iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980

Did you ever wonder what would it be like to have a Roomba? This useful robot will clean your floors, sucking up all the dirt, dust and hair that gets trampled all over your home, so you don’t have to.

They come in all shapes and sizes, and with many different types of functions too. Take the , for example, they not only clean your floors whenever and wherever you want, but they can even empty out their dirt, when full! Pair that with the recharge and resume function, and there really is little you have to do when it comes to your Roomba.

And it doesn’t have to break the bank too, as comes at a lower price, but with some great features of its own.

Take a look for yourself, and see which one suits your home best. You can skip down to any part, using our navigation system.

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iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980 — Things in Common

iRobot Roomba 980 - Extra - 07

  • iRobot Home app – You can find a lot of useful information and updates via iRobot Home app, so it’s good to be in the know when it comes to your Roomba.

    It’s also a useful platform for setting up cleaning schedules and getting notified when the bin is full, so you can change it in time. You can also set your Roomba to have your home cleaned before you arrive home or even while you’re on a holiday! So that you know that your floors will be dust and dirt free when you get back home.

  • 3-Stage Cleaning System – Both Roomba s9 and 980, offer exceptional cleaning power when using their 3-stage cleaning system. Using dual multi-surface rubber brushes, they always remain in constant contact with carpet and floors, picking dirt, pet hair and allergens which you don’t even see.

    And that’s not all, with their high-efficiency filters, they can trap up to 99% of cat and dog allergens! So those of you who own a furry companion will be happy to hear this.

  • Perfect Edge Technology – Using perfect edge technology, your Roomba can get into those tight corners, and edges, picking up dirt and dust along the way that even a traditional vacuum might not be able to reach. This is particularly useful for kitchens, with many cabinets, and tiled bathrooms, as it can get in between the small spaces.

  • Voice Control (Alexa & Google Assistant) – Enjoy hands-free control when operating your Roomba s9 and 980. How great would it be to simply say, “Roomba, clean my kitchen” after a particularly intense cooking session? You don’t even have to lift a finger. Or even as you’re heading out, you can tell your Roomba to clean your floor, so that when you return, it’s already done.

  • Recharges on its own – Your Roomba’s battery running low? No worries! It will pop back into its base, and return to its task once the battery is full again. So you never have to worry about your floors being half done as it will pick up right where it left off. So its battery status should never be something to be concerned about.

  • Onboard Camera – Both iRobot Roomba s9 and Roomba 980 have an installed onboard camera. This handy tool, allows them to easily navigate your home, and make sure that no spot on the floor is left untouched. While older models relied mainly on mainly acoustic and physical sensors. Using the onboard camera takes your Roombas cleaning to a whole new level.

    Keep in mind though, that the lens does not record any videos or images, and nor will they be shared with any third parties.


iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980 — Differences

iRobot Roomba s9 corner brush cleaning

  • Difference #1: Suction Power – This is perhaps the biggest difference when comparing the iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980. iRobot Roomba s9, does deliver a considerably higher suction of 40x, than the 10x of Roomba 980. That’s a whole difference of 30x!

    With this kind of power, Roomba s9 can get considerably deeper into those hard to clean carpets, and pick up even more dirt and hair. As it automatically increases its suction to clean even deeper. This feature is especially great if you have long haired pets.

  • Difference #2: Run Time – iRobot Roombas 980 run time of up to 120 mins, is definitely more than Roombas s9 75 mins. Which means that your Roomba 980 will be able to offer you a significantly longer cleaning time. This feature is pretty great, especially if you’re in a rush and don’t want to wait for your Roomba to recharge and resume its task.

  • Difference #3: Automatic Dirt Disposal – Having your Roomba be compatible with automatic dirt disposal, can be very useful. As you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself. This particular feature is especially useful when you’re away, if your Roomba is full and you won’t be there to empty it, it won’t be able to finish its job properly. But with automatic dirt disposal, it simply does it itself and continues on.

    While the automatic dirt disposal base addition is compatible with s9 series, it’s worth to note that with s9+ and i7+ models, it comes included.

