Roomba i7 vs Roomba 960: Deep & Detailed Comparison

Roomba vacuums are equipped to become smarter, day by day. Roomba smart vacuums by Irobot manufactured with advanced hardware that are capable of providing the most intelligent features that bring these vacuums among top of the charts. Roomba is trying hard to access more latest advancement features in the future for their buyers.

Roomba i7 and 960 are newest models but it’s very hard to decide which one you should go with. In a nutshell, it’s a judgmental call. But no worries, we are here to get your brain rid of this difficult decision. Let’s compare both these models.

i7

Roomba i7

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960

Roomba 960

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Let’s have a look at this Comparison table, which guide you best.

Roomba i7 vs Roomba 960 – Main Differences

The latest model roomba i7 has some major upgrades which make a sense of differentiation between i7 and roomba 960, but in only specific areas. Let’s have a look at their differences.

• The navigation of roomba i7 is 3.0 iadapt which not only cleans in straight lines also remembers layout of your home but on other hand roomba 960 has 2.0 iadapt that it cleans in straight rows.
• The roomba i7 has the suction power that delivers 10x the air power, while the suction power of roomba 960 is 5x  the air power.
• The battery capacity of roomba i7 is 3300 mAh which runs upto 90 minutes while roomba 960 has capacity of 2600 mAh which runs upto 75 minutes.
• The roomba i7 weighs up to 7.44 pounds which is lighter than roomba 960 which weighs up to 8.6 pounds.
• The collection bin can be upgraded in roomba i7 which is smaller (0.5 L) but washable, on the other hand the bin of roomba 960 is larger (0.75) but neither be washed nor upgradeable.
• Roomba i7 comes in balck color while roomba 960 comes in grey color option only.

Roomba i7 vs Roomba 960 – Main Similarities

Almost the other things that are left behind after the above mentioned differences, everything is common in both of these models of Roomba by irobot. I am going to list them below for you.

• They both have the same controller type which includes a home app, google assistant or amazon alexa and sensitive touch buttons on the top of vacuum.
• Roomba i7 and 960 can automatically recharge their batteries when they run out of juice and resume work from where they left without wasting time and energy on cleaned areas.
• Both machines use highly efficient filters that can trap 99% pollen, dander allergens, dirt and dust.
• Both use a dual mode virtual wall barrier for their containment purposes.

Roomba i7 vs Roomba 960 – Detailed Features Comparison

Let’s dive deep into the detailed features of both roomba i7 and roomba 960. So there will be nothing that stays out of your sight. After reading this beneficial article, surely, you will be able to see which one is the best choice for you and which one you should buy. Let’s find out.

1. Powerful Performance and Filters

i 7

iRobot Roomba I7

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Pulls in stubborn dirt and messes with a Premium 3-Stage Cleaning System and 10X the Power-Lifting Suction.

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Roomba i7 has a 10x the strongest power lifting suction that lifts whatever hides in your carpets and floors. It also uses a premium 3-stage patented cleaning system which is supposed to clean your home, perfectly. They have extra strong suction powers to tackle all kinds of dirt, dust, debris, pet hairs and even smaller particles either from pile low and high carpets and hard floors with great ease and accuracy.

It can vacuum messes in just a moment whatever your children split on carpets or floors like cereals and many more. They can easily target specific areas in your rooms like in front of the couches or under tables to clean thoroughly.

They use highly efficient filters that trap 99% dirt particles, pollen, pet dander allergens, and even smaller microorganisms that may cause disturbance in your breath.

960

iRobot Roomba 960

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Patented iAdapt 2.0 Navigation with vSLAM technology allows the robot to map its surroundings to clean an entire level of your home.

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The cleaning system for roomba 960 is also 3-staged patented which loosen debris before lifting and sucking it into the bin. It has a suction power which delivers 5x the air power. It provides improved pick-up performance from previous models of roomba. It can also pick up all kinds of pollen, dirt, debris and pet hairs from every type of floor.

It doesn’t skip a beat and any mess left in the area where it is vacuuming. The floor transition is easy and it applies more power where needed. Sometimes it gets stuck and needs help to move on again.

They also use highly efficient filters like roomba i7 which can trap 99% dust, dirt, allergens and pollen easily.

Bottom Line

In cleaning performance, Roomba i7 is a step ahead because it delivers 10x power which is double of 960. But they both use the same kind of filters that are highly efficient.

2. Navigation and Mapping

Roomba i7 is the first model that is equipped with the advanced navigation iadapt 3.0 technology. It can create a map of your whole home with the help of built-in cameras and sensors and it’s upgraded processor and RAM makes vacuuming easier and faster by memorising your home layouts.

With imprint smart mapping, now your roomba knows every part of your home from kitchen to living rooms so you can decide where it cleans and when. It also remembers where it leaves cleaning when the battery goes down so it doesn’t waste it’s time on scanning the whole clean areas again.

You can also tell your smart robot vacuum to stay away from certain areas or objects by using customizable keep out zones. In this way, with smart navigation and mapping of your home zone cleaning routines become so quicker and efficient.

• Roomba 960

The roomba 960 uses advanced navigation iadapt 2.0 technology. This smart navigation allows the robot to create amart mapping of your home to take cleaning on an entire level.  Purposefully and logically it navigates in clean rows so that there will be no area leftover uncleaned.

They automatically clean in sequences; first vacuuming and then mopping. They also use floor tracking sensors. Their smart navigation allows them to learn from your cleaning habits and offer customizable schedules. They can also detect clean areas easily so don’t waste energy and time.

