iRobot Roomba 960 Review

The iRobot Roomba 960 is the best Roomba for the homeowner on a budget. It has all the necessary traits to perform as a great independent cleaner, enabling you to enjoy a tidier home without having to make any extra effort.

Roombas are slowly becoming one of the favorite investments in this age; they’re relatively small, cute, and they perform their task whenever you ask them to.

The iRobot Roomba 960 can be started through Alexa or Google Assistant, letting you order a quick cleaning session with just your voice. If your Roomba was roaming free and you have a sudden surprise visit from family, you can easily order it to return to its home base.

The Aeroforce Cleaning System provides an amazing suction power, and thanks to its self-adjusting height, it can slip into corners you wouldn’t have thought to investigate on your own.

Of course, great robot power does a number on the battery. How much can you believe of the claim that this Roomba can clean for a little over an hour? And then there’s the question of if it performs well enough to justify the original investment.

Luckily, we have a thing for Roombas, so investigating these details was no hardship. We came back with all the info to get you better acquainted with the iRobot Roomba 960.

iRobot Roomba 960: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 in.
• Product Weight: 8.6 lbs.
• Product Type: Roomba.
• Compatible with: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
• Battery Life: 75 minutes before automatic recharge.

How Does it Work

To get your Roomba up and running the fastest way possible, you only need to do a few things. First, you’ll want to decide where you want your new robot to recharge.

Place the Home Base on a flat surface and, if possible, against the wall. Connect the home base with a nearby outlet via the line cord. After completing these steps, all you need to do is place your Roomba 960 on its Home Base.

Be sure to properly connect the charging contacts, or you’ll be waiting a long time to get started.

Once your Roomba is fully powered up, all that’s necessary is get it online; press the clean button twice, and you’ll be able to enjoy its many features.

5x the Amount of Power

The AeroForce Cleaning System has greatly improved on the Roomba 960’s suction abilities, giving it the best robot vacuum power you could have asked for.

The air-powered, tangle-free brushes make short work of any dirt, leaving you with the cleanest floor.

Expanded Entire Level Coverage

With an adjustable height level and great sensor range, the Roomba 960 can automatically rework its height in order to match your floor and move underneath furniture.

There’s no need for back-breaking antics just to clean underneath your sofa when your Roomba can easily venture underneath.

This expands to a superior mapping power, allowing your Roomba to learn how your interior is placed, resulting in better cleaning.

Sometimes the iRobot Roomba 960 will zoom off, and it will seem like it’s a robot with a clear plan in mind.

75-Minute Runtime

With a little over an hour of battery life, your little Roomba will happily zoom back and forth before returning to its Home Base for a well-deserved recharge.

This battery life is mostly reserved for hardwood or stone floors, while carpets ask for more traction power.

Wi-Fi Connected

Connect your Roomba to the Wi-Fi and you’re ensured constant access.

Need to turn off your robot cleaner without getting up? Whip out your phone and do it from a distance. It beats chasing after a Roomba that’s just dived underneath the sofa.

Maintenance Reminder

The iRobot Roomba 960 will occasionally send you maintenance reminders.

These aren’t scary moments that require high tech knowledge. Rather, it comes down to the same kind of actions you would perform for an ordinary vacuum cleaner (cleaning the bag, removing excess dust from the brushes etc.).

These intermittent cleanings enhance the life expectancy of your Roomba, so be sure not to skip them.

iRobot: The Brand

IRobot wants to build “an ecosystem of robots” that work tirelessly to make your home a better place to live.

Ever since their founding in 1990 by roboticists straight from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, iRobot has strived tirelessly to make practical robots a reality.

Apart from their popular Roombas, they have also invested in creating robots that save lives; their Packbots have been fielded since 2001 to respond to disasters, helping every way they can.

They’re not just stopping with their own inventions; rather, they’re choosing to take an active role in the future of all robots to come.

If you or a family member has an interest in all things tech, be sure to check out their contributions to STEM programs. Even if you’re not into designing your own robots, it sure doesn’t hurt to enjoy their existence.

iRobot Roomba 960 Review

The Positives

Thorough Cleaner

The enhanced cleaning system really does manage to scrape up every stray hair and crumb. Even the most thorough clean-freaks have found that the iRobot Roomba captures the very last bits of dirt and brings the cleanliness of your home to the next level.

