Tech

iRobot Roomba 980 Review: Something Everyone Should Invest In

The first ever vacuum cleaner appeared in 1996. Though it encountered problems such as colliding into objects and walls, it worked fairly well. In 2001, Britain created their first Dyson version, though it never entered into mass production due to cost.

If we look at the future of technology and cleaning, it’s dramatically changed from 10 years ago. Now, we want our chores finished quicker and effectively, without having to lift a hand. Let’s take a look at the iRobot Roomba 980 and the many benefits and features of this robot vacuum cleaner.


First things first, why purchase a robot cleaner?

The ultimate advantage of a robot cleaner is the convenience of a device doing the cleaning for you. The cleaners have captured the heart of the nation by making people’s lives better and easier. Not only do they capture dirt and debris for you, many models are more powerful than leading hand-held vacuum cleaners.

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Credit: Wikimedia

Powerful robot cleaners catch allergens and mites for a healthier and cleaner environment. This is especially effective for those who have pets or suffer with asthma to reduce the negative effects. You don’t have to replace your ordinary cleaner with a robot one. They come in handy for maintenance to keep on top of dirt when you just don’t feel like cleaning. The truth of the matter is that robot vacuums are designed to make the consumer’s life easier -- enter iRobot Roomba 980.


A Bit About the iRobot Roomba 980

Of course before purchasing the iRobot Roomba 980, you'll want to know all about what it does and why it's great. We've broken down the key features of the product and for whom it's designed.

Key Features of The iRobot Roomba 980

The iRobot doesn’t just pick up particles, it leaves floors crumb and dirt-free to keep them clean throughout the year. The dirt technology enables it to detect dirty areas of your home to only focus on rooms which need more attention.

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Credit: Amazon

The home app allows you to start cleaning, schedule a session and pause wherever you are. You can literally be out of the house and come back to a cleaner home. Unlike other robots, this comfortably cleans carpets, hard floors and rugs without you having to change any settings. The dual multi-surface brushes work together to grab any dust and debris in its tracks.

Who Should Buy The iRobot Roomba 980?

This particular robot cleaner is an ideal choice for people uncomfortable with technology. There are no complicated beeps or symbols to understand, as the cleaner can speak alerts aloud. Though it requires an app to use the device (to save the robot’s battery), it’s simple and quick to connect to your phone. The in-app buttons are big and simple so all you have to do is click a button.

This new model has a slim and stylish design, so it’s ideal for houses with ample furniture. There’s no need to lift up the sofa to clean underneath, as the iRobot Roomba 980 can easily reach these areas with no assistance. It’ll leave the kitchen crumb-free too, and even underneath and around chair legs.

Things To Consider Before Purchasing This Device

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Credit: Flickr, Kārlis Dambrāns

It’s important to consider how often your house typically needs cleaning. If you require an additional hand because youngsters are running around creating mess, or the dog sheds a lot of hair, this is perfect. However, if you typically brush up daily with hardly any particles in sight, you might not benefit from its excellent performance.

Sometimes the iRobot Roomba 980 encounters a problem with thicker carpets and uneven surfaces. Though it’s intelligent, it can get confused and require your assistance to help it get back on track. It’ll need to be liberated by hand during these situations. As such, you won’t benefit from scheduling cleaning sessions when you’re out of the home.

Many pets and young children can become stressed by the robot moving around on its own. Do consider if you have free time whilst there are no distractions around. Dogs can investigate the intruder by chewing it, so do keep an eye out in this case.


A Review of The iRobot Roomba 980 

We’ve carefully considered the most positive points of this robot, and would like to share them with you. If you're in search of a helping hand with your daily chores, you'll definitely want to check out the iRobot Roomba 980. Here are our favorite benefits and features:

Collects Small Dust To Large Debris

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Credit: Flickr, seier+seier

iRobot Roomba 980 is number one in robot vacuum sales, and the only leading brand with two multi-surface rubber brushes. Its suction power captures dirt, dust, large debris, and human and pet hair from hard floors and carpets.

Because of the dirt detect sensors, the iRobot Roomba 980 works hard to find where dirt is hiding. More often than not, it’s hiding in places you never even knew about. It can detect crumbs and debris hiding in small and awkward places – such as underneath chairs. If you check on the map afterwards, you’ll see where it marks an X in the spot covered in dirt.

This excellent technology is ideal to keep on top of your housework daily, whilst you can get on with other things. It’s a great device for busy areas in the house. Perhaps you spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen -- if so, then this is a great way to collect dirt and debris without you having to put in the work yourself.

