Which is better, a Roborock or a Roomba?
In this in-depth comparison, we'll compare two of the biggest robot vacuum brands.
We'll compare Roborock vs. Roomba so you can choose which brand to buy from.
Keep reading to find the pros and cons of each brand's vacuum cleaners.
Overview Of iRobot Vacuums
Roombas are made by iRobot, a company hailing from the state of Massachusetts. They've been manufacturing innovative vacuum models since the early 1990s.
Their lineup of products is known for having powerful suction and great durability.
Roombas have become a household name by people that don't even own one, to the point of robot vacuums being generally referred to as Roombas by segments of the population.
Every Roomba is built to withstand the general living conditions of a home, but holds up well regardless of whether you run the AC or keep it warmer than average in the interior space the machine would vacuum around.
Read More: Eufy vs. Roomba
Overview Of Roborock Vacuums
Roborock robot vacuums are China's answer to the Roomba. They're two types of devices rolled into one. With a Roborock, you can vacuum and mop the floors.
The operation is a bit similar to what you would find on a swivel cleaner. Roborock makes vacuums with great navigational controls, easy setup, and friendly prices for the wallet.
As of now, Roborock produces two types of machines, the E and S Series.
Within them exist different variations sold to customers around the world.
However, the E series is better for the more budget-minded.
The S Series has more sophisticated perks than the E Series does, though both contain enough to impress anyone that's never used a robot vacuum before.
Range
iRobot/Roomba vacuums
To give you a sense of what Roomba and Roborock can offer you, have a look at these products that are sold by both brands. Compare and see which you believe has more of what you're looking for in an automated vacuum.
Roomba S9 Plus
The S9 Plus is where all levels of Roomba stop. It's the most advanced model, giving you the best of everything that other Roomba models have. But in most parts of its design, It's unique.
The body is boldly-shaped and weighted just enough to give it longevity even after the warranty on it expires.
Since the body is quite large for a robot vacuum, the brush that goes underneath in the front is bigger. You'll enjoy how it picks up extra debris when compared to other automated vacuums
Roomba i7 Plus
If there's one thing that you would love about the Roomba i7 Plus, it's the high-quality dust container that it comes with.
It'll empty itself so that you don't have to, but that's not all. The body is more rounded than the S9 Plus, giving it a smaller brush.
The amount of time it takes to clean is a little longer, but not by much.
And since the machine is automated, you probably wouldn't even notice anything. Overall, the i7 is capable of getting up almost 100 percent of the dirt that it finds on the floor.
Roomba i3 Plus
This Roomba is better for people that want the technology, but aren't looking to spend too much to do so. It can also clean itself without much help.
This technology is called CleanBase and allows you to do hardly nothing to get the machine working.
Be sure that you find a good spot to put the charging stations, and ensure that it sticks to the floor well. You might need extra tape for this to happen.
Roomba E5
The Roomba E5 is also in the league for being within the budget of customers seeing their first robot cleaner.
The price is in mid-range when compared with others, including the Roborock brand. Hook up your application to control the cleaner if you want.
You can even turn it on and operate it when you're not at home this way.
Even with WiFi, there's no way for the E5 to scan your floors for areas to avoid, so you'll have to create a pathway on your own if there are specific portions of your house where you don't want Roomba traveling.
Roomba 675
Reliable at a good price, the Roomba 675 is a basic robot vacuum without some of the advanced features of the rest that are recently made.
Instead, the features are about the same as earlier editions of Roomba.
But even with a rudimentary profile, you can still pick up over 95 percent of debris with it.
Read More: Shark vs. Roomba
Roborock robot vacuums
Roborock S7
The S7 by Roborock has plenty of space in the dust bin. When it's full, you'll certainly be able to tell.
It also holds more than most other Roborock products.
Altogether, the water tank carried three milliliters of water and runs at 68 watts. This is a newer product from Roborock.
Roborock S6 MaxV
Roborock's S6 MaxV is also great for people worried about debris capacity.
There are two cams stationed in the front, this acts as a sensor, allowing the machine to avoid collisions into other obstacles on the floor.
Anything that's smaller than two inches won't be picked up by the machine.
Keep it on for a while, there's little reason for you to worry about it cutting off too fast.
The amount of time it can stay on is a little over three hours. Remember, this vacuum, like many from Roborock, has a mop and vacuum.
Roborock S6 Pure
The S6 Pure has strong suction at good wattage. It'll never run hot and will always park itself properly when the battery is low.
Unlike some other robot vacuums that have a hard time.
Locking into place to self-charge, that won't happen with the s6 It runs at the same time at most S Series models, approximately three hours.
Roborock S6
This S6 doesn't feature everything shown in the models of higher rank. But even without, you'll still get the same running time as the others and the mop and vacuum combination.
Also, you can run it for as long as three hours.
