Both of these robots are great. The Roborock S6 and Roomba i7+ are flagship models. They both remember your floor layout, navigate in straight lines, do not leave any area untouched. Both are able to identify carpet flooring and boost suction once the robot steps on one.
The Roomba i7+ brings to the table a new feature — a self-emptying charging base. The Roborock S6 does mopping, not only sweeping. Do you want the robot to clean a kitchen directly? Both models support selected room cleaning.
Roborock S6 vs. Roomba i7+
| Features |  Roborock S6 |
 Roomba i7+ |
|---|---|---|
| Run Time (min) | 150 | 120 |
| Dustbin size (ml) | 500 | 500 |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 5,200 | 3,300 |
| Navigation Technology | LDS + SLAM | iAdapt 3.0 + vSLAM |
| Climbing ability (in / mm) | 0.79 / 20 | 0.79 / 20 |
| Spot cleaning | yes | yes |
| Virtual Walls | Digital block-off zones, no-mop zones | Dual virtual wall barrier, digital block-off zones |
| Zone cleaning | yes | yes |
| Selected room cleaning | yes | yes |
| Multiple-maps saving | up to 4 | up to 10 |
| Filter | Washable HEPA | HEPA |
| Scheduling | yes | yes |
| Wi-Fi Support | yes | yes |
| Dirt detect | no | yes |
| Smartphone App | Mi Home / Roborock | iRobot Home |
| Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant support | yes | yes |
| Tangle-Free Brush | no | yes |
| Recharge and Resume | yes | yes |
| Smart carpet identification | yes | yes |
| Full Bin Indicator | no | yes |
| Mapping sensor | lidar (laser distance sensor) | camera |
| Cliff sensors | yes | yes |
| Anti-collision sensors | yes | yes |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Price | $799.99 |
What are the main differences between the Roborock S6 and Roomba i7+?
- Roomba i7+ uses a camera sensor to map your home layout; the Roborock S6 uses a laser distance sensor (LDS or LIDAR). The camera suffers in dark rooms.
- The Roborock S6 lasts 75 min longer.
- The Roomba i7+ uses brushless rollers that and are perfect for pet hair. The Roborock S6 has a brush that is claimed to be tangle-free; however, it takes more time to maintain the Roborock roller, it is detachable.
- Dirt detect. It is a system that recognizes high-traffic spots making a cleaner to go over these zones a few times until it is clean. Supported by the Roomba.
- The i7+ returns to the base to empty itself when the container inside gets full. The Roborock S6 stops cleaning when its dustbin needs emptying.
- The Mi Home/Roborock app allows tracking the Roborock's movements in real-time, watch where it is and where it needs to clean.
- With the Mi Home/Roborock app, you can tap on a created map, and the Roborock will go there to clean. And, you can manage it manually. The Roomba i7+ only allows controlling its movements like a radio car.
- The Roomba i7+ comes equipped with a self-emptying charging base. All you need is to empty the disposal box about once a month.
- The Roborock S6 has stronger suction power.
- The Roborock S6 can do sweeping and mopping; the Roomba only sweeps.
- The Roborock S6 stores 4 maps in memory while the Roomba can save up to 10 different floor plans.
- The LIDAR is more accurate than the camera.
- Noise. The Roborock S6 works quieter.
- Warranty. The Roborock S6 provides a 24 months warranty; the Roomba i7+ has a 12 months warranty.
The Roomba i7+ is the first iRobot that has a self-emptying charging base. It is equipped with two brushless rollers that are tangle-free and perfect for pet hair. One side sweeper catch debris along the walls sending them to the suction path. The robot vacuum is equipped with a bunch of sensors that help it to navigate around including a camera sensor. The camera scans a cleaning area creating a map of the interior. The charging base is taller (19 in) than most of the docks we've seen.
When the Roomba docks itself back at the charging base, a suction force pulls the debris out of the dustbin on the i7 vacuum and into the bagged container enclosed within the charging base. The bagged system can store up to 30 loads of debris from the i7 cleaning cycles.
In the box, one virtual wall supposed to help with navigating tricky spaces or to block off a sensitive area.
Inside the dustbin, a small HEPA filter that makes the Roomba safe for people with allergy or asthma.
How does the self-emptying base work?
When the dustbin inside the Roomba gets full, the robot vacuum returns to the charging dock, the base sucks up the debris from the container. When the Roomba is done emptying, it returns to continue cleaning. The base holds up to 30 robot's bins, so you don't have to empty it for about a month.
When the Roomba finishes cleaning, you can see the results in the cleaning history. The Roomba i7+ cannot be tracked in real-time, you can't see its location when the robot is vacuuming.
Based on a created map, the robot knows where to clean and does not miss any spot. After the cleaning is finished, you can divide the map into separate zones and name each. With this feature, you can schedule the Roomba i7+ to work directly in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. Also, if you own an Alexa-enabled device or Google Home, you can say things like: "Alexa, clean the kitchen" and the Roomba will do the rest.
The Roomba i7+ has dirt detect, it recognizes high-traffic areas providing deeper cleaning on those spots
The Roomba i7+ is the first model in the lineup that supports saving up to 10 floor plans. If you live in a house with more than one level, the Roomba i7+ would be perfect for you. If you take the Roomba to a different level, it will retain the mapping information.
Tangle-free rollers are ideal for pet hair
The Roomba robots have a tendency to fling the debris around, and the i7+ is no exception. With big messes on bare floor, the i7+ tends to scatter particles, however, on carpet, it works fine.