Control The iRobot Roomba 980 From Your Phone

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Credit: Flickr, Kārlis Dambrāns

You can use the home app to schedule, start, pause, or cancel cleaning sessions from anywhere, and at any time. Simply connect via Wi-Fi and you can navigate this revolutionary vacuum from your phone. The app is easy to use, and excellent for those who aren’t comfortable with numerous steps to use something.

Simply download the app, register, and press the ‘clean’ button when you’re ready to go. The buttons are big and clear, so there’s no confusion on how to use the device. After your cleaning session is over, you can view the map capabilities of where your iRobot Roomba 980 navigated.

You can also see how much it cleaned and how long it took. This is a great addition for those who like to see what and where has been cleaned. You get peace of mind seeing where it’s cleaned and collected dirt. As well, you can schedule cleaning sessions and receive notifications each time it needs attention. Such notifications include basic maintenance fixes and cleaning the debris extractors.

It Lasts Up To Two Hours When Fully Charged

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Credit: Wikipedia

The iRobot Roomba 980 fully charges in up to three hours. Each full charge lasts around an hour and a half, which is enough to clean most entire homes twice. Of course, if your house is more cluttered or dirty, it could potentially run out of battery. It’s also important to consider how much furniture you have. The less items it has to navigate around, the more battery power it will have.

After the battery runs out, it will automatically return to its charging static to recharge. So, even if it is running low, you don’t need to keep your eye on it. With the more efficient and predictable cleaning patterns, the robot can clean more square foot per charge than the previous Roomba models. It’s easy-to-use in general. Rather than competitor robots which have a collection of beeps and symbols to understand, the iRobot Roomba 980 can speak ‘please charge Roomba’.

The Ultimate Performance of Any Cleaning Robots

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Credit: Flickr, Seward Construction CO

The robot is powerful for the ultimate performance compared to leading competitors. Its high-efficiency filter captures 99 percent of mutes, allergens, dust and debris. It doesn’t matter if you have tiled, wooden, or carpeted floor, the performance is unbelievable.

The suction power derives from its effective AeroForce cleaning system. This technology is twice the power of an ordinary vacuum. Even better, the suction increases on carpets using the ‘carpet boost’ button. No matter what’s hiding in those carpeted areas – even large chunks of debris – it will pick it up.

The iRobot Roomba 980’s filters are designed to collect lint, dust, dirt, pollen, hairs, mold spores and dust mites. This filtering process helps to clean the air by reducing allergies, and it can even ease the symptoms of asthma. The filter captures 99 percent of particles easily and effortlessly. At just 3.6 inches tall, the robot can navigate under beds, sofas and other hard-to-reach areas.

Easy Transition From Hard Floor To Carpets To Rugs 

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Credit: Pixabay, ErikaWittlieb

The cleaning head automatically adapts its height to accommodate different floor surfaces. It easily transitions from hard floors to carpets without scratching or making a fuss. You don’t have to adjust any settings. The iRobot Roomba 980 is constantly thinking about where it’s been, where it is, and where’s next. At the same time, it’s collecting and cleaning dirt in corners and hidden deep in fibres such as carpets and even under furniture.

This latest model can increase air power up to ten times compared to its sister series, helping to catch even more dust and dirt from carpets. The dual multi-surface brushes handle tough pet hair easily, without just blowing them into the corners. More owners comment that the carpet function is more beneficial than hard floors. It performs better than hand-held vacuums without you making contact with it. To save battery, you can turn the boost setting off, or keep it on automatic each time it transitions to carpets.

Copes Excellently With Corners and Obstacles

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Credit: Wikimedia

Many other leading robots can fall down the stairs or come to a halt when they see an obstacle. However, the edge-sweeping brush on the iRobot Roomba 980 is specially designed to sweep debris away from corners and edges. The 27-degree angle enables it to collect anything in its tracks and detect dirt and debris further away. The three-stage cleaning system sucks up loose hair, crumbs, and debris from those awkward places. There’s no need to move furniture out of the way.

As the robot comes into contact with leg chairs or a table, it reduces its speed to avoid any collisions. By keeping the same layout in the room, it will reduce any confusion, thanks to its intelligent memory. Sometimes, it gets confused cleaning skirting boards and can sometimes flick dirt across the floor whilst attempting to clean a large particle up. The two rollers and main suction system under the robot spin constantly to leave a sparkling floor throughout your home.

