Roomba i7+ vs. Roomba 890: Should you Upgrade to a New Roomba?

With iRobot coming out with a line of new robot vacuums, it might be helpful to compare them to the robot vacuum models that we are already familiar with. This will help you decide for sure if you should upgrade or not.

For today, let us take a look at the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba 890.

The Roomba i7+

There are quite a few things that have made people sit up and notice the Roomba i7+. How about a robot vacuum that empties its own dustbin? The robot vacuum can also remember every room in your house and clean a particular place when you ask it to.

These features help revolutionize the robot vacuum, in the same manner that the Roomba 980 once changed the landscape for robot vacuums when it came out with Wi-Fi connected robots that you can control with a mobile app, even when you are not home. Then it also allowed you to control your robot using voice commands.

Pretty soon, every new robot vacuum offers the same Wi-Fi connected features as the Roomba 980. We are expecting the same with the Roomba i7+.

A robot vacuum that you can really forget

For most people, the ability to get a robot vacuum that they will not have to attend to is a dream come true. If you are one of these people who do not want to be bothered with cleaning the floors, then you should get the Roomba i7+. You will not have to mind your floors and robot for a month at a time.

First, the Roomba i7+ has nifty scheduling features. You can set it to clean every day. When the appointed time comes, the robot vacuum will launch itself from the dock and start cleaning. This feature is available on Roomba models, so there is really nothing special about this.

What sets the Roomba i7+ apart is that it can clean its own dustbin. When you buy the Roomba i7+, you are buying two vacuum cleaners in one. The first one is in the robot vacuum itself, while the other is in its charging dock. When it finishes cleaning, the Roomba i7+ will return to its CleanBase to recharge. While it is charging, the CleanBase will start to suck the i7+’s dustbin clean.

The CleanBase has its own trash bag that can hold up to 30 of the robot vacuum’s dustbin. This means that you do not have to worry about cleaning out the CleanBase’s trash bag for up to a month, even if your i7+ manages to fill up its dustbin every day.

You do not even have to check the CleanBase’s trash receptacle. When it gets full, the CleanBase will remind you to replace the bag using the companion app. Replacement trash bags are available for a three-pack. That means that you would only need to spend a little per month for hassle-free cleaning.

Cleaner air

Roomba models have been using efficient filters to make sure the dust and dirt that it sucks up do not go back into the air your breathe. The CleanBase has its own vacuum cleaner, and the mechanism makes sure no dust or dirt. When the robot vacuum goes back to the charging dock, it will connect with the CleanBase using a special connection that ensures no air escapes. With an airtight mechanism involved, you can be sure that the dust and dirt do not escape when it gets transferred to the bigger trash bag.

iAdapt 3.0 technology: The other big deal feature

If the thought of not minding your robot vacuum for the next 30 days does not make you want to buy a Roomba i7+, maybe its improved navigation system will.

In the past, high-end Roomba models use a camera to scan your floors and create maps for them. The robot vacuum will then make use of these maps to get a detailed layout of your floors. It will know where it is in your room and where it needs to go next. The robot vacuum will also know where it has cleaned and where it still needs to vacuum. In short, the iAdapt 2.0 navigation system that it uses is enough to ensure that your room gets the maximum cleaning coverage with no spots missed.

Having the clean maps also allowed the earlier Roomba models to continue cleaning where they left off. If the Roomba runs out of battery in the middle of a cleaning run, it will go back to the charging dock to recharge. After getting to full charge, the Roomba will then launch itself and continue cleaning, starting at the point where it was interrupted.

With the iAdapt 3.0 navigation system, however, you can now save up to ten floor maps in memory. It does not have to rescan your floors each time you start a cleaning session. What’s more, you can name these saved floor maps, allowing you to direct your Roomba i7+ to clean any room. For instance, you can send your robot vacuum to clean the master’s bedroom at any time with Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart speakers.

The new iAdapt navigation technology also means that the Roomba i7+ also has a more powerful processor that allows all of these to happen. Indeed, the company’s representative has revealed that the i7+ has a processor that is 50 times more powerful than older robots.

Other features

In addition to these two new features, the Roomba i7+ has all the best characteristics that Roomba is known for. It has the dirt detect technology that allows it to clean the dirtier areas of your floors. It uses iRobot three-stage cleaning system that makes use of the main brush, a side brush, and Aerovac 2.0 vacuuming technology.

The i7+ uses the dual multi-surface rubber brushes for its main brush. The brushes have bright green elements, which make it stand out regarding appearance. The side brushes are called edge sweeping brush. These components agitate, loosen and sweep up dust so that the vacuum can send them all to the dustbin.

It uses a high-efficiency filter that ensures that the dust collected would stay inside the dustbin rather than going back into the air your breathe. The Roomba i7+ also retains the same round form that Roombas are known for. In fact, the new robot vacuum has dimensions that are similar to the earlier Roomba models: 13.34 by 13.34 by 3.63 inches. That means that the Roomba i7+ can get into tight corners and under furniture to clean.

Final Say About the Roomba i7+

The Roomba i7+ offers users the latest technologies that any Roomba or even any robot vacuum from other brands can provide. It is currently the only robot vacuum that can clean its own dustbin. It also can identify your rooms so that you can save time just by telling it to clean one room where it is needed.

All that for its price when you buy it from the iRobot online store. On Amazon, the Roomba i7+ is available for a slightly higher price. This makes it the most expensive Roomba model ever, but it is definitely worth the buy.

Before you buy the Roomba i7+, however, you should know that it can involve some maintenance throughout the course of your use, according to the manual. For instance, you would need to change the CleanBase’s trash bag every month.  You would need to replace the filter every two months, as well.  Further, you should change the front caster wheel, the multi-surface brushes, and the edge sweeping brush every 12 months. You should also clean all of these every so often, along with the sensors.

