When you think of a robot vacuum cleaner, a Roomba is what most likely comes to mind first.
Even if this is the first time you have ever looked into a robot vacuum cleaner, you have almost definitely heard of a Roomba.
The Roborock robot vacuum cleaner may not be as famous but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it and go straight for a Roomba.
So, what is the difference between a Roomba and a Roborock? This is quite a big question as both have a wide range of different versions.
But don’t worry, we’ve put together a guide to all the great features so that you can find the perfect robot vacuum.
Roborock
- 【Experience the Difference with S6 MaxV】Introducing the dual cameras, Roborock S6 MaxV can see obstacles such as pet waste, cables, chair legs in its path, instead of getting caught on an obstacle or causing a mess, it will avoid the obstruction and clean without interruption. With infrared imaging, MaxV can also see in the dark.
- 【Taking Cleaning to Another Lever】Using twin cameras and advanced ReactiveAI obstacle avoidance technology, S6 MaxV estimates the size and location of every obstacle and the best way to clean around them, giving MaxV the intelligence to avoid both objects it recognizes and objects that it does not. This means people, especially parents and pet owners, can run their robots with fewer worries than ever before.
- 【It’s More than A Vacuum】 Thanks to the dual cameras, you can monitor S6 MaxV’s work when you are away. Fire up remote viewing on the Roborock app and use MaxV as your eyes from afar - check in on your pets, scan your doors and stay in the loop. You can even send a voice message to tell them you’ll be home soon.
Roomba
- OUR MOST ADVANCED and DEEPEST CLEAN - Groundbreaking technology makes the s9plus our smartest, most powerful robot vacuum yet. With 40x the suction power, the superior 3-Stage Cleaning System lifts, loosens, then eliminates debris and pet hair from deep within your carpets for a clean you won’t believe — with no effort from you. Automatically increases suction to clean even deeper into carpets with power boost technology. (Compared to the Roomba 600 series cleaning system)
- EMPTIES ON ITS OWN - Forget about vacuuming for months at a time with the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal that allows the s9plus to empty itself for up to 60 days.
- GUIDED BY SERIOUS SMARTS - With vSLAM navigation, the s9 learns the layout of your home and builds personal Smart Maps, enabling it to expertly clean and navigate in neat, efficient rows. Careful Drive Mode detects objects in its path and cleans around them without jostling or nudging. objects taller than 2.5 cm
Specifications
Let’s get down to basics, first of all. What are the standard features that make Roborocks and Roombas different?
Roomba has been around a lot longer than Roborock. Roomba was founded in 1990 and Roborock in 2014. So it will come as no surprise that there have been many more Roomba models available. But, due to the nature of the tech world, there aren’t a huge number available. So, in terms of choice, there isn’t much difference between the Roborock and the Roomba.
Currently, there are 10 different Roborock models available. These are split into the S Series and the E Series.
Roomba also currently has 10 models available. But they have a higher number of series so there is more to choose from. Roombas are split into the S Series, i Series, 900 Series, E Series, and 600 Series.
So, what exactly are the differences between these models?
Roborock Model Specifications
S6 MaxV | S5 Max | S6 Pure | S6 | S5 | S4 Max | S4 | E4 | E3 | E2 | |
Dimensions | 19.4” x 16” x 6” | 13.89” x 13.77” x 3.79” | 19.2” x 16” x 6.2” | 20.5” x 17.25” x 6.5” | 13.78” x 13.78” x 3.78” | 13.78” x 13.78” x 3.78” | 13.78” x 13.78” x 3.78” | 19.5” x 15.8” x 6.1” | 13.78” x 13.78” x 3.54” | 13.78” x 13.78” x 3.54” |
Run Time | 180 mins | 150 mins | 150 mins | 150 mins | 150 mins | 180 mins | 150 mins | 200 mins | 150 mins | 90 mins |
Charge Time | 360 mins | 360 mins | 240 mins | 360 mins | 360 mins | 240 mins | 240 mins | 240 mins | 180 mins | 360 mins |
Suction Power | 2500 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 2000 pa | 1800 pa |
Cleaning Area | 2150 sqft | 2000 sqft | 1610 sqft | 2691 sqft | 2691 sqft | 3229 sqft | 2700 sqft | 2152 sqft | 2100 sqft | 1600 sqft |
Recharge and Resume | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Dustbin Capacity | 480ml | 460ml | 460ml | 460ml | 460ml | 460ml | 420ml | 640ml | 600ml | 640ml |
Roomba Model Specifications
S9+ | S9 | i7+ | i7 | E5 | 675 | 690 | 692 | |
Dimensions | 12.25” x 12.25” c 3.5” | 12.25” x 12.25” x 3.5” | 13.34” x 13.26” x 3.63” | 13.34” x 13.26” x 3.63” | 13.45” x 13.39” x 3.65” | 18.9” x 16.3” x 5.4” | 13” x 13” x 3.6” | 13.4” x 13.4” x 3.54” |
Run Time | 120 mins | 120 mins | 75 mins | 75 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins |
Charge Time | 120 mins | 240 mins | 180 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins |
Suction Power | 2200 pa | 2500 pa | 1800 pa | 1800 pa | 1700 pa | 600pa | 600pa | 600pa |
Cleaning Area | 2143sqft | 4000sqft | 3000sqft | 1991sqft | 1615sqft | 1615sqft | 1292sqft | 1292sqft |
Recharge and Resume | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Dustbin Capacity | 400ml | 400ml | 300ml | 500ml | 500ml | 350ml | 600ml | 600ml |
Physical Abilities
One of the main features of Roborock vacuum cleaners is their ability to not only vacuum but to mop as well. This is a great feature as it is essentially a 2-in-1 tool.
