Roomba 675 vs 690 Compared – The Battle of Affordable Roombas!

iRobot has been busy in making sure that everyone would have the chance to own a Roomba.  The company has been making a Roomba for every budget and for every house size.  The company has also come up with a Roomba that you can forget for around a month or so because it gets rid of its own dust, dirt and debris.

Two of iRobot’s most affordable Roomba models are the Roomba 675 and the Roomba 690.  Which one should you buy?

Bottom Line Up Front: I would personally recommend the more affordable (and newer) Roomba 675 available here. All things considered, the 675 is actively supported whereas the 690 is an earlier generation.

Main Differences Betweeen Roomba 675 vs Roomba 690

The Main Differences Betweeen Roomba 675 vs Roomba 690 are:

• Roomba 675 comes in black, whereas Roomba 690 has a black and light grey colour scheme.
• Roomba 675 needs you to put obstacles manually, whereas Roomba 690 includes a dual-mode virtual wall barrier.
• Roomba 675 is more affordable, whereas Roomba 690 resumes the cleaning mission after charging.

Roomba 675

The Roomba 675 takes the round form of earlier Roomba vacuums and measures 13.0 by 3.7 inches.  The design you see on the Roomba 675 does not depart too much from Roomba’s iconic design.

Features

What are the features you could expect from the Roomba 675?

Three-stage cleaning system

The Roomba 675 uses dual multi-surface brushes that sweep closer to your floor than previous brushes used by Roomba.  These brushes do not have bristles, making it ideal for picking up pet and human hair.  With no bristles, there is no chance of hair tangling with the brushes.

The dual multi-surface brushes can also pick up larger debris, leaving your floor cleaner!  These brushes also work together to make sure it sweeps up all the dirt it encounters.  The first brush roll will loosen and lift the pet hair, dust, and dirt, while the second brush will push it into the powerful suction’s path.

The Roomba 675 also uses the edge-sweeping brush.  The side brush can clean the edges of your walls more thoroughly and can sweep peripheral dust, dirt and debris into the path of the strong vacuum.

Dustbin and filter

The strong vacuum suction power of the Roomba 675 will send the agitated and swept pet hair, dust and debris into the dustbin.  If you are worried about the particles getting recirculated back into the air you breathe, then you should know that the Roomba 675 uses an Aerovac filter that traps all but the smallest dust into the dustbin.

Dirt Detect technology

A patented technology that is found in all Roomba models, Dirt Detect is just what its name says.  It allows your Roomba to detect the dirtier parts of your floor.  This way, the Roomba 675 can stay longer and clean these areas more thoroughly.

For instance, high traffic areas around your home will often be dirtier.  With more people in the room, there are more hair and dead skin cells that fall onto your floor.  There is also a higher chance of spills and kids bringing in dirt to these areas.  Because of the Dirt Detect technology, the Roomba 675 will spend more time in these areas.

iAdapt navigation system

The Roomba 675 uses a range of sensors that helps the robot vacuum find its way around.  These sensors can help the robot vacuum avoid bumping into walls, stay clear of your furniture, or go under the ones with enough clearance so that it could clean under it.

These sensors also prevent your robot from falling off stairs.

Wi-Fi connected

The Roomba 675 connects to your WiFi network, allowing you to pair it with your smartphone.  You can then control your robot vacuum right from your phone using the companion mobile app.  You can also create schedules to make sure that your robot cleans even when you do not remember to start it.

What’s more, the Roomba 675 is compatible with smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

Long lasting battery

The Roomba 675 can clean up to 90 minutes, thanks to its 1,800 mAh lithium-ion battery. When the rechargeable battery runs low, the Roomba 675 will immediately find its way back to the charging base to recharge. It takes around two hours to fully charge the Roomba battery?

What’s in the box?

The Roomba 675 comes with the charging base, a line cord, an extra filter, a flat cleaning tool, and the user guide.

Ratings and reviews for the Roomba 675

The Roomba 675 gets a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5.0 on Amazon. Satisfied customers love how this robot vacuum is able to clean floors very efficiently, while also working very quietly.  They also love the fact that it does not miss any spot, even when it goes around randomly. It even goes under hard to reach areas.  Some people like it that they do not have to sweep or vacuum daily, saying that the robot vacuum picks up more dirt and dust than they expected.