Honestly, if you're just looking for something to get the floors clean and don't care too much about the extra, this is a perfectly good buy. It's estimated to pick up about 90 percent of the dirt that you see on the floor.
Roborock S5 Max
Battery time is where the similarities for the other S Series lie with the S5. When in motion there's no way for it to find and avoid objects.
But it'll maneuver its way around your floors until the place is clean. For some, this could be all they're looking for a Roborock to do. It's quite large but doesn't add much weight to it when empty.
Roborock E4
Roborck's E4 has three cleaning options. But here's where operating time gets even longer. The machine will keep on moving for well over three hours.
Debris cleaning is detailed to be almost 100 percent.
Uncommon on other robot vacuums but a feature for Roborock, you can hook up the mop accessory after you have the floors done.
Unless you have a big house, charging in between vacuuming and mopping could probably wait.
Most of any dirt that lies in front of it will scoop right up. Just be sure to keep those brushes from tangles in the particle that it sucks up.
Roborock E35
Every Roborock E35 is well-suited for getting the debris in the container. It's large and dirt doesn't appear to stick to the walls when emptying.
Operating time is very long but charging time is fast, going back to a full battery when it's empty in only 20 or 25 minutes. Therefore, you might see it more active than stationary on some days.
Roborock E25
The E25 is lower in suction strength than its sister, the 35. Keeping it on is easy to do, but more time is needed to keep the battery up.
Digital scanning is nonexistent but cleaning better, with higher than average removal of all debris. You'll most certainly pick up all that you use on the floor.
Price
In most places where both Roombas and Roborock products are sold, you can expect there to be lower costs with the latter. Some Roborocks are significantly lower in price than a Roomba.
Still, there are plenty of people that trust the Roomba brand and how the extra you pay for goes to increases 9in longevity and money well spent.
Deals can be had for Roombas too, as the machines are always undergoing sales from the places retailing them.
Most of Roborock's cap stops at about $500. Some are under $400 too, the lower E Series models in particular. But when looking into models like the S6 MaxV, you'll have to spend over $700.
For a Roomba, the cheapest price that you would pay is about $400. This could be compared to machines by Roborock for $300. The Roborock E4 is a hundred dollars cheaper than this.
To summarize each brand's prices, know that you'll pay more for a Roomba that can have more features on the machines with it, aside from Roborock's mapping technology.
Read More: Roomba vs. Dyson
Battery Life
The battery life for your Roomba and Roborock is nothing for you to worry about. They're packed with strong lithium-ions that are long-lasting and degrade slowly over a long time.
With some lithium-ions, depreciation is fast, where the battery would need replacing after only two or three years from the purchasing date. But Roomba and Roborock models will take you further than that.
Most Roborocks and Roombas have 5,200 mAh batteries. For machines that use them, you can expect a battery life of from two to five hours.
However, robot vacuums are timed at three hours, on average.
Again, this is the same for each model compared here.
It would appear that Roomba could potentially have an area of improvement to make here, seeing that other robot vacuums make batteries for their cleaners but charge sometimes half the price that a Roomba costs.
Although it's not a huge complaint, the similarities in power and the large differences in what you pay could be taken as unfair by some customers.
Let's look more into Roomba's batteries.
The mean time for battery life on a Roomba is two hours before a recharge is needed.
Three hours is possible, especially for the higher-end vacs sold by them.
Throughout a Roomba's warranty, the battery could be filled several hundred times before depreciation begins to show.
If you ensure that the Roomba's motor and ventilation is cleaned as often as possible, it could lengthen the time of your battery since it would use powering more sparingly.
Roborocks are no different. Keep up with the interior and clean them. Even a simple wipe down with a dry cloth could be enough.
Dust Bin
Roomba and Roborock use docking stations to port and charge their vacuums. Superficially, they resemble each other.
But dust bins are one area where Roombas easily beat Roborock.
Observe a Roomba as it travels back with a full bin of debris in the debris container. The latest models can empty this on their own.
The Roomba's base has its dust bin, which itself detaches when you're ready to empty it.
You can remove to the top part of the docking station, open the hatch, and throw out the debris contents without ever touching the Roomba itself.
Unfortunately, Roborock vacuums don't have this feature, but could in the future. Truth be told, not many robot vacuums have built this into their features.
Of course, this is one of several reasons why Roombas high-end vacs are more expensive.
Is it something that you wouldn't mind having in your vacuum?
Regardless of what you want, you're still going to have to empty debris contents, only in a fancier way with a Roomba.
If these sorts of features are important in your purchase, don't use them to determine your next vacuum cleaner.
Filtration
Filters are just as common on vacuum cleaners as debris containers are.
The purpose of them is to prevent fine particles of dust from seeping back out from the vacuum's vent, or when the debris container is opened.
Just because Roomba's have an external container for debris doesn't mean that those filters are redundant on them.
