The fast-paced life of the 21st century means we no longer have time to meticulously clean our floors and carpets as much as we would like. After all, don’t we all want a lovely clean house to come home to every day?
It’s time to stop looking at the spring cleaning hacks and start looking at longer-term solutions. Robot vacuum cleaners are nothing new, but the continued advancement that each model sees is outstanding.
The world of smart appliances and gadgets only helps to make our every day lives easier, and a good quality robot vacuum cleaner is no exception. Today we are looking at two of the best, the Roomba S9 vs iRobot i7 Plus.
Both of these could make an excellent addition to your smart home. but with so much to offer, you may be unsure of which Roomba robot to choose.
We will help you decide which iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum Cleaner is the right one for you as we take a close look at the Roomba i7 Plus and S9 Plus. Both of these boast exceptional qualities, including automatic dirt disposal, imprint smart mapping and so much more to make cleaning not only comfortable but quick and possible just from the touch of your phone.
Let’s take a look at both these robotic vacuums and get a better idea of what’s on offer:
*The product links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase after following one, I make a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. Please see our disclosure page for more information.
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Last update on 2022-08-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
iRobot i7 Plus vs S9 Plus: The quick verdict
The two vacuum cleaners are an icon of automation and a step into the newest technological world. The question I’ll quickly try to answer here is which one would I choose?
While both offer exceptional cleaning performance, if the extra money is not a problem, then the Roomba S9 Plus would be my choice.
It’s the four times greater suction power and extra sensors that swing it. And in all honesty. I love the new body style, it really makes it look a bit different and helps to reach all the dirty corners!
It really is the best ever Roomba to date.
That said, if you can’t spare the few hundred extra dollars for the iRobot Roomba S9 , I do feel that the Roomba i7 Plus still offers amazing cleaning. It holds a place on our list of best robotic vacuum cleaners and is one of the top self-emptying robot vacuums.
When comparing the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus vs S9 Plus, I feel you are getting better value for money with the Roomba i7 Plus.
Of course, the choice you make is likely to depend on a number of different factors, since the best robot for your home will be mostly determined by your own personal preferences and needs.
2-minute reviews
iRobot Roomba S9 Plus
The first striking difference between the two models is the new D-shape body style of the Roomba s9 Plus, unlike our traditional spherical Roomba’s this one has a unique shape which serves a purpose.
The frontal part of the advanced robot vacuum is circular while the other side is completely flat. This is more than just a stylistic change. The new shape makes it easier for the Roomba S9 to align against walls and reach edges that were never possible with the circular shape of Roomba i7 Plus.
Not only is the look different from its predecessor but the sleek design and copper-colored lid which lights up when the machine is charging or emptying itself make it much more stylish and sturdier!
On the inside, the Roomba S9 rocks an amazing internal dust bin capacity, at 550 ml which is the largest you’ll find in any Roomba. This has also been managed while shrinking the device compared to its predecessor, measuring only 12.3 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches tall, the previous model was 13.4-by-3.7-inch.
Again providing it with the opportunity to reach areas that may have been previously unreachable.
The latest model has been thoroughly built from the ground up rather than minor tweaks, not only externally but internally too. Just flip this bot over, and you’ll see multiple enhancements.
A better and more powerful cleaning head positioned further forward in the chassis. A vacuum motor which is 40 times as powerful as the previous Roomba models definitely making it the best one in the market till now.
This huge suction power and spinning brush roll allows it to work more effectively on carpets and the new dirt detection sensor helps the robotic vacuum cleaner automatically increase its suction power in areas with greater dirt and debris.
Then comes the charging base, self-emptying dirt disposal and charging are both done here like the previous Roomba models; nonetheless, many users claim that there is not much difference in the performance of the i7 Plus clean base and this one.
iRobot, on the other hand, claims that the new Roomba S9 clean base provides a better connection between the bot and itself essentially capturing 99% allergen and pollen in the bag that may have escaped previously during the transfer. The HEPA filter on the robotic vacuum is yet another feature that helps to ensure that your home is kept as clean as possible.
Each bag holds dirt and debris for at least 30 full Roomba loads. However, the self-emptying technology does require an ongoing investment as you have to buy compatible bags priced at $15 for three bags. The good news is that the clean base can hold quite a lot, so you won’t have to worry about constantly cleaning it out.
You’ll even have the opportunity to set up a virtual wall to set keep out zones, allowing you to control which rooms your robot cleans and when.
All this, from the high efficiency cleaning to the rubber brushes, make the Roomba S9 one of the best robot vacuums available on the market.
Last update on 2022-08-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
iRobot Roomba i7 Plus
Moving on to the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus, this model also has a self-emptying technology. In terms of shape and size, there wasn’t any reinvention seen in this model. The top hood has some buttons which all show different colored lights when doing their job, connecting to the Wi-Fi and charging.