It Knows When The Cleaning Session is Complete

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Credit: Pixabay, Skitterphoto

How does the robot know when to stop? Once it’s cleaned the areas, it’ll return to the charging station automatically. You can even leave it unattended to work its magical. Try not to obsessively watch it to verify its cleaning all areas of your apartments, because it will. The statistics on your app will record how long it cleaned for, the distance covered and the amount of debris collected too. If you live in a multi-story home, it will require some assistance manoeuvring to different levels. Simply place it in position and leave alone.

If you would like to see where it’s been, there will be vacuum lines left behind for you to assess. Check under the bed and sofa for additional proof that it is cleaning everywhere. The tidier your home is, the quicker the cleaning session. If you observe the iRobot Roomba 980, you’ll notice it sometimes an area it’s already visited to ensure everywhere is thoroughly clean.

It Detects Cliffs To Prevent Falling

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Credit: Pixabay, StockSnap

The cliff sensors on this model are modified and improved from the earlier models. It can detect stairways and balconies and slow down when approaching them. As a result, it doesn’t hurl off the edge like other competitive brands do. There is a function to disable this cliff sensor which might be necessary if you have a black rug or a black carpet. Some customers experienced the robot getting confused when sensing black materials. Don’t cover up the cliff sensors to avoid confusion, as this can damage the delicate technology.


The Real Customer Experience

We’ve scoured the Internet and found some user reviews that were heavily positive. The most popular opinion of the iRobot Roomba 980 is how it’s easy and convenient to use. The robot covers almost every inch of different floor types with excellent performance. Many users are pleased with how much dirt and debris it picks up – even if you can’t see these particles with the human eye. The respectable amount of pet hair, dust, human hair and crumbs that comes out of the unit is incredible and well worth the investment.

On the other hand, the robot’s volume seemed to concern some users. As this model is so powerful, it reaches over 70 decibels. Though this might not be a concern to some, if you have people working at different time zones, close neighbours or babies in the house, it might be worth considering. Rooms with high ceilings create more echo and increase the volume, as well as on hard surfaces.

PROS:

  • plus
    The app is easy to use and convenient
  • plus
    The design is slim to easily reach under and around furniture
  • plus
    Powerful suction

CONS:

  • close
    Expensive
  • Loud volume

Alternative Products To Consider

To explore your options more, we’ve found some alternative robots to help with your cleaning chores. Each of these have different qualities to the iRobot Roomba 980.

1. Samsung VC-RM96W Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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Credit: Amazon

This Samsung robot cleaner scans and detects narrow spaces and small obstacles. It senses room corners and cleans them three times more than its previous addition. The power suction power picks up 10 percent more dirt and debris compared to leading brands, making it an ideal robot for busy households. The self-cleaning brush is unique to this Samsung model, and it prevents dust and hair getting trapped in the brush’s bristles. By collecting the debris in the centre of the brush, it’s easy to suck up into the dustbin.

2. LG R76GIM Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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Credit: Amazon

LG’s smart vacuum cleaner is a great alternative for tech-savvy individuals. Upgrade the RoboNavi software and it will prompt you to download the latest software for optimal cleaning. The unique ‘My Space’ programme enables you to clean an area you’ve identified. For example, if there’s an area that the robot has missed because it was crowded, you can control it to revisit the problem area. This model also has 90 voice alerts to notify you of any issues. As such, it’s a more complex model which is suitable for gadget-lovers.

3. Ecovacs Deebot N79 Vacuum Cleaner

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Credit: Amazon

​As it’s a cheaper model than the iRobot Roomba 980, we recommend this is a trial, or for those who only want to cover a small floor space. It comes with an auto-clean mode plus three bonus models for ultimate cleaning, and to reach awkward corners and edges. The battery life is up to 100 minutes with 1000-900 pa suction power cleaning, which is an excellent device for additional cleaning help. Keep on top of the vacuuming on those rest days.


Will You Purchase The iRobot Roomba 980?

Roomba’s latest model is futuristic-looking, slim, and compact, enabling it to reach more areas faster. The circular device is easy to use and not overly complex, making it suitable for all ages and lifestyles. You can set it up in less than half an hour and watch your room transform before your eyes. With a two-hour battery life and excellent energy, it’s great for most house sizes with different floors.

Have you purchased an iRobot Roomba 980? Let us know your experience in the comments. Alternatively, share this article to spread the word about this new method of cleaning.

Related Article: Best Hands-Free Vacuum Cleaners To Revolutionize Your Home

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