While other robot vacuums fall short on cleaning every bit of dirt off your floor, the Roomba excels at its job leaving less work for you.

The Roomba 960 takes away worry, so you don’t have to do a quick sweep after you’ve set your vacuum to clean before a guest arrives. You can trust that your Roomba robot vacuum has you covered.

Edge Sensors

The edge sensors have not failed a single one of our testers – a great score for this Roomba.

Roomba has been improving this feature over the years to take away any worry from their customers when using their vacuums.

While other models of robot vacuum cleaners tend to easily go astray, falling off stairs, and ledges, the Roomba 960 stays on track.

While it seems like a foregone conclusion, it’s nice to know this Roomba won’t be taking a stage dive anytime soon.

Ideal for Pet Hair

The special tangle-free brushes are practically made to deal with pet hair. No matter how fine and fluffy the hairs are, the Roomba 960 will dutifully collect them and make sure they’re not around anymore.

There won’t be a need to put in any effort in brushing up pet hair after you vacuum since this Roomba takes away all the pressure. It uses its rubber brushes to grab pet hair without leaving a tangly mess to deal with.

If you have allergic family members, this is a great way of keeping those sneezes under control.

Easy to Use

There isn’t anything complicated about using this robot vacuum – it does all the work for you! Setup is easy, so those iffy about technology need not worry.

Once the app is installed, using and scheduling the Roomba is easy as pie. It’s intuitive and gives updates on every bit of the vacuum.

Easy scheduling means you’ll never have to lift a finger when it comes to getting your floors clean and since the Roomba 960 is compatible with Alexa and Google, all it takes is a simple voice command.

The app will also send notifications to your smart device when you need to empty your Roomba’s bin, when the batteries are getting low, and if your Roomba happens to get stuck when it’s learning its new surroundings. This way, you’ll have fewer surprises.

Customer Service

It’s always reassuring when a company takes steps to show that they stand behind their product and that they have your back should issues arise.

iRobot does just that by offering a 1-year warranty with your Roomba 960, covering you against any damages caused by the manufacturer.

Should you notice any defects, you’ll need to contact iRobot where they’ll repair or replace your vacuum at no cost to you.

What’s best is iRobot is known for having great customer service. Customers have noted that their customer service reps have been helpful in solving issues and replacing faulty vacuums.

The Negatives

Light Rooms Only

The camera on top of the iRobot Roomba 960 needs low-level light at least to help the Roomba move around. Because of this, you can’t send it out in the middle of the night to do some cleaning, unless you’re planning on keeping the lights on.

Carpets Suck Energy

Carpets ask the engine to perform at higher levels, both in movement power as well as suction power.

If you’re a carpet lover, you’ll find your Roomba making quite a few trips to recharge, so keep that in mind during your search for a robot cleaner.

Here’s a video showing what the Roomba 960 looks like out of the box.

Overall Verdict

The iRobot Roomba 960 is a robot that packs quite a punch for a low budget. With its adjustable height and great suction power, it makes for a good companion for anyone who can use a helping hand around the house.

Due to the strain caused by carpets, it’s most recommended for people who either do quite a bit of cleaning by themselves or those who don’t have many carpets lying around.

Pet owners will always be amazed at how well the iRobot Roomba 960 cleans house, no matter what their cleaning habits are.

In conclusion of this Roomba 960 review, we can safely say this is the best robot vacuum cleaner you can get for a reasonable price. No matter what your family looks like, this is sure to be a good addition.

Where to Buy the iRobot Roomba 960

iRobot has been excelling in the robot vacuum industry as one of the better-known robot vacuum manufacturers on the market.

Their products (especially  Roomba) have been featured in magazines, blogs, movies and television, increasing the popularity of the brand, and making their quality robot vacuums a sought-after product.

Thanks to their success, items like the iRobot Roomba 960 are available both in-store and online.

While it’s always best to check home department, tech, and specialty stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• Best Buy (from $618)
• Lowes (from $699)
• iRobot (from $699)

And of course, you can also find this Roomba on Amazon.

That’s it for our iRobot Roomba 960 review. Are you curious to give it a try?