In this review, we are going to compare some of the most popular robot vacuum cleaners Roomba 980 and Roborock S5. These models have the best reviews and sales worldwide, they are very similar, but let’s find out which one is better.
Roomba 980
The robot vacuum cleaner Roomba 980 performs dry cleaning of rooms and is perhaps the best selling Roomba model. The robot is round, 3.6 inches in height with a protective bumper above. The lower part of the bumper is covered by a rubber “skirt” protecting the furniture from scratches. On the front, there is a camera with which the robot vacuum cleaner Roomba 980 scans and remembers the room. At the bottom of the vacuum cleaner are a roller on a rotating platform and wheels, a side brush for collecting debris, a compartment with main rollers-brushes and a detachable dust collector for 1000 ml. A side brush sweeps dirt and dust from the corners and along the walls, and two rubber brushes that move towards each other direct the debris into the vacuum. Along the perimeter of the robot bottom, we see six height difference sensors.
Like all robot vacuum cleaners, this model can independently move around the room, bypass obstacles, and detect pollution. All that’s possible thanks to the visual orientation system of iRobot Roomba 980. The robot navigates with the help of sensors mentioned above located on the case, inside it and at its bottom and a video camera on the upper part of the vacuum. These elements scan the space, making a visual map of the cleaned room. It also helps the robot cleaner continue working from the place where it was interrupted last time. iRobot Roomba 980 will never fall from the stairs as its height sensors notice any sharp drop in height (for example, steps or another break) and give the device a command to change the direction.
The quality of cleaning of this cleaner is superior to many other models due to the new technology vSLAM IROBOT. The robot performs cleaning without spinning in a spiral and randomly moving around the room, but moves along parallel paths avoiding obstacles that arise. Improved iAdapt 2.0 technology helps the vacuum accurately determine the type of cover, especially while passing from the hard floor to the carpet. In this case, it starts the Carpet Boost function, which increases the suction power, providing better cleaning. Also, the best result is achieved due to the AeroForce suction system. As many modern models, the 980 has a HEPA filter that fights dirt at the microscopic level.
Roomba 980 robot vacuum is equipped with a more powerful 3300 mAh Li-ion battery, which gives 120 minutes of work. And you’ll need three hours for charge resuming. The kit also includes two virtual walls that limit the movement of the device. This allows you to divide the territory into zones for more accurate cleaning.
The number of buttons on the case is minimized because the management of all functions is performed via a smartphone. This robot vacuum cleaner has a Wi-Fi module for connecting to the Internet, and its software provides full control over all robot functions. The application allows you to give a command to start cleaning, set a cleaning schedule, find out what your assistant is doing now, and whether there are any problems in its work, change the settings.
We see that many users so much like this Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum Cleaner because it has:
- Compact size
- Powerful battery
- Good navigation
- Big dust collector
- vSLAM IROBOT technology for better maneuverability
- HEPA-Style filter
- Three-step AeroForce system
- Carpet Boost system
- Height sensors
- Control through the application
- Two vertical walls
Disadvantages are as follows:
- High noise level
- No wet cleaning
- No support for voice assistants
Roborock S5
Roborock S5 Sweep One Xiaomi Eco System is designed by the technological giant Xiaomi, it is their second-generation robot vacuum cleaner. The robot is somehow “younger” than Roomba 980 as it was released in 2017. Roborock is people’s favorite due to the affordable price, nice effectiveness, and both functions of dry and wet cleaning.
The vacuum cleaner has the same round shape. While Roomba is black, Roborock has a white color. The height of the robot is almost equal to its opponent – 3.8 inches. On the front side in the center, there is a laser sensor that rotates, scans the space, and creates a map of the room. There are also height and pressure sensors, which are designed to prevent collisions and falls. Along the edge, there is a special recess for the dust container. It can store up to 480 ml of dust in dry cleaning mode and is replaced by the 150 ml water container during wet cleaning. On the underside, we see a special area for a soft moisturized fiber, the 165 mm silicone roller-brush with a set of the pile, one small side brush that collects debris along the edges, and contacts for connection to the charging base.
Xiaomi uses two ways of movements for different types of pollutions. It can go along straight lines and walls for a standard cleaning or move spirally on the polluted areas and spots. An important advantage of this washing robot vacuum cleaner is the presence of a high-precision LDS laser located on a protruding “turret” that scans a room at a speed of 5 times per second and rotates 360 degrees. And the implemented SLAM algorithm is used to create an actual room map. All this allows the robot to navigate, avoiding obstacles and elevations. Just like Roomba, Roborock can determine the type of surface and increase the suction force if necessary. The air of your house will be clean thanks to the HEPA filter, which can be washed with water.
This model shows wonderful results because it uses different modes for different types of dirt: quiet mode is applied for easy pollutions and during your sleep time; standard mode is perfect for everyday cleaning; power mode eliminates difficult pollutions on difficult floorings like carpets; maximum mode of 2000 Pa that is capable of lifting a steel ball, so use it in the worst cases. Besides the robot has a separate mode for wet cleaning.
A powerful 5200 mAh lithium-ion battery provides up to 150 minutes of battery life in dry mode and up to 60 minutes in wet mode. Charging duration is three hours.
The MiHome mobile app gives the users all possible control: you can set the schedule, choose the mode, get notifications about the completed tasks, see the map of the rooms, set restriction zones (as an alternative to the virtual walls), etc.
Roborock S5 has the same advantages mentioned in the Roomba model:
- Compact size
- Good navigation
- HEPA-Style filter
- Height sensors
- Control through the application
- Restriction zones
But besides these pros, we see some more pluses:
- A more powerful battery (150 minutes vs 120 minutes of Roomba)
- An additional function of wet cleaning
- Greater number of modes
If we talk about the shortcomings, we found the following:
- Small dust collector (480 ml vs 1000 ml of Roomba)
- No connection with voice assistants
- Some users complain about problems with the application and some errors
So, we face a difficult choice, since it is evident that both vacuum cleaners are almost identical in quality and set of functions. Moreover, both models have the same price – $500-550. However, if you want to get two devices in one – a vacuum cleaner and a mop – then we advise you to choose Roborock S5. If you are not chasing after the number of functions, but are looking for the time-tested quality, then give preference to the Roomba 980, since though this vacuum cleaner was released earlier than S5, it has the same functions and technologies and at the same time guarantees a durable operation without breakdowns.