iRobot Roomba 960 vs Roborock S5 Comparison Review


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Roborock has been making noise in the robot vacuum world by packing and innovating features in its Roborock vacuums at mid-tier price points. I compare the Roomba 960 vs Roborock S5 – the stalwart iRobot brand against the up and coming Roborock brand disrupting the industry.

If you’re in a hurry and want to know the better robot vacuum, I’ll tell you. It’s the Roborock S5 that provides the better value. The S5 bundles many features that you would only be able to get on higher-end robot vacuums at a higher price.

Continue reading to learn the details of all the features that the Roborock S5 provides.

Features

Size Dimensions

The Roomba 960 dimensions are as follows: 13.8” diameter x 3.6” height. It comes in only one color – space gray. The design is what you’d expect out of a regular Roomba design, with three buttons on the top panel (CLEAN, SPOT CLEAN, HOME) that can be used to operate the Roomba.

A little knob is installed at the front of the Roomba 960 to prevent it from going under certain types of furniture that would otherwise cause it to get stuck.

On the  Roborock S5, its measurements are 13.78” in diameter and is 3.78” tall. This slight increase in height as compared to the Roomba 960 doesn’t prove to be a huge issue however. The difference is just over an eighth of an inch apart.

It also comes in a circular design reminiscent of a Roomba, with 3 buttons on its top panel.

The difference in design between the two is that the Roborock S5 features a protruding LDS (laser display sensor) in the middle of the vacuum that it uses to navigate around your home.

Weight

The Roomba 960 weighs 8.5 lbs while the Roborock S5 weighs 7.72 lbs. Both of these are light enough to transport around your home with ease.

Battery and Capacity

The Roomba 960 can clean for 75 minutes without stopping, then takes about 180 minutes to recharge from an empty battery to full.

iRobot Roomba 960 has the Recharge and Resume feature, so it'll pick up where it left off during the last cleaning
iRobot Roomba 960

Yes, it takes awhile to recharge, but don’t worry, you don’t need to wait for it to finish recharging because of its Recharge and Resume feature.

When the battery is running down, your Roomba automatically goes back to the dock to recharge. After the recharge, it continues from where it stopped until the job is complete.

The Roborock S5 boasts an impressive 150 minutes of non-stop working before needing to be recharged.

The main gripe here is the recharge time. It takes up to 6 hours or less for a full recharge from empty, which is definitely much more than the Roomba takes to recharge its batteries. Unfortunately, it looks like you can’t win them all Roborock.

Robot Vacuum Filters

The suction system on the Roomba 960 comes equipped with High-Efficienty filters which trap 99% of dust, debris, dust mites and other harmful airborne particles during cleaning.

That helps to keep your family safe from harmful allergens which may otherwise cause respiratory and health issues for the people who are prone to allergies.

The Roborock S5 uses a HEPA filter that traps 99.99% of dust and particles that may be dangerous to your family’s health and safety.. The filter is washable and can last for a long time with minimal maintenance.

Brushes, Suction & Cleaning Technology

You may find that the iRobot AeroForce 3-stage cleaning system found on the Roomba 960 will certainly get you a great cleaning experience as you sit back and watch.

iRobot’s patented dual rubber brushroll system is great at loosening the hair, dirt, debris from carpets to be able to get a better clean for you.

iRobot’s Dirt Detect technology is found on all Roomba models and the Roomba 960 is no exception, ensuring that any accumulated dirt in your home is cleaned thoroughly. The Roomba will recognize dirtier areas and do extra runs over those areas.

The Roborock S5 is a next-generation robot vacuum, this little robot’s cleaning performance is nothing short of amazing.

2000 Pa of pure suction power is enough to leave the floor where it passes through spotless. The Carpet detect sensor automatically increases suction power whenever it detects that it is going onto a carpet or down to a hard floor.

One of the knockout features of the Roborock S5 is – on top of its fantastic suction performance, it mops as well. Could a robot vacuum get any better? Looks like it can as a robot vacuum and robot mop.

The mopping is done while it does its vacuuming, making doubly sure that your floors are clean and shiny. This function lasts for about 50 minutes or when the water in the water container runs out. Once it runs out, fill it up with water again and it’s good to go for another round of mopping and vacuuming.

Navigation System

The Roomba 960 uses the iAdapt 2.0 system coupled with an array of onboard sensors that allow it to navigate while cleaning. It also helps your Roomba robovac to avoid knocking into obstacles or walls.

iRobot Roomba vacuums have cliff sensors to prevent it from dropping down stairs
Roomba Cliff Detection

The Cliff Detect system helps your Roomba 960 detect cliffs and stairs so that it doesn’t fall down big gaps in your home and run the risk of malfunction.

