Compare Flagship iRobot Vacuum Cleaners: Roomba 960 vs. Roomba 980

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Cleaning Features
	iRobot Roomba 980	iRobot Roomba 960
Photo
Where to buy	Amazon.com$425.00 Amazon.de€999.00 Amazon.caC$345.11 Amazon.co.uk£489.00	Amazon.com$169.99 Amazon.de€350.23 Amazon.caC$585.00 Amazon.co.uk£699.00
SRR Score	147	125
Mapping / Path planning	Yes	Yes
Mapping Sensor Type	camera	camera
High-Precision Map	Yes	Yes
Objects recognition (front camera)	No	No
Recharge & Resume	Yes	Yes
Autocally Docks and Recharges	Yes	Yes
Noise Level	70 dB	65 dB
Display	No	No
Side Brushes (one or two)	1	1
Voice Prompts	Yes	Yes
Suction Power	1700 Pa	900 Pa
Сleaning Area	185 ㎡ / 1991 ft²	150 ㎡ / 1615 ft²
Dustbin Capacity	600 ml / 20.29 oz	600 ml / 20.29 oz
Disposable dustbag capacity	N/A	N/A
Automatic Dirt Disposal	No	No
Barrier-cross Height	20 mm / 0.79 in	20 mm / 0.79 in
HEPA filter	Yes	Yes
Washable Filter	No	No
Mopping Features
Wet Mopping	No	No
Electric water flow control	N/A	N/A
Water Tank Capacity	-	-
Vibrating mopping pad	No	No
Automatic mop lifting	No	No
Auto water tank refilling	No	No
Auto mop washing	N/A	N/A
Battery
Battery Capacity	3300 mAh	2600 mAh
Battery life	120 min	75 min
Charging Time	120 min	120 min
Rated Power (Watts)	43 W	30 W
Control
Scheduling	Yes	Yes
IR/RF Remote Control	No	No
Wi-Fi / Smartphone App	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi Frequency Band	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
Amazon Alexa Support	Yes	Yes
Google Assistant Support	Yes	Yes
Magnetic/Optical Virtual Walls	Yes	Yes
App Features
Real-time tracking	No	No
Digital Blocked Areas	No	No
Zoned cleaning	No	No
Multi-floor maps	No	No
Manual movement control	No	No
Selected Room Cleaning	No	No
No-mop zones	N/A	N/A
Sensors
Carpet Boost	Yes	No
Anti-drop / Cliff Sensor	Yes	Yes
Dirt Sensor	Yes	Yes
Full Dustbin Sensor	Yes	Yes
Other Specifications
Weight	3.94 kg / 8.69 lbs	3.8 kg / 8.38 lbs
Width	35.3 cm / 13.9 in	35 cm / 13.78 in
Height	9.14 cm / 3.6 in	8.9 cm / 3.5 in
In the box	charging station, line cord, extra side brush, 2 dual mode virtual wall barriers with batteries, extra filter	charging station, line cord, extra filter, cleaning tool, owner’s guide, documentation package, dual-mode virtual wall, extra side brush
Release Date	Sep 2015	Aug 2016
Warranty	12 months	12 months

Features Comparison Chart

You might be wondering what are the differences between the flagship Roomba 960 and 980. It is always challenging to pick up the best robot vacuum for your needs. We are here to make it easier for you. Here are what makes the Roomba 980 different from the Roomba 960:

Similarities between the Roomba 960 and 980

Mapping technology. They both are equipped with a camera sensor that creates a map of a cleaning area. Navigation pattern it the same for both
Dirt detect provides deeper cleaning on high-traffic areas
Full bin indicator shows when you need to empty the dustbox. You can both pause or stop cleaning when doing that
The Roomba 980 and 960 are equipped with silicone brushless rollers that are perfect for pet and long human hair
The same 600 ml dustbin

Differences

Battery life. Since they both come with a recharge & resume feature, they can cover more in a cleaning cycle than those that do not have the function. The Roomba 980 works about 45 minutes longer
Thanks to the longer battery life, the Roomba 980 is more suitable for bigger homes; the Roomba 960 is good for small and average-sized houses
The Roomba 980 has stronger suction. It performs better on thicker carpets
Along with stronger suction power, the Roomba 980 has smart carpet identification. When the sensors recognize carpet flooring, the robot boosts air power to max level
Price. The Roomba 980 costs about $300 more than the Roomba 960.

The Roomba 960 is ideal for smaller homes with bare floors and thin carpets. It would clean thicker carpets too though it struggles with the smallest particulars when it comes to carpet performance.

The Roomba 980 can do both: hard floor and carpets that are up to 20 mm of height. Thanks to the excellent climbing ability, carpet boost, and stronger suction power, the Roomba 980 can clean carpets.

Both: the Roomba 960 and 980 are perfect for pet hair thanks to the brushless rollers that are tangle-free and require minimum maintenance.