Roomba i7 vs. s9, which vacuum is the best for your home? There are many iRobot vacuums, but if you’re interested in the brand’s high-end choices you probably have your eyes set on these two lines.
Investing in these vacuums means spending a lot of money, so you should know everything about their features, pros, cons, differences, and price before buying. We have prepared a detailed guide on these robots that will help you figure out your needs and which one is the ideal choice.
Let’s start with a short list of pros and cons, followed by a detailed overview of their features.
Roomba i7 vs. s9 Buying Advice
iRobot i7 vs. s9: Pros & Cons
Although both the Roomba i7 and the Roomba s9 are robot vacuums produced by the same iRobot brand and are referred to as their top-of-the-line products, they’re completely different machines. If you’re looking to buy a new helper for your household, and these two are your top contenders, you’ll be happy to learn all about their pros and cons.
Before we decide the winner in the Roomba i7 vs. s9 battle, you have to know that each line includes two products; standard and “plus.” The actual robot vacuums in each line are the same (excluding a minor difference in the dustbin capacity), but the i7+ and s9+ come with a self-emptying dust bin feature.
Review: iRobot Roomba i7
Pros:
- The i7 Roomba is slightly less expensive than the s9 model. Although this is still a costly purchase compared to other robot vacuums, it’s not as expensive as the more advanced and newer s9.
- If you’re looking for an excellent robot that will take care of large particles on your hardwood floors and carpets, this one is it.
- There are two versions of this robot vacuum; the Roomba i7 that comes without a clean base dock, and the Roomba i7+ that comes with a clean base dock.
- This robot vacuum can successfully clean pet hair and litter, so it will be a great addition for homes with pets.
Cons:
- This model is not as powerful as the s9, meaning that you should expect lower suction power.
- It’s not as successful and thorough for deep cleaning as the s9 series robots. Its spinning brush moves faster, so sometimes it scatters a part of the debris and the robot needs longer to finish the job.
- These two models from the i7 series have a shorter runtime than the s9 line.
Review: iRobot Roomba s9
Pros:
- More powerful than the i7, with exceptional suction power that can target even the smallest dirt particles. It does an excellent job at cleaning hard floors as well as high-pile and low-pile carpets.
- Has a wider cleaning path than the i7 series robots because of the wider brushroll. It can remove dirt faster compared to its opponent, and with higher efficiency.
- It’s equipped with a new, improved corner spinning brush that is more effective at cleaning corners. The D shape of the robot brings the corner brush even closer to room corners and attacks dirt, dust, and debris with ease.
- It has a longer runtime, which makes it an excellent choice for people with larger homes.
- The rubber brushroll doesn’t allow hair to get tangled, so will be a great addition for homes with pets.
- It features a special anti-allergen system that traps potential allergens when cleaning the home.
Cons:
- It’s expensive. Just like the i7, the s9 comes in two versions; the Roomba s9 that doesn’t include a self-emptying bin, and the Roomba s9+ that does.
Roomba i7 vs. s9: Features
Design
Let’s start with the obvious: these two robot vacuums don’t look the same. The i7 is round, while the s9 is shaped like the letter D. Although shaped differently, both fit the interior design of modern homes.
The newer s9 model features a gorgeous charcoal matte finish with a gold disc in the middle. On the other hand, the i7 is glossy black with a dark silver disc in the middle.
Size & Weight
Surprisingly, the Roomba s9 and s9+ are slightly smaller in size than the i7. The s9’s are 12.3” wide and 3.5” tall, while the i7 and i7+ models are 13.1” wide and 3.62” tall.
When it comes to the weight, though, the heavier robots are the ones in the s9 series at 8.2 lbs. The i7 robots weigh only 7.44 lbs.
Battery Life
If you need a robot vacuum that will clean your large home in a single session, then you should opt for the s9+. The runtime of the s9 series is around 120 minutes, and once it’s finished the robot will find its dock and start charging automatically. The only difference between the two s9 robots is that the s9+ will self-empty in the bin, while the s9 will wait for you to empty it.
The i7 series has a shorter cleaning time of around 90 minutes, but the i7+ is also a great alternative for large homes because it will empty itself in the dust bin and you won’t have to do it manually when the bin is full. Both the i7 and i7+ are equipped with Roomba’s Recharge and Resume feature that helps them find their way to the dock, charge, then restart where they left off.
It takes around 120 minutes for both the i7 and s9 robots to be fully charged. Since the s9 and s9+ offer half an hour more of working time, they’re definitely superior in this category.
Power
iRobot i7 vs. s9 – which one is more powerful? One of the most important features you should research when looking for the perfect robot for you is its power, and the s9 Roomba is without a doubt the most powerful vacuum by iRobot.
Compared to the Roomba 600 robots, the s9 and s9+ have 40 times the suction power. If you’re interested in a robot that will literally suck out all the dirt, dust, and debris from your carpets and floors, this should be your first choice.
On the other hand, the i7 and i7+ series has significantly lower suction power with “only” 10 times the suction power of the 600 series. Although it’s not as strong as the s9 series, it still does an amazing job.
Self-Emptying Dust Bin
As we previously mentioned, the i7 and s9 Roomba series have a standard model and a plus model, and the only difference between them is that the plus model robot vacuum comes together with a self-emptying dust bin.