While an upgraded version of the iRobot Roomba i7, there aren’t too many differences between it and its predecessor except for it’s self emptying abilities (although this is certainly something that you should keep in mind when buying, as it can save you quite a lot of time and hassle).
Turn the robot cleaner upside down, and you’ll see what goes on in this one. A side brush, dual rubber rollers, two main treads, drop sensors, and the dustbin can be seen on the bottom. The dustbin has a small door that connects to the automatic dirt disposal Clean Base.
Overall, it offers excellent cleaning performance and if you’re looking for a good quality robotic vacuum for a decent price, the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus is well worth looking into. With it’s many smart abilities and general cleaning power, the Roomba i7 is more than worth the price.
If you want to know more about this model, read our full Roomba i7 Plus review.
Last update on 2023-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Which one is better; the Roomba i7 or the Roomba S9?
From this quick look into the iRobot Roomba S9 and i7, you may find that they’re not too dissimilar from each other. However, if you take a closer look into each of them, you’ll see that there are actually several things that set them apart from each other.
Roomba S9 vs i7: Setup
Luckily for those who aren’t too tech-savy, setting up is rather easy in both models. For both of them first, you have to download the iRobot mobile app which is available on both Android and iOS and register an account.
After doing this select your model, press the home and spot clean buttons both until you hear a beep on the Roomba S9 and for the iRobot i7 Plus the LED ring light around the button will get blue. Both models can easily work with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands via their apps.
In this instance, there’s not really a question of Roomba S9 vs i7 – both are equally as easy to set up.
iRobot Roomba i7 vs S9: The mobile app
Much like with set up, there isn’t much difference in the app for both the Roomba S9 and the i7 vacuum cleaners.
The iRobot home app is easy to use and offers plenty of different features, ranging from voice commands to setting your robot’s cleaning schedule. Just download the mobile app and you can set your Roomba robot and everything else from there.
The front page is minimalistic with the display of battery level and a clean button to start and stop vacuuming, as well as tabs for Schedule, History, Smart Maps, Help, and Settings at the bottom of the screen to give you easy access to everything you need.
- Schedule – Schedule will allow you to make a time table for the cleaning time, history will show the a log of previous cleanings while smart maps may take two or three rounds of the house to develop its in house map which makes it easy for you to assign cleaning.
- History – If you need a log of everything your robot vacuum has been up to, you’ll find it here in the History tab.
- Smart Maps – The Smart Maps update was first seen in the Roomba i7 Plus where the machine was designed to learn the layout of your house and customize its cleaning. After testing, it took at least 4 one hour sessions of cleaning for the bot to memorize the layout of the 2 rooms. The new update also allowed you to label rooms and schedule them for cleaning at different times.
- Set up a virtual wall – Wherever you need if you want to stop your smart vacuum from going into certain areas of your home, schedule what and when to clean and let the smart technology of the advnced robot vacuum do the rest!
- Help – If you’re in need of any help with either your Roomba S9 or i7, you’ll be glad to hear that the Help tab is easy to access and could offer the assistance you need with your robot.
- Settings – When it comes to the settings of your Roomba robot vacuum cleaners, you’ll find that they’re easy to adjust and change through the Settings tab.
Roomba S9 vs i7: Connectivity and synchronicity
We do love that both use iRobot’s imprint link technology. What this means is that if you have a couple of iRobot appliances, you can link their cleaning. So for example, run you vacuum and have your mop start right after.
This works wonderfully with the Braava Jet M6 or any of the supported iRobot mops.
This is ideal for any smart home with a few iRobot devices, and the i7 and S9 fit perfectly into whatever schedule you already have in place.
- You may also like to read: 5 of the best mopping robots.
iRobot i7 vs Roomba S9: Performance
When it comes to overall performance the Roomba S9 is outstanding! It rarely requires any manual intervention and while it does work it carefully makes it way around the furniture of the house cleaning everything!
The best part about this model is the suction power which is not only the greatest but adjusts according to the need of the hour. The more the dirt the higher the suction power.
It can’t get any easier than this; once done, it goes on to the clean base to empty itself without needing any manual assistance. This feature is easily one of the most popular, and the best part is that the clean base can hold quite a lot of dirt, reducing the amount of manual work required from you.
However, a major downside is the amount of noise it makes so if you’re Netflix and chilling be sure to turn up the volume really high if you want to enjoy your show; although the noise is justifiable with the huge suction power.
The i7 plus on the other hand, was also able to handle different types of floors and maneuver its way around the furniture after some sessions of learning.
It only lacks a D shape body that can’t easily clean the edges and corners which tend to accumulate dust. Other than that it’s pretty much the same in making noise and emptying itself.