  • Sale iRobot Roomba s9+ Self Emptying Robot Vacuum - Empties Itself for 60 Days, Detects & Cleans Around Objects in Your Home, Smart Mapping, Powerful Suction, Corner & Edge Cleaning
    Sale iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal - Empties Itself for up to 60 Days, Wi-Fi Connected, Smart Mapping, Works with Alexa, Ideal for Pet Hair, Carpets, Hard Floors
  • Difference #4: Virtual Wall Barrier – We are happy to say that both models are compatible with a virtual wall barrier. This great addition, allows you to close off certain areas, where your Roomba shouldn’t be in. It could be an area where you keep a fragile object, or where your pet’s food and water bowls are located.

    The only difference being, that Roomba s9 comes with only 1 barrier included, while Roomba 980 has 2 already included. Yet you can buy additional barriers as needed.

  • Difference #5: Imprint™ Smart Mapping – This useful technology enables your Roomba to learn, map, and adapt to your home. Its advanced sensors are constantly scanning the path ahead for any obstacles at an amazing rate of 25 times per second! You don’t have to worry about your robot getting into any trouble with this advanced technology. Unfortunately, this feature is only available to s9 series. While Roomba 980 does have an onboard camera, which does help map its path, it’s not as advanced.

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iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980 — Comparison Chart

iAdapt Yes, 2.0 Yes, 3.0
iRobot Home app Yes Yes
IR Remote control No No
Recharge & Resume Yes Yes
Run Time Up to 120 mins. Up to 75 mins.
Onboard Camera Yes Yes
Brushless mechanism Yes Yes
Edge- Sweeping brush Yes Yes
3-Stage Cleaning System 10x 40x
Carpet Boost Mode Yes Yes
Virtual Wall Barrier Comes w/2 Comes w/1
Avoids stairs Yes Yes
Cleaning Schedules Yes Yes
Coverage Maps Yes Yes
Voice Control Alexa & Google Assistant Alexa & Google Assistant
Empties on its own Automatic Dirt Disposal No Yes
Comes with Automatic Dirt Disposal No No
Clean or schedule by room No Yes
Imprint™ Smart Mapping No Yes
Diameter 13.8 inches. 12.25 inches.
Height 3.6 inches 3.5 inches
Weight 8.5 lbs. 8.15 lbs.

iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980 — Accessories

Roomba 980

After going over the differences, you may have a closer idea of which model you might be looking for. Now we can take a look at some of the accessories you can include to further improve your home cleaning.

By adding the iRobot® Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal with your Roomba s9, you won’t have to worry about having to empty out your Roomba when it gets full. Paired together with the recharge and resume function, it will take care of everything itself. The automatic base can hold up to 30 bins of dirt, dust, and hair.

And if you need to stock up on those. Be sure to include Clean Base™ Dirt Disposal Bags, 3-Pack, so you won’t run out.

Protect even more areas in your home, by adding another set of Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barriers. Even though your Roomba is already smart, if there are fragile objects in your home, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Keep your Roomba 980 in a good condition, by ensuring to perform regular maintenance on it. This useful Replenishment kit includes 3 AeroForce High-Efficiency Filters, 2 side brushes and one set of replacement AeroForce Extractors. You can check out the instructions included to guide you.

iRobot Roomba s9 vs. 980 — Our Thoughts

iRobot Roomba s9 carpet boost

Both Roombas that we talked about today, offer some great features. So it really boils down to what you’re looking for when it comes to your own Roomba experience.

The good thing about Roomba 980, is that it comes at a lower price than Roomba s9, while still offering some great features. Such as resume and recharge, perfect edge technology and voice control. It’s run time is also significantly higher too. So , is a good choice with a great price tag too!

While Roomba s9 is more pricey, it deserves to be so. With its compatibility with an automatic clean base and its whopping 40x suction power, you will surely see the difference on your own carpets.

So if you’re willing to spend a bit more, is a good way to go. It will offer you the same benefits as Roomba 980, minus the extended run time of course.

Last update on 2024-04-19 at 22:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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