Which Roomba is best for you? Compare the top iRobot models.

You probably know someone who owns a Roomba iRobot or at least a robot vacuum. They’re incredibly handy and useful for helping keep your home cleaned on a regular basis.
When you’re planning to buy one, you’ll quickly notice there’s quite a bit to choose from. All Roombas are circular and look fairly similar. But that’s where the similarities end, because these Roomba iRobots differ a lot from each other in terms of features, controls, brushes, suction power, battery, etc. There’s a Roomba for every budget and every need. In this article you’ll find an overview to help you decide which model is the best fit for you.

Roomba S9+ with automatic dirt disposal (best overall)

If you have enough budget for cleaning your home, or you simply want the very best and newest robot vacuum, go for the Roomba s9+. At the moment this is the best Roomba you can get. It’s certainly not cheap at around €1300, but if you’re willing to spend the money, you’ll see why below.

Self‑emptying

Most Roomba models have to be emptied and cleaned by hand, which can be a bit of a hassle. The s9+, however, has its own dust bags in the charging base, into which the Roomba empties itself.

Deep cleaning

Many Roombas aren’t designed for thick carpets. The S9+ is different: it has excellent suction power and cleans more than 40 times deeper than many 600 series models. And unlike other robot vacuums, its powerful side brushes allow it to clean corners very effectively.

Automatically adapts

Cheaper Roombas work in random directions and don’t actually learn the layout of your home. This Roomba does: it doesn’t just detect obstacles far ahead, it also maps your home, decides how to clean it and which obstacles to avoid.

Good battery

The battery lasts about 2 hours, which should be enough for most homes. A full charge takes around four hours.

Pros

- Deep‑cleaning performance
- Suction power comparable to many cordless vacuums
- Self‑emptying, so all you have to do is replace the bag in the base
- Maps your home and uses smart tech to avoid certain rooms or obstacles

Cons

- Price
- Relatively long charging time, but that’s needed for the strong suction and usually happens at night
- Can be somewhat noisy

iRobot Roomba 690 Wi‑Fi Connected (best on a budget)

If the S9 is too expensive, the Roomba 690 is a great alternative. It’s a good model if you’re on a tight budget, with a purchase price of around €300. 

Control via smartphone

Even the more affordable Roombas now offer smartphone connectivity. You can schedule cleaning sessions whenever you like and setup is very straightforward.

Good battery life

The Roomba 690 runs for about 90 minutes on a single charge, which is more than enough for most homes. When the battery is nearly empty, it automatically returns to the charging dock.

Effective cleaning

Even though this is a budget model, it does a very good job. It has powerful, multi‑surface brushes that work on all floor types and comes with several other, replaceable brushes as well.

Includes virtual wall barrier

If you don’t want your Roomba to cross into a certain area, this is a handy feature that lets you block off specific zones and/or obstacles.

Pros

- Smart features, including custom cleaning schedules.
- Works well for cleaning dirt, pet hair and other everyday messes.
- Inexpensive

Cons

- Uses a random pattern to clean your home.
- No room‑mapping function.
- Can sometimes “forget” where the charging base is.

Roomba E5 (best for pet hair)

Pets bring hair, dander and debris into your home. You need to vacuum daily to keep up, and you need a Roomba that can handle pet hair while also happily co‑existing with your animals.
Every Roomba can deal with pet hair reasonably well, but some models are especially good at it, such as the E5. This Roomba is ideal for short‑haired pets, shaggy dogs and long‑haired cats. It costs around €300.

Strong suction

The E5 has powerful suction combined with a 3‑stage cleaning system. Pet hair and dander are no match for this Roomba. It’s excellent for pet hair and dirt on both hardwood and carpets.

A pet‑friendly filter

A special filter captures 99 percent of pet allergens. That makes it easier for someone with allergies to live together with pets.

Special sensors

This Roomba also uses a number of sensors that help it move under furniture, where its powerful brushes can clean thoroughly.

Roomba 890 iRobot WiFi Connected (best for hardwood floors)

Hardwood floors are much easier to maintain than carpet, but they still require the right kind of vacuum. Dirt can slide around on a hard floor, which makes it more annoying to clean. The Roomba that works especially well on wooden floors is the 890.

Pros

- Picks up very well. The cleaning head is specially designed to work on hardwood as well as carpet.
- Smart device
- Average battery life is 90 minutes.
- Good value for money at around €350.

Cons

- The dust bin is a bit small and can be tricky to remove.
- Mainly intended for hard floors; it can handle carpets too, but not as deeply as a dedicated carpet vacuum with more power.

Roomba 980 (best for carpets)

The very best option for carpets is probably the S9+, but that model is basically best at everything. If your home has a lot of carpet and you can’t or don’t want to spend the money on the S9+, the Roomba 980 is the best alternative.

Power Boost

One of the most striking features of the 980 is Power Boost. The Power Boost function is designed specifically for carpets and works like this: when the "robot vacuum" moves from a hard floor onto carpet, it detects the change automatically and ramps up its performance. That means it picks up more dirt, dust and pet hair. If you have both carpets and pets, the 980 is an excellent choice.

Long battery life

The battery life is an impressive 2 hours before it heads back to the charging dock for a break.

Pros

- Multiple flexible brushes for different surfaces.
- Strong cleaning power that’s automatically adjusted to the floor type.
- Sensors and camera do a great job mapping your rooms.
- Comes with virtual walls so you can block off certain areas

Cons

- On the pricey side at around €800.
- Can be noisy. 
- Plenty of suction power, but not absolutely extreme.

The Braava 380t (best mopping robot)

For hardwood or tiled floors, having a dedicated mopping robot is ideal. Roomba is great at cleaning floors, but it (still) can’t mop automatically.
Some brands offer robot vacuums with a mopping function, but that combination often isn’t powerful or advanced enough to do both jobs really well.
An iRobot that can mop and works perfectly alongside a Roomba is the Braava 380t. It costs about €200 and takes the mopping work completely off your hands. In our view it’s a great combo.

How does a mopping robot work?

You fill it with water and a cleaning solution of your choice. Braava then distributes this over the floor and cleans a wide variety of surfaces. Hardwood, stone and/or tile floors are all cleaned with ease. Thanks to turbo‑charge it also recharges quickly. It uses different (microfiber) cloths for different tasks.
Finally, Braava easily gets under furniture, and besides a mopping mode it also has a sweep mode to pick up extra dust.

In summary

The best Roomba models currently on the market offer incredible suction power and excellent filters that largely take over your traditional vacuuming. Roomba vacuums are also easy to clean, and anything caught in the brush is simple to remove. Combined with all the smart features, remote control options and flexible brushes, a Roomba robot vacuum is a great addition to pretty much any home.
As you’ve seen above, there’s a Roomba model for every type of floor, every wish and every budget!