
Also, it can help to prevent dirt from getting to your carpets when you use it as a maintenance tool.
Pet hair removal
Since the unit comes with counter-rotating rubber extractors, it does an excellent job when removing pet hair. However, you should note that it is not as effective as a bristle brush.
Three Cleaning Pass Modes
One of the pros of the Roomba 960 is the 3-cleaning pass settings:
- One-cleaning pass – The mode lets the cleaner make a single pass over your floor.
- Two-cleaning pass – In this mode, the machine will move over a spot two time to ensure thorough cleaning.
- Automatic – Here, the robot will decide on the number of passes it will make when cleaning your home.
Pros and Cons
The Roomba 960 has more pros than cons, as you will see below.
Pros
- Powerful suction power that collects debris easily
- Comes with a 3-stage cleaning process
- You can monitor it through an app
- Has a virtual wall that prevents it from cleaning the areas you don’t want to be cleaned
- Boasts of an advanced navigation technology
- Able to clean the edges
Cons
- It is not the right vacuum for cleaning high pile carpets
- The cleaner often get stuck in some places
Our Final Words
The iRobot Roomba 960 Vacuum is a good cleaner in many areas. It might not be the best on the shelves today, but it still does an exceptional job.
