In a nutshell, what are the differences between the Roomba i4 and the Roomba i8?
- The i8 navigates using a camera, the i4 does not
- The i8 can automatically start cleaning sessions based on your location, the i4 cannot.
- The i8 has the “keep out zones” feature, which is missing on the i4
Contents
Difference 1: The Roomba i8 uses a camera to navigate, the i4 does not.
Both the Roomba i8 and the i4 clean in logical, straight lines across a room. They don’t randomly bounce around like older generation Roombas.
The two robots use different technology to navigate. The i8 uses its top-mounted camera and sensors to navigate, whereas the i4 uses only floor sensors.
Even though the i4 doesn’t have a camera to help it see where it’s going, it is able to navigate just as well as the i8.
In other words, there is not much of a difference in this department.
Difference 2: The i8 can automatically start cleaning when you leave the house, the i4 cannot.
If you have a regular daily schedule, you can create custom cleaning schedules for both the i4 and the i8 to follow. They will automatically start cleaning at specific times of the day.
However, the i8 can take it one step further and start cleaning sessions only when you are not around. With this feature enabled, the iRobot app will sense when you’ve left your house and tell the i8 to start cleaning.
The i4 does not have this feature. You’ll need to set a time-based cleaning schedule if you want your robot vacuum to clean when you’re not at home.
Difference 3: The i8 has “keep out zones” and “virtual walls”, while the i4 requires the virtual barrier accessory.
To keep your Roomba from going where you don’t want it to, you’ll need to set some boundaries. The i8 is able to do this with just the iRobot app, on which you can draw “virtual walls” and “keep out zones”.
The i8 won’t cross the virtual walls or enter the keep out zones, even if the thresholds they’re blocking are wide open.
The i4 does not have this feature. Instead, it comes with the “Virtual Wall Barrier”, which is a physical device that you need to set down on the area where you don’t want the i4 to go. It works in much the same way as the app’s virtual walls in that it prevents the Roomba from entering an area, but it relies on IR signals instead of map recognition.
The device can only block one threshold at a time, whereas you can draw multiple virtual walls and keep out zones on the app.
This is probably the most meaningful difference between the i4 and i8.
If you need the ability to block multiple areas and thresholds from the Roomba, the i8 might be the better choice. Otherwise, the i4 will do.
Similarities between the Roomba i4 and the Roomba i8
Similarity 1: Both models are now capable of select room cleaning.
Select room cleaning allows you to send your robot vacuum to clean specific rooms without starting a whole cleaning session.
The Roomba i4 did not have select room cleaning, but a firmware update has given this ability to the i4.
Both the i4 and i8 will make mapping runs to learn the layout of your home, after which you’ll be able to save the generated maps.
The maps generated by both the i4 and the i8 can then be used to choose which rooms you want cleaned.
Similarity 2: Both models can be upgraded with an automatic Clean Base.
The i4 and i8 are not auto-emptying robot vacuums. To do that, you will need to upgrade them by getting the iRobot Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal.
The Clean Base will automatically suck out the contents of the robot vacuum’s dustbin when it docks after each cleaning suction.
The i4 and the i8 don’t come with the Clean Base.
The i4+ and the i8+, however, DO come with the Clean Base included.
The inclusion of the auto-emptying base is the only difference between the “regular” and “plus” versions of these Roombas.
Similarity 3: Both models have two main brushes.
Unlike other robot vacuums, all Roombas are equipped with two main brushes.
The brushes on the i4 and i8 are made of silicone and are bristle-free, making them much easier to maintain.
Hair typically gets tangled up in bristled brushes and be a pain to untangle.
The opposite is true with the i4 and i8’s rubber rollers: hair rarely gets stuck and the few hair strands that manage to get stuck are easily removed.
In addition, the dual brush design works particularly well on carpeted floors. The two rollers work together to loosen debris from carpet fibers and sweep dust into the vacuum’s intake.
Similarity 4: Both models have the auto top-up feature.
If you have a particularly large house, the i4 and the i8 may not be able to finish vacuuming the whole floor on one charge. But they do have “recharge and resume.”
This means the Roombas will monitor their battery level and pause their cleaning session if they are running low. They’ll return to the dock to recharge and continue at the spot where they left off after getting enough power.
This means the entire floor will be vacuumed, no matter how large it is.
Similarity 5: Both models have app and voice control.
The iRobot app gives you a ton of control and customization over your robot vacuum. It allows you to access saved maps, create cleaning schedules, set up clean zones and keep out zones, and more.
Both the i4 and the i8 are also compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri. These digital assistants will allow you to give voice commands to the robot vacuums and start cleaning sessions without touching the app.
Note that both the app and voice control need wifi in order to work, but you’ll still be able to start and stop cleaning sessions without wifi by using the buttons on the robot vacuums.
FAQs
Is the Costco Roomba i4 the same as i3?
The Roomba i4 is the Costco version of the Roomba i3, and the two models are mostly identical. However, the i4 is set apart by its larger battery and longer runtime. It also comes with more accessories than the i3.
Does the Roomba i4 require wifi?
No. The Roomba i4 will be able to clean your home even without wifi. However, you’ll need wifi to be able to use the app and voice control feature.
Are the Roomba i7 and i8 the same?
No. The Roomba i8 is the Costco version of the Roomba i7. The i7 and the i8 are mostly identical, but the i8 has a larger battery and a longer runtime compared to the i7. It also comes with more bundled accessories.
Does the Roomba i8 have poop detection?
No. The i8 has a camera that it uses for navigation, but it doesn’t use the camera for object recognition because the camera is pointed up and can’t see in front of the vacuum. Therefore, it won’t be able to detect and avoid poop or other small objects.
hosted
So, Which One Should You Choose?
The Roomba i4 and the i8 are both great robot vacuums that can handle a variety of messes.
The main difference between them is that the i8 has the keep out zone feature but the i4 does not. To keep the i4 out of unwanted areas, you will need to use the Virtual Wall Barrier device that comes with the i4. The i8 takes care of boundaries using the iRobot app, so you can set up as many as you want.
If you think you will need this advanced boundary-setting feature, go with the i8.
For everyone else, I think the i4 is good enough. As the i4 is generally less expensive, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re trying to save money while getting an excellent robot vacuum.