UPDATED: Jan 09, 2020.
Roomba has been an undisputed leader in the market of a robot vacuum for its commendable quality and wide range of products offering catering to users of each generally.
While there are several manufacturers in the market which are competing with the Roomba products, there are two products from Roomba which are closely competing with each other for their outstanding features and promising cleaning.
While Roomba I7 comes with a high price tag, Roomba 980 is referred to as an affordable option to consider. A detailed review of the iRobot Roomba I7 vs. 980 is done to know what makes them popular among the robot cleaner users.
Contents
Detailed Review of the iRobot Roomba I7
With the up-gradation to iAdapt 3.0 software, this robot cleaner is acclaimed to have advanced navigation with persistent mapping. It allows the users to save up to 10 maps in a cloud server. It results in enhancing the robot’s efficiency as the robot has already stored map with it.
This data also helps the robot to lay down the more precise home cleaning pattern. You can easily choose the specific part of your house for cleaning. As this cleaner can be configured with Alexa or smart app, you can order a cleaning to a specific room or area while being away, over a voice message.
A special slot underneath is assigned to empty the dirt bin known as clean base. It is considered as another significant up-gradation with extended autonomy of the robot.
There is an integrated speaker that updates the user about the device status. However, it is recommended to keep an eye on the first cleaning cycle of the robot. Roomba I7 arrives in a box with plenty of accessories and charging station. It is quick and easy to set up.
It is worth notable that the Clean Base feature is available in Roomba I7+ which is $200 costlier than the Roomba I7 which does not possess any such feature. If you are looking for a top-spec version, it makes sense to invest in Roomba I7, else you may stick to the base Roomba I7 which features the same navigation up gradation but does not have a clean base system.
Pros
- This robot boasts high efficiency and autonomy
- Clean base automatically cleans the robot bin
- iAdapt 3.0 strengthen the navigation system of the robot
- great cleaning performance with this high-quality robot
- Efficient with multi-floor mapping
- Compatible with Google Home and Alexa to enable voice control
- For Android and iOS, a Smartphone app is available
- Easy to customize and schedule
- Edge sweeping brush to clean the corners and edges
- Automatically return to the charge station when low on battery
Cons
- One of the expensive robots in the segment
- You need to spend additionally for clean base bags
- The device is a large size when compared to the other competitors.
Detailed review of the Roomba 980
This user-friendly robot cleaner comes with indicator lights to indicate the troubleshooting, dirt detection, full dustbin, and wi-fi connectivity. It is powered with an option of projected boundaries with two AA battery-powered Virtual Wall lighthouses.
Enabled with the sensors and smart technology, this robot gets smarter after as many cleaning schedules regarding the areas which require additional cleaning.
A separate halo mode is available to protect sensitive areas such as water and food bowls for the pet. For hard floors, by using standard mode, this robot can easily clean up to 2 hours. By using the Carpet boost option, the battery life of the robot however decreases.
It can emit the audio cues while you are on your way. It also offers a great transition on/off rugs with excellent cleaning capacity. There are three easy to locate buttons provided to ensure great manual control. Easily compatible with the smartphones, iRobot Home app offers added controllability.
This robot is equipped with automatic scheduling and additional cleaning features such as Edge clean, carpet boost and two cleaning pass to clean your home efficiently. The open area cleaning of this robot consists of systematic cleaning wipes in passes with parallel lines.
Overall, it is an impressive vacuum cleaner which comes with cutting-edge features and affordable price range. It is an excellent choice for the people who are looking for a clean floor after coming back home, it is an excellent choice.
Pros
- Long-lasting lithium-ion battery
- A self-sufficient robot to work on versatile floor types
- Three cleaning brushes
- Wi-fi connectivity to control it via a smart app
- Easy to remove the dust bin
- A low-resolution camera with grid-based movements
- Study and sleek look with a wide range of color options
- It comes with two virtual walls and powered with AA battery
- Additional sensors to clean your house efficiently
Cons
- Suction performance is not very high
- Not the quietest robot vacuum when compared with its competitors
- No notification for remaining battery life
- No remote control is provided
As we have reviewed both the Roomba robots in detail, let’s examine the differences and similarities between the two to comprehend a comparative analysis:
Comparative Analysis – iRobot Roomba I7 vs. 980
As we have revised both the products by Roomba in detail, let’s make a comparative analysis to know the differences and similarities between the two:
Differences between iRobot Roomba I7 Vs 980
Virtual Wall Barrier
Virtual barrier plays a vital role to block the sensitive areas of your house where you don’t want your cleaner to enter. Barriers can be set by the way of infrared lights indicating to back off.
These virtual wall barriers help to turn around the robot once reaching to the prohibited areas to resume cleaning from such restricted spaces. While Roomba i7 comes with single virtual barriers, Roomba 980 is provided with the two virtual barriers.
