The iRobot Roomba series is known to be one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market. The latest iRobot Roomba model is the model 980 which holds all the best and latest features of the iRobot Roomba series.
Now, I like to give an honest review about the Roomba 980 as compared to the Roomba 960. Personally, I am more inclined to sticking with the iRobot Roomba 960 instead of the Roomba 980 because of the difference between the two. By looking at the core features, the two are actually the same. The only difference would be the price of the two. Let me further explain why I prefer the 960 model over the 980 model.
Features Common to Both – Roomba 960 vs. Roomba 980
Before telling you why I prefer the model 960, let me first tell you what the common features between the two are. First of all, both of them have an iAdapt 2.0 Navigation with Visual Localization. This feature allows the Roomba to automatically clean your home and even know where to clean.
With regard to the Roomba battery power, in general, each Roomba vacuums have a strong power tool battery. The Roomba battery is strong enough to last for 75 minutes, which is something not every power tool battery can do.
You may also control the iRobot Roomba with an app on your Android or iPhone.
Unique Features of the 980 and 960 Model
The only unique feature that the 980 model has that the 960 model doesn’t have is the carpet booster. With the 980’s carpet booster feature, the vacuum cleaner boosts its power whenever it senses a carpet. Since carpets are hard to clean, you really need that extra power boost. This will clean your carpets deeper and suck out all the dirt that sticks to the carpet’s fabric. You can control its on and off function using your app.
Price Difference between the Roomba 960 and Roomba 980
Now that we are discussed some of the common and unique features of both, let’s proceed to why I would rather buy the 960 model instead of the 980. Although the carpet boost feature is a really cool feature that I can use to clean my carpets, I personally don’t think that the price difference justifies just one feature. The 960 model is $699.99 while the 980 model is $897.99. That is a $198 difference for just one feature!
Although I don’t doubt the usefulness of that one carpet boost feature, it still wouldn’t be worth the price since the two have pretty much the same features aside from that one carpet booster feature.
The Conclusion
So, in conclusion to Roomba 960 vs Roomba 980, I can definitely say that the extra amount I have to pay for a carpet booster cleaner isn’t really worth it. Imagine that you have to spend $198 just for an automatic carpet boost feature. For me, that isn’t something worth spending on even if you do have a carpet at home. You could actually just let your 960 model clean your carpet. That may take a bit more time than using a model 980, but it can still get the job done. I guess, if you do have the extra cash to spare and are very particular with your carpet’s cleanliness, then a 980 model might be good for you. If not, I suggest you just stick to the good old 960 like I did.
