Roomba 960 vs 980 Comparison & Test Results [Which Mid-Priced Roomba is Better?]

A detailed comparison between the Roomba 960 and 980. I put these vacuums through our usual series of tests to see which is better?
* If you click on any of these links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
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👉 Roomba 960 on Amazon: geni.us/0n7LU
👉 Roomba 980 on Amazon: geni.us/XqyR7l
👉 Roomba 981 on Amazon: geni.us/1UT5iBn
👉 Roomba 985 on Amazon: geni.us/t1hhU
👉 Roomba 960 vs 980: www.bestcordlessvacuumguide.c...
These two robots are Roomba's cheapest alternatives with smart navigation and both have the same navigation, dust bin size, and brush layout.
However, the 980 has more airflow which gives it better cleaning performance and an additional feature in the app where it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet.
Furthermore, it has a larger 3300 mAh Li-ion battery, which almost doubles the capacity of the 960. Not only will it clean better, but it also runs further (120 mins vs 75 mins).
So for me, the better value option would be the 980, especially if it's sale season, where the price drops.
The 960 is a decent option, especially for cleaning carpet, as it has one of the better deep cleaning scores of all the vacuums I've tested so far.
#robotvacuum #robotvacuumcleaner #roomba
Full Disclosure: Cordless Vacuum Guide is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

[@leonorarias5946]

Great video!👍

[@matteventu]

Excellent video, Roomba 980 is still great if you don't need advanced mapping features. Do you know what changes between 980 and 981?

[@CordlessVacuumGuide]

There's no difference with the robot itself. Maybe the accessories.

[@yuumetal2363]

I just got 2 Roomba 960 yesterday, Can 1 smartphone (iphone) can register 2 roomba 960, and control schedules and all? or 2 smart phones are necessary for 2 Roombas? also can 960 uses 980's battery? if It could, I should buy 980's battery when 960's battery die.

[@CordlessVacuumGuide]

Yes, I think that is possible - make sure to give each unique names so you don't get confused.

[@yuumetal2363]

​@@CordlessVacuumGuide thank you. I got 2 for my family who just bought their two storied house. I have Roomba 780 and 770, but this is first roomba I bought that can control from smartphone.

[@RoboVacParty]

I have got myself Xiaomi 1C recently and it's as good as my Roomba 980, but has much more features in the app (like i7) and mop function, but price is less than half of current Roomba i7

[@CountPorcula]

I don't understand why anyone would buy an irobot roomba 960 or 980 when for the same amount of money you can buy the Roborock S5 Max, or even the S6 when on sale. Also you can buy the Roidmi Eve Plus with auto-emptying dock. In my opinion the only roomba models that are worth buying if price really isn't an issue are the S series with auto empty dock. If not every other roomba model is out classed by a different brand much more cheaper. Even the S9 and S7 (+) won't stand a chance against the future Roborock S7 and it will still be much much cheaper than them.

[@CordlessVacuumGuide]

Roborock does't clean as well on carpet against the 980 and parts are abundant. Roborock hands down has a better app.

[@CountPorcula]

@@CordlessVacuumGuide in vacuum wars tests the roomba I7 came behind the top models from Roborock. And that was before the S6 maxV was released. And I saw many more tests where even the S5 performs much better expecially vs the medium Rooombas.

[@CordlessVacuumGuide]

@@CountPorcula I'm about to test the I6+, which I think is similar to the I7 specs. The 980 has more airflow than the 960 and I7, both have only one power setting. I've seen it in tests, repeatedly the 980 picks up better. The S6 MaxV has less airflow than the S5 Max so it didn't do as well. While tje obstacle avoidance system is good, I think it's a luxury as other Roborock products avoid obstacles well enough, except wires and small items. Once I complete reviewing the robots in each heirarchy I'll release a comparison video between Roborock and Roomba.

[@paulnedoiu6787]

Ive tested both roomba 614 (cheapes roomba, no wifi) , 960 and roborock E4 (same as S5 max but without lidar). The roborock was the worst of them all, it barely was able to move on my high pile carpets and was very slow (also on hard floors). Also the quality of the materials seemed very cheap. The first unit that ive received had the left wheel broken and I had to return it to be fixed (if you search online is a common issue). One thing were the roborock was better was for app features, it practically destroyed the roombas at that. I also thinked like you, that roborock is the best and roombas are over priced. But luckily ive tested them both and could see the truth.

[@shareeplayle2693]

Because we need cleaning power and longevity.