Last Updated: November 15, 2018
If you’re in the market for a robot vacuum and want to invest in the best, you are probably considering the Roomba 960 and 980. These two top of the line robot vacuums both come with Wi-Fi connectivity and mapping tech. But how do they compare? In this article we go over all the differences between the two models and what those differences mean for you.
For those who like details, you will find everything you need to know in the article below. For those who just want the summary: we recommend the 960 over the 980 because you get very similar features for a much cheaper price. Unless you must have the latest and greatest, go with the 960. (check 960 price here)
To skip to a particular section of the article, click on the appropriate link in the table of contents below:
Contents
- 1 Differences between Roomba 960 and 980:
- 2 Comparison Chart
- 3 Wi-Fi Connectivity and the iRobot Home App
- 4 Do I have to have Wi-Fi to use these Roombas?
- 5 Cleaning Power Comparison
- 6 Learning the Layout of your Home
- 7 Ease of Maintenance
- 8 Vacuuming Around Your Clutter
- 9
- 10 How Long The Batteries Last
- 11 Recharge and Resume
- 12 Sweeps Wall Edges and Corners
- 13 Multi-Room Navigation
- 14 Anti-tangle Tech To Prevent Chewing Loose Cords
- 15 Included Accessories
- 16 Cliff Detection
- 17 Carpet Boost Technology
- 18 Vacuuming on Hardwood Floors
- 19
- 20 Wait, what About the Roomba 880?
- 21 Differences between the Roomba 880 and 980
- 22 What We Liked About the 960
- 23 What We Liked About the 980
- 24 Conclusion
Differences between Roomba 960 and 980:
- Roomba 980 has carpet boost tech, 960 does not.
- Roomba 960’s battery lasts 75 minutes while the 980’s battery lasts 120 minutes.
- The 960 comes with 1 Virtual Wall, the 980 comes with 2.
- The 980 houses a newer generation motor, whereas the 960 uses the same motor as the ones in the 800’s series.
- The suction power of the 960 is only 5x air power while that of the 980 is 10x.
- The 980 usually costs $200 more than the 960.
Click here to skip to the conclusion.
Comparison Chart
| Roomba 960 | Roomba 980 | |
| Battery | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion |
| Battery life | 75 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Navigation | iAdapt 2 | iAdapt 2 |
| Sensors | Optical + Acoustic | Optical + Acoustic |
| Cliff Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Rollers | Brushless | Brushless |
| Carpet Boost Technology | No | Yes |
| Sweeps Wall Edges & Corners | Yes | Yes |
| Accessories | 1 Virtual Wall Barrier | 2 Virtual Wall Barriers |
| Filters | 1 Extra Replacement Filter | 1 Extra Replacement Filter |
| Price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
Even with the release of the i7, the Roomba 960 is still are favorite Roomba because its price to value ratio just can’t be beat. If you’re looking for premium features at a reasonable price, the Roomba 960 is a good bet.
Wi-Fi Connectivity and the iRobot Home App
Both these models can connect to your home network. This allows you to control the Roomba remotely and customize it to your liking. The same iRobot Home App is used for both models, and the app features are also identical between the two. The app is available on both iOS and Android.
Within the app, you manage the Roomba’s cleaning schedule and configure your preferences. One feature we particular liked was the option to vacuum more than once. Since these models can map out your house, they will only clean each area once as required. But if you want to make sure your floors are extra dirt-free, you can set it to make more than one pass over your floors. For those of you without a smartphone (what?!), that the app is not required for the Roomba to operate.
Bottom line: since the same app is used for both models, the app experience is nearly identical.
Do I have to have Wi-Fi to use these Roombas?
While connecting the 960 or 980 to your home’s wireless network is recommended, it is not required. Both machines will still work without Wi-Fi. However, you will not be able to use any of the functions that require the iRobot Home app. These functions are: scheduled cleanings (exactly what it sounds like), two cleaning passes (the Roomba will make two passes instead of just one), edge- clean (extra cleaning along walls), and carpet boost (Roomba 980 only).
Bottom line: you miss out on a lot of what these machines have to offer if you don’t have a home Wi-Fi network.
Cleaning Power Comparison
Image Credit: iRobot.com
On the official iRobot comparison chart, the manufacturer claims the Roomba 980 is equipped with a 10x AeroForce system where as the 960 is only equipped with the 5x AeroForce system. This might make you think that the the 980 cleans twice as well. However, we didn’t notice any obvious differences in suction power. They perform about the same and are both quite strong in terms of suction power. If suction power is the only reason you are leaning towards the 980, we don’t feel that its suction justifies the price premium.
