iRobot Roomba 960, the most affordable 900 series

This time we are going to talk about the Roomba 960, a robot that is becoming a great sales success, thanks to the fact that it incorporates the most advanced technology in the field of robot vacuum cleaners, since it can be obtained at a reasonable price; understanding, of course, that we are talking about a high-end robot, belonging to the market-leading company.

And we must not forget that iRobot es the leading manufacturer on the market, and not by chance. Founded in 1990, it has sold more than 20 million robots throughout the world throughout its history. Therefore, its Roomba robots are a guarantee of quality and good workmanship.

The Roomba 960 and 966 are basically the same model, differing in color; Sometimes you can find one or the other for a better price, take a look just in case!

Roomba 960: our review

The Roomba 960 has obtained a very high score, 91 points out of 100, based on 203 reviews. It is a mid-high range robot, which incorporates room mapping and Wi-Fi connectivity, and provides great efficiency in home cleaning.

In addition, its satisfaction rate is also very high, since 91% of its users are satisfied or very satisfied with the robot.

Its 3-stage cleaning system, with AeroForce technology, whose power is five times greater than previous models, allows it to effectively lift, extract and suction dirt. In addition, its bristle-free extractors ensure that the hair goes to the interior tank, without getting tangled, which means less maintenance work.

iRobot 900 Series

Until recently, the iRobot 900 series represented the top of the range of this brand, the world leader in the robot vacuum cleaner market.. In this series we find two models, the Roomba 960 and the 980, which for several years has been iRobot's most advanced robot, and which still has qualities to compete excellently against high-end robots from other brands.

Sometimes you will also see posts that talk about the Roomba 966 or the Roomba 965. In practice, the Roomba 966 and 965 are the same as the Roomba 960, have the same characteristics. In many cases, iRobot varies the numbering of the same robot, simply changing the color, the markets in which it is sold, or including more or less accessories.

Currently, the Roomba 960 could be placed in a medium or medium-high range, along with other new generation ones, such as the Roomba E5, since iRobot has launched other more advanced and powerful modelsHow are the Roomba i7/i7+ and Roomba S9/S9+. These models, in addition to greater power and improvements in the navigation systems, incorporate interesting new features, such as the cleaning by room and automatic collection of dirt in a larger tank, which allows you to go about a month without having to deal with dust.

What new features does the 900 series present?

Although at first glance, all Roombas look similar, as we go up the series, their features and effectiveness when cleaning are added or improved. From the basic 600 series, the Roombas do a good job. Those of the 700 series incorporate various improvements, and those of the 800 surpass these. For its part, The 900 series combines efficiency, power and comfort in handling, with a wide array of advanced features and cutting-edge technology. We tell you some of them:

Wifi connectivity

This feature – which has also been added to some new lower series models, such as the Roomba 691 or the 896, for example – allows you to control the robot remotely, through the iRobot Home app, and update its software, to May it always be up to date. In any case, it should be emphasized that it is not mandatory to operate the robot through the application, since it can be done, as always, through the buttons.

More powerful batteries

The new lithium batteries that iRobot incorporates in some of its new models have more autonomy in the 900 series models, reaching 75 minutes in the case of the Roomba 960, and 120 minutes in the 980. In addition, we must take into account realize that, As it performs efficient navigation and orderly cleaning, it takes much less time to clean the house.

High efficiency filtering

the efficiency of the filtering system is improved, to trap 99% of allergens, pollen and particles with a minimum size of 10 microns.

Box contents

Roomba 960: start-up

Handling the Roomba 960 is very simple. As usual, before starting to use it, it is advisable to fully charge it (although it comes with a partial charge, it is better to fully charge it).

1. To begin with, Place the charging base in a clear place and plug it in. At least 0,5 meters will be needed on each side and 1,2 meters in front and from any flight of stairs. This must be so that the Roomba can maneuver smoothly to or from the charging base.
2. The robot has a tab on the bottom, in the battery compartment, that must be removed.
3. Next, the robot is placed on the charging base, so that the connection on the robot fits with that on the base.
4. To achieve a full charge, it must be charged for a minimum of 3 hours.
5. The iRobot Home app is installed, compatible with Android and iOS.
6. Finally, the robot can be activated, either through the CLEAN button or the application.

Roomba 960 operation

The Roomba 960 can be operated from the buttons, like any Roomba, or from the mobile application (which we will discuss later).

Like all Roombas, it has a large CLEAN button on the top. To start the robot, press this button, once to activate it, and once to start cleaning. If pressed while cleaning, it will pause (until the button is pressed again).

To return to the base, press the Dock button (shaped like a house), or simply let it return on its own, when the cleaning cycle ends, or when it returns to recharge.

The Roomba 960 It also has a concentrated cleaning mode. To do this, press the Spot button, which is the one shaped like a crosshair, and the robot will start to rotate in a spiral around the place where we started that mode, to clean that specific area more thoroughly. This is very useful, for example, if we have dropped something on the ground and it has scattered.

Like all Roombas, it has an anti-tangle system, which prevents it from getting stuck with cables, fringes or tassels.. However — as we usually recommend — before cleaning, it is best to pick up any objects, items of clothing, etc., that may be on the floor.

Thanks to its three-phase cleaning system, patented by iRobot, and its new AeroForce technology, it is extremely effective in cleaning all types of floors, including edges and corners. Even if the dirt is stuck to the floor, it manages to remove it (within limits, of course), thanks to its reverse rotating brushes and its powerful motor.