Apart from the maintenance costs and the long charging times, which are complaints that are not exclusive to the Roomba i7+.  Other robot vacuums might also struggle with long battery charging times. Plus the Roomba i7+ can easily charge itself and then pick up cleaning where it stopped.  This means that even if you do not do anything, the robot vacuum would still continue cleaning. In short, both of these complaints are not deal breakers.

But what might be a deal breaker for some people is the fact that the Roomba i7+ can be a security and privacy problem for some people.  This is because the Roomba i7+ can scan your floors and send your floor maps online. When your floor plans are on the cloud, there is a risk that it could be hacked and downloaded by cybercriminals.  Imagine a thief knowing exactly where the master’s bedroom is.

On the iRobot site, reviewers praise the Roomba i7+ for just about everything it does, including the stress-free operation, the efficient cleaning, and the long run time. The only complaint so far was that it takes a long time to charge. The Roomba i7+ is expected to charge for three hours but runs only for two hours.

Roomba 890

The Roomba 890 has always meant to be the middle child in the family of robot vacuums from iRobot. As the company strived to have a robot vacuum for everyone, the Roomba 890 was in the middle of the pack. It was not the most advanced Roomba when it comes to navigation systems and technologies. It was not the cheapest either. The lowest price tags were reserved for the Series 600 models, while the best connectivity technologies were in the realm of the Series 900 Roombas.

This does not mean that the Roomba 890 was not notable in any way. On the contrary, the Roomba 890 bought the best of both worlds: it provided an option for people who did not need all of the Roomba 980’s or 960’s features, but still wanted a better clean than the one provided by the Roomba 690 and other Series 600 models.

The Roomba 890 has the round shape that is the signature form of all Roombas out now. It measures 13.9 x 13.9 x 3.6 inches. The Roomba 890 features the iAdapt navigation system that uses sensors that will help the robot vacuum find its way around your floor. These sensors will assist the Roomba 890 know where it needs to go next, seek out the dirty areas of your floor, avoid obstacles and even avoid falling down stairs.

What’s the same between the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba 890?

The Roomba i7+ and the Roomba 890 share a lot of similar characteristics, coming from the same manufacturer. For one, the Roomba 890 and the i7+ have the same round design and have the same Aeroforce vacuuming technology. They both use the three-stage cleaning system, dirt detect technology, and has the same Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to use your mobile phone to control the app, as well as make these robots Alexa compatible.

Both also include a dual mode virtual wall barrier in the box to help you control where the robot vacuum goes. These robot vacuums are also able to recharge automatically.

How the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba 890 differ

When it comes to dimensions, the Roomba i7+ is slightly smaller in diameter than the Roomba 890, which makes it able to get inside tighter spaces. They share the same height, so they are able to get under most furniture to clean underneath.

The Roomba i7+ also has a far more advanced navigation system. With a clean map to help it know where to go, you would see the difference between how these two vacuum cleaners move. The Roomba 890 looks like it is randomly bouncing around your floors, while the Roomba i7+ moves with a purpose. In effect, the Roomba i7+ will have no problems ensuring comprehensive coverage, while the Roomba 890 might miss some areas.

The Roomba 890 uses the debris extractor, a side brush and AeroForce vacuum technology to clean your floors. The Roomba i7+ has the same vacuuming system, but it uses dual multi-surface rubber brushes that makes it more ideal for pet hair pickup. However, the Roomba 890 is also good for pet hair, it’s just that the i7+ does it better.

The i7+ can do some things that the Roomba 890 cannot. For instance, because it uses an older navigation system, the Roomba 890 cannot resume cleaning after charging, it cannot schedule cleaning by room and does not store your floor maps. It also has limited connectivity features as it does not allow you to set customized cleaning preferences and show you where it has cleaned.

Pricing for the Roomba 890 on Amazon is (see the latest rates here!) definitely lower than the i7+, making the former a more attractive buy for those who are on a budget.

Side-by-side comparison: Roomba 890 vs. Roomba i7+

To make it easier for you to compare the Roomba 890 and the Roomba i7+, here is a side-by-side comparison:

Model	Roomba 890	Roomba i7+
Price	Check out the latest rates here!	Check out the latest rates here!
Dimensions (d x h, inches)	13.9 x 3.6	13.3 by 3.6
Three-stage cleaning system	Yes	Yes
Main brush	Debris extractor	Dual multi-surface rubber brush
Side brush	Yes	Edge sweeping brush
Navigation system	iAdapt	iAdapt 3.0
Dirt detect technology	Yes	Yes
Maximum battery runtime (minutes)	75	120q
Auto recharge	Yes	Yes
Cleans under & around furniture?	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi connected	Yes	Yes
Scheduled cleaning?	Yes	Yes
Google Assistant	Yes	Yes
Amazon Alexa	Yes	Yes
Dual mode virtual wall barrier	Yes	Yes
Power-lifting suction	Yes	Yes
Perfect for pet hair	Yes	Yes
High efficiency filter	Yes	Yes
Entire level cleaning	No	Yes
Customized cleaning preferences	No	Yes
Resumes after charging	No	Yes
CleanBase	No	Yes
Schedule cleaning by room	No	Yes
Map storage	No	Yes

Pitting the Roomba 890 vs. the Roomba i7+

Aside from the price, it would seem that the Roomba i7+ trumps the Roomba 890 in almost every respect.  That is not surprising as the Roomba i7+ is meant to be revolutionary, while the Roomba 890 was created to fill in the gaps.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for a robot vacuum that can clean efficiently without needing you to pay too much money, then the Roomba 890 is a good choice. If you can afford to splurge and if you want to future-proof your robot vacuum, then there is no question about it, get the Roomba i7+.