iRobot - 980

I hope you are right about Dreame as I just got L50 pro Ultra. After almost 10 years with Roomba 980 my biggest fear is that these tech filled toys cant live half of that

The 980 has two power levels, and can automatically switch to the higher power when it drives onto a rug. You can turn the boost off in the app. I would get the 980 and have the extra power option, even if you only use it occasionally.

So my setup for 4 cats and a dog. 1500sq ft. Hardwood and tile, no carpet. Upstairs: iRobot i4 Roomba. Downstairs: iRobot 980. Downstairs: iRobot M6 mop. My Roombas (iRobots) are great to me because they run where I can't easily reach. They go under things (sofa, bookshelves, beds, etc). They run when I'm not home. They keep the "tumbleweeds" under control. When you get the map dialed in and your furniture / cables organized so they don't get hung up, they're great. Are they perfect? No. But can I tell if they don't run for a day? Absolutely. Whole house: Dyson Gen5detect. I *despise* this thing. Purchased in November 2023 when it was their top of the line product. I've had nothing but issues. Warranty replaced the whole machine in May 2025. This one is even worse; feels like a second cheaper run of the product. It even sounds cheaper when it runs (higher pitch), feels fragile, just doesn't suck as well as the first one, auto detect doesn't work, it won't switch to boost when running on auto., pushes around the dog hair... the list goes on and on. It's being replaced AGAIN under warranty as of August 2025. Robots run twice a day; mop runs once a day. Dyson is for every 3-4 days to catch what was missed and the stairs. At this point, my robots are doing the heavy lifting and we're looking at Sebos. Seems like bagless just will not last as long. Full stop. For the robots, yes bin size is important but HEPA is more important to me due to dander. You want something that will pack the bin full. My 980 thinks it's "full" when it's about 1/4 to half full because pet hair is fluffy and it triggers the full bin sensor. They fixed this on the i4 which will PACK that bin to bursting before it triggers full bin. Run time is less important; most robots have recharge and resume now if they map. I've also had an Eufy (I think it was an 11S?) For $200 I was impressed. I just missed the smart map; it was an old style where it bumps and then pivots to cover an area. It was annoying to watch after a "smart" robot vac. I've gifted these for housewarming gifts and the recipients (who also have pets) like them. I hope this helps.

If you can find a 980 for a reasonable price, it is definitely worth considering, especially since the 980 is still rarely beaten in carpet cleaning tests (usually only surpassed by the S9). Although 960s are typically more affordable (essentially an 880 with iAdapt 2.0), my 980 has not experienced any issues after 765 jobs, 610 hours of cleaning and 23,200 square metres cleaned. The only maintenance it has ever required was changing the brushes and cleaning the metal contacts that supply power to the motor in the dustbin.

I will say iRobot has been on a losing streak since the J7 but I have a 980 and a S9 my 980 has been cleaning for 650 hours at this point my S9 about half that I haven’t had a single problem with my 980 but I did have a problem with my cleaning head module on my S9 and they sent a replacement no problem

Old ones. There are used bots for sale here. I still have a ten year-old Roomba 980, never connected to the Internet. If boundaries are needed, that's done with little infrared beacons. Also a Braava 380t mopping bot of similar vintage. That one navigates via a Bluetooth beacon. I also have an even older Neato. Its boundaries are laid out with magnetic strips. It's kinda dumb tho.

Longtime Neato, Roomba, and Braava owner here. Tried smarter bots and found the Ecovacs Deebot T30S disappointing but am very happy with two Dreame X50 Ultra bots, one white and one black. My Roomba 980 and Neato XV Signature Pro are still good for turning loose in areas the new ones can't get to by themselves. Tried a new Roomba Combo to future-proof those areas but it was basically a downgrade. We wore out the little Braava 380t, but I haven't looked for parts because the Dreame bots do a much better job with much less effort from me.

Firstly going by the suction numbers alone never tells the full story. That's all marketing. Both will probably vacuum well and the roomba probably has a slight edge on deeper carpet. Both should work offline with basic functions. No idea about home assistant compatibility. Longevity, well, frankly thats not a guarantee on any model from any brand. I've had a roborock for a few years and its been perfectly reliable for me. But again, that varies. And I've heard you can get parts on ali express. Your 900 series roomba was probably one of the most reliable generations of robot cleaners made. Irobot is still pretty good with spare parts. But I've seen some of their newer models aren't built modular anymore. Plus the company has had a rough couple years financially and are struggling to compete. If they went under...well spare parts may get more difficult to find. The unfortunate reality is more money doesn't buy you more reliability, expecting 3 to 5 years is a little more reasonable these days. Planned obsolescence etc but it's industry wide.

Both are equally repairable, the 980 is more powerful. Definitely look for one of those.

I got a new non Roomba robot recently, replacing what I think was a 980 vac. Instead of throwing it away I actually took it to where I work for maintenance, it's to live the rest of its life vacuuming under conveyance.

In addition to legal representation, as Brazilians we have to think about durability, and in this regard iRobot is far superior. I have a 980 that has been working since 2019 without any parts being replaced. I also have two J7s, one of which is the paus.

Sorry, but it is 100% worth it. I bought an irobot roomba 980 nearly a decade ago when it was launched, and guess what? I still use that cleaning robot daily. Literally daily. Currently, I'm eyeing the narwal flow. It vacuums and mops at the same time. That and many of the competitors now have designs that prevent getting tangled up by dog fur. I still think the roomba 980 was an excellent purchase and can't wait to be blown away by the newest gen of cleaning robots. I'm mentally prepared to spend up to 2k Canadian.

I’m still running a 980!

A 960 can be upgraded to 980 specs via repair parts but if you can, I’d try for a 980 right out of the gate. Better battery, more vacuum power. That’s about the extent of the differences.

Get the computer, comb eBay for a Roomba 960 or preferably a 980. Can schedule it or just chuck it in the middle of a room and hit the button. (Twice). Vacuums in efficient straight lines, does a great job, and no shortage of parts today even though these are 8-10 year old.