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iRobot’s line of Roomba robot vacuums is very well-known. In fact, we consider it as the gold standard when we review and compare robot vacuums. A new robot vacuum model would no doubt be compared to a Roomba, at one point or another.
The good news is that the company is trying its best to give consumers a robot vacuum that has everything they want in one. From having robots at different price points to offering the right set of features, there is a Roomba for everyone.
The Roomba 675 and the Roomba 960 are two of the company’s current offerings. Which one is for you?
Contents (Jump to)
The Roomba 675
The Roomba 675 (my full review here!) is iRobot’s most affordable robot vacuum in its current line up. With its price, this robot vacuum uses the company’s patented three-stage cleaning system, Dirt Detect, and Aerovac vacuuming technology. What can you expect from this robot vacuum?
Features of the Roomba 675
Before we delve into the Roomba 675’s features, let us first talk about how it looks. The Roomba 675 has the round shape that the brand is known for. It measures 13.0 inches in diameter and 3.7 inches in height, while weighing only 7.8 pounds. This robot vacuum has an all-black top, which is broken only by the silver gray Clean button at the center of the robot.
If for anything, the Roomba 675 looks good with its elegant styling and classic black color.
Three-stage cleaning
All Roomba models available today uses a three-stage cleaning system to get your floors spic and span. The 675 has dual multi-surface brushes, the edge-sweeping brush, and the vacuum suction, and these all work together to clean the room.
The dual multi-surface brushes can grab and sweep dust, debris, and dirt off your floor. The first brush will loosen and pull in the dirty things hiding within your carpet or sticking to your hardwood, while the second brush helps to send it all into the vacuum.
Meanwhile, the edge-sweeping brushes will take care of the dirt at the sides of the robot vacuum, helping extend its coverage and making sure that wall and furniture edges are clean. The Aeroforce vacuuming system delivers enough power to pick up most dust and debris. It is strong enough to send every particle into the dustbin.
Other cleaning features
Beyond these three components, the Roomba 675 also uses iRobot’s Dirt Detect technology. The robot vacuum has a set of sensors that will tell it to stay in dirtier areas, allowing the robot vacuum to concentrate on the parts of your floor that need more cleaning.
The Roomba 675 also has a dust bin that collects the dust. You will have to empty this dust bin regularly so that the robot vacuum can clean efficiently. It also uses a filter that prevents the dirt and dust particles from getting out of the dustbin and going back into the air that you breathe.
Wi-Fi connected
You can connect the Roomba 675 to your Wi-Fi network. Downloading the HOME app, you can then pair the robot vacuum with your smartphone. You can use the mobile app to have the robot vacuum start cleaning, as well as to stop, pause, or resume operation. The mobile app also allows you to create schedules that the Roomba 675 will follow. Set it to clean daily at certain times so that you can get clean floors even when you forget to start the 675.
The connected features do not stop there. You can use voice commands to have the Roomba 675 start cleaning. You can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to tell the robot vacuum to clean, just by using the correct voice commands. This particular feature is convenient to have when you have your hands full.
Imagine washing the dishes and then remembering that the hallway needs cleaning. You can just say it when you the robot to clean, you do not have to whip your smartphone out.
Battery
The Roomba 675 uses a lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 90 minutes of cleaning. Once the battery runs out, the robot vacuum will find its way back to the charging dock and charge itself.
The Roomba 675 uses its sensors to find its way around your floors. Apart from the dirt detect technology, the sensors will also prevent the robot vacuum from banging into walls or furniture, as well as stop it from falling down stairs.
What’s in the box
Every Roomba 675 package comes with the Home Base charging station, a line cord, an extra filter, a cleaning tool, and product documentation.
User Reviews and Ratings
User reviews for the Roomba 675 combine all the reviews that the robot vacuum had since it was introduced. The company has given the Roomba 675 a couple of upgrades such as changing the debris extractor to the dual multi-surface brushes. However, the reviews are still valid because these pretty much talk about the robot’s overall performance rather than individual features.
On iRobot’s official site, the Roomba 675 gets an average of 4.5 stars out of 5.0. All the reviewers indicate that they will recommend the Roomba 675 to a friend. People love it because it is effortless to use and it cleans rather well. It also delivers a long run time.