Although you always have an option to buy additional virtual barrier, it will add the cost of your robot.
iAdapt Technology
While iRObot Roomba I7 is among some of the selective models which are selected for the advance iAdapt technology to adapt your cleaner for mapping the surroundings efficiently. The 3.0 upgrade enables the robot to remember all the landmarks with a specified region for advanced tracking.
2.0 version of iAdapt technology applies to iRobot Roomba 980 which does not enable the cleaner to remember the landmarks. However, the cleaner has an ability for mapping the home to deliver efficient cleaning experience. But the 2.0 version of iAdapt is not as advanced as the 3.0 upgrade.
Battery Life
On a single charge, Roomba I7 can work efficiently up to 75 minutes while Roomba 980 is capable to work up to 120 minutes, leading from Roomba I7 in terms of battery life.
If you are concerned with battery life or have a large house, Roomba 980 is a preferred choice due to its extended battery life by 65% over advanced Roomba I7.
Automatic Dirt Disposal
One of the unique features that Roomba i7 possess is Automatic Dirt Disposal. Emptying the robot bin from time to time is the vital part of most of the robot vacuum cleaning regime to ensure its maximum efficiency.
While some robots come with the notification system which indicates when the bin is full while others need to be checked frequently to ensure that the bin is not full. A clean base is available with Roomba i7 to take this smart vacuum to the next level of advancement.
The robot is capable to empty itself in an enclosed disposable bag with a capacity of 30 full bins. So you are debarred from checking the bin frequently. But Roomba 980 requires manual emptying of the dust bin regularly.
Smart Mapping Imprint
Counted as one of the newest Roomba models, Roomba I7 comes with imprint smart mapping to prompt it cleaning of various rooms by their name. With iAdapt 3.0, the strong navigation of Roomba I7 allows the cleaner to remember the individual layout of each room.
The user can easily assign the label and the cleaner is up to clean with the same mapping with the virtue of the assigned label in the upcoming cleaning schedules.
You just need to activate the cleaning feature using the Smart App or Google assistance or Alexa, and the robot will clean the assigned room efficiently. However, Roomba 980 lacks these advanced features.
Every time you schedule a cleaning for an individual room, you need to lay the map as the cleaner is not advanced enough to remember the previous individual room mapping. It instead remembers the coverage area as a whole.
Size & Weight
When it comes to compactness and lightweight, Roomba i7 takes the lead with a weight of 7.55 pounds and a diameter of 13.3 inches. Roomba 980 weighs slightly higher at 8.7 pounds with a diameter of 13.8 diameters.
However, the difference is minimal. Technically, Roomba i7 has an advantage over Roomba 980 hence it comes to weight and size.
Similarities between Roomba i7 and Roomba 980
Following are some of the features which are common in both the Roomba models:
Brushless Mechanism
Vacuums with the brushes are efficient to clean your house effectively but also prone to clogging when exposed to the pet hair. So, instead of brushes, both the robots use a 3-stage cleaning mechanism to avoid any tangling of brushes.
Advanced brushless cleaning system easily knocks out the debris and dust into suction path.
On-board Camera
Both 980 and i7 are hi-tech models which onboard camera over the traditional models with acoustic sensors. The intelligent onboard camera present in both the robots adds the intelligence to sense your home’s shape.
Neither these robot record any video or image of your house not, they are capable to transfer any such images to any third party.
Voice Control
Google Home and Amazon Echo are the two devices which are compatible with both the robots to accept voice commands. All you need to integrate these devices to your robot and the robot is ready to serve you on your voice command. From manual cleaning to manual scheduling, you can handle various tasks without lifting your finger.
iRobot Home app
Both Roomba 980 and iRobot i7 comes with the compatibility with iRobot Home app. You can connect both of them to Wi-fi and schedule them to work through iRobot Home app.
You can easily access the controls like spot cleaning or scheduling and dispense the manual cleaning sessions using this Home App. You can control your vacuum even remotely just by getting online.
Resume and Recharge
Most of the Roomba models come with decent battery life and these two models are not an exception to this. Even if your robot gets out of battery while worry, don’t worry, both these robots can automatically return to their charging docks to get recharged.
Once recharge, both the robots can resume the assigned cleaning task where it left in between.
Conclusion
Both of the Roomba models are incredibly famous among the users for their high-quality performance. While Roomba i7 comes with technological advancement and support the clean base, Roomba 980 comes with better battery life.
When it comes to price, Roomba i7 is expensive while Roomba 980 is priced moderately. As the 980 model comes with two virtual walls over the i7 with just one, Roomba i7 becomes more expensive if you buy another virtual wall.
To conclude an ideal one for you, you need to lay down your specific requirements and budget. If you are not going to use the clean base and looking for extended battery life, Roomba 980 is a better deal.
For tech-savvy enthusiasts, Robot i7 is worth considering for its advanced features of strong navigation, upgrade 3.0 mapping and advanced clean base feature.