Bottom line: For regular use in everyday life, the extra cost of the 980 don’t justify its price
Learning the Layout of your Home
The Roomba 960 and 980 both have two extra sensors over other Roombas. One is the onboard camera, which visually tracks items such as sofas, refrigerators, and tables in your house. The other is a tracking sensor that remembers where the Roomba has already vacuumed. Together these sensors allow the Roomba to learn the layout of your home and vacuum it more efficiently over time.
Unlike older generation Roombas, which use a random-ish pattern to decide where to go next, these machines vacuum in straight lines along the walls and won’t go back to where it has already cleaned (unless you tell it to in the app).
Bottom line: both have the sensors to map out your home and adapt to it over time.
An ad from iRobot showing how the Roomba sees your home, skip to 0:15 to see it create a map of the house as it vacuums:
Full Product Page and Reviews for the 960 on Amazon
Ease of Maintenance
Maintenance is my biggest concern when it comes to any appliance. These things are supposed to make our lives easier, and not be a headache to maintain. Luckily, both these robot vacuums have brushless extractors, which in our opinion is the single best design feature on iRobot’s vacuums over its competitors. This feature is exclusive to 800 and 900 series Roombas. If you’ve ever tried to pull hair out of the rolling brushes on your upright vacuum, you know how tedious it can be. Instead of using brushes, the rubber rollers beat and shake the dirt on the floor loose and into the path of the suction. Without compromising cleaning power, the tangle-free rollers takes the work out of maintaining them.
This is how I go about maintaining my Roomba:
- Empty the dust bin after every use (or, if you’re feeling super lazy, whenever the iRobot Home app tells you to). (30 seconds)
- Take the HEPA filter out of the dust bin and shake off any fine dust or pet hair (30 seconds)
- Once a week, check to see if there’s any stuck hair on the side brush, rubber rollers, and front caster, if so, remove them. (3 minutes)
Bottom line: same brushless mechanism is used in both models, trapped hair out is easy to pull out of rollers.
Vacuuming Around Your Clutter
Both models are designed to navigate around whatever is on the ground. One of the reasons Roombas have been so popular is that they are usually pretty smart when navigating your house. However, it can’t vacuum where it can’t reach, so you are still forced to pick up loose objects such as shoes and backpacks. You don’t always have to clear your floor before running the Roomba, but it is good to do so once in a while to make sure all areas are vacuumed.
Bottom line: both are able to navigate around your loose items
How Long The Batteries Last
The 960 has a 2130 mAh Li-Ion battery and is rated to vacuum continuously for 75 minutes before having to recharge, whereas the 980 has a 3000 mAh Li-Ion battery and is rated at 120 minutes. This is one of the major differences between the two machines. More battery power means more area covered in one go. Although both systems are designed to automatically recharge and resume vacuuming to complete the job, the 980 will be more efficient if you have a large home. Given that Roombas are supposed to be used autonomously and pretty much ignored by you, it doesn’t make a huge difference in everyday use whether they last 75 or 120 minutes.
Bottom line: The 980 lasts longer than the 960 on one charge.
Recharge and Resume
If you have a very large home or unusually dirty floors, your Roomba might run out of juice before it is done vacuuming the entire level. As stated above, the battery life is approximately 1.25 hours on the 960 and 2 hours on the 980. The recharge and resume feature allows the Roomba to return to its dock when it realizes it won’t be able to finish cleaning in one go. This is called a “mid-mission recharge” and lasts for 90 minutes. After charging for 90 minutes, the Roomba will resume cleaning, picking up where it left off.
Bottom line: both have this feature.
Sweeps Wall Edges and Corners
All current generation Roombas are equipped with a spinning side brush and wall sweep algorithms to effectively clean against the wall. Because the Roomba is round, the side brush is required to sweep dirt along straight edges and corners into the path of the Roomba.
Bottom line: identical in wall edge and corner performance.
The Roomba 960 and 980 are both able to map and navigate multiple rooms. There is no limit to the number of rooms these Roombas can clean per level. Both these models will create a temporary map of your home. As mentioned before, if they run out of battery mid-clean, they will recharge and resume cleaning where they left off until the whole level is vacuumed. This feature is not available on lower-end Roombas.
Officially, both able to clean up to 2,000 sq ft per level. That number is slightly arbitrary but it is what iRobot “guarantees” that these Roomba will clean. Theoretically, there is no limit to the square footage the Roomba will vacuum in a residential house. Unless you have a mansion with 4,000+ sq ft per level, you will be ok with either of these machines.