If you’re not quite sure what this dustbin does, let us help you out. Essentially, it’s a large bin built into the dock where the i7+ and s9+ models go to empty their smaller onboard bins. This large bin can gather up to 60 loads before you need to empty it.
The standard Roomba i7 and s9 robots don’t have the dock bin, so you’ll have to manually empty their bin after each cleaning session.
Dustbin Capacity
Although there is a difference in the dustbin capacity between the i7 and the s9, it’s not a significant one. The capacity of the s9 model is 0.4 liters, while the dustbin of the i7 robot can fit 0.3 liters.
Since the plus line is self-emptying, their capacity isn’t as relevant when making your decision. The robot will get to the bin by itself, empty its bin, then will continue vacuuming. There’s no need for you to empty it each time it’s full, so the large dustbin capacity shouldn’t be a primary factor on your list.
Brushes
As we mentioned before, the s9 model is D-shaped which allowed the brand to install a much wider brushroll. That might not mean a lot the first time you hear about it, but once you understand the impact it can be a bigger factor.
A wide brushroll makes a robot more successful in cleaning the entire room, including the stubborn dust bunnies in the corners. It also means a wider cleaning path and finishing the job faster.
Another advantage of the s9 over the i7 is the location of the spinning brush. The s9 has a spinning brush at its corner, equipped with 5 arms; this brush gets closer to the corners of your room and moves the debris towards the brushroll. The secret of this brush is that it moves more slowly than the one on the i7, pulling the dirt and debris only toward the brushroll and not scattering it all over the place.
Since the i7 is round, its spinning brush isn’t located at a corner. This model’s brush is made with longer bristles and has 3 arms instead of 5. The i7 spinning brush moves faster, so some users reported that it scatters a small amount of the debris around the room, causing it to take more time to clean (and re-clean) the entire space.
Navigation System
Both robots use the same navigation system and mapping software, so there’s no need to compare the i7 vs s9 in this category. The VSLAM navigation and iAdapt 3.0 technology present in the i7, i7+, s9, and s9+ models will scan your home entirely in around 5 trips, save it, and remember it for subsequent trips.
Thanks to the robotic cameras, these vacuums know when to go around items and furniture, not to fall down stairs, and safely move around your home without causing any damage. If you ever decide to pair one of these devices with the Braava Jet robot mop, the Imprint Smart Mapping technology will help you sync the maps between the two robots.
When there are zones in your home that you don’t want the Roomba to access, you can easily mark them as triangles, and the robot will know to stay away. This feature is known as Keep Put Zones and is available for all of the vacuums in the s9 and i7 series.
Anti-Allergen System
Since there are so many similarities between the s9 and i7 Roomba vacuums, we wanted to highlight the features that differentiate them. One of the most notable you need to know about is the anti-allergen system that only the s9 series features.
This system is able to trap 99% of dust, mites, debris, pollen, and mold that are your house. In addition, both the s9 and i7 series are equipped with HEPA filters.
Our Winner
i7 vs. s9 Roomba robot vacuum – which one would we buy? After testing all four models in the two lines, going over each feature, and considering their pros and cons, we’re ready to announce that our winner is the iRobot Roomba s9+. It is one of the best robot vacuums on the market and will save you time, cleans hard floors and carpeted floors with ease, and includes a self-emptying dust bin.
Buying Guide
Suction Power
As we already explained, the s9 and s9+ vacuums are the most powerful robots released by iRobot. These two have 40x the suction power of the 600 series, and three times the suction power of the i7 line.
The higher the power, the more your robot will remove dirt, dust, and debris, and leave various surfaces clean very quickly.
There is no doubt that the s9 robot line is a clear winner in this category, although the i7 robots do an excellent job when cleaning carpets and hard floors.
Brushes
The s9 and s9+ robots have an advanced spinning brush that works slower than the i7 and i7+ spinning brush, and therefore is more efficient. Thanks to the advanced D shape of the robot and the corner location of the brush, it can successfully collect the dirt and dust that’s hard to get out of these areas in your home.
Price
If you’re looking for a budget option with excellent suction power and exceptional performance on hardwood floors and carpets, you should opt for the Roomba i7 robot. It’s not as fancy as the advanced s9 or s9+, but it’s the most affordable pick and still does a superb job.
But are these two robots worth it? They sure are!
The s9 and s9+ (with an accent on s9+) vacuums are ultra-high-end robots that are some of the current best picks on the market. They’re equipped with the smartest technology, their performance is surprisingly good, and they have a very long cleaning time.
FAQ
Which Roomba is the most powerful?
The s9 and s9+ Roomba vacuums are the most powerful robots released by iRobot. According to the brand, they have 40x the suction power of the 600 series, while the i7 and i7+ have 10x the suction power of the 600 series.
Final Thoughts
So when considering the iRobot Roomba s7 vs s9, which one should you get? This was definitely a hard decision to make since the two models are so similar. There are only a few select features that make the s9 and s9+ robots superior, and they aren’t equally relevant for all buyers.
When you just need a robot that won’t cost a fortune and will gather all the dirt, dust, and debris from your floors and carpets, you can comfortably opt for the i7 series. If you want the best suction power, superior technology, anti-allergen filters, and superior brushes, though, the s9 and s9+ are your best bet.
Overall, the s9+ robot vacuum is the best of all four options because it encompasses all the advanced features, plus has a self-emptying dust bin.
If you have any comments or first-hand experiences with these two Roomba robot vacuums, please post them below or share your pictures via our social media.
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