iRobot Roomba i7 Vs 980 : Which One You Should Buy?

There was a time when robotic vacuums were considered a luxury. Though they are still considered as a novel product, thanks to the advancement in technology, today they are a part of the daily lives of thousands of people as they have become affordable now. There are plenty of manufacturers for a robotic vacuum. Every manufacturer has its own robotic vacuum product versions, each having with unique properties. But still, Roomba holds a special place in peoples’ mind when they think of these products.

In this article, We have compared iRobot Roomba i7 against No products found. produced by iRobot. The Roomba series is known worldwide for its iconic and advanced robotic vacuums. Today, we’ll discuss the most significant Roomba models: the Roomba i7 and Roomba 980. We sort out the similarities as well as distinctions between them to provide you a better idea so that you can buy the model for your particular needs.

iRobot Roomba i7 VS 980: Comparison Chart 

Differences 

1. iAdapt Navigation Technology

The up-gradation of iAdapt navigation technology is the main reason behind for Roomba’s success.

iRobot Roomba i7 is fortunate in terms of getting the latest version of iAdapt technology which is software version 3.0 which has persistent mapping and makes i7 more efficient.

No products found. in comparison with i7 lacks in terms of iAdapt software version. Roomba 980 comes with version 2.0 of iAdapt navigation software.

2. “Imprint” Smart Mapping

Here, i7 is again fortunate to have this unique feature in it. Roomba 980 and older devices don’t have this feature. Imprint smart mapping let the device to prompt your vacuum to clean rooms by name. this feature enables your robot to remember the layout of each individual room and you can assign it a label. You can activate this feature from your iRobot HOME app.

3. Battery Life

Run time for Roomba 980 is 120 minutes while for Roomba i7 is 75 minutes in a single charge. So, it is quite clear that Roomba 980 is a superior choice for users who are conscious about the battery life of the device. But does is it really a big issue? if the choice is given between i7 which is technologically advanced and efficient and Roomba 980 where battery life is better, I guess we should prefer i7’s efficiency over a few minutes better battery life.

4. Automatic Dirt Disposal

Roomba i7 gets a thumbs up here! Because it has this unique feature of automatic dirt disposal. This means you no longer have to empty your dustbin regularly which saves your time for some other work. I7 allows your device to empty itself into an enclosed disposable bag that can hold dirt up to 30 full bins. This makes Roomba i7 the best smart vacuum in the market. Unfortunately, No products found. is exempted from this feature.

5. Size And Weight

iRobot Roomba i7 is slightly smaller in both diameter and height and lighter than No products found.. Though this difference is not significant enough to decide which device you should buy.

6. Cleaning Performance

Roomba i7 is an all-rounder robot vacuum cleaner with respect to Roomba 980 because Roomba i7 is the best in its own world of cleaning. Roomba i7 has cleans hardwood floors, tiles, carpets, hairs lying on floor, allergens more efficiently than Roomba 980 because Roomba i7 has been designed in such a manner to produce soothing user experience. Roomba i7 handles all your cleaning needs with slightly more efficiency than Roomba 980.

7. Motor

Motor power is one of the greater aspect that a consumer should consider while buying electronic gadgets. Motor is responsible for suction power of the device. Greater suction power will end up cleaning more dirt from floor. Both iRobot Roomba i7 & No products found. has high vacuum power. R00mba 980 has a 3^rd generation brushless motor that has a domination over other efficient motors in the market. It has a high mode this motor can deliver 1700 pa while in normal mode up to 1000 pa. Roomba i7 has also the same motor but has more working modes – “eco” and “turbo” in addition with normal and high. Vacuum power works on the same range of 1000 to 1700 pa just like 980.

8. Bin Management

Let’s look into another difference between these two devices. The bin management is a hectic job for the users. So, Roomba i7 comes with automatic bin emptying system that would let users have a great experience with low maintenance requirement. Unlike Roomba i7, Roomba i7 has a bin management system where users have to empty the bin themselves each time. This feature was not letting users to experience the magic of automation. Roomba i7 is compatible with iRobot cleanbase unit, due to which each time bin is full, device will empty the bin at its disposal bin.

Similarities 

1. iRobot HOME App

The salient benefits of iRobot Home app are that you can control your vacuum from wherever you can via the internet. This feature is the same in both devices. Both devices are wifi enabled versions and ability to get online opens up a bunch of useful features through iRobot Home App.

