Roomba vs Dyson: Which Robot Vacuum is Better? (COMPARISON TABLE)

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So you like to be updated in the field of technology and want an autonomous robotic vacuum to help keep your floors clean. You’ve heard of the iRobot industry leader and its small army of Roomba vacuum cleaners.

But you know that Dyson arguably has the best traditional vacuum cleaners on the market and now, too, they have a robotic vacuum cleaner: The Dyson 360 Eye. So how does it compare to the Roomba 980? We will not take into account the price, because, at this point, that information is not relevant.

Performance, navigation, cleaning power, intelligence, maintenance. These things are what matter. In this article, we will compare the Dyson 360 Eye against Roomba 980 in a face-to-face fight. We will analyze the differences and similarities, the characteristics and options, the pros and cons and answer some common questions.

Continue with the full article below to see the battle point by point of these two machines. However, if you only come to ask us for an opinion: Roomba 980 is still the king of the battlefield of robotic vacuum cleaners.

Roomba 980 vs Dyson 360 Eye: The Differences

• Height. The Roomba is about 2.5 cm shorter than the Dyson giant.
• The 360 ​​Eye aspires in a grid pattern, while the 980 goes in parallel lines similar to the human ones.
• The Dyson collection container is almost half the size of the iRobot container.
• The Roomba has side brushes; The 360 ​​Eye has a full-width brush bar.
• The Roomba 980 uses brushless rollers; The 360 ​​Eye has swivel bars full of brushes.
• The battery life of Dyson’s beast is simply 45 minutes, while that of Roomba’s monster is about two hours.
• The 360 ​​Eye has tank-style wheels, instead the Roomba uses swivel wheels.
• The 980 has more carpet power thanks to the Carpet Boost feature. The 360 ​​Eye has a high power motor, which always runs at full speed.
• Dyson does not offer HEPA filters for the 360 ​​Eye; Roomba 980 requires HEPA filtration.

The Similarities of Both Models

• Both fighters use visual sensors to map and navigate.
• Each of the robots is capable of programming cleaning cycles.
• Both the 360 Eye and the 980 have rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
• Both models can go alone to the charging station.
• Both have sensors to prevent falls from stairs or cornices.
• Both autonomous vacuum cleaners are designed to clean all types of floors.
• Each robot uses a mobile application to control it.
• You can use voice controls with Amazon Alexa on the Roomba 980 and the 360 Eye.

Comparison: Roomba 980 vs Dyson 360 Eye

Details of the Features and Options

“I want to deepen the characteristics and options of these two machines.” Here you go, you can thank us later.

Batteries

Even robots need a source of energy. Lithium-ion is the champion of long-lasting rechargeable batteries and both Roomba 980 and 360 Eye use them. The way they use them is a different story.

The Dyson robot has a high power motor that has only one speed: it aspires to maximum power. The video camera that maps and navigates also uses a lot of battery power. When the battery is completely discharged, a full charge will take approximately 2 1/2 hours. From that full load, you will get about 45 minutes of runtime.

On most floors with a simple and open design, these 45 minutes should be enough. However, the robot is cleaning areas of 3 meters to cover the floor, making sure that it covers every possible square. If you have a complex floor or a lot of furniture, the grilles will be interrupted and the robot will have to find a new route.

The Roomba 980 also has a high power motor that comes in two speeds: normal suction mode and Carpet Boost mode, which increases the power in carpets and carpets. When passing on a carpet, the engine accelerates to create more suction power and drains the battery faster. It also has edge cleaning mode, which is a slower and more methodical mode, draining the battery much more.

The training in which these machines aspire is designed to behave more like a human and reduces the need for alternative routes. When it is an obstacle or furniture simply turns around, it is not necessary to find so many alternative routes.

A full charge of an exhausted battery will take three hours in a 980; however, you will get 2 hours (in optimal conditions) of operating time. In a real test, the charge lasts about an hour and a half, which is still twice what the Dyson lasts.

In a nutshell: The Roomba 980 wins. Slightly longer charging time is not as crucial as having more clean area in less time.

Navigation and Cartography

New robots rely on audio and touch-sensitive sensors to detect objects and obstacles. The Roomba 980 has a superior video camera that allows you to map the cleaning area with a visual map. The iAdapt 2.0 technology stores this map rendering in the robot’s memory to allow for more efficient cleaning. Write down the location of furniture, obstacles fall, cornices, stairs and remember its location for the next cleaning cycle.

If you usually rearrange your furniture or add new obstacles, the Roomba 980 will probably bump into them once. But after the crash, it will erase the stored map and create a new one.

The Dyson 360 Eye also uses a superior camera for mapping and navigation. The main difference is that, unlike the front camera of the 980, the 360 ​​Eye camera can rotate 360 ​​degrees (hence its name), constantly updating the map and navigation modules on the robot’s computer.

As you clean, it will update where it has been and what areas still need to be cleaned. Moving furniture does not matter since the map is constantly updated in each cleaning cycle. Even if you relocate the vacuum and the charging station before the next cleaning cycle, there would not be many navigation problems.

In a nutshell: The 360 ​​Eye wins. Dyson’s technology makes mapping and navigation a little more fluid, although it is not a big difference.

Sensors

Apart from the visual sensors for navigation, there are also other sensors that are used are vacuum cleaners. Touch sensors and drop sensors are the most common.

The Dyson has a sensor to prevent it from falling down the stairs. Any drop greater than 7’5 centimeters is avoided. While dark colors on the carpet or tile floor can confuse sensors, it is less likely to avoid false falls, as the Roomba 980 is prone to do.

The 360-degree vision system of the Dyson model prevents the robot from hitting walls and obstacles.

