iRobot Roomba® has had a market presence since 2002, and their design and functionality of the automatic vacuum cleaner has improved year on year. The Roomba® 800 Series also boasts the AeroForce™ Performance Cleaning System found on the 860, 870, 880 and 890 models.
Roomba made an appearance on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON as Roomba Pong Game.
So how does 800 series compare? Let’s check it out!
Table of Contents
- 1 800 series in Review
- 2 Latest developments within the Roomba® 800 Series
- 3 Features Comparison between 800 Series
- 4 Why the 800 Series beats the “Do it yourself” approach to Vacuuming?
- 5 What’s in the Box of 800 Series?
- 6 So how do you choose? – BUYER’S GUIDE
- 7 How many cats can ride on a Roomba? – cat Uber
- 8 What Warranty can I expect with iRobot Roomba?
- 9 In Conclusion
800 series in Review
The 800 series came on the market in 2013 and has developed from the 860 to the latest 890 (released in 2017) models.
Colin Angle, the Chairman of iRobot, has developed many products within the robotics industry, but in the automated vacuum, he has truly aimed at making it Smart to fit with our smart devices. Since selling over 10 million units, his take on smart robots really does extend to a place in our homes.
With such a choice within the Roomba range, it is important to recognize the differences and choices of each model to find one that is right for you and your budget. These are smart machines, with the top of the range models being connected to voice controls such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Now 800 Series is no longer the new series of Roomba, it’s 900 series, and they equipment more new features. But 800 series is also the best choice for your family because they already have features as the 900 series. Here is the comparison of Roomba 800 and 900 series.
Latest developments within the Roomba® 800 Series
Tangle-Free AeroForce™ Extractor – One of the challenging aspects of any automatic vacuum cleaner is its ability to suck up debris, hair and fur leaving your home clean and dirt free. Of course, that is its purpose, but improving that functionality is the main driver for the innovative development of the Tangle-Free extractor.
These Dual counter-rotating extractors working in a way which attracts dirt and debris from any floor surface, picking it up using the rubber treads, and depositing it effortlessly into the bin. This innovative technology means tangled brushes are a thing of the past.
AeroForce™ High-efficiency Filter – Another major step in ensuring a cleaner home. With its filter as small as 10 microns, the air that leaves the Roomba 800 series capture more than 99% of the dust, mites, and allergens that are naturally present within the home. Leaving a more hygienic home for you and your family. The iRobot High-efficiency Filter is designed for great suction and maximum filtration.
There are third party HEPA Filters that can be purchased, though some customers comment on a loss of suction when using them, they are so much cheaper than iRobot manufactured parts. In the future, you can order the replacement set at Amazon, they also fit perfectly.
AeroForce™ 3-Stage Cleaning System – Another leap the 800-series made over the 700, 600 and 500 series were the AeroForce™ 3-stage cleaning system. Its powerful Gen 2 motor now has more power to pick up hair, fur, and debris off the floor than previous models, with its dual multi-surface extractors.
The 3- Stage Cleaning System has been developed to clean and lift dirt from corners and edges as the Roomba® cleans:
- Stage 1: Edges and corners are cleaned using the specially engineered sweeping brush. At an angle of 27 degrees to the Roomba®, dirt is loosened and fed into the vacuum.
- Stage 2: As dirt and debris are fed into the counter-rotating extractors, they attract and feed it into the bin, tangle free, grabbing it from your floors.
- Stage 3: The powerful motor, with its ability to suck 5x more air through a highly efficient filter, means less dirt and debris on your floor and cleaner recirculated air from your vacuum, capturing up to 99% the airborne dust.
Improved Suction – Compared to earlier models, the suction has been improved to be up to 5x more powerful, enabling a deeper clean from a thick pile carpet and on hardwood floors.
Features Comparison between 800 Series
The iRobot Roomba 800 series cleans all floor types and its ability to automatically adjust brush height, enables the maximum cleaning depth for the automatic vacuum. Whether it is moving from hardwood or carpet, tile or rug, the transition is smooth with no loss of suction.