Mopping floors is an arduous task, even more so than vacuuming. Although this is the USP of Roborocks, there are still some Roombas that can also mop. All but one of the Roborock models can mop. So, it’s a great feature. But isn’t as amazing and unique as they might make it seem.
The shape of both Roborocks and Roombas are very similar. There isn’t a huge differentiation between the two styles. Most of the focus of both brands has been on technical and cleaning innovation.
Technical Abilities
As is to be expected of anything robotic, both the Roomba and Roborock are very technically adept.
They are both top of the range high-tech pieces of equipment. You might assume, due to its age and popularity, that Roombas are the more technically advanced. But this isn’t necessarily the case.
Both Roomba and Roborock use cameras to navigate. This is fine but perhaps a little lacking in technical innovation. Using a camera might seem like the most obvious way to track movement but there are more advanced options.
That said, the cameras themselves are as high-tech as they can be. For example, the most recent Roborock release, the S6 MaxV, has twin cameras. These are used to judge distance.
They can avoid items that are as small as 2”. This means that they won’t crash into anything. It also means that they won’t try to pick up anything that might get stuck and damage the hardware.
Cleaning Power
The most important feature of any vacuum cleaner, whether it has impressive robotic technology or not, is the cleaning power. The cleaning power should be considered as the suction power, max cleaning time, max surface area, and dustbin capacity combined.
There are also different types of cleaning modes. They vary depending on the model but Roombas generally have three cleaning modes. These are the basic CLEAN, the static Spot Cleaning Mode, and the programmable Scheduled Cleaning Mode.
CLEAN mode is the most standard option. It can be controlled through the app or by pressing the very obvious CLEAN button on top of the device.
The Spot Cleaning Mode allows you to tell the Roomba to stay in one spot and clean. This doesn’t mean they won’t move at all. But they will rotate in one space (around 3ft in diameter) and then return to their starting position.
As can be seen in the table above, all Roborock vacuum cleaners have a suction power of 2,000pa. This is a really great strength and the consistency across all devices is very useful.
Several Roomba devices also have a suction power of 2,000pa. Some are even more powerful. But, the lower suction power of several devices means that, on average, Roborock vacuum cleaners are more powerful.
The Recharge and Resume features on both the Roborock and are very useful. They aren’t exactly the same technology. But both allow for even greater efficiency.
It means that, if the device is in the middle of cleaning when the charge runs out, it will return to the charging station. It will then charge itself and return to the spot.
This is a great feature for devices with short charging times. But for those with long charging times (and Roborock devices have some very long charging times), it might just be easier to clean it up yourself.
User Friendliness
Roborock and Roomba models are both very user friendly. It can be easy to be put off by any product with the word “robotic” in the name.
This will either give the buyer excitement over the technological abilities or will make them feel overwhelmed. It can be easy to assume that anything robotic will be overly complicated and require a Computer Science degree to control.
But that absolutely isn’t the case for any Roborock or Roomba device. Both are controllable through physical buttons and a smartphone app. They can also be connected to an Alexa or Google Assistant device and controlled through voice commands.
So you can connect your digital assistant to your robot. This sounds almost ridiculously futuristic. But it’s all actually very simple. You can control either a Roborock or a Roomba with the touch of just a few buttons.
Or by simply speaking to your digital assistant. You can vacuum without ever having to leave your couch.
Value for Money
Although Roombas cannot be described as cheap, they do have some basic and affordable options. The same cannot be said for Roborock.
Roborock prices are, generally, around the same as Roomba prices. But they do not have the same affordable options available.
Conclusion
It’s difficult to choose an overall superior product between these two brands. Both Roborock and Roomba devices are very similar.
The shape and overall capabilities of Roborocks and Roombas are similar and they have very similar functions.
The main differences can be seen in suction power and charging times. The charging times for some Roborock devices are incredibly long.
However, these can be balanced out by the large areas that each device can clean.
It is difficult to choose a superior between these two brands. But, when the range available from Roomba is considered, they can generally be considered the best option.
There are a lot more diverse products to choose from.