The iRobot Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums take pet hair, lint, and dust from the floor before they can settle. They can also stay clear of obstacles such as furniture that is unstable and stairs.
Most robotic vacuums require maintenance. This includes emptying the bin (and sometimes rinsing it) and wiping the cameras and sensors. They also require to be connected. Many have smartphone apps to schedule, adjust settings and more.
iRobot Roomba 980
The iRobot Roomba 980 is the latest model in the series of top-of-the-line robot vacuum cleaners that are a staple in any modern home. This model comes with a HEPA filter that can help those who are allergic. It also comes with an extremely powerful battery that can clean for two hours, and return to its dock automatically once the bin is full.
It also comes with an option called smart mapping that uses multiple sensors to suss out the areas in your home that need attention and create a cleaning route around them. We've seen this technology in action and it does an excellent job of moving around toys that are left scattered on the floor, or furniture legs that stick out from under the furniture. It also has a camera that can snap the Roomba back to its original position when it begins to drift from its actual location.
iRobot has also added an additional set of rollers beneath the Roomba that do not have bristles, and therefore are more likely to withstand tangles than previous models. These are also a little higher than the older rollers, and will fit better under beds and couches that are low and are designed to let this model move more easily across a variety of floor kinds.
What sets the Roomba 980 apart from other models with a higher-end price tag Its main feature is the integration of the new dirt detection feature that utilizes cameras to identify bits of embedded dirt. This is a nice improvement over the previous version, that relied on the sensor-driven pseudorandom coverage technique to bounce around a room and clean everything at least three times from different angles.
The Roomba 980 performed well in our tests on carpets and hard floors. It scored highly on low-pile carpet and also on mid-pile. robot vacuum black friday did a great job getting rid of pet hair, but struggled with thick and long pet hair that was stuck together.
The Roomba 980 is still one of the top performing robots we've reviewed, despite these minor limitations. It's also not as expensive as other top-of-the-line models. It has many of the features we would expect from a top model, but it doesn't have all the fancy apps or home integrations you'll find in other top contenders.
The iRobot Roomba can be set up quickly and is ready for use right away. After taking off the pull tab for the battery and yellow bin insert from its undercarriage, all you need to connect it to its Home Base docking station or a wall socket, hit its large "Clean" button and let it go to work. It will return to its dock when it is running out of battery or becomes full of sand. There are also indicators on top that show when its bin is empty, when it requires recharging, or when it loses its Wi-Fi.