However, there are complaints as well.  Some people do not like the fact that coverage is a little unreliable.  There are some days when the Roomba 675 only covers certain rooms, while on other days, it cleans every room in your house.  Others complain about how it gets snagged and stuck quite easily. There are also people who warn others that technical support might not be very helpful.

Pricing for the Roomba 675

The Roomba 675 is currently available on the iRobot online store, where it costs $299.99.  However, the manufacturer often gives time-limited discounts.

You can also find it on Amazon, QVC.com, BestBuy.com, and other online retailers(Check out the latest rates here!).

Roomba 690

The Roomba 690 is an older model from iRobot and it is also aimed at budget-conscious buyers. Truth be told, there is very little difference between these two models.  What should you expect from the Roomba 690?

First, the similarities

The Roomba 690 and the Roomba 675 share a lot in common.  They have the same dimensions, use the same three-stage cleaning and iAdapt navigation technologies, and are both WiFi connected.  They even have the same battery runtime, compatibility to Amazon Alexa, and its use of the Aerovac filter.  Conversely, they both do not allow you to set your own custom cleaning preferences, and you cannot schedule cleaning for a particular room alone.

The differences between the Roomba 690 and the Roomba 675

The design of the Roomba 690 is similar to the Roomba 675, with dimensions of 13.0 x 3.7 inches.  However, the colors used for the two vacuums are different. The Roomba 690 has a black and light gray color scheme, but the Roomba 675 is all black.

Another difference between the two is that the Roomba 690 includes a dual mode virtual wall barrier.  iRobot even includes two batteries for the navigational control device.  The Roomba 690 package includes the robot vacuum and the charging dock, a line cord, the dual mode virtual wall barrier with two AA batteries, an extra filter, the user guide, and a flat cleaning too.

What is the dual mode virtual barrier?

The dual mode virtual wall barrier is a navigation control device that keeps the robot vacuum inside a room or prevents it from entering a certain area.  You can use a dual mode virtual barrier to block off either a path that is up to 10 feet long or restricts a round area of 4 feet in circumference.  This way, you can protect your pet’s food bowl, or keep the robot vacuum from getting close to fragile vases and other furniture.

Side-by-side comparison of the features you find on the Roomba 675 and the Roomba 690

To make it easier for you to decide, here is a side-by-side comparison of the Roomba 675 and the Roomba 690.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Reviews and ratings for the Roomba 690

This robot vacuum has an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5.0 on Amazon. Verified buyers like how this robot vacuum is able to pick up a lot of dust, debris, and even pet hair. They also like the way it moves to cover your entire floor, missing only a few spots if any.  They also say that the Roomba 690 works as advertised.

However, there are some who complain that the robot vacuum does not move in a grid-like pattern and seems like it is moving randomly.  There are others who warn potential buyers that the Roomba would damage your hardwood floors.  Others also complain that the Roomba 690 does not work on dark-colored carpet and floors.

Pricing for the Roomba 690

The Roomba 690 is available on the iRobot online store for $349.99.  The company does have frequent sales that bring down the prices of their robot vacuums by as much as $50.

The robot vacuum is also available on online retailers such as Amazon. (Check out the latest rates here!)

Roomba 675 vs. Roomba 690: The Final Word

There is not much difference between the Roomba 675 (my full robot vacuum review here!) and Roomba 690 (my full review here!).  Aside from the colors of the robot vacuum, the Roomba 690 is slightly more expensive when compared to the 675.  The reason for this, it seems, is because the Roomba 690 includes the dual mode virtual wall barrier.

This might signal that the Roomba 690 is getting phased out by iRobot. In fact, this robot vacuum is no longer part of the official lineup, but you can still buy it from iRobot via their online store.

Bottom Line: I would personally recommend the more affordable (and newer) Roomba 675 available here. All things considered, the 675 is actively supported whereas the 690 is an earlier generation.

Still not convinced? Check out another one of our robot vacuum cleaner reviews:

• Roomba 960 vs. 690: Which is Best?
• Roomba 980 vs Botvac Connected Robot Vacuum Cleaner
• Roomba e5 vs. Botvac D5 – Which is a Better Robotic Vacuum?
• New Neato Botvac Connected Review – A Worthy WiFi Robot?

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