Ah, the iRobot Roomba – the first name that comes to mind whenever you think about a robot vacuum cleaner. They really paved the way for autonomous robot vacuum cleaners when they were first introduced back in 2002, and now there have been many models made over the years.
Right now, there are around 3 popular models on the market today – the iRobot Roomba e5, the Roomba i7, and the Roomba i7+. If you are thinking of getting yourself an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner but you’re not sure which model works best for you (or what even the differences between each model are) then this is the place for you!
Check out the below guide to find out what each model has to offer! This way, you can find the best option for you!
Comparing The Roomba’s Latest Models (e5, i7, i7+)
| Roomba e5 | Roomba i7 | Roomba i7+ | |
| Floor Type | All Floor Types | All Floor Types | All Floor Types |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion |
| Self Charging? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi Connected? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IRobot HOME App Compatibility? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Compatibility? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drop Sensors? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dirt Detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled Cleaning? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 Stage Cleaning Suction? | 5x | 10x | 10x |
| Run Time | 90 mins (Hard Floor) | 75 mins (Hard Floor) | 75 mins (Hard Floor) |
| Weight | 7.2 lbs | 7.44 lbs | 7.44 lbs |
| Multi Room Cleaning? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Cleaning Preferences? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Imprint Smart Mapping? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Clean Map Reports? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Dirt Disposal? | No | Compatible, additional dustbin sold separately | Yes |
What Roomba’s Latest Models Have In Common
Before we start comparing the differences between the latest models of the iRobot Roomba, let’s take a look at all the similarities between them – because there are quite a few.
The iRobot Roomba e5, i7, and i7+ are all automatic robotic floor vacuums which can easily vacuum all floor types – carpet, wood, tiles, etc. Each one uses a lithium iron battery and is programmed to return to its docking station whenever its battery gets too low. So, all of Roomba’s popular models are self charging and great for all floor types.
They all are also compatible with the iRobot HOME app and both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant, meaning that you can control each model in a variety of ways. You can use this to set cleaning schedules and each model is built with drop sensors, dirt detection, and side brushes for an efficient clean.
So, the latest models of the iRobot Roomba all offer a great cleaning performance no matter the type of flooring you have in your home, and are easy to manage and control through different apps and features. Now, let’s take a look at some of the differences between each of the models.
The Roomba e5 Vs i7 And i7+
Out of the three latest models of iRobot Roomba, the e5 clearly has the least amount of features.
Both the i7 and i7+ models both offer a range of additional features that the e5 lacks. This includes multi room cleaning, meaning that both the i7 and i7+ can clean multiple rooms in your house in one session while the e5 cannot.
You can also create your own custom cleaning plans for your i7 and i7+ Roomba or just let the imprint smart mapping feature run so your Roomba can find its own way around before it starts cleaning – but these ease of use features are not available with the e5.
The Roomba i7 and i7+ also offer clean map reports so you can see where your Roomba missed out due to obstructions. The e5 does not.
So, the i7 and i7+ have a lot to offer over the e5. However, the e5 does have some benefits over the i7 and i7+ including a longer battery life, lighter weight, and a more affordable price on Amazon.com.
Whether or not you should buy the Roomba e5 over one of the i7 models usually depends on your budget.
Some people cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a Roomba and so opt for the more affordable option – which in this case, is the Roomba e5. It offers all the basics but simply lacks the additional features you can access on the app. For some people, this is no issue!
The Roomba i7 Vs i7+
As you can tell from the information above, the Roomba i7 and i7+ have a lot more in common with each other than the e5 does with either – why is that?
Well, the Roomba i7 and i7+ are actually the same model of Roomba. They are identical in size, weight, battery, and design, but there is one key difference – the automatic dirt disposal feature.
When you buy a Roomba i7+, it comes with an automatic dirt disposal attached to its docking station. This means that the i7+ empties itself after every cleaning session and this limits the amount of times you have to empty out your Roomba.
But here’s the catch – because the i7 and the i7+ are identical models of the Roomba, the i7 is still compatible with the automatic dirt disposal docking station. So, if you want to upgrade your i& to an i7+, all you need to do is get your hands on a different docking station and you can still use your old Roomba i7.
Previous Roomba Model Comparisons
If you are thinking of purchasing a second hand Roomba, then you will probably come across a lot of older Roomba models which work fine – but are no longer available to purchase new.
Here is a comparison of Roomba’s older models so you can see what each model offers.
| Roomba 675 | Roomba 690 | Roomba 890 | Roomba 960 | Roomba 980 | |
| Floor Type | All | All | All | All | All |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion |
| Self Charging? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi Connected? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iRobot HOME App? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant Compatibility? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Drop Sensors? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dirt Detect? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 Stage Cleaning? | Yes | Yes | 5x | 5x | 10x |
| Run Time | 60 min (Hard Floor) | 60 min (Hard Floor) | 60 min (Hard Floor) | 75 min (Hard Floor) | 75 min (Hard Floor) |
| Weight | 7.8 lbs | 7.8 lbs | 8.4 lbs | 8.5 lbs | 8.7 lbs |
| Multi Room Cleaning? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Stop And Resume? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Clean Map Reports? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Cleaning Preferences? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Unfortunately, many of the above Roombas are no longer available on Amazon.com and as a result, you will only be able to purchase your own through second-hand websites and stores.
Another downside is that as these models are much older, they do lack the additional features that the newer models now boast including longer battery life, lighter weight, and stronger cleaning features to provide a more efficient clean.
However, this does mean that they should be available for much more affordable prices than iRobot’s more current models due to their age.
Final Thoughts
So, that’s all the similarities and differences between the current Roomba models and their older counterparts.
Finding the right Roomba for you can be tricky due to all the different models but we hope that the above guide will help you out.
Think about what you really want your Roomba to have (longer battery life, compatibility with extra apps, ability to empty its own dustbin) and then use the guide above to find the right Roomba with all the features you want!
Good luck!