Side note: If anyone has a house that large, please let us know your experience with the Roomba in that setting and also how to be as successful as you are. 🙂
Bottom line: both are able to clean multiple rooms in one go.
Anti-tangle Tech To Prevent Chewing Loose Cords
While it’s best to keep all your power cords away from the Roomba, they are designed with anti-tangle technology which promises not to devour your cords, tassels, and carpet fringes. Personally I still don’t feel quite comfortable letting it run wild over my cables, though. All available Roomba models today have this tech. Here is a video showing how it works, the video was made for an older Roomba model but it applies to current generation machines too.
Bottom line: every Roomba currently on the market actually has this feature
Included Accessories
The 960 comes with 1 Virtual Wall Barrier, whereas the 980 ships with 2. These barriers are powered by 2 included AA batteries and used to mark sections of your home you do not want the Roomba to clean.
They can be set to Virtual Wall mode to prevent access to an opening of up to ten feet. Or they can be set to Halo mode to block off a circle with a diameter of 26″ around an object.
Bottom line: the 980 comes with 1 more Virtual Wall Barrier than the 960.
Cliff Detection
Both models are equipped with cliff detection technology, so you can use it to clean the upper levels of your home without worrying that it will take a plunge down the stairs.
Bottom line: all Roombas have this feature.
Carpet Boost Technology
If it seems like your vacuum has to work harder on carpet than hardwood, it’s because it does. Carpet fibers trap debris and also get in the way of the suction force, making it harder get dirt out. That’s where the “Carpet Boost” technology comes in. This feature is only available on the 980, and is one of the most meaningful differences between the two models. (Thanks to our reader Frank for pointing this out!)
When the 980 senses that it is on a carpeted surface, carpet boost kicks in and the motor is revved up to increase suction power.
Bottom line: the 980 outshines the 960 in this area.
Vacuuming on Hardwood Floors
Both models excel on hard surfaces such as tile, hardwood, and laminate flooring. Because dust and debris are so much easier to suck up from hard surfaces, we rarely find it necessary to get out the upright vacuum. In fact, ever since getting the Roomba 980, I have only used our old upright vacuum twice in the past year. Once was before a boardgame party and the other was when I left a chocolate chip cookie on the coffee table and attracted about a gajillion ants into our living room. We have hardwood floors and the Roomba keeps it clean enough. I mop the floors with a Swiffer once every month.
Bottom line: both models are very effective on hard surfaces.
Wait, what About the Roomba 880?
I saw a lot of readers were wondering how the 880 compares to the 960 and 980. So I added the following section to clear things up.
Differences between the Roomba 880 and 980
- The 880 uses an older generation motor than the 980.
- The 880 does not have carpet boost tech like the 980.
- The 880 does not have Wi-Fi connectivity and does not support the iRobot app.
- The 880 has a battery life of approximately 1.5 hours compared to the 980’s 2 hours.
- The 880 has an NiMH battery, 980 has a Li-Ion battery
- The 880 comes with 2 Virtual Wall Lighthouses, the 980 comes with 2 Virtual Wall Barriers.
- The 880 comes with a remote control, Roomba 980 does not. (It uses the iRobot app instead.)
- The 880 cleans using a pseudo-random vacuuming pattern, the 980 uses a sensor and a camera to vacuum in somewhat straight lines like a human would.
A brief explanation on the different accessories: The VW lighthouses are necessary because the 880 lacks a location sensor and camera to map out its surroundings. So the idea is that you would place these lighthouse accessories in a room to divide your house into manageable sections. The lighthouse tells the 880 to stay in the room it’s in until it has completely finished vacuuming that room.
Since the 960 and 980 can map out an entire level of your home, the lighthouse accessory is not necessary. They come with VW barriers that can enter halo mode instead. As mentioned above, a halo is a circle about 26” in diameter that the Roomba is not allowed to enter, protecting things such as pet water bowls from being knocked over.
The Roomba 880 used to be the best Roomba on the market, but since the 960 and 980 came out, that is just no longer the case. The 900 series implemented a lot of technology (e.g. camera navigation, newer batteries, and remote app connectivity) that actually result in a different owner experience.
The 880 is stuck in no man’s land. It is like an old iPhone from two years ago that you give to your kids. A much cheaper model does the job almost just as well and the newer models blow it out of the water.