• Bottom Line

The navigation technology is more smarter in roomba i7 in comparison with roomba 960. So, points again in the patch of roomba i7.

3. Control Options – Clean Without Lifting a Finger

Roomba i7

You can control your robot by installing a newly updated home app in your smartphone in which you can adjust auto-scheduling for your vacuum on a weekly and daily basis. You can also map areas which you want to clean first, name your rooms and set up restricted zones while you’re far away from your home.

It also has strong voice commands which means you can give instructions to it through google or amazon alexa. So cleaning has never been so easy before. You don’t even need to lift a finger.

There are also touch sensitive buttons on the top of the unit which include a large cleaning button right in the center, a spot clean button and dock station button on either side. So you can also control the robot with these buttons to either start the cleaning cycle, spot cleaning or send the robot back to home.

Roomba 960

The control options for the roomba 960 are exactly the same as in the roomba i7. You can use a home app for auto-scheduling and control your vacuum cleaner while you’re far away from your home being busy or enjoying vacation with your loved ones.

You can also control your robot through voice instructions by connecting it through google or amazon alexa. So you can rest on your couch while cleaning.

The touch sensitive buttons are also present on the top of the vacuum used to start regular cleaning, spot cleaning and for going back to home or dock station.

The control options for roomba i7 and roomba 960 are exactly the same.

4. Collection Bin

Roomba i7

The dustbin for i7 is smaller 0.5L but with new and advanced technology it is washable. You just simply have to run it under tap and rinse it out. Being washable is the one and only new feature for the collection bin of your roomba i7.

Moreover, you can also make a purchase if you don’t want to empty your vacuum’s bin. “Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal System,” but with this purchase the dock station and bin for your i7 will completely change. And you never need to empty your bin again. The new bin will also be washable and has a small hole in the bottom of the bin which is covered with a rubber stopper flap.

When your roomba goes to dock station for charging, the whole debris will suck out and store in the tower. Tower has a capacity to store dust and debris upto 30 bins and after it becomes full you get a notification on your mobile app and simply remove the strictly sealed bag from the tower and replace with new. So no fuss and no mess for emptying your collection bin.

Roomba 960

The capacity of the collection bin is large 0.75L enough that you can generally go two or three cleaning cycles easily before needing it to be empty. Of Course, this edge is after you run your vacuum several times because more debris will be collected when you first vacuum your home with roomba. But after you will really realize the amount of debris being collected.

There is also a full bin indicator that will let you know when the bin is full or knowing the point where it is. So there will be no more guessing work involved in your cleaning routines with roomba.

The bin of roomba 960 is larger but you can’t upgrade it. On other hand, the bin collection of roomba i7 is smaller but washable. Also you can upgrade it.

5. Battery – Runtime and Charging

Roomba i7

Roomba i7 uses a lithium ion battery which charges faster and holds charge for a long time before the battery runs out of juice. The capacity of the battery cell is 3300 mAh  which takes about 3 hours to fully charge.

It can run upto 90 minutes which is enough for cleaning your home without any breakage but in highly concentrated areas where more suction power is needed to supply it may slow down earlier. In a nutshell, the battery capacity of i7 roomba is sufficient to provide power to all features like motor, cameras, sensors, wheels and navigation, etc.

Roomba 960

Luckily, roomba 960 also has a lithium ion battery which is much faster to charge and holds charge for a longer run than old batteries. The cell has a capacity of 2600 mAh which takes the same time like roomba i7; 3 hours to get fully charged.

It can run upto 75 minutes after getting fully charged. But if it cleans thick carpets and more concentrated areas it may get low soon due to high power consumption. But no worries, it will resume its work automatically after being full after 3 hours.

Bottom Line

Both models have the same type of battery and charging time. But the runtime and capacity for the battery cell is different. Roomba i7 has larger capacity and longer runtime.

6. Idea for Homes With Pets

Roomba i7

Roomba i7 is the best choice for those who have pets at their homes because they have exceptional strong suction power to lift pet hairs, dirt, and debris from carpets and floors. Beside this it also has a unique dual-multi surface rubber brushes that don’t get tangled easily while cleaning your home.

As they also use highly efficient filters so trap your cats and dogs hairs and  dander allergens easily. They also suggest  extra cleanings when pollen count is high and during pet shedding seasons. So cleaning is no more tough while having pets at your home with roomba i7 smart vacuum.

Roomba 960

Roomba 960 also provides effective cleaning against pet hairs. They also use the highly efficient filters exactly like roomba i7 that can trap 99% dirt, dust, debris and pet hairs easily from carpets and floors.

They also offer you extra cleanings when pollen count is high and during pet shedding seasons. So cleaning is no more tough while having pets at your home with a roomba smart vacuum.

Bottom Line

As roomba i7 has stronger suction power than roomba 960 and dual multi-surface brush which is tangle free. So i7 wins this point.

Conclusion – Our Recommendation

Both champions work amazingly but roomba i7 comes with various abilities and features that totally pull backward roomba 960 in comparison. But without a judgmental call, roomba 960 is not at all a bad machine and doesn’t force you to pay extra cost for advanced features found in i7. You can’t go wrong with both models but it all depends on your choice, budgets and needs.

But if you are still confused and can’t make a decision for you, we will surely recommend roomba i7 because we want you to bring an advanced robot that makes your cleaning even more easier and efficient with a lot of advanced features and navigation.

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