The Roomba also has these sensors that prevent it from falling from stairs. It is known to avoid flat surfaces if they are too dark. This is usually when the dark carpet has strong contrasts between light and dark, or the tile floors are black and white.

The 980 also has touch sensors to prevent collision with obstacles and furniture. If a collision is detected, it will recede and surround the obstacle without causing damage. Dirt detection sensors are also added that ensure that the area being cleaned is really free of dirt and debris.

Another added feature is a Virtual Wall Barrier. These towers with batteries will send an infrared signal that creates an invisible barrier that your robot will not cross. You can configure it at the entrances to prevent access to a room or area, or activate radio mode to surround items such as pet food bowls and easily dump them.

In a nutshell: The Roomba 980 wins. Additional sensors are always a good thing, and the just plain Roomba has more of them.

Extractors and Brushes

The only thing a vacuum has to do is remove dirt and debris which are stored in the dust compartment. No matter how powerful the engine is or how large the collection bucket is if it has no removable bars, dirt will never leave the floor.

The Roomba 980 uses dual, counter-rotating extraction bars. They got rid of the brushes and bristles and used interlocking grooves instead. iRobot states that the extractors are tangle-free. There is also a sensor in the extraction chamber to notice if the bars are trapped in something like a cable or wire.

In this case, Roomba 980 will reverse the bars and try to break free. If it is successful, it will surround the cord to prevent it from becoming entangled again. No tangle does not mean that you are free of hair. But longer hairs will wrap around the extractors. The good news is that the extractors are easily removable so that they can be easily cleaned.

The 980 also uses two rotating side brushes to push dirt and debris to the center of the robot’s path.

The 360 ​​Eye has a full-length bar that combines nylon bristles with carbon fiber brushes for cleaning all types of floors. The bar replaces the need for side brushes since it is the entire width of the machine.

With a single spinning bar, tangles are inevitable. The bristles collect most of the hair but are easily wrapped around the extraction bar. The only disadvantage is that the extraction bar is not the easiest to remove. Cleaning and maintenance may require a lot of time and effort.

While the brush bar extends over the entire width of the machine, it does not extend beyond it. Debris along the edges and especially in the corners is easily overlooked.

In short, Roomba 980 wins this battle. The extractors are not lost much and what is lost is picked up by the side brushes and pushed to the extractors. Cleaning is also faster and easier.

Mobile Applications

Both iRobot and Dyson have mobile applications for their robotic vacuum cleaners. Connecting your smart home to your vacuum has never been so easy. Total control and programming from virtually anywhere.

The Roomba 980 uses the iHome mobile application on any Android or iOS device. The application is free to download and is not essential to use the robot; However, it is much easier. Once downloaded, you just have to synchronize the robot with the network and then the network with the application.

From there, you can assign a name to the robot, create and remove programs, view reports on cleaning cycles, start, stop, pause or continue cleaning and view reports on battery life and charging times.

Dyson Link is the mobile application for Android and iOS that connects to the 360 ​​Eye. Like the iHome application, you can take full control of the robotic vacuum. However, the Dyson application is not very intuitive.

In general, applications are much better than leaning to press a physical button on machines, and the ability to use them from anywhere adds a great value.

In short, Roomba 980 wins this round, by little. The application is much easier to use and is quite intuitive, but they perform the same tasks.

Maintenance

Keeping up with the maintenance of your robotic vacuum is of the utmost importance. You should have a regular schedule of battery checks, jams, emptying of the garbage cans, checking the extractors to see if there are tangles and general cleaning.

The 360 ​​Eye has a much smaller garbage compartment than the Roomba 980 (half the size). You will be asked to empty it much more frequently. Many reports from other users indicate that the collection container is not always filled before it must be emptied. Pet hair will bulge and accumulate in the corners, resulting in a complete indication, even though there is a lot of space left in the container.

The Roomba 980 will also be filled after a few uses. In general, owners report that they have to empty the collecting container every three to four cycles, depending on factors such as pet hair and the size of the cleaning area.

The collection containers are quite easy to remove and empty, although the Dyson container takes a while to unlock.

Other things that should be checked weekly are the extractor bars. Keeping them free of tangles and debris is crucial for the good functionality of the vacuum cleaner. Removing the bars and cleaning them is a simple task in Roomba 980. You clean it, replace it, and you can leave now. Once you learn the process, you can complete the cleaning and maintenance in about 15 minutes. The Dyson 360 Eye will take you 20 to 30 minutes.

In short, this is a tie. Regular check-ups and maintenance are a critical step in all robotic vacuum cleaners and should be done regularly.

In Conclusion

The battle of robot vacuum cleaners will continue. New models will come out with new features and options with which there will eventually be a clear winner. Today is not that day.

The Eye Dyson 360 has advanced visual technology that makes it a better robot when it comes to moving around the house and mapping it. It will not collide with objects and furniture as frequently as the competition. However, it is taller and will not be able to enter as many places as some of the smaller models.

To block its path you will have to close doors or put barricades. As long as this is not a problem, you have the Dyson name and up to five years of warranty to back the machine. Leave a bad taste in your mouth because the level of cleanliness is not enough. However, as part of a regular cleaning program, floors can be kept clean with regular use.

The iRobot Roomba 980 has also dropped the ball when it comes to overall performance. Some of the previous models in the series cleaned much better. However, the 980 ensures that it collects as much as possible and does a fairly decent job. Camera navigation is much better than expected, and you don’t have as much difficulty finding your docking station as the previous models.

Comparing the two, we would pay earlier for the Roomba 980 than for the Dyson 360 Eye. The added features, additional sensors and longevity of the reliable brand still mean something and its performance remains top-notch.