However, some reviewers complain that this robot vacuum misses some spots, and can be very noisy when it cleans. There are also those who say that the dustbin is slightly on the small side. That means that you will need to clean out the bin more often than you will like.
On Amazon, the Roomba 675 has an average rating of 4.3 stars out of 5.0 from close to 600 reviewers. Meanwhile, more than 300 customers on BestBuy.com give this robot vacuum an average of 4.5 stars out of 5.0.
The Roomba 960
If the Roomba 675 (read my full review here!) is the most affordable robot vacuum that is available from the iRobot online store, the Roomba 960 is a mid-range robot that is currently selling at a decent price. The company often offers discounts on this model.
Effectively the Roomba 675 is cheaper than the Roomba 960. Should you buy the cheaper Roomba 675? Or should you fork over the additional money to get the Roomba 960?
Design
When it comes to design, the Roomba 960 has a gray body with black rims. It has a recessed center where you will find the Clean button. It measures 13.8 by 13.8 by 3.6 inches and weighs 8.5 pounds. This makes the Roomba 960 wider, slightly shorter, and heavier than the 675.
It may not be much, but the Roomba 675 will be able to get itself into tighter spaces than the Roomba 960. But the Roomba 960 can go under more furniture than the 675.
Features of the Roomba 960
If you’re like us, you will like how the Roomba 675 looks better than the Roomba 960. However, looks are superficial, what matters is how it performs and the range of features that you can get from this mid-range robot vacuum.
Cleaning system
The Roomba 960 has the same three-stage cleaning system that you see on the Roomba 675. However, the Roomba 960 has a stronger vacuum that delivers up to five times the power that you get from the Roomba 675. Because of this stronger Aeroforce motor, the Roomba 960 is tougher on dirt and dust and can leave your floors cleaner than the Roomba 675.
The Roomba 960 also has the dirt detect feature.
vSLAM and smart mapping
Navigation is one of the areas where the Roomba 960 is much better than the Roomba 675. The Roomba 960 uses an onboard camera to scan your floors and create virtual maps that it will use to find its way around. On top of the sensors that make it aware if it’s going to crash head-on into a wall or your table’s legs, it actually “sees” everything.
With this virtual map in place, the Roomba 960 knows where it has cleaned and where it needs to go next. That ensures that your floors get comprehensive coverage. The mapping capability also helps the Roomba 960 to come up with a cleaning pattern that is ideal to the room’s shape.
Connected features
Like the Roomba 675, the Roomba 960 can connect to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control it using the companion app, as well as by voice commands using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. You can further use the companion mobile app to schedule cleaning runs.
The Roomba 960 does have additional connected features. For one, it can show you a map of where it already cleaned. This feature is perfect for those who want to make sure that the robot vacuum did clean the entire room. It also allows you to see if it missed a spot so that you can get the robot vacuum to clean in that particular area. You can check the mobile app anytime to see what the robot vacuum is doing, if it’s halfway done or if it’s still in the charging dock.
You can also use the app to set customized cleaning preferences. Customized cleaning is when you tell the robot vacuum to either stop vacuuming when the dustbin is full, or to continue until the job is finished. You can also command the robot vacuum to clean over a particular area twice. You can even let the Roomba 960 decide on its own by using the automatic cleaning pass mode. When you invoke this, the robot vacuum will choose to clean a small room with two cleaning passes and use a single pass in larger rooms.
Another customized cleaning setting that you can use with the Roomba 960 is the edge clean. This will tell the robot vacuum to give wall edges another pass, helping you ensure that these areas are clean.
Other features
The Roomba 960 also has other features that are absent from the Roomba 675. For instance, it tells you when the dustbin needs to be emptied. It uses a lithium-ion battery and goes back to the charging dock when the battery runs low, just like the Roomba 675. However, the Roomba 960 only runs for a maximum of 75 minutes on a single charge, 15 minutes shorter than the 675.
The Roomba 960, however, resumes cleaning after charging. It will take note of the last place it cleaned and then go back there to finish the job. iRobot calls this entire level cleaning, which means that the Roomba 960 will continue with its charging and cleaning cycles until the whole floor is spotless.
