iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3 [2024 Review]

When there are so many various types on the market, choosing a robot vacuum might be difficult. Both the Roomba 960 and the Roomba i3 robot vacuum are fantastic alternatives that are well worth the money.

However, there are significant distinctions between the two models, which we will go over in-depth in this iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3 review.

The Roomba 960 features a built-in camera and a virtual wall that can be used to isolate specific portions of your home. Although the Roomba i3 lacks these features, it is a newer model and hence compatible with the auto-emptying clean base.

The 960 and i3 have comparable features such as smart navigation, recharge and resume, and anti-tangle brush rolls. If you are interested in these models, keep reading our Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3 review.

Winner of Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3: iRobot Roomba i3

The Roomba i3 appears to be the superior robot vacuum cleaner of the two. It’s essentially the Roomba i7 without the smart mapping functions, and it outperforms the Roomba 960 in terms of suction power, auto-emptying bin, and pricing.

Nonetheless, the Roomba 960 is still a viable option. After all, it’s a tried-and-true approach with a plethora of positive feedback according to our iRobot Roomba 960 vs i3 review.

iRobot Roomba 960

Features: Although the name Roomba is nearly associated with robot vacuums, many people are unaware that there isn’t just one model. The Roomba 690 costs $375 and the Roomba 980 costs $900.

The $700 Roomba 960, which is the focus of this review, lies somewhere in the center, while its price clearly puts it on the upper end.

It boasts many of the same features as the 980, such as a navigation camera, a smartphone app with comprehensive cleaning reports and maps, and Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control, but only has one virtual wall and a somewhat less powerful engine.

In our opinion, this makes it a better bargain and our Editors’ Choice for high-end robot vacuums.

iRobot Roomba i3

Features: The Roomba i3 has a more powerful sibling, the Roomba i3. The i3 is the same robot vacuum as the i3, but it now comes with an auto-emptying docking station. This implies that the i3 will return to its home base after each cleaning cycle and deposit its contents into the massive docking station.

While the unpredictable behavior and basic interface give the impression that it doesn’t know what it’s doing, it’s providing one of the greatest and most comprehensive cleaning services you can get for the money.

The robot’s base station automatically empties the robot’s collecting bin when it has completed its cleaning routine, saving you time.

iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3 Robot Vacuum Comparison

The way these two Roombas map out your house is one of the fundamental distinctions between them. To observe and construct a map of your home, the 960 uses its top-mounted camera.

The i3 accomplishes this without the use of a camera. Instead, it scans the floor with floor trackers on the vacuum’s bottom, similar to how a mouse scans the surface of your desk to understand your arm movement. Because cameras record a larger region and greater detail, they provide superior maps.

The i3 can perform in the dark since it depends only on its floor trackers to scan the floor. The Roomba 960, on the other hand, will require some ambient light to travel successfully.

iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 Clean Quality

The Roomba 960 expands on the Roomba 600 Series with 5x greater suction, straight from the horse’s mouth. The Roomba i3, on the other hand, ups the ante with 10x suction, just as the Roomba i7. To cut a long tale short, it has more muscle behind the hood.

Both have characteristics that distinguish a Roomba from other vacuum cleaners. For starters, they contain high-efficiency filters that capture 99 percent of allergens from dogs and cats and can self-recharge and restart cleaning.

They also include Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes to minimize tangling while also removing dirt from any surface, as well as an Edge-Sweeping Brush to ensure that any debris is removed.

Although the Roomba i3 appears to be more prepared for cleaning, both can perform a good job. In other words, regardless of the model you choose, you’ll have clean floors.

iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 Differences

The iRobot Roomba 960 strikes the perfect balance of sophisticated functionality and affordability, making it the finest Roomba for pet owners who don’t want to spend more than $500 on a robot vacuum.

The Roomba 960, like the Roomba s9 and i7, includes a rubber brush mechanism that’s designed to clean up after Whiskers.

The iRobot Roomba i3 robot vacuum is the company’s most affordable self-cleaning robot vacuum. You don’t have to throw away the contents of the self-emptying base after each run, which is convenient.

Except for vacuuming up pet hair on the carpet, the Roomba i3 performed admirably in most of our testing.

The Roomba i3 is controlled via an app as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to program it and link it to smart home devices.

iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 Upgrading

The 960 is not upgradeable, and it can only be emptied manually. We don’t think this is a huge concern, but everyone’s case is different. If you’re thinking about the i3 and 960, we doubt it’ll be a significant concern for you.

When a Roomba cleans a room, how long does it take?

Your Roomba may clean a room in as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour or more, depending on the size of the area according to our iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3 review.

Roombas are fastidious in their operation and are meant to clean every nook and cranny in the space, which means it may take longer than expected to complete its cleaning task.

Several Roomba models, on the other hand, include a rapid clean mode that allows you to guide your Roomba to a specific area of your home for a quick clean, such as beneath the dining room table after dinner or under your toddler’s high chair after a particularly nasty breakfast.

In a multi-story house, can you transfer a Roomba from one floor to another?

Yes, your Roomba can effortlessly navigate multi-story homes. Because the Cliff Detect technology incorporated in them prevents them from going downstairs, you’ll have to manually maneuver your Roomba up and down the stairs.

Perhaps it will be the next function added to iRobot’s Roombas. Until then, you’ll have to physically pick up and transfer your Roomba from floor to floor.

However, just as on the main level, it will utilize its navigation technology (depending on the model) to learn the layouts of your rooms on each floor and clean them according to your preferences.

Some individuals who live in multi-story houses prefer to buy a Roomba for each level so that they may have two robots running at the same time.

Frequently Asked Questions: iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roomba i3

Conclusion: iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 [2023 Review]

The Roomba 960 has been retired by iRobot and has been replaced with the new, shiny, and relatively similar Roomba i3 according to our iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 review.

It’s still available from a number of third-party vendors, but it’s debatable whether it’s worth acquiring now that there’s a new model on the market.

Discounts for the Roomba 960 have begun to trickle out, which is one of the most compelling reasons to consider purchasing it now.

The Roomba i3, on the other hand, came with an already low beginning price. In fact, it is much less expensive. But just because something is new doesn’t imply it’s superior. We compared the two to help you determine which is the better option for you.

We hope you liked our iRobot Roomba 960 vs iRobot Roomba i3 review and it was helpful.