Roomba 890 vs 980

Are you In a Hurry? Lets get straight to it:

Both of these Roomba models are outmoded. The new models similar to these are the Roomba e5 and the Roomba i7+ models.

Roomba 890 vs 980, Compared Side by Side

About the Roomba 890

The Roomba 890 is the latest addition to the Roomba collection. It has similar features to its predecessor the Roomba 880. The main difference is the Wi-Fi connectivity. You will find that all for the newer Roombas offered by iRobot now have Wi-Fi connectivity. These include the Roomba 690, 890, 960 and 980.

The Roomba 890 is a middle range Roomba in the truest sense. Yes it has more advanced vacuuming power than the Roombas in the 600 and 700 series but it doesn’t have the more advanced navigation technology of the Roombas in the 900 series.

If you have pets you will prefer this vacuum to its predecessors in the 600 and 700 series. Roomba introduced a brushless extractor to collect dirt and debris. The advantage of this new vacuuming system is it breaks down the dirt and debris, thus resulting in less maintenance.

If you have pets you will find that the hair wont so readily get stuck on the brushes. The previous models have bristle brushes so this was a common occurrence and many times you would have to cut the material out of the brushes.

Another benefit of these brushless extractors is they result in greater suction power for your Roomba. According to iRobot this new technology allows the Roomba to have five times more air power.

The Roomba 890 uses the same navigation technology as the Roombas in the 600 and 700 series. Roomba uses a series of sensors to navigate your cleaning area.

You will find the Roombas in the 900 series use visual localization sensors to map your cleaning area and to keep track of which areas have been cleaned. You will notice that the Roomba 890 cleans in a very random pattern while the Roombas in the 900 series seem a bit more methodical when carrying out their cleaning job.

An added plus is this Roomba have wifi connectivity so you can use the iRobot app to control your Roomba remotely.

You can also use voice controls to instruct your Roomba since it is now compatible with Google assistant and Amazon Alexa. Roomba has recently added this feature to all of its new Roombas and you can enjoy this feature in cheaper models such as the Roomba 690.

The Roomba is a good mid-level priced Roomba that offers you the best of both worlds. You get more advanced vacuuming technology than the Roombas in the 600 and 700 series but you avoid the high prices of the Roombas in the 900 series. If you are looking for a cheaper option you will find our comparison of the Roomba 890 and the Roomba 690 helpful. You can also have a look at all our Roomba comparisons here.

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About the Roomba 980

The Roomba 980 is the premium Roomba model on the market. It has the latest technology that iRobot has to offer and its price reflects this fact. The Roomba 960 which is the other Roomba in the 900 series is cheaper and offers similar features.

The main features that differentiates the Roomba 980 from its predecessors is the carpet boost feature that provides increased vacuuming power for carpets.

According to iRobot up to ten times more vacuuming power than Roomba models in the 600 and 700 series and twice as much power as the Roombas in the 800 series and also twice as much vacuuming power as the Roomba 960. Like the Roombas in the previous series this Roomba also utilizes brush-less extractors to collect dirt and debris.

The other feature that is unique to the Roomba 980 is the longer battery life. This provides you with a longer run time. Keep in mind however that the Roomba 960 can return to its home dock, recharge, and then continue its cleaning job. Therefore, the longer battery life feature is not a must have feature.

The one feature that differentiates the Roomba 980 and generally the Roombas in the 900 series is the navigation technology. The Roombas in the 900 series use visual localisation software to map their cleaning area and keep track of where has been cleaned and the Roombas location.

This feature is extremely handy for large areas that need to be cleaned and for cleaning multiple rooms. If the Roomba runs low on battery power, the Roomba can return to the home dock, recharge and resume the cleaning job that it stopped. This feature is unique to Roombas in the 900 series.

Other Roombas have the ability to return to their home dock to be recharged but they can’t resume their cleaning job or keep track of where has been cleaned. You will therefore find that the vacuums in the 900 series are more thorough and methodical when completing their cleaning job.

The carpet boost feature on the Roomba 980 automatically increases cleaning power on carpets. If you have a large house with multiple rooms and carpets the Roomba 980 is an option you should consider.

An added plus is this Roomba has twice the battery life of the Roombas in the 600,700 and 800 series and 60% more battery life than the Roomba 960 model.

If you are overly concerned about the cleaning ability of the Roomba 980 two features you might find helpful is the edge cleaning mode and the two pass cleaning mode available in the iRobot app functions.

This Roomba is at the high end of the price spectrum and is ideal for some who has large rooms or multiple rooms with carpets. If you don’t need the extra vacuuming power for carpets another optio you can look at is the Roomba 960 which is cheaper. If you want a cheaper option and dont need all the advanced features of the Roomba 980 have a look at the Roomba 690 comparison.

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The Showdown: Roomba 890 vs 980

1. Wi-Fi Connectivity and the iRobot Home App

One of the main features added to the latest Roombas is Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, the Roombas are now compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Both the Roomba 890 and 980 offer this feature. The Roomba 980 has an edge because there are a number of features in the iRobot app that are unique to the Roomba 980.