2. On-board Camera

iAdapt system in both the devices comes with on-board camera which enables them to map out your room to clean each and every corner, otherwise, you had to navigate around physically in previous devices. On board camera is there to sense the shape of your room which it does very precisely.

3. 3-stage Cleaning System

Roomba i7 and No products found. devices take a 3-stage mechanism to clean the surface properly. Dual-multi surface brushes and edge sweeping brushes pick up dirt at any corner of the room. Then the suction process picks up almost any debris, be it small or quite large.

4. Voice Control

Both i7 and 980 have the ability to take voice commands through smart assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home.

5. Motor Vacuum Power

iRobot Roomba i7 and 980 both use the same 3^rd generation brushless motor with a vacuum power ranging from 1000 pa to 1700 pa, which makes both of them suitable for cleaning carpets.

6. Brush System

if your floor contains hairs with dust particles, this brush system is another important feature of a vacuum cleaner that you should consider while buying. If you have pets like me, then pet hairs lying on the floor is a very common problem. Now, Roomba 980 comes up with a very interesting dual multi-surface brush system. This system is very common with Roomba cleaners, where brushes are made of rubber which literally means that they aren’t harsh at hardwood floors. Roomba i7 has also the same brush system with anti-tangled system which ensures that long hairs do not jam at the brushes. The rubber makes the brushes long lasting and requires less maintenance.

7. Dirt Detect

Both iRobot Roomba i7 and 980 has a 2nd generation dirt detect technology that uses optical sensors to detect dust and dirt on the floor. The sensors tell the system to forward to the places where dust has been traced and switch on the spot mode of the device.

8. Filter

Roomba devices use HEPA filters which are more efficient than other robot vacuums available in the marketplace. No products found. has AeroVac filter system that consists of series HEPA filters for more efficiency in allergen reduction. They filter up to 99.99% of allergens that leaves you in a fresh and clean room.

9. VSLAM Technology                          

VSLAM stands for “vision simultaneous localization and mapping” which is a software that allows mapping of the most efficient cleaning pattern and tracks its location making it smart enough. Both the Roomba i7 and No products found. uses this technology.

10. Wifi-connectivity

iRobot home app makes it possible to control these robots using wifi connectivity.

Features And Technical Specifications Of iRobot Roomba i7

iRobot iRobot Roomba i7 comes with major upgrades in the device. The first upgrade is about the navigation software. This robot vacuum cleaner is backed by iAadpt 3.0 software which has a smart mapping feature. This feature makes the robot cleaner become more efficient as it stores a map of your room. Thus physical intervention is completely eliminated during navigation.

Another upgrade from the company is the device has the ability for auto dirt disposal. This feature adds to the autonomous behavior of the device. The i7 works hand in hand with a “clean base” which actually allows your Roomba to empty itself into a disposable bag.

Other specifications:

Features And Technical Specifications Of Roomba 980 

No products found.

This was trending until i7 series was introduced. This comes with iadapt 2.0 navigation which had only back and forth navigation. This device is 5 times more powerful than the 960 model. 980 does excellent cleaning on bare floor and carpet but lacks in persistent navigation ad has to start over at the beginning of every cleaning cycle.

Other specifications:

What’s In The box 

Roomba i7 : 1 home base charging station, 2 dirt disposal bags, dual-mode virtual wall barrier, North American line chord, extra high-efficiency filter, extra side brush. Package Dimensions: 16.4 x 20.8 x 12.9 inches.

Roomba 980: 1 home base charging station, line chord, 2 dual-mode virtual wall barriers with batteries, extra filter, extra side brush. Package dimension: 20.5 x 5.25 x 16.5 inches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom Line

Comparing iRobot Roomba i7 and No products found. wasn’t an easy task. If you want a robot cleaner with better smartness and automation, then i7 should be your choice! But the Roomba 980 is way better in terms of battery life (120 minutes) and the number of virtual wall barriers. If you want to see more of Roomba I7, do check out how Roomba i7 is in comparison to Neato D7. You should also check out the Roomba i7 comparison with E5.

But, again, the automatic dirt disposal feature helps i7 to become the smartest of all Roomba products. If you are a tech-savvy person, no doubt that the Roomba i7 would give you more pleasure in terms of user experience. Also if your looking more about roomba 980 you should go for roomba vs neato botvac and also how Roomba 980 is different from S9.