It does not have the advanced features of the 900 series Roombas to justify its price. If you had your eyes on the 880, skip it and either go a tier lower to the 860 or higher to the 960. Either one would give you a lot more bang for your buck. If money is no object and you just want the best robot vacuum on the market today, the 980 might just be the right robot vacuum for you.
What We Liked About the 960
- More affordable. Usually there is a $200 price difference between the two models.
- Makes compromises only in non-essential features, such as the battery life.
- Roughly the same cleaning power as the 980, despite what the boxes say.
- Wi-Fi and App enabled.
- Easy maintenance with tangle-free extractors.
What We Liked About the 980
- The best Roomba on the market.
- Longer battery life than the 960.
- Comes with 2 Virtual Wall Barriers, which cost $49.99 each to purchase separately.
- Stronger suction on carpet due to carpet boost
- Wi-Fi and App enabled.
- Easy maintenance with tangle-free extractors.
If you feel neither of these vacuums are right for you, click here to read a comparison of the best Roombas on the market today.
Conclusion
For most people, I recommend getting the 960 on Amazon. It is more affordable, and has essentially all the meaningful features of the 980 and everything you need in a robot vacuum.
If you have hardwood floors plus several area rugs, or a really large house with multiple rooms on the same level, then the Roomba 980 might be worth it for the carpet boost feature and longer battery life. I recommend checking the current price for the 980 on Amazon.
Click here for all the robot vacuum deals on Amazon today.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for bringing that to our attention, I apologize for the typo and confusion. Let me clarify:
The stock 960 comes with a 2130 mAh Li-Ion battery with a run time of 75 minutes.
The stock 980 comes with a 3000 mAh Li-Ion battery with a run time of 120 minute.
If unable to complete cleaning in one go, both the 960 and 980 will return to their docks and charge for 90 minutes, then attempt to finish vacuuming.
Hope that clears things up a bit,
Kevin
Very informative article for those researching prior to purchase! One thing that I’ve found that isn’t mentioned is that the app doesn’t support “steering” the Roomba to a specific location to do a spot clean. Supposedly the same IR remote works with the 900 series, but it has to be purchased separately. Probably not a big deal money wise given you’re already dropping $800+ on the Roomba, but just seems like something pretty trivial to integrate into the app. Better yet, since the 900 series can map out your house, why not give user ability to zoom/point to location on the map and have the Roomba just go there!?
Hi Brian,
Good point. I agree that it seems trivial for them to implement a piloting feature into the app.
I guess there must not be enough users using the IR remote to drive their Roombas and that must be why they haven’t integrated a similar feature into the app. It does seem like something that can be implemented with an update similar to the recent clean map report and echo integration update. Here’s to hoping that they’ll change it in the future.
I’m so happy that you found the article informative, that’s the main reason we started this website!
Kevin
Thanks. Appreciate the information.
Great article! Thanks for your hard work in gathering and presenting all this info. Helped me decide to go with the 960 over the 980.
Thanks! Glad the article was helpful. 🙂
Thx for the article – helped me a lot! I got hard-floors, dog, cat and not too much time… just bought 960 😉
You’re welcome! I think you will be very happy with the 960. The cleanup/maintenance is just so easy with the newer Roombas!
What about maintenance? Can you say if HEPA filters from China are as good as those from iRobot? It’s like 5x less expensive so many will look at those.
Hi Daniel,
Both these models are quite easy to maintain because there are no rotating brushes, which were the biggest pain point in past Roomba models when it comes to maintenance. There is not much you have to clean on these machines besides occasionally taking out the rubber rollers and HEPA filter to clear out hair and dust. Both are very easy to remove. Since the original filters are not ridiculously overpriced (like ink cartridges are), I recommend getting those instead of the cheaper ones just to be on the safe side.
First, great article, this has helped me make a decision on the model to get, going to save a few bucks and take the Mrs out to dinner with the extra $200!
I am a little confused by one section, you note: “Multi-Room Navigation – The Roomba 960 and 980 are both able to clean up to 3 rooms on one level. This feature is not available on lower-end Roombas.”
To me it looked like the Roomba would map out an entire floor, is this not the case? My situation is this, I have a 3800sqft 2 story home, I am only looking for downstairs which is roughly 2000sqft. In the downstairs it is a fairly open floor plan but does have distinct rooms such as formal living room, formal dining room, family room, kitchen, breakfast nook, ‘reading nook’, etc. As you see there are at least 5 rooms not including hallways and open areas.