The Roomba 800 series even has the ability to sense when it has picked up a cord or carpet tassel and begins to activate its anti-tangle mode. It clicks to escape the cord or tassel, to free itself, and once free continues to vacuum your home finishing its scheduled program.
No-one wants to watch their expensive cleaning robot get to the edge of the stairway and then continue over the edge either! The Roomba 800 series has the ability to navigate away from cliffs and drops which allows it to continue its cleaning routine, trouble-free.
| Features | Specs | Roomba 860 | Roomba® 870 | Roomba 880 | Roomba 890 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart | iAdapt | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Multi-Room Cleaning | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | |
| Recharge and Resume | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | |
| Cliff-detection sensors | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Clean Map™ Reports | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | |
| Custom Cleaning Preferences | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | |
| Anti-Tangle System | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Dirt Detect™ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Self-Charging | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Simple | Wi-Fi Support | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Cleans All Floor Types | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Scheduling | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| AeroForce® Tangle-Free Extractor* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Home App | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | |
| Clean | AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter * | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Edge-Sweeping Brush | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| GEN 2 Motor | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Carpet Boost (Deeper Cleaning) | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | |
| 5x more air power* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Running Time | Up to 60 minutes** | Up to 60 minutes** | Up to 60 minutes** | Up to 60 minutes** | |
| Cleaning Performance* | Up to 50% more* | Up to 50% more* | Up to 50% more* | Up to 50% more* | |
| Others | Color | Silver | Gray or Black | Black | Brown |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion Battery | iRobot XLife™ Extended Life Battery | iRobot XLife™ Extended Life Battery | Lithium Ion Battery | |
| Battery Refresh Charge | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ | |
| Clean Mode + Spot Mode | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Robot Weight | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) | 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) | |
| Robot Diameter | 13.9 in | 13.9 in | 13.9 in | 13.9 in | |
| Robot Height | 3.6 in (92 mm) | 3.6 in (92 mm) | 3.6 in (92 mm) | 3.6 in (92 mm) | |
| Price |  | | | | |
| *Compared to Roomba® 600 and 700 series AeroVac™ systems. | |||||
| ** Tested in iRobot Home Test Lab on hard floors. Run times may vary. | |||||
Why the 800 Series beats the “Do it yourself” approach to Vacuuming?
The 800 Series is intelligent. No more coming into the room to find your automatic cleaning hero stuck in a corner not knowing how to escape. Smart sensors control the direction, speed and its ability to avoid obstacles. Picking up dust and dirt, the 800 Series continues on its way making sure your home is clean and free of debris wherever ever it moves. Hair is swept into the bucket without so much as a stutter, so less time picking up and clearing out the brush heads too.
The Roomba 800 Series is the silent partner in your home that continues its work with effortless ease and looks good while doing it too. Navigating corners and with the ability to move with ease between hardwood flooring and your carpets, the 800 Series adjusts automatically to different levels around your home.
Cliff-detection – We know stairways are difficult to navigate, but the 800 Series uses its smart sensors to protect it from accidentally taking a wrong turn. Being intelligent, it can navigate away from the stairway and onward to the next room without missing a beat.
Get Away from Narrow Space – When it comes to small narrow spaces or tricky corners, the 800 Series really comes into its own. Not getting stuck in the first place is the key to continuous cleaning and the 800 Series manages to perform well in navigating away from those awkward spaces where other models have failed before.
What’s in the Box of 800 Series?
| MODELS | Roomba® 860 | Roomba® 870 | Roomba® 880 | Roomba® 890 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roomba with AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter, Side Brush, 2 AeroForce™ Extractors | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Home Base™ with EU Line Cord | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1 Dual Mode Virtual Wall® 2AA Batteries included | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| 2 Auto Virtual Wall® Barriers 4 C Batteries Included | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| 2 Virtual Wall® Lighthouse™ 4 C Batteries Included | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Remote Control 2 AA Batteries Included | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Extra AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| XLife™ Extended Life Battery Installed | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Lithium Ion Battery Installed | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Price | | | | |
So how do you choose? – BUYER’S GUIDE
The Roomba® 800 series offers four fantastic offering. The 860, 870, 880 and 890 are all 13.9in (353mm) wide, 3.6in (92mm) tall and weigh 8.4 pounds (3.8kg). They all are iAdapt 2.0 enabled and allow for automatic scheduling, and their motors offer that great suction ability of over 5x more suction power than the 600 and 700 series. All these are excellent qualities and should be mentioned from the start but there are differences.