The Roborock S5 uses the LDS sensor to navigate. The LDS sensor is a small protrusion on the top panel of the unit which is responsible for keeping your Roborock S5’s spatial awareness at tiptop condition.

The Roborock “Smart LDS Navigation System” uses lasers to avoid obstacles, stairs and gaps, and even see in the dark. That’s right, this little guy has night vision.

The navigation system also saves the maps into the internal memory for future reference, making it more efficient the more you use it. 

Mobile App and Voice Assistant Control

The iRobot Home App (for Android and iOS) allows you to control your Roomba 960 from anywhere at any time remotely from your smartphone.

Cleaning Reports from the iRobot Home App for Android and iOS
Cleaning Reports

As long as your Roomba vacuum is connected to WiFi, you can control functions such as turning the unit off and on, schedule cleaning days and times, and check cleaning history.

The Roomba 960 can also be voice activated through Alexa and Google Home, which makes it fantastic for a fully hands-free experience.

The Roborock S5 can be controlled via the Mi Home App. This app allows access to control your S5’s cleaning mode, turn it off and on, check its current location and also see the virtual map of your home that it has drawn out.

The Mi Home app is sleekly designed and intuitive even for the slightly tech-unsavvy. The Roborock S5 is also Alexa and Google Home assistant compatible as well, so you can operate it hands-free!

Maintenance

The dustbin capacity of the Roomba 960 is 600 mL. Once the dustbin is full, the app will notify you and you will have to empty the dustbin manually.

Apart from that, regular maintenance such as wiping down the unit and the dock’s charging points, ensuring no hair is trapped in the brushroll, and washing the filter is recommended.

The 400 mL dustbin on the Roborock S5 is less than that of the Roomba 960’s so this means you might have to empty out the dustbin more regularly.

Clean and wipe down the terminals and the unit itself, check for blockage and wash the filters out with cold water every 2 months and your Roborock S5 will last you a long time.

Additional Features

iRobot Roomba Virtual Wall Barrier that stops the Roomba from Entering an area
Virtual Wall Barrier

Every purchase of the Roomba 960 comes with a dual-mode virtual wall device, which creates an infrared ray that becomes a no-entry zone around particular rooms or doorways in your home for your Roomba.

iRobot Virtual Wall Barrier devices - Halo Mode
Virtual Wall Halo Mode

It can also be used in Halo mode, whereby a circular infrared barrier helps to protect fragile items in your home from being tipped over by the Roomba 960.

The Mi Home App on the Roborock S5 allows you to do some pretty handy things, like the Pin n Go function. You point it to a particular area on your app’s map where you’d like your robot vacuum to go to and it goes. Super handy for delivering small items across the home.

You can also draw no-go zones on the virtual map, which is by far one of the best features. It makes the virtual wall device from Roomba a little outdated and unnecessary. iRobot does have the Keep Out Zone feature on its Home app for that’s compatible with the Roomba i7 and s9 series.

You can also track real-time exactly where your Roborock S5 is around your home if you need to through the app.

Price

The Roborock S5 is the pricier choice than the Roomba 960 goes for on the market. This is unsurprising, considering the huge number of additional features on the Roborock S5 and its quality.

It’s not a big difference and sometimes under $100 difference, which is a great deal if you happen to catch the S5 on a sale.

Go to Amazon to find the latest prices for the Roomba 960 and Roborock S5.

Pros and Cons

Roomba 960:

Pros

  • Trusted iRobot brand
  • Silicone rollers which tackles pet hair better

Cons

  • No mopping capabilities
Roomba 960 Review and Comparisons

Roborock S5:

Pros

  • Plenty of extra features
  • High suction performance, long lasting battery

Cons

  • More expensive
Roborock S5 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner | Unboxing + Demo + Honest Review

Roomba 960 vs Roborock S5 – Who is Each for?

Roomba 960 : Those who want the experience, quality, and trust that the Roomba brand brings you at a solid price point.

Roborock S5 : For those who want power, performance and extra features and have a higher budget for it.

Verdict

The Roborock S5 trumps the Roomba 960. Superior performance, mopping feature, better app functionality are the main differences and what the Roborock S5 brings that the 960 doesn’t have.

If you’re more budget conscious, the Roomba 960 will still do a great job of cleaning.

For more reviews that feature the Roborock vacuums and the Roomba 960, check out these articles:

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Written by:

Michael Hoyt
Michael Hoyt, a seasoned expert in smart home technology and robot vacuum specialist, is renowned for his contributions to home automation. With a deep-seated knowledge of smart devices, he has dedicated his career to enhancing living spaces with advanced technology. Michael's expertise extends from in-depth reviews and recommendations to practical advice on fully automating homes with smart home solutions.