Will the 960 get the job done? (Other than the obvious recharging time needed)
hi John,
Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
You are right, that section is confusing. Instead of 3 rooms, it should say 2,000+ sq ft per level. We have rewritten that section to describe it more accurately.
To answer your question specifically, your home layout shouldn’t be a problem for the 960. It will get the job done in a 2000 sq ft downstairs floor with 5 distinct rooms.
when is a new model after irobot roomba 980 coming it is over 2 years now and new models from other companies coming
Hi Tommie,
We’ve been wondering that as well! However, I feel that the 960 and 980 already ran into the boundary of today’s technology. In other words, unless their R&D department comes up with something groundbreaking, I don’t think there’s any meaningful improvements to be made to these machines. That is likely why there hasn’t been a “better” model than the 980 for the past couple years. (There have been “newer” models, the 690 and 890, but the improvements are not groundbreaking by any means).
I see a similar pattern with smartphones, manufacturers outfit the latest model with faster processors and better cameras each year, but the fundamental technology has not changed. Until new technology, for example flexible batteries, become commonplace, there just isn’t much room for improvement.
With the rapid advances made in A.I. in recent years, I feel the next step up will come soon. In the mean time, we will keep this site updated with the latest news or rumors we hear.
Well now Neato D7 has No-Go Lines, iRobot should look into making something similar… I have a Neato D7 and the No-Go Lines works extremely well and this the main reason which made me chose a Neato over a Roomba… I wish Roomba had that technology as I like iRobot better than Neato…
Hi! Will the 960 go over rugs? I have rugs by each entrance and bathrooms. Or should I go with the 980?
Hi Tina,
Yes, the 960 goes over rugs just as well as the 980. The biggest difference between the two models is the addition of carpet boost & stronger suction on the 980. Hope that helps!
How about if I have 2 story house. Can I use it for both floors. Will the 960 get confused if I change the floors?
Hi Ray,
It won’t get confused. In fact, you can use any of the Roombas currently on the market for multiple floors. The 960 and 980 maps your home every time it starts a cleaning cycle, they won’t get lost when you pick it up and move it between level 1 and level 2. The 600 and 800 series machines randomly roam about, so mapping is not really an issue with those models. Hope that helps.
Will the room a 960 work in a house without wifi
Hi Elizabeth,
Wifi is not required for proper operation of the 960/980. You do miss out on some of the features though. Check out the WiFi section of this article for more details.
I think you made my decision for me and saved me a couple hundred dollars. Right now I’m trying to find the best price for the 960…
Thank you
Hi!!
How is the 960 when picking up dog fur? We have 2 West Highland Terriers. having mostly hair, they shed very little, not even half as much as dogs with fur such as Labs, Shepherds, ETC… We’re in the process of a total home remodel and will have Laminate through out with some throw rugs. Will the 960 be enough or should we spend the extra $200, and get the 980? your thoughts?
Hi Kerri,
The 960 will most likely be good enough for 2 dogs that don’t shed excessively, especially if you have it set to vacuum everyday. Since you will have laminate flooring with some rugs, the carpet boost of the 980 is probably overkill. Hope that helps!
I have a two story home can I move between the two floors? If you can do you move the charging unit each time?
Hi James,
Yes you can move the vacuum between two floors, it won’t get confused since a new map is created every time. You do not have to move the charging unit (unless you want to), you can just manually pick it up and put it back on the dock when the Roomba is done.
I just got one of these today. I have about 4000sf on my first floor and this thing hasn’t handled it too well. It stopped in the middle of its first run (and didn’t return to the base or anything). It would be really nice if I have an area that needs cleaning, I just point to it on the map somehow. I know it won’t do this now, but it seems like it would be easy to add? I understand the wifi lag probably makes it difficult to control interactively, but just tapping an area to do a 10′ radius on would be really helpful.
Anyway, so far it is so-so but better than me whipping out a vacuum.
I wanted to point out that I have a house with pergo, porcelain, and area rugs. My roomba does great cleaning all those surfaces.. the only issue I had in the beginning was sometimes it would roll up the corners of the area rugs and get itself stuck. I just put Velcro under the corners. Problem solved. I know it’s said the 960 doesn’t have carpet boost technology, I note that when it gets on the area rugs it slows down and seems to do a great job of pulling up dirt based on what I find in the dust bin. Also I saw claims on the internet that that the newer units aren’t as good with pet hair. I live in Oklahoma where the wind blows dust in all the time, and I will attest to the fact that my Roomba 960 does a great job pulling pet hair and dust off my area rugs. Also if I have a day on a weekend where I’m home with the pets in the house. I just run the Roomba an extra cycle above what I have scheduled. I think much of the success of the effectiveness of these units lie with the efforts the owners make to help them be more effective. I note a few tweaks here and there by me in clutter, and keeping the thing clean and maintained is really all that is necessary. Other than that, I just let run three times a week, and it does the rest. Well worth money to a person who works a lot and travels for work. No more fuzz balls along the base boards.