The App
The app allows turning the robot on and off, schedule it to work in a specific room, etc.
You can’t track the robot’s movement in real life but you are able to set no-go zones. If you want a particular area to be cleaned, you can set zoned cleaning.
As you divide the map into separate rooms, you can schedule the robot to work in the bedroom and kitchen or order it to clean there right away.
7 Reasons of why the Roomba i7+ is better than the Roborock S6?
- Silicone rollers. These brushless rollers are perfect for pet owners and those who have long hair.
- Dirt detect. This feature provides deeper cleaning on high-traffic spots.
- Full bin alert. When the dustbox gets full, the Roomba returns to the dock, empties itself, and continues cleaning.
- Self-emptying charging dock. It allows you not to clean the base for about a month.
- Room cleaning with Alexa. You can make the robot work in the kitchen only by using scheduling or your voice (if you have an Alexa-enabled device or Google Home). The Roborock does not support Alexa/Google Home voice commands, only basic orders.
- Height. Because of no tower with the LDS laser, the Roomba is a bit shorter than the Roborock and can fit under most furniture.
- Almost no maintenance. Because of silicone rollers that resist hair tangles and self-emptying charging base, the Roomba i7+ does not require maintenance.
How much the Roomba i7+ costs?
- Roomba i7+ on Amazon $799.99
Roborock S6
The Roborock S6 is one of the high-end robot vacuums and is also one of the quietest. It doesn’t have a self-emptying bin but it can also do mopping along with sweeping. Roborock is known for its almost perfect navigation and the S6 is no exception. It is efficient and does cleaning faster than most robots.
The machine has a rubber side brush and a cleaning brush that has detachable parts. The brush is a mix of rubber and stiff bristles. The Roborock S6 is claimed to be tangle-free. Since it is not brushless as the one inside the Roomba, it is still one of the best rollers suitable for pet hair.
The Roborock is equipped with 14 sensors to navigate around including an LDS laser to create a map of the cleaning area. The LIDAR mapping technology allows the robot to clean in the dark.
Under the lid, a 500 ml container with a HEPA filter that can be washed, making the robot vacuum safe for allergy and asthma sufferers.
The robot comes with a water tank, 2 mopping cloths, and 10 disposable wipes.
App
Three processors located inside the Roborock S6 allow tracking the robot in real-time which you can see in the Mi Home or Roborock app. When the robot vacuum is working, you can check its location using the app.
The S6 supports restricted areas. There is either can be a barrier tape or a rectangle that creates a blocked zone. This feature is helpful when you don't want the robot to go to some specific areas. There are also no-mop zones that keep the robot off carpets in mopping mode and become inactive when the attachments are off.
Zoned cleaning. With this option, you can create a rectangle on the map to make the robot work within the chosen zone.
Selected room cleaning. When the Roborock S6 finishes cleaning, it creates a map that is divided into separate rooms. You can merge or divide zoned as you want if you don't like the way the Roborock did.
The Roborock S6 can be scheduled to work within one or a few rooms further. This option is great since sometimes you don't want to clean the whole house, some rooms like a kitchen get dirtier sooner than other rooms.
Zoned cleaning cannot be scheduled, when the selected room cleaning can.
The Roborock S6 saves up to four different maps
The Roborock S6 comes equipped with a water tank and two types of mopping pads: 10 disposable pads more suitable for everyday cleaning, and two microfiber cloths for mopping one-two times a week. The tank has a switch that controls the level of water dripping depending on the amount of water you need. Mopping is not able to get rid of stains but it is good to maintain your floors for as long as possible.
The Roborock S6 does sweeping and mopping at the same time
11 Reasons of why the Roborock S6 is better than the Roomba i7+
- Battery life. A big deal for those who live in a bigger house. The Roborock S6 works twice longer.
- LIDAR. The LDS sensor builds an accurate map and allows the robot to work in the dark.
- Can sweep and mop at the same time.
- The Roborock S6 has stronger suction.
- In the room cleaning mode, you can edit the map as many times as you want, the Roomba allows doing it once.
- Washable HEPA. It makes the filter last longer.
- A rubber side brush does not scatter debris on bare floor and meant to last longer.
- Tracking in real-time. You can watch the robot building a map in real-time by using the Mi Home/Roborock app.
- Target point sends the Roborock S6 where you want to.
- Nevertheless, the Roborock S6 has stronger suction, it works quieter.
- Price. With the given features, the Roborock costs less than the Roomba i7+.
Price and where to buy
In The End
There is no perfect robot vacuum but you can choose the best for your surface, home type, and cleaning needs.
The Roomba i7+ is good for pet owners as it auto-empties itself and brushrolls that resist hair tangling. It is also suitable for average and multi-level houses. It performs well on both surfaces: hard floors and carpets. The robot is not suitable for big houses since it simply has not enough battery life to cover a bigger area. The Roomba can also be ordered to clean a particular room by using a voice command.
The Roborock S6 is ideal for big houses with a mixed surface and some areas of hard floors to mop. It is much quieter than the Roomba so it is better for those who have kids. It handles pet hair well; it also can be tracked in real-time. It is one of the most efficient robots on the market so far and can be used in a multi-level house.
The Roomba is better for homes with less furniture and those that are smaller in size because of short battery life. Ideal for pet owners.
The Roborock works great in cluttered homes because of neat navigation and is suitable for big homes.
It is up to you which one would be the best choice to get.