We are going to talk about the Roomba 890 vs. s9 today. Having a Roomba robot in your home is a great way to keep your home clean without the hassle, but it may be tricky to select the right one.
Well, we have you covered. We are going to go through the pros, cons, and features of these two robots. Surely after reading this review, you will be more informed and able to make a good purchasing decision.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison: Roomba 890 vs s9 / s9+
Roomba 890
- Mid-range Option
- Wifi Compatible
- Good for all floor types
Roomba s9 / s9+
- Premium Model
- Advanced Mapping
- Recharge & Resume Cleaning
The s9 is the better device of the two. To be fair, it’s not a matchup between two robots in the same class.
The s9 is literally the best Roomba robot from iRobot while the Roomba 890 is mid-range in terms of capabilities.
The Roomba s9 is understandably a lot more expensive as it has additional features such as vSLAM navigation, Imprint Smart Mapping, and wider brushes.
What are the differences between the Roomba s9 / s9+ and 890
Even though these Roomba robots are both designed to clean and have some similar underlying features; there are some notable differences in their appearance to their operational capabilities. Let’s review their differences.
Price
iRobot’s Roomba s9 is at the higher end of the price spectrum. The Roomba 890 is a mid-range model, but the s9 has more features to back up its higher price tag.
It’s going to be up to you to weigh your cleaning needs against the prices when deciding which one to get.
Run time
The Roomba 890 is capable of cleaning your home for up to 60 minutes on a single charge. When the battery needs to be recharged, the Roomba 890 will attempt to return to the home base.
The Roomba s9, on the other hand, is capable of a maximum run time of 75 minutes. In addition to having a longer run time, the Roomba s9 will resume cleaning after it is recharged (if the job is unfinished).
vSLAM Navigation Technology
The Roomba s9 uses vSlam Navigation Technology to map and remember floor plans within your home. It gathers and stores this data in order to optimize the way it cleans each floor.
Unfortunately, the Roomba 890 does not have slam navigation technology.
Imprint Smart Mapping
Imprint smart mapping is the feature that allows your Roomba s9 learn and adapt to your home so that you can control the cleaning routine of the Roomba robot from the app.
If your Roomba needs to recharge and then complete its cleaning job, Roomba will use the information gathered from the smart mapping feature to determine how long it needs to recharge.
Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier
The Roomba 890 is sold with an additional device to control which rooms it can and cannot enter.
This device is known as the Dual-Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. This device can be used to block openings of up to 10 feet or place a 4 ft. diameter barrier around objects that you do not want your Roomba 890 to go close to.
What is Imprint Smart Mapping?
The Roomba S9 creates Maps after it learns your home. You can then in turn, use these maps to program what rooms or what areas of a room you would like the Roomba to clean.
You can use the smart mapping feature to create keep-out zones that are virtual boundaries to protect areas that the Roomba robot should not go into.
When coupled with the smart charge feature of the Roomba S9, this feature allows the robots to calculate exactly how long it needs to recharge in order to complete an unfinished cleaning job.
What are the Similarities
These robots are quite different in terms of their features, design, and their prices.
Even though they are at different places on the capability spectrum, they do have some similarities that are fundamental to making them do what they do.
Let’s discuss some of the similarities between these two robots.
WiFi Connectivity
Both the Roomba 890 and the Roomba s9 models have WiFi capabilities that allow you to connect with an App to view cleaning reports and give them commands remotely.
Type of battery
Both robots use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Size
These two Roomba robots are quite similar in size. They are both under 14″ in diameter and are both less than 4″ off the ground. They have similar weights as both of them weigh less than 9 lb.
The Roomba 890 is able to navigate your home by gathering information from its sensors. The device can adapt to the items in your home in order to thoroughly clean your floors.
In areas in your home where dirt is at a higher concentration, the Roomba 890 is able to effectively clean these areas by using its dirt-detect technology.
It also has a high-efficiency filter that is capable of capturing 99% of allergens in your home.
You can connect to the iRobot Home application and schedule your cleaning jobs from anywhere at any time.
You can also use the application to create a schedule for the robot to vacuum up to seven times per week.
PROS
- Cleans pet hair easily.