Concerning suction power… On normal hard surfaces, does the 980 use the stronger suction like it does on carpet? thank you! great article.
Hi Mark, carpet boost does not kick in when the Roomba is on a normal hard surface. However, the suction from the 980 is stronger than the 960 on all surfaces, carpeted or not. Hope that helps!
My cat sheds a lot. Which one will do a better job of picking cat hair?
Hi Lise,
The Roomba 980 has stronger suction, and its Carpet Boost kicks up the suction on carpet. However, the 960 does just fine with pet hair. Neither one will be as powerful as a regular upright vacuum, so I would probably go for the 960 and manually deep clean the carpet with an upright once a month or so. If the majority of your home is carpeted, the 980 would be more appropriate. Hope that helps!
Nice article!
Hi, I know it’s been a year from this article, but we’re considering upgrading from our ancient 550 to a 960. The biggest problem we have now is the noise. How noisy is the 960? You can barely hear yourself think when the 550 is running and my husband routinely leaves the house to avoid it. Do you have any information on that?
Hi Terri,
The Roomba 960 measures approximately 65 decibels when running. It’s less noisy than a manual upright vacuum but still quite loud. I know how your husband feels. 65 decibels is about the same as a normal conversation. One thing to keep in mind is that the 960 is more efficient in its cleaning pattern so he wouldn’t have to leave the house for as long as the lower end models. hope that helps.
my question is do you need two charging stations for an upstairs/downstairs or do you just move the one plug in up and down? How does that wor with A.I. feature of the 960 Roomba. Thank you..
Hi Lorinda,
You do not need two charging stations to vacuum a two-story home. You don’t even need to move the charging station, just the Roomba itself.
For example, if you decided to place the dock downstairs, and you want to vacuum upstairs right now: wait for the Roomba to become fully charged, then pick it up and move it upstairs and start cleaning. When it’s done, pick it up and put it on the dock.
The 960 and 980 both do a fresh scan of your home during EVERY cleaning session. It does not matter that you move it between floors.
Hope that answers your questions!
The difference in battery power between the 980 and 960 doesn’t matter much in my opinion because the debris bin will fill up long before the battery runs out unless you vacuum first and don’t have a pet or carpet.
If I have a long hair Bernice Mountain Dog, am I better with the 960 or 980 ?
will they both do the same job for dog hair.
Thanks
Kim
Hi Kim,
The 980 has stronger suction than the 960, but the 960 should work well enough for a long hair pet. The 980 might pick up more hair per run but you can always set the robot to clean more frequently if it’s needed. Hope that helps!
Just bought the 960 today. It seems to do a good job so far. I to was confused between the two 960 and 980. I took the gamble on the 960. Hope it was a good choice. Dirt bin on the 960 is small. I don’t know if it’s bigger on the 980. That does help if it’s bigger. I have a dog. Hair is a big problem. Dirt bin fills quickly. They need bigger dirt bins. My only complaint small dirt bin.
This has been the most helpful review I’ve read on the Roomba vacuums. Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words Lynda!
I have 2 Roombas…. the one battery won’t charge anymore and the 2nd one only lasts for about 15 minutes.
Hi Cheryl,
If the only issue with those Roombas are the old batteries, you can consider buying a replacement battery. Multiple places online sell replacement batteries for Roombas. Make sure it will fit your particular model of Roomba.
Hope that helps!
How about if I have 2 story house. Can I use it for both floors. Will the 960 get confused if I change the floors?
Hi Dave,
The Roomba 960 will not get confused if you move it from floor to floor. It maps the house every time you run it, so it doesn’t matter where you move it. The same applies to the Roomba 980.
Hi, now I see the price difference between the two models is very low (below €50). However as I understand the 980 has stopped and only 960 are sold by the manufacturer.
So what to take, the 980 which has some better features or the 960 that is still produced?
Hi Chris,
If the price difference between the 960 and 980 is not too high, I’d recommend getting the Roomba 980. It’s the better vacuum.
thanks. Great and very helpful article by the way!!! Great job and nicely written