They still manage to keep the air nearby cleaner than without one, including pathogens that aren't in your best interest to be breathed in.
But on a good note, the amount of time that robot vacuums spend on the floor, you could have cleaner than that what's possible with a conventional vacuum cleaner.
A Roomba's filters are strong and long-lasting. With them, prepare to absorb almost 100 percent of fine particles that the vacuum comes across.
These are picked up from the surface of hard floors and the subsurface of sarpets. Although Roborocks has filters too, the quality is arguably lacking in Roomba's vacuums.
Still, the lacking quality isn't by much. You wouldn't even know the difference between this in this area.
While Roomba sweeps up 99 percent of particulates, Roborock manages 95 percent.
Hardly a noticeable difference. E11 is the quality of filters provided with Roborock.
For Roomba, you'll get AeroForce HEPA filters. HEPA certifies that filters are adequate enough to trap nearly all fine particles that pass in the debris container when it enters.
With Roborock, the filters are a bit more rudimentary, but just as effective.
Since the debris containers are transparent, you can clearly see when it's time to be emptied out.
To do this, you shouldn't wash the filter. Just gently tap it over a trash can until you see no more contents on the material.
Warranty
What kind of warranty do you expect to find on your robot vacuum?
iRobot is different among other vacuum cleaners. Most cleaners that are sold on the market take the form of many different vacuum categories. There's uprights, stick vacuums, and portables small enough to fit in a vehicle's glove compartment.
But within these vacuum companies tend to give their products the same warranty, with some exceptions.
But for brands like iRobot, there isn't any exception. The warranty that you get for one model is the same for the next.
iRobot vacuums can harbor different warrant periods according to where they're bought from, however.
If this period set at an online store is greater than the standard period from iRobot, then you'll have more time to turn on the device if a problem occurs. This is also called third party warranty.
But as a standard, every Roomba has a one year warranty for return on the machine. This doesn't include the battery.
Roborock has a warranty for six months to one year. You can return a Roborock free of charge for up to 30 days after the day you receive in the mail.
Within the first year, you can also return it so long as the unit is in ordinary condition.
Looking at them side by side, the Roomba has a much better warranty policy than Roborock.
It's not that surprising, since Roombas cost more and can be easier to ship for repairs, if needed.
Features
The features of a standard Roborock are better than average. Although stating the obvious, the same is true for Roomba models. Most of the features of both are common.
One is the fact that Roomba and Roborock each have their own application. You can download it from Android or iOS.
The application streamlines and extends the range from which you can control the units.
With a WiFi connection, this goes to wherever you are, even when far away from home.
The units from both brands have stats that inform users of when their machines will clean and options to manually set them up to a preferred schedule.
From each, you can even see where they've cleaned and the amount of debris they've managed to pick up.
Even while you probably won't be taking a look into the batteries, Roborock and iRobot supplied high-quality lithium-ions for all their machines. Each charges and loses power at an identical rate.
Feature-wise, some of the differences are conspicuous.
Roborock is durable, but weighs a bit less than Roomba, for robot vacuums, this matters since weight adds to its durability.
You want a robot vacuum that won't become damaged if you accidentally brush against it with your feet.
But on the application, Roborock has some nice controls, even one where you can see what part of the machine needs to be cleaned out, the quality of the motion sensors, filter standing, and the state of the brushes.
None of these settings are available for Roomba's units. Instead, you can only turn on the machine or activate a carpet clean setting.
Other than that, options within the Roomba app are limited.
With the application and features within it, Roborock wins.
Final Verdict
iRobot has obviously created something that has and will remain popular for home cleaning.
Their fleet of Roombas are built well. Their customers are loyal and swear by the brand over other vacuum cleaners of the same type.
Many Roombas have been used for years, where it's common to find families using more than one for different floors in the house.
Roombas have updated. If you buy one, you're going to get more than you would from the machines in the past.
This is saying a lot since much of Roomba's competition has been stagnant.
Some models have just implemented WiFi settings for their devices.
But it's clear that Roborock has emerged as a serious alternative to Roomba, one that's cheaper and easier to set up than the standard Roomba.
Roborock's E and S series will both link to WiFi. And the application used in sync with them is jam packed with useful commands and vacuum information that's lacing on Roomba.
Taking out the trash on a Roborock isn't as convenient as Roomba is, considering this too is automated with Roomba's self-cleaning feature.
Make a Roborock your next vacuum cleaner when you're set on finding one that can vacuum for a long time, or if you're often away from home and need a way to better manage your vacuum without physically being next to the unit. If price is important, Roborock's E Series should be where your search ends.
Give the Roomba a try if it's affordable, or if you value strength in build quality over a lack of application settings.
Roombas are more automated than Roborocks and their HEPA filters can pick up slightly more debris.
Buy one and you won't have to worry about purchasing a new vacuum for many years.