2. Large Area/ Multiple Rooms to clean

If you have to clean large rooms or multiple rooms I am sure you don’t want to worry about the Roomba running out of battery juice and not completing its cleaning job.

If this happens with the Roomba 980, this model has the ability to return to its home dock, recharge, and resume its cleaning job. The Roombas in the 600, 700 and 800 series don’t have the ability to do this.

The Roombas in the 900 series also utilize visual localization to map their cleaning area and keep track of the areas they have cleaned.

This means that the Roombas 980 and their counterparts the Roomba 960 requite little human interference to complete their cleaning jobs.

3. Price

The Roomba 890 is a mid-level priced Roomba. The Roomba 980 on the other hand is on the high end of the price spectrum. Yes you do have more features but be prepared to pay accordingly.

4. Cleaning Technology

The Roomba 890 and Roomba 980 both use Aeroforce cleaning technology which utilizes brushless extractor brushes to collect dirt and debris.

Where the Roomba has the edge is it has a carpet boost feature that automatically increases cleaning power for carpets providing up to twice as much cleaning power as the Roomba 890.

The Roomba 980 also has an edge cleaning app which allows you to pay special attention to the edge of your rooms where dust and dirt tends to accumulate.

It also has a two pass cleaning function if you have an especially dirty area that you would like to clean more than once. While the Roomba 890 is no slouch the Roomba 980 wins hands downs win this contest.

5. Design

Both the Roomba 890 and 980 are similar in design and size. The Roomba 980 is 13.8 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches in height. The Roomba 890 is 13.9 inches in diameter and 3.6 inches in height.

The differences are negligible so we would judge this one a tie.

6. How easy is it to maintain?

Both the Roomba 890 and 980 vacuums use Aeroforce cleaning technology which utilizes brushless extractors to collect dirt and debris.

The same maintenance is involved for both vacuums since they use similar parts. We would judge this one a tie.

7. Battery Time/ Charging Time

Both Roombas use Lithium batteries which are reputed to provide better performance. However, the The Roomba 980 has twice as much battery time as the Roomba 890.

8. Recharge and Resume Cleaning

We all want to escape the drudgery of having to clean our house. This is one of the main reasons someone would purchase a robot vacuum.

So how hands off are the Roomba 890 and the Roomba 980? If the Roomba 890 is running low on battery power it will return to its home dock to recharge, however, it cannot resume its existing cleaning job. You will have to restart the Roomba 890 again.

The Roomba 980 on the other hand will navigate the entire level of your home, keep track of its location, recharge if necessary and continue its cleaning job until its finished.

9. Navigation

One of the features that make the Roombas in the 900 series unique is the iAdapt 2.0 technology. With this new technology Roombas can use visual localization to map their cleaning area and clean accordingly.

You will find that previous Roomba models seem to clean in a very haphazard, random manner; however, with the use of the visual localization to map their cleaning area you will find that the Roomba 980 is more methodical in their cleaning job.

10. Full Bin Indicator

The beauty of the Roombas in the 900 series is they provide you with so many options. One of these options is the full bin indicator.

Yes the Roomba 890 has a full bin indicator also but you can’t tell it what to do if this happens. The Roombas in the 900 series give you the option to have the Roomba continue cleaning if it is full or it can return to its home dock if the bin is full.

If it returns to its home dock It will pause its cleaning job until the bin has been emptied.

11. Do you have Carpets?

If you have a large room or multiple rooms with carpets the Roomba 980 has a special carpet boost feature that increases cleaning power for carpets.

12. Accessories

Both the Roomba 980 and Roomba 890 come with dual mode virtual wall barriers. This device depending on what mode you select will service the following purposes.

In one mode it can prevent the Roomba from entering certain areas. For example if you don’t want your Roomba to enter a certain room put the device at the doorway. In the other mode which is caused the halo mode, this will prevent the Roomba from going near certain items.

For example near your dog’s dish. The Roomba 980 comes with two dual mode virtual wall barriers. The Roomba 890 comes with one dual mode virtual wall barrier.

Our Verdict Should I buy the Roomba 890 or 980

The Roomba 980 is our winner. Keep in mind however if you don’t require the carpet boost feature the Roomba 960 is a cheaper option.

You should buy the Roomba 890: If you want a mid-priced Roomba that has the latest cleaning technology from Roomba and has Wi-Fi support and is also compatible with Google assistant and Amazon alexa.

You should buy the Roomba 980: If you have a large house with multiple rooms and you have a lot of carpets or dirt and debris to clean. The Roomba 980 has all the latest technology Roomba has to offer including Wi-fi support.

If you want a hands-off experience this vacuum is for you. Please note however that this is the most expensive Roomba available. If you want a Roomba that is cheaper with similar features consider the Roomba 960.

The main difference is the Roomba 960 doesn’t have the carpet boost feature which provides extra vacuuming power for carpets.