- Sweeps corners and along walls
- Cleans high traffic areas effectively
CONS
- The bin is not large enough for larger homes
- The robot is a bit noisy
- Long charging time
Just in case you still have questions about the Roomba 890, let’s take a look at a few frequently asked questions.
Is the Roomba 890 good for pet hair?
Yes, with a Roomba 890 as flexible rubber brushes that are able to clean pet hair without getting them Tangled.
How long does Roomba 890 take to charge?
The Roomba 890 will completely charge in at least 2 hours. After the battery is fully charged, the battery light will turn green.
Is the Roomba 890 worth it?
Yes, the Roomba 890 is not the cheapest device, however, the features that it has, such as its ability to clean along edges and sweep corners, its powerful suction, and its ability to clean pet hair and allergens makes it worth it.
The Roomba s9 is one of the few cleaning robot vacuums that is able to empty its own waste. This device is also able to clean corners and edges because it has a specifically designed Corner brush.
This intelligent robot can map, remember, and adapt to multiple floor plans to effectively clean your entire home. You can tell the s9 to stay away some areas by creating to keep out zones.
The Roomba s9 robot can also be paired with the Braava Jet m6 robots so that they can clean in sequence.
The Roomba S9 is also able to update its software when additional software updates are released.
PROS
- 40-times the suction power of all Roomba 600 series devices.
- Cleans pet hair
- Empties itself
CONS
- The s9 is a bit noisy
- Clogs easily
- Misses some spots from time to time
Let’s now take a look at some important questions that may still be unanswered.
Does Roomba s9 have mapping?
Yes, the Roomba S9 has imprint smart mapping technology that allows the robot to learn, map, and adapt to your home.
Does the Roomba s9 empty itself?
Yes, the Roomba S9 is compatible with the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal unit. When the bin in the robot is full, it will automatically go to the dirt disposal unit to be emptied.
What is the difference between the s9 and s9+?
Essentially, both of these devices are the same. Both the Roomba S9 and S9+ have the same exact features.
The only difference between the Roomba S9 and the Roomba S9+ is that the Roomba S9+ is sold together with the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal unit while the Roomba S9 is not.
The Roomba 890 vs. s9, the Ultimate Match Up
We have looked at the similarities and the differences between these robots, and they are both looking like great devices in their own rights.
If you are still unable to decide as to which robot best suits your home, let’s put them head to head and see how they compare.
Design
Both of these were designed with a small form factor, however, there are some notable differences.
This is important based on the decor of your home. The Roomba S9 is half square, half-circle with a bronze center.
The buttons are on the top right corner. The Roomba 890 on the other hand is a full circular device. It is black with a partially brown top with buttons located in the center.
Accessories
The Roomba 890 is compatible with one major accessory, which is the Dual-Mode virtual wall barrier. It is sold with this accessory.
The Roomba S9, on the other hand, does not need the dual-mode virtual wall barrier and is compatible with one other accessory, which is the Clean Base Dirt Disposal unit.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Roomba s9 is a more powerful device. It has 40-times the suction power of the Roomba 600 series robots while the Roomba 890 only has five times that power.
Performance
The e5 has a stronger vacuum. It is 5 times stronger than that of the 690.
Navigation System
The Roomba 890 is able to navigate around and under objects in your home for an effective clean.
The Roomba S9 goes a bit further as it can intelligently map multiple floor plans in your home so that it can adapt to each room and clean them the most efficient way.
Size
The Roomba 890 is slightly bigger than the Roomba S9 but they are almost the same size. The Roomba 890 is also slightly heavier.
Run Time
The Roomba 890 is able to run for up to 90 minutes before needing to be recharged while the Roomba s9 will run for a shorter 75 minutes. After it recharges, if there are additional areas to be cleaned, the Roomba s9 will continue the cleaning process.
Conclusion
The Roomba 890 is a wonderful device that has many useful features. It is like an earlier version of the S9.
The S9 is a more advanced device that has more advanced mapping technology, the ability to clean itself, and it is also updated capable.
If the Roomba 890 can adequately cover your home’s cleaning needs, then there’s no need to get the s9 if you are on a tight budget.
The s9 is the most advanced robot from iRobot, so when you buy this device, you will get all the best features Roomba robots have to offer.