Both pack a HEPA filter to ensure that dirt, pollen and other micro-agents are being trapped rather than recirculated in the air. Both have a fairly large dust bin to contain all the dust before its deposited at the clean base too, although the bin in the S9 is larger (a factor that you should certainly keep in mind).
Roomba S9 vs iRobot i7: Charging and Run time
Both models do not require you to manually pick them up and dock them for charging; they are smart enough to find their charging station!
As far as the run time is concerned, the Roomba S9 boasts a run time of at least 120 minutes while the Roomba i7 Plus rests at only 75 minutes. But for many users, the run time tends not to be a problem because the machine charges itself and gets back to work.
This feature is commonly called ‘recharge and resume’, and it’s certainly not one that you’re going to want to overlook when buying a smart vacuum.
Roomba S9 vs iRobot i7: Smart Mapping
Imprint smart mapping technology was introduced in the i7 Plus. They have the same navigation technology called the “Imprint Mapping Technology”. What this does is that it allows us to navigate through the house and save these maps into the iCloud servers.
This is one of my favorite functions till date in these robots, not only does this make scheduling cleaning easy, but you can easily command it to clean specific rooms at a time.
FAQs
How can I make a warranty claim?
The standard warranty is a 30-day money-back guarantee followed by a 1-year warranty on craftsmanship and functionality. If you buy through Amazon, you can extend this to 4 years and don’t even have to deal with the iRobot customer service. To make a claim simply contact the customer service with your model and serial number.u003cbru003e(This is the same for both the Roomba S9 and the i7)
Do they have no-go zones?
As mentioned earlier, both the Roomba S9 and the i7 have this option, and you can easily command the machine to not go to certain areas.
What will I like about the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus?
The self-emptying bin and the ability to clean almost all floor types, as well as the lower price. Factors like the quality of the brush roll and side brush, pet hair cleaning ability and much more can all be excellent things to consider too if you’re still unsure.
What will I like about the Roomba S9 Plus?
Everything that the i7 Plus boasts, from excellent cleaning ability on all floors to pet hair removal, and so much more. Higher suction power, longer run time, better edge cleaning and HEPA quality filters in the Clean Base are all other factors that you can look forward to when you choose the S9.u003cbru003eWhile all this does come with a larger cost, some individuals may find the Roomba S9 to be far more suitable for their needs and worth the higher price tag.
How will they work their way around fine furniture?
Both the Roomba i7 and the S9 have high quality sensors that help it carefully move around furniture without bumping into anything. The anti-collision sensors in specific are from chair legs to vases. Visual navigation and smart mapping make it even easier for the device to get around your home and clean without causing any damage.
How will it work in a multi-levelled house?
You will have to move both the Roomba models manually through different floors but after that, they can easily clean. They can quickly memorize as much as 10 floor plans. Aside from the minor inconvenience of having to transport it to different floors yourself, the Roomba i7 and S9 can take care of everything else and avoid causing any damage during their journey around your home.
Is it worth checking out any other Roomba models?
While we’ve discussed the topic of choosing between the Roomba i7 and S9 in detail, there are a number of other devices that you may be interested in looking into, such as:
- iRobot Roomba 675 (best for those on a budget)
- iRobot Roomba 960 (best robot vacuum for pet hair)
- iRobot Roomba i3 (a medium level Roomba in terms of price and efficiency)
If you’re looking for the best vacuums and features like smart mapping and automatic dirt disposal, it may be more worthwhile to consider either the Roomba i7 or S9.
Final thoughts on the iRobot Roomba i7 VS S9
I hope you feel you know a bit more about these two advanced robot vacuums from iRobot. One thing is for certain, whether you opt for the Roomba i7 or the S9, you should be happy that you have made a great choice.
There are simply so many different factors that can offer simplicity and excellent cleaning efficiency, from the smart imprint link technology to the vacuum and clean base filters.
While I feel that robot vacuums will never 100% replace a manual clean, there will almost always be a time you’re reaching for the stick vac, these models are as close as you’re likely to get.
The biggest consideration has to be the price. The Roomba S9 delivers better cleaning, better battery life and looks cooler. The question you have to ask yourself, is that worth a price difference in the region of $300 when the iRobot Roomba i7 will still do a great job. That decision is up to you.
These two Roomba models offer so much to those who opt to purchase them, which is one of the key reasons why it’s worthwhile to consider what each of them has to offer before buying.
From their imprint smart mapping creating a virtual wall where needed to block off keep out zones to the recharge and resume feature, there really is a lot that makes the iRobot Roomba i7 and S9 well worth the cash.
Matt is the founder of the Little Robot Shop, who has spent much of the last decade hacking home cleaning with various robots and devices to make keeping his home clean as easy as possible. Not an easy task with two young children.
When not working on the Little Robot Shop website or YouTube channel, he works as technical support and product specialist for a fast-growing digital company. He does his best to get his younglings to code, which will be an essential skill in the future.
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