The 860 compared to the other models comes in a silver color vastly different from the other three in the 800-series range. This may or may not bug you depending on your decoration, but the blacks look great and the 890 really hits it off with a brown color.
The 870 is really only here as a comparison as it was a model that was brought out, but today it is no longer sold by iRobot. When it was released it had two Virtual Walls (which is phased out with the creation of the Dual Mode Virtual wall) sold as standard compared to the 860 which only had the one. But 860 include a Dual Mode Virtual Wall in the box.
The 880 was released with 2 Virtual Wall® Lighthouse™ and a Remote Control in the box.
A lighthouse allows you to block off rooms within your home so your Roomba® doesn’t go into them to clean. Useful for when the children have had a particularly fun filled afternoon with friends and the toys lay strewn across their bedroom floor! And if you house is big, the lighthouse could restrict the Room in the area you want to clean to save cleaning time.
If you use Alexa or Google Assistant, then you may want to rather consider the 890 model as it is WiFi connected and compatible. You can give an order to your vacuum to begin cleaning purely by voice command. That is something the 860, 870 and 880 cannot do and that is vitally important if you want your home to be truly Smart.
The 890 is also controllable from the iRobot smartphone app (iPhone and Android). This feature is ideal for controlling your Roomba when you are away from home and need it to get to work while you are out.
The Remote Control provides remote access to robot commands, but many customers have said that it is rarely used based on its technology which relies on line of sight for it to work effectively.
The batteries must be mentioned here and the 4 models in the 800 series differ. The 860 and 890 both have the newer Li-Ion batteries while the 870 and 880 have a XLife Extended Life Battery, which is a NiMH battery. There are of course pros and cons to both types of battery. The NiMH can run longer because the battery can be charged when it is discharged. Roomba can sense the battery is significantly discharged and enter the refresh charge cycle.
The Li-Ion batteries are better at having more power and can withstand variances in temperatures. However, they generally don’t survive if left to discharge completely, meaning, your battery will be useless if not stored fully charged.
When considering charging time, the 860 and 890 models should do better. The 870 and 880, may run longer if you are not concerned with the longer charge time in between. Equally, if you have vast changes in temperature in your home, the 870 and 880 models may be better suited to your environment based on the type of battery.
The main consideration is one of control. Yes, they all have the scheduling feature. Some users have even resorted to using it as an alarm clock in the morning as the Roomba® starts cleaning. There is more though, and today this issue is what is driving many manufacturers to consider their product for the Smart home.
All four models have the Tangle-Free AeroForce™ Extractors and have done away with the brush versions, meaning less maintenance and better cleaning power.
If it was all about price, you can pick up an 860 or 870 relatively cheap today, and if the remote and WiFi option do not phase you, you would be getting a great deal. The 880 and 890 has such a small margin that it would be wise to purchase the 890 with its WiFi capability and its compatible smartphone app.
How many cats can ride on a Roomba? – cat Uber
2 kittens or an adult cat is fine. If too many, cats would probably cause damage to the Roomba over time.
What Warranty can I expect with iRobot Roomba?
Roomba comes with a standard one-year warranty when purchased from an authorised dealer in North America. This covers parts and includes the battery to. However, be sure to register your iRobot Roomba to receive your limited warranty.
There are also remanufactured options available from authorised dealers, but these carry a 90-day limited warranty for parts and battery, and begin from date of purchase.
Note: The iRobot Roomba is not covered if bought from an unauthorised dealer or used outside North America. Proof of purchase is required prior to receiving a limited warranty service.
In Conclusion
The Roomba 800 Series is a versatile automatic vacuum cleaner that is ready for your Smart home. Offering an abundance of technological advances to ensure it maintains a high level of cleaning within your home, creating a more pleasing and healthier environment for you and your family.
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