The iAdapt 2.0 navigation system

The iAdapt 2.0 navigation system adds an optical sensor to the usual sensors. In this way, it maps the house and creates visual references, through VSLAM technology. (simultaneous visual location), which helps you know where you are at all times.

The camera, visible on the top of the robot, allows you to do much more efficient work and minimize shocks (when encountering new unknown obstacles, the robot stops and updates its map).

However, it doesn't hurt to make your task easier, leaving as much space as possible for the robot to maneuver comfortably (for example, putting the chairs on the table, removing pieces of clothing, shoes, toys, anything that may be on the floor, etc.).

The iRobot Home app

Through this application, downloadable for free for Android and iOS, we can perform multiple functions:

Virtual Wall Dual

The Roomba 960 includes a next-generation virtual wall, Virtual Wall Dual.

The Virtual Wall Dual offers, in addition to the wall mode, the “halo” mode, which creates a cone-shaped barrier, to protect elements within a semicircle of just over a meter in diameter. This option can be very useful in some cases, such as to protect the food and drink area from pets, delicate objects that may be on the floor (like vases), etc.

Do you want to know which is the best robot vacuum cleaner on the market? Visit our comparison:

Common Features of Roomba Robots

Traditionally, Roomba has separated its robots into 4 ranges, classified into series: the 600, the 700, the 800 and the 900. In this way, simply by the product code, we could get an idea of ​​the features that we are going to find. , and the price range.

In addition, Roomba has recently launched other nomenclatures, which make the choice a little more complicated. The E range, which seems specialized in homes with pets, and in which we can find the interesting Roomba E5; the i range, with the representation of the Roomba i7 and its sister i7+ (which differ in that the latter includes the special cleaning base); and the new Roomba S9 (and its sister S9+), which abandons the traditional circular shape, to adopt a D shape, similar to that of the Neato robots.

The vacuum cleaner we are analyzing today, the 960, belongs to the 9 series, which is Roomba's most advanced according to the old classification, and shares some advanced features with the new models. In any case, in addition to everything we have discussed in other sections, iRobot has provided all its devices with a series of common features, as they are:

3-stage cleaning system: The side brush, the reverse rotating brushes in the center, and its powerful motor perform a 3-stage cleaning.

• Thanks to its studied 27º angle, the side brush collects dirt better, even in corners and edges, and attracts it towards the center.
• There, the reverse-rotating brushes do their job, lifting and trapping dirt, which is directed toward the mouth of the vacuum.
• Finally, the Roomba's powerful motor sucks dust in, where it doesn't escape thanks to the design of its AeroForce filter and tank.

adjustable cleaning head: automatically adapts to the type of floor you are vacuuming, whether porcelain, wood or carpets, achieving the best cleaning in each situation.

Automatic loading: As is common in most robot vacuum cleaners on the market, Roombas automatically return to the base when they have finished the cleaning cycle, or when they are running out of battery. In the case of the 960, thanks to its navigation system, when it resumes cleaning, if it had not finished, it does so in the place where it had left off.

Roomba 960: technical sheet and features

Advantages of the Roomba 960

Drawbacks

It is difficult to find fault with this robot (apart from its price, which although it has been adjusted by the brand, is not suitable for all economies). If anything, we can mention the two main differences it presents with respect to its sister, the Roomba 980:

The battery life of 75 minutes, although, as we have mentioned, is sufficient for a medium-sized home, thanks to its advanced navigation system, it may not be sufficient for larger homes; This is actually not a big problem either, since it will charge and resume work on its own. And, on the other hand, it lacks the system that the Roomba 980 includes by which it automatically increases the power when it passes over a carpet.

Opinions about the Roomba 960

Excellent! I chose this model for several reasons: non-random trajectories, ability to avoid obstacles, programmable, resume work where it left off... It's amazing how it does its job, it doesn't fall down the stairs, it returns alone to its base, it has enough battery to do everything (my house is more than 120 square meters), the virtual barrier works... A really useful investment.

It's a super good robot. It is somewhat expensive, but it can clean the entire floor, going from one room to another, everything except the stairs. Its price is justified, the amount of dust it collects is incredible, I wonder where it gets it from...

Impressive, I am more than pleasantly surprised by its quality and the cleanliness of the house. I have it scheduled to start every day at ten in the morning, I have three children and two cats, and This robot seems more than excellent to me.

A gem, it really is very effective. It's my third Roomba, and this is absolute happiness. When you do the first cleaning, you are surprised to see how it maps the floor and begins to clean methodically. If there is a chair in its path, it identifies the four legs and avoids them, without having to do it every time.

I am delighted with my purchase. It does a good job and is not very noisy.. It is fascinating to watch him work.

Really very effective, It collects so much dust that we suspect it does it secretly. In our case, we empty it after each use, which is done very easily. Very well designed.

Why buy a Roomba 960

If you are looking for a mid-high range robot vacuum cleaner, with room mapping, lithium battery and programmable, the Roomba 960 is an excellent option.

If you want a robot with an excellent, powerful and effective cleaning system, belonging to the leading brand on the market, this can be a great alternative. For a reasonable price, you can access a high-end Roomba.

Roombas comparison

If you want to find at a glance which Roomba best suits your needs, look at this comparison table:

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