Ratings and Reviews
The Roomba 960 gets an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.0 on the company’s own online store. There are currently more than 1,900 reviews, but like the Roomba 675, this incorporates all the feedback done by customers over the years. Like the Roomba 675, the Roomba 960 also had a couple of upgrades.
People left glowing reviews for this robot vacuum because of how easy it is to use and how efficient it is in cleaning. They also mention the 90-minute run time and the auto-resume function after charging. There are complaints, however, that the robot vacuum has a smaller bin and that it is quite noisy. People also say that the charging takes too long.
On Amazon, this robot vacuum gets an average of 4.2 stars out of 5.0. Close to 1,500 reviewers have left their opinions on the page, with around 88 percent of them giving a star rating higher than 4.0-stars. Similarly, more than 1,300 customers on BestBuy.com give this robot vacuum a high 4.6 stars out of 5.0.
The Differences Between the Roomba 675 and the Roomba 960
For the most part, the Roomba 675 is already an excellent buy. It has iRobot’s patented cleaning technologies such as the Dirt Detect, Aerovac vacuum, and the three-stage cleaning system. It shares many features with the Roomba 960, such as being able to clean carpets and hardwood floors, the edge-sweeping and dual multi-surface brushes, and the long-lasting lithium-ion battery. These two robot vacuums can also recharge by itself when needed, and can be controlled using the smartphone app or via voice commands.
If you want more advanced features such as the ability to clean its own dustbin, being able to clean per room, or other features, you find on the Roomba i7+, both the Roomba 960 and 675 do not have it. These robot vacuums also do not have a washable bin. It also cannot save floor maps to memory.
At twice the price of the Roomba 675, there are some features that the Roomba 960 offers that the cheaper robot vacuum does not. For one it has a more powerful vacuuming technology, a high-efficiency filter, and the ability to resume cleaning after charging the battery. It also has more features for the mobile app, particularly being able to set cleaning preferences.
A Side-by-Side Comparison
At a loss as to which robot vacuum has the features you need? Here is a side-by-side comparison to make it easier for you.
| Model | Roomba 675 | Roomba 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | (Check out the latest price here!) | (Check out the latest price here!) |
| Dimensions (LxWxH, inches) | 13.0 x 13.0 x 3.7 | 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 |
| Weight (pounds) | 7.8 | 8.5 |
| Cleans carpet and hard floors | Yes | Yes |
| Three-stage cleaning system | Yes | Yes |
| Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes | Yes | Yes |
| Edge-Sweeping Brush | Yes | Yes |
| Power-Lifting Suction | No | Yes |
| Dirt Detect Technology | Yes | Yes |
| High-Efficiency Filter | No | Yes |
| Washable bin | No | No |
| Navigation system | Sensors | Camera |
| Maximum runtime | 90 | 75 |
| Lithium-ion battery | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-recharge | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-resume | No | Yes |
| Entire level cleaning | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi connected | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled cleaning | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Google Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaning reports | No | Yes |
| Coverage maps | No | Yes |
| Customize cleaning preferences | No | Yes |
| Empties the dustbin on its own | No | No |
| Clean or schedule by room | No | No |
| Imprint Smart Mapping | No | No |
| Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers | No | Yes |
| Ideal for pet hair | Yes | Yes |
The Roomba 675 vs the Roomba 960: Which One Should You Buy?
The Roomba 675 and the Roomba 960 caters to different kinds of consumers. The Roomba 675 is an excellent choice for those with smaller homes and are looking to save while still having a robot vacuum keep their houses clean.
Meanwhile, the Roomba 960 has some additional features that will justify the more expensive price tag. This robot vacuum is for those who want more features from their robot vacuum, as well as those who have larger homes.
Which robot vacuum is perfect for you? Tell us about it in the comments!
Further read:
Alvin has been reviewing different types of technology from QR codes to the latest smartphones and robot vacuums for over a decade. Outside of technology, he writes about a wide variety of topics, including buses, travel, bankruptcy, healthcare, and cannabis. He was once so addicted to online shopping that he was on a first-name basis with delivery guys and courier services — and he